Mark Richardson to retire?

[Richard]

Just to clarify- the reason Lou Vincent flopped wasn't because he "wasn't an opener", but it WAS because he is completely useless. Funnily enough, he batted in the middle order in ODIs, a position he was supposed to be suited to, but it didn't stop him being possibly the worst specialist ODI batsman I have ever seen (although he probably seemed worse than he was because he played so many bloody games.)

For such a rubbish player, though, he sure chose his finest hour well!
(Just to clarify, I'm not suggesting Vincent isn't rubbish, just that it's nice for someone so poor to have picked a good time to play - a long way - above himself)

 

[Richard Rash]

my contenders in order.....
Papps, How, Cumming & McIntosh - although I expect to see Sinclair retained as 1 half of the combination...........

hell I'd really like to see any 2 of the first 3 named, followed by Flem, Sinclair, Styris & Astle, Oram, McCullum, Vettori..............Mills/Franklin & Tuffey........6 batsmen & some balls by the selectors............

if they did pick 2 specialists then perhaps Cumming would get 1 spot for the same reasons he got the call up for the ODIs in PAK - his experience as an opener

Craig won't get picked again any time soon and i know that for sure

 

[bryce]

my guess is sinclair and jamie how, they are currently opening for CD and on 182/0, how with his third century in as many innings.

 

[Richard]

Of course you do.

World famous 'Kents' include....The Simpsons newsreader, Kent Brockman.

So your first name is Kent? OK.
Sorry, don't know of anyone called Kent (don't watch The Simpsons).

 

[Smudge]

Sinclair has just brought up his century - like How, he reached three figures with a six.

 

[Smudge]

And out next ball...

 

[Richard Rash]

So your first name is Kent? OK.
Sorry, don't know of anyone called Kent (don't watch The Simpsons).

Haha how come i am not suprised that you don't watch the simpsons Richard?

Yea my vote goes for How to partner Sinclair.. Three century's in three digs and the latest against the likes of Butler and Tuffy. Prety good stuff

 

[Smudge]

Richardson gets 35 in the first innings - 6 short of the 41 required to notch up 10,000 first-class runs. The game is so advanced he will almost certainly get a go in the second innings.

 

[Richard]

Haha how come i am not suprised that you don't watch the simpsons Richard?

Probably because most people regard is as an essential part of a healthy life...

 

[anzac]

Craig won't get picked again any time soon and i know that for sure

unfortunate because I can't see how he can still be scoring runs & the same philosophy not apply as per his original selection, although I believe his game is supposedly better suited to the longer form than Jones' who went on to gain the test selection.........

on current domestic form I'd consider him in the top 2 specialist options (along with How), as neither Papps nor McIntosh have managed to post a score as yet...............

he's only 28 which if memory serves is the same age a certain Andrew Jones made his Test debut at #3 v AUS.................

 

[tooextracool]

But how does that help the replacement of Richardson, which is what is being discussed?

i dont think it was intended to help the replacement of richardson, perhaps the person who posted that can explain why mcculum has a greater chance of batting up the order now than he did before. but i would say that he should bat up the order regardless.

 

[tooextracool]

yeah but I'd rather blood some specialist batsmen into the middle order & retain McCullum & Oram at no higher than #6 & #7, as opposed to shortening the batting lineup any further..........

I don't rate McCullum as any better batsman than Gilchrist, who bats at #7 for AUS.............

if it prevents a specialist from batting in his position then perhaps it might be better not to. but what has without doubt been his best innings in his career thus far came at 3. personally if fleming is going to open the batting which seems more and more likely each day then i would consider mccullum at 3 and whoever it is that comes into the side to bat at 4.

 

[Kent]

perhaps the person who posted that can explain why mcculum has a greater chance of batting up the order now than he did before.

I guess what they meant was that if Fleming did in fact open with Sinclair, the #3 position would be wide open. McCullum does have pedigree as a top 4 batsman dating back to age-group cricket, and he also keeps and opens on the rare occasions he's available for Canterbury at FC level.

Styris and Astle have more experience, but technically they're clearly looser than McCullum IMO, which is no surprise seeing they both have past lives as lower-order hitters. Frankly I'm amazed that Styris has been able to do as well as a test #3 or #4 as he has.

 

[Tim]

I agree, I wouldn't be surprised if Styris was demoted to #6 in the near future...he just doesn't seem to have the right technique and mindset to bat at #4.

 

[Macka]

Just read that Fleming said he doesn't mind batting anywhere in the order. Looks like Sinclair may have been asked to open in domestic cricket, so I can only assume he'll be opening against Sri Lanka. My view is the top-order is a huge worry for NZ. Fleming has backed Papps as the next in line, but he isn't scoring runs, which is of obvious concern.

 

[JASON]

Farewell to Mark, a cricketer who started his career as a spinner and re-invented himself as a frontline batsman and then an opener !!

Congratulations on a successful career for NZ at a time when NZ cricket needed such an opener !!

I wonder if his retirement was slightly premature !!

 

[_Ed_]

Canterbury 48/6 in their 2nd innings, still another 140 odd required to make Auckland bat again, Richardson may not get a chance to get the 6 he needs to reach 10,000!

 

[shaka]

Richardson was so unlucky, he must regret not making more runs in the first innings.

 

[bryce]

Just read that Fleming said he doesn't mind batting anywhere in the order. Looks like Sinclair may have been asked to open in domestic cricket, so I can only assume he'll be opening against Sri Lanka. My view is the top-order is a huge worry for NZ. Fleming has backed Papps as the next in line, but he isn't scoring runs, which is of obvious concern.

haha just wondering if you heard that on radio sport in an interview with flem? if not that's what he said anyway, i think it is more the management's decision to not open with him rather than his own personally

 

[marc71178]

Richardson was so unlucky, he must regret not making more runs in the first innings.

To be honest, he doesn't strike me as the sort who would regret not making 10000 runs.