New Zealand 'A' Tour of U.K., 2014

[hendrix]

Latham has a good pull. Anderson's pull is monstrous.

We're going to need some good pull shots when we face the Aussies.

 

[Dan]

I like a good pull.

ITSTL.

Some of those pulls were not from long hops either.

He doesn't roll his wrists he just keeps his bat on an even plane through the ball.

I used to have a very good pull. I don't get the deliveries to do it more than 1-2 times per season now as the bowlers are too smart in my grade and refuse to drop it short, But if I adopted Brownlies strategies I could probably put away a few more.

Yeah, I used to love the pull shot but as bowling has got quicker, I've never quite adapted with my back foot play particularly well. Tends to be more a case of rocking back and defending (or that typical KW dismissal of guiding it to first slip).

Everyone's adapted the Ponting method of moving forward then shifting the weight back and hitting through the line -- no dramatic movement back, no real rolling of the wrists. More risky, but far more ***y than the traditional method IMO.

 

[Hurricane]

ITSTL.



Yeah, I used to love the pull shot but as bowling has got quicker, I've never quite adapted with my back foot play particularly well. Tends to be more a case of rocking back and defending (or that typical KW dismissal of guiding it to first slip).

Everyone's adapted the Ponting method of moving forward then shifting the weight back and hitting through the line -- no dramatic movement back, no real rolling of the wrists. More risky, but far more ***y than the traditional method IMO.

Do you play on grass? i had to shelve ambitious pulls on artificials because the ball comes on to quick especially if you try to take it from outside off stump and the ball is a leg cutter.

On grass it just sits there regardless of who is bowling (providing they are not 130kms plus) and you can smash it.

There are two pulls that I have:
a) Full blooded pull.
b) Short arm jab for fuller pitched deliveries where it hurries on to you.

 

[Howsie]

So how can we fit Henry into Tests? Drop the spinning pretense and just launch him as 4th seamer?

Simple, drop Wagner. Potentially Henry could be right up there with Southee and Boult, IMO anyway. Wagner has been decent at times but he's never going to be that good.

 

[Dan]

Artificial, unfortunately. Ball skids on so much and really rushes you, from what I've found.

 

[Flem274*]

Simple, drop Wagner. Potentially Henry could be right up there with Southee and Boult, IMO anyway. Wagner has been decent at times but he's never going to be that good.

blocky multi to appear in 5...4...3...

I think Henry will be better than Wagner but I wouldn't be dropping Wagner unless he deserves to be dropped. If he's bowling well then he plays and he's booked himself a spot in the team for a fair while. Only sustained suckiness should see him out.

 

[Immenso]

Scotland playing an under strength team makes even more of a mockery of parts of this tour (the non-tourney part).

Should have stopped off in Dubai on way home with FC games lined up v Pak A, or Afghans, or UAE.

What, with us about to tour there.

 

[Hurricane]

Artificial, unfortunately. Ball skids on so much and really rushes you, from what I've found.

You can still do it from a middle stump or leg stump line on an artificial. Just don't dream of taking it from off stump or wider than that.

 

[Hurricane]

You can still do it from a middle stump or leg stump line on an artificial. Just don't dream of taking it from off stump or wider than that.

Shots that are "on" on an artificial

Lofted shots over mid on and mid off
Pulls from a leg stump line
Glances down to fine leg
Drives "on the up" through the covers since the ball won't stop on you
Shots where you work the ball behind point or behind square leg
Drop kick shots

 

[Howsie]

blocky multi to appear in 5...4...3...

I think Henry will be better than Wagner but I wouldn't be dropping Wagner unless he deserves to be dropped. If he's bowling well then he plays and he's booked himself a spot in the team for a fair while. Only sustained suckiness should see him out.

Nah don't buy that, it's Chris Martin all over again. What exactly is bowling well for Neil Wagner? Averaging low 30's whilst chipping in with a wicket every once and awhile? Matt Henry is deadset potentially a 20's test bowler, someone who could rip sides apart. I don't care if he's moderate, Wagner that is. If their is a better option on the sidelines you bring him in regardless.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Simple, drop Wagner. Potentially Henry could be right up there with Southee and Boult, IMO anyway. Wagner has been decent at times but he's never going to be that good.

Wagner does offer something a bit different, I guess. But I would tend to agree with you - from the times I've seen Henry in play in domestic first class cricket, he looks to have the goods. I get the feeling (though it is only a feeling) that his potential is better than Wagner's potential. Really there are an embarrassment of seam bowling riches in the cupboard at the moment. We've been here before though and injuries have cost us in the past. If this generation can prove to be a bit more robust then we're well set.

 

[Hurricane]

I think a decision to play 4 seamers would be a lot easier to make if Kane had not been banned.

Sometimes as a captain you can just see you may be able to get a wicket with a spinner as long as your spinner can just put it on the spot.

 

[GGG]

On a bouncy and lively wicket I would go for Henry but a flat dead wicket then Wagner would almost be my first pick. But to be fair I haven't seen enough of Henry to judge his temperament and variations when bowling on a dead track.

 

[Hurricane]

Good problem to have. His FC average is very attractive.

 

[Flem274*]

His one day record of 50 odd @ 17 point whatever even more so. World Cup squad lock barring a meltdown.

 

[Flem274*]

Nah don't buy that, it's Chris Martin all over again. What exactly is bowling well for Neil Wagner? Averaging low 30's whilst chipping in with a wicket every once and awhile? Matt Henry is deadset potentially a 20's test bowler, someone who could rip sides apart. I don't care if he's moderate, Wagner that is. If their is a better option on the sidelines you bring him in regardless.

Wagner's been doing better than chipping in with the occasional wicket. I think you're exaggerating your point a bit there. Wagner has swung games for us and he is a very different bowler to Southee and Boult, being adept at banging it in and threatening on unresponsive decks and finding reverse swing (and sometimes conventional).

I think Henry is going to be the better bowler and possibly already is. At this stage though Wagner is very deserving of his place and dropping him now would send a "tee hee, we're going to chop and change and pick whoever we like" message to hopefuls outside the test team. Dropping performing players unless there are exceptional circumstances is just silly.

I don't want to do what Australia have just done and bring in the glossy glamorous and overpriced young bowler in for a very good but unfashionable bowler. It's going to hurt Australia and I'd rather we didn't copy. If you want a batting example, then while I think Compton is already being remembered with rose tinted glasses, dropping him for the Root/Carberry/Robson train worked well.

Henry is the next bowler in if someone is poor or injured and that's it right now. He's great injury cover for Southee since he can continue to provide the right arm outswing/left arm inswing opening combination. Personally I'd boot the spinner (especially if it's Sodhi) before Wagner where home games are concerned.

 

[marc71178]

Thing is, assuming Anderson and Neesham are now locks in the Test side and Williamson is banned, don't you kind of need some sort of spin option as that looks like 6 seamers really?

 

[Bahnz]

On a bouncy and lively wicket I would go for Henry but a flat dead wicket then Wagner would almost be my first pick. But to be fair I haven't seen enough of Henry to judge his temperament and variations when bowling on a dead track.

If memory serves he was pretty ineffective on last year's A tour of India and SRL.

 

[Flem274*]

Thing is, assuming Anderson and Neesham are now locks in the Test side and Williamson is banned, don't you kind of need some sort of spin option as that looks like 6 seamers really?

anderson isn't in the team anymore, just the squad so 5 seamers. not ideal balance i agree but if someone were to be dropped for henry then at this stage the spinner is left out at home.

ideally henry remains first reserve for now.

 

[Kippax]

If memory serves he was pretty ineffective on last year's A tour of India and SRL.

Not sure it was a genuinely dead track, that one four-dayer he played in Dambulla.

I can remember a game in Nelson where he couldn't find any pace or lift at all. Carl Cachopa was able to treat him a bit like a bowling machine, his clean action seemed to allow Chops to see it very early and take to him on the up.