Taylor has no offside game

Err you'd think a coach may have helped him resolve this right?

Well Bruce Martin certainly know's about it so if a domestic player does then you'd bet your ass international players do.

Blakey said:

Err you'd think a coach may have helped him resolve this right?

Well Bruce Martin certainly know's about it so if a domestic player does then you'd bet your ass international players do.

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It's a strange one. Taylor does have an off-side game, but he seems to constantly try to slog to mid wicket for some reason. I remember the hundred he scored against Aussie at Eden Park, and he played quite nicely on the off side with normal cricket shots.

But it's frustrating to watch us bat. The 2 years Chris Cairns constantly got bowled between the gate, Fleming/Astle getting nailed LBW by left-armers... the list goes on and on.

It's hard to be a Blackcaps supporter when you see so little improvement.

Fleming in the last few years has had no off-side game either, which is a pity because he used to be so beautiful to watch driving through the covers. I remember watching him batting vs Bangladesh live at the University Oval, and he was just putting everything away on the on side then looking fairly clueless on the off - and this against Bangladesh! And go further back to the CB Series with Aus and Eng, anything outside off he just swung and got air.

With Taylor it's strange, because he did have an off-side game and an excellent one at that. Now he seems to have Craig McMillanism in that he's focusing in one area to score all his runs when he has so much talent he can score all around the wicket.

If fans on TV know it, I guarantee international bowlers do.

Its pretty sad, because he probably has the shots, but uses an over-reliance on the leg side as a desperate measure when he hasn't been scoring quickly, or the team needs a boundary etc.

He'll never be a quality player unless he improves on this aspect IMO.

Nah, never worked for Graeme Sm - oh wait...

Seriously, have never actually spotted this with Taylor before TBH, have only ever seen him bat 4 or 5 times. Will keep a close eye out for it in the upcoming ODIs.

vic_orthdox picked it a long time ago. Will dig it later if I can be bothered.

I agree with all of this. Our batsmen rarely improve themselves and in many cases get worse. The only big improvers are Peter Fulton, Scott Styris, McCullum in one dayers, Daniel Vettori and James Franklin. Two of those are tailenders.

Flem274* said:

I agree with all of this. Our batsmen rarely improve themselves and in many cases get worse. The only big improvers are Peter Fulton, Scott Styris, McCullum in one dayers, Daniel Vettori and James Franklin. Two of those are tailenders.

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I'd argue Styis has gotten worse. But that is perception without having look at stats.

Blakey said:

I'd argue Styis has gotten worse. But that is perception without having look at stats.

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He means in comparison to when he started his international career - as a bowler who could bat a bit. He might have declined a bit lately with age, but during his "developing" years, he improved a ridiculous amount as a batsman.

Flem274* said:

I agree with all of this. Our batsmen rarely improve themselves and in many cases get worse. The only big improvers are Peter Fulton, Scott Styris, McCullum in one dayers, Daniel Vettori and James Franklin. Two of those are tailenders.

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Mark Richardson stiff* to not get a mention there. Styris-esque really.


*Pun intended TBH.

Have said for a while that Taylor's only real shot when he gets tied down is the heave over mid-wicket and agree 100% that this tendancy has blunted his rise in the game. Needs definite help to play off side shots more regularly. Incidentally I remember one of the first ODIs, at Eden Park, where he played some spectacular shots through the off side - New Zealand Cricket needs to see more of that.

Prince EWS said:

Mark Richardson stiff* to not get a mention there. Styris-esque really.


*Pun intended TBH.

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Damn how could I forget Rigor?

Interesting comments from him after the SA opening debacle. Every media man in the nation was begging for his return and he said he had considered it but he doesn't think he could ever get to the level required again.

And so it continued tonight - he absolutely mowed a couple on the onside, but that shot he got out to was terrible.

But that shot the ball before was absolutely massive! Over 50 rows back! But I guess it was because of the U11 boundaries.

The ground was fairly disgraceful in that regards. The first six Mustard hit made me shake my head.

NZTailender said:

The ground was fairly disgraceful in that regards. The first six Mustard hit made me shake my head.

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Lol! It hit the back of the bat and went to 3rd man! Mega leading edge!

NZTailender said:

The ground was fairly disgraceful in that regards. The first six Mustard hit made me shake my head.

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Yet another reason that 20-20 ****s ****.

Its a ****ing ****, I tell you.