New Zealand doom and gloom thread

[wellAlbidarned]

Latham
Mariu
Kane
Young
Ravi
Phillips
Hay/Fletcher
Henry
Ashok (I don't care at this point just pick a ****ing spinner at home and back them)
Smith/Sears
O'Rourke

 

[the big bambino]

What about Blundell? Surely worth a longer run?

 

[thundaboult]

These guys treated guys like will young, rachin r and ajaz patel like dog**** after their best performances

 

[wellAlbidarned]

What about Blundell? Surely worth a longer run?

just one more game bro

 

[ataraxia]

Latham
Mariu
Kane
Young
Ravi
Phillips
Hay/Fletcher
Henry
Ashok (I don't care at this point just pick a ****ing spinner at home and back them)
Smith/Sears
O'Rourke

Phillips really is all the spin we need at home IMO. Picking another spinner for every home test isn't a viable strategy when we play at Hagley all the time.

However, with four pacers we need a point of difference to complement the opening bowlers and O'Rourke. Sears, or Foulkes, or Fisher (or maybe Jamieson).

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Australia managed to find a finger spinner. Australia, where spinners go to die. I do not buy that excuse.

 

[NZTailender]

Latham
Mariu
Kane
Young
Ravi
Phillips
Hay/Fletcher
Henry
Ashok (I don't care at this point just pick a ****ing spinner at home and back them)
Smith/Sears
O'Rourke

I like HBs idea of Kane at 5. I think he's the elder statesman now and could steer/steady/counterattack from 5.

 

[SteveNZ]

To move forward, we need to have two things: Selectors who are prepared to go out on a limb and pick guys on potential...guys who might not be burning it up every week but they see have attributes that will make it at international level, and the right environment for them to thrive. Right now, we have neither.

We have enough talent if we get it right. The likes of Mariu, Heaphy, Fisher, Dale Phillips, Hay, hell even Mark Chapman or Nick Kelly, get these guys in now around Henry, Kane, Mitchell and co while they're still around, so that transition can happen. And back the **** out of them. Invest huge amounts of time in these guys, believing they're your guys,

What NZC needs to understand is their brand still revolves around a successful Test side, unless they can win ICC white ball tournaments. We saw the morale grow massively around India, but it's turned right back on them two weeks later.

The next 12 months in bringing in the right coach, setting ourselves up for success with all roads leading to that 2026-27 series in Australia, finding a way to move on the dead wood without running into a Tim Southee/John Farnham farewell tour scenario, is just so incredibly important. I hope the CEO is up to being a part of this, although all I've seen and heard of him is the same old crap we've always got.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I like HBs idea of Kane at 5. I think he's the elder statesman now and could steer/steady/counterattack from 5.

Only issue then is you're cramming the rest of our batting order which is entirely 4s and 5s up a space. At some point I guess we'll see Ravi opening, I always forget that's his actual position since he looks like such a natural number 4.

 

[NZTailender]

Only issue then is you're cramming the rest of our batting order which is entirely 4s and 5s up a space. At some point I guess we'll see Ravi opening, I always forget that's his actual position since he looks like such a natural number 4.

I think we'll get our best out of him in the middle order. I'd rather we open with Heaphy and Mariu

 

[Flem274*]

I don't think we need to go full yolo on potential and canning players.

KW, Rachin and Conway are generational NZ talents. Good FC players like Mitchell and Blundell have made world class performances. The system is reliable.

The issue is when standards slip they aren't being reset. Like the ****ing catching.

 

[SteveNZ]

Only issue then is you're cramming the rest of our batting order which is entirely 4s and 5s up a space. At some point I guess we'll see Ravi opening, I always forget that's his actual position since he looks like such a natural number 4.

I honestly don't think Rachin will ever open for NZ in Test matches. He's too loose, his career to date has shown that. Maximising runs out of him needs him at 4, I reckon, and we have up-and-comers who are genuine specialists in that role...but also don't seem to be T20 seekers.

 

[DougieRydal]

Posted this before the last test.

Innings since their last test ton…

• Latham - 33
• Conway -28
• Blundell - 26
• Mitchell - 22

Young hasn’t scored one, nor has Phillips. Only Ravindra 6 knocks ago notched one in India.

Pretty damning stats, obviously Blundell has one now, but as Dylan Cleaver called them, his were 'dead runs', no pressure on (and he was dropped on zero)

It's surely time for Conway, he no longer wants a central contract, so surely he's done, NZC held their line firm with Boult and wouldn't select him for test cricket (even the one being played in his backyard when we had injuries). There needs to be some consequence for not accepting a contract, we now actually have a couple at least pushing for the test opening spot.

I also don't recall any chat pre tour that Conway would miss the last test, although fully accept things can change with pregnancies.

 

[SteveNZ]

Posted this before the last test.

Innings since their last test ton…

• Latham - 33
• Conway -28
• Blundell - 26
• Mitchell - 22

Young hasn’t scored one, nor has Phillips. Only Ravindra 6 knocks ago notched one in India.

Pretty damning stats, obviously Blundell has one now, but as Dylan Cleaver called them, his were 'dead runs', no pressure on (and he was dropped on zero)

It's surely time for Conway, he no longer wants a central contract, so surely he's done, NZC held their line firm with Boult and wouldn't select him for test cricket (even the one being played in his backyard when we had injuries). There needs to be some consequence for not accepting a contract, we now actually have a couple at least pushing for the test opening spot.

I also don't recall any chat pre tour that Conway would miss the last test, although fully accept things can change with pregnancies.

I rate Dylan higher than any writer in this country in any code, from when I used to read the paper over my Dad's shoulder, but I don't completely buy the 'dead runs' and also the * of being dropped on zero. Test runs are Test runs for the most part, and he still had to score 100 against an England attack that had ravaged his team mates (albeit Carse I think had soreness). Blundell is still fighting for his career and is under pressure every time he goes out, albeit Stead and Latham seem to be giving him a Southee-esque long selectorial rope.

This is a guy that 12 months ago we were thinking about anointing as strong as Watling in the NZ keeping echelon. I'm hoping it's a confidence thing, although having said that we have no Test cricket coming up so it's largely irrelevant what form he strikes in Hamilton (unless we win).

 

[Bahnz]

I rate Dylan higher than any writer in this country in any code, from when I used to read the paper over my Dad's shoulder, but I don't completely buy the 'dead runs' and also the * of being dropped on zero. Test runs are Test runs for the most part, and he still had to score 100 against an England attack that had ravaged his team mates (albeit Carse I think had soreness). Blundell is still fighting for his career and is under pressure every time he goes out, albeit Stead and Latham seem to be giving him a Southee-esque long selectorial rope.

This is a guy that 12 months ago we were thinking about anointing as strong as Watling in the NZ keeping echelon. I'm hoping it's a confidence thing, although having said that we have no Test cricket coming up so it's largely irrelevant what form he strikes in Hamilton (unless we win).

I think the dead runs thing is a little harsh, but not totally off the mark. I don't care about the drop. Players get dropped (sometimes 5 times in the same innings) - what matters is what you do after the chance goes down, and Blundell batted well.

BUT. Blundell scored the bulk of his runs by boshing Bashir down the ground with a howling northerly helping to ensure that any mishits still landed on the bank. In a live match situation, where England actually cared about conceding runs, I don't think Blundell would've had it as easy as he did. Imo we need to see him follow it up with a decent performance (with both bat and gloves) next week.