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**Official** England in New Zealand 28 Nov-18 Dec 2024 - 3 Tests
- Thread starter FBU
- Start date
You bastard, I'm at the Seddon Park one.
Intriguing one - Stead has always liked to play Santner, even when he was averaging 45 per wicket and not scoring runs. Now he's a match winner, and has made 3 reasonable contributions with the bat. But if you play Santner at 8, it's three seamers, with Daryl Mitchell's very un-useable wobblies as a 4th. I don't think Santner in NZ conditions worries England at all.
Team I'd love to see: Latham, Conway, KW, Rachin, Mitchell, Phillips, Blundell, Smith, Henry, O'Rourke, Duffy.
The team I will see has Southee instead, and honestly I'm not sure whether Stead goes for Santner, or a fourth seamer...which I'd love to be Smith but will probably be Duffy, who I honestly think will come in and do well. Sears is a massive loss, given how he bowled - and competed - against Australia last year.
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
what f he leaves GP out and bats Santner 7, Southee 8 and plays your 3 other seamers?
thundaboult
International Debutant
If they boot southee out, which won't happen, pretty easy to see either duffy or nathan smith come in. Both have contracts. Tickner is done.
For the love of god can we just play a proper spinner each n every single game irrespective of conditions? Don't tell me we're going to reward santner's performance of the ages by dropping him for all home and away tours with swing/seam conditions. We did ajaz dirty after 2021 mumbai and hoping we don't repeat that with sants.
For the love of god can we just play a proper spinner each n every single game irrespective of conditions? Don't tell me we're going to reward santner's performance of the ages by dropping him for all home and away tours with swing/seam conditions. We did ajaz dirty after 2021 mumbai and hoping we don't repeat that with sants.
mackembhoy
International Regular
Stokes robbed while he was away in Pakistan. Absolute scum doing it at all let alone with his young family there too.
Not really sure which thread was best for this. Or whether worthy of a new thread.
Guess could this impact his involvement in the series.
Not really sure which thread was best for this. Or whether worthy of a new thread.
Guess could this impact his involvement in the series.
I wouldn't be a fan of that, but I didn't just coach a side to a historic win in India, I guess.
If you're looking at match-ups, Duckett and Stokes are the LHers, Duckett you wouldn't expect Phillips to have to bowl to so often. So maybe Phillips' offies aren't as viable for a middle order with one LHer and a bunch of guys who will really fancy taking to GP (Root, Brook etc). The LA option does look pretty reasonable given England's RH strike power, but you're asking Santner to do a massive job on seam-friendly wickets at Hagley, the Basin and not sure what Seddon does now. The weather in NZ has been pretty average, apparently it's the El Nina (?) pattern coming in which brings rain/humidity.
Santner is too high at 7, as is Blundell at 6 with his form. Mitchell isn't in good nick at 5, either. It's definitely an option and there is merit to it, but you're putting significant pressure on the top order to provide the runs, and even then two of the seamers are going to be a end of the road Southee and a debutant seamer in either Duffy or Smith.
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
Bloody hell, he went and played two days with that on his mind
HeathDavisSpeed
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
How do we expect Nathan Smith to go with the bat in Test cricket? Averaging mid-20s in FC which is probably a little below his ability. Can’t really bat higher than 8 if we can’t expect more than low 20s - though perhaps a bit more situational awareness than Henry or Southee, you’d hope.
Immenso
International Vice-Captain
Depends what you mean by frontline, I suppose.
If Santner is considered frontline, then probably yes. But may miss selection for first test at Hagley.
If frontline means specialist spinners (Ajaz and Sodhi). Then almost definitely not.
I'd hazard a guess that in the 95 years NZ has been test nation, there has never been a test match start in November. And to compound it that test is at Hagley where a NZ specialist spinner last took a wicket 11 seasons ago. But then the next 2 tests are at the most spin friendly venues in NZ.
Isn't the Mount the most spin friendly in NZ? Has the Basin changed in that respect?
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Dougeh!
Immenso
International Vice-Captain
My bad, I thought the other 2 were at Hamilton and Tauranga.
straw man
Hall of Fame Member
It's pretty hard to make a case for Santner at home, especially early season, when NZ have not just Phillips but also Rachin's spin from the top order. I'm not leaving out Phillips either - he's basically a specialist batsman even if we like to bat him at 7.
Thumbs up for that one. If Southee is in then that may help Smith, as Duffy is more similar to Southee and we would want Smith's batting at 8.
Wow, that's a stat. Mark Craig, 2014 v Sri Lanka? Took him 38 2nd innings overs to get it, too.
The only issue I see with Smith/Southee, and actually it's a Duffy issue, too, is those guys are pitch it up swing/seam bowlers. As I said before, Sears is a massive loss.
Interestingly, to bring @thierry henry into the mix, Google says Duffy is 6 foot flat. That surprises me
HeathDavisSpeed
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Hard to call him a specialist spinner when he was actually incredibly valuable as a batsman during his limited tenure in the team. Both his Test and FC records hardly make him look like a specialist.
mackembhoy
International Regular
Yep you can certainly forgive his performance in the two games.
Would explain the uncharacteristic anger he he showed in the second test.
NZTailender
I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Has to be Smith, as a contracted player, or Duffy. Foulkes a bolter.