New Zealand's succession plan

[Athlai]

Having a top ten is fairly pointless, when it's basically half the openers of the time of any significance.

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That was my point tbf. And also the reason why I still stand behind Guppy as a potential opening choice. When all the options suck, you go for the least not terrible.

Though obviously as a Guptill fan I'd much prefer we had a real opener and any Guptill opportunity in the longer form happens for him down the order where he is more likely to excel.

 

[hendrix]

Hmmm

Richardson, Latham, Young, Horne, Raval and McIntosh are the only ones I'd probably rate above him (and Raval could easily fall back into the chasing pack over the next season or 2). Guptill would probably slot in somewhere around 8 or 9, and I say this as someone who had zero belief in his capabilities as a test opener.

By the way, I'm not including manufactured short-term openers like Fleming or McCullum in this list.

Would take those plus Papps, Flynn (does he count as a converted opener?), Watling, Cumming, Rutherford, Redmond over Guptill as a pure opener.

 

[tony p]

richardson, by far the best n.z. opener in the last 25 years easily. averaged almost 45, with no large innings to bolster his record (h.s. 145).

because he looked ugly to the eye, i don't think he is given as much credit as he should. he always had to be got out, never through his wicket away. ( i had a thing for left handed openers, always enjoyed watching richardson, strauss & gary kirsten bat, just loved their fight)

tom latham may end his career as possibly n.z. better opener record wise, but i would rather bowl to him early than richardson.

still latham is way better than raval, he will be sorted out by our aussie pace attack next month.

 

[veganbob]

Would take those plus Papps, Flynn (does he count as a converted opener?), Watling, Cumming, Rutherford, Redmond over Guptill as a pure opener.

I'd take Guptill over all of those players as a test opener quite easily.

 

[Athlai]

Watling should have been persevered with though that story had a happy ending, but yeah Guptill definitely the least terrible of the rest.

 

[Moss]

richardson, by far the best n.z. opener in the last 25 years easily. averaged almost 45, with no large innings to bolster his record (h.s. 145).

because he looked ugly to the eye, i don't think he is given as much credit as he should. he always had to be got out, never through his wicket away. ( i had a thing for left handed openers, always enjoyed watching richardson, strauss & gary kirsten bat, just loved their fight)

It's really funny, here in India everyone remembers him as a boring bat and little else, when he was an extremely good, self-made opener (switched from being a spinner remember) who scored tough runs everywhere. One of the best leavers of the cricket ball I've seen too - the 89 in the 1st test of that green-wicket-itis India series in 2002/03 just sticks in the mind.

Was actually quite a fan of Matt Horne from 1997-2000, whoever called him a minnow basher was off target IMO. This is probably because he had 2 tons vs Zimbabwe (to go with crucial centuries at Hobart and Lord's), but even the second of those was against a rampaging Paul Strang who was running rings around the rest of NZ's batting, he took 8 for 100 in that innings and Horne was pretty much the difference between the two sides in that game. Post 2000 Horne went into decline which kind of ruined his overall stats.

 

[Flem274*]

quite a few of what i think the selectors would name as a current nz 2nd xi would have already played a fair bit of test cricket in previous decades imo.

rachin
rutherford
young
phillips
seifert
blundell
mitchell
astle/ajaz/somerville
henry
ferguson
jamieson/tickner/kuggs

ferguson, henry and young especially would have made flemings side a lot faster.

 

[Chrish]

Who can possibly replace Wagner

 

[ataraxia]

Who can possibly replace Wagner

Rabada?

 

[NZTailender]

Who can possibly replace Wagner

Yeha hopefully there are some U-19s or even dudes in their early 20s who recognise there's a lot of value being a first change workhorse rather than trying to be the ***y new cherry swing sensation. We'll miss Wagner more when he goes than we will Southee or Boult IMHO.

 

[Immenso]

Yeha hopefully there are some U-19s or even dudes in their early 20s who recognise there's a lot of value being a first change workhorse rather than trying to be the ***y new cherry swing sensation. We'll miss Wagner more when he goes than we will Southee or Boult IMHO.

Hell, yes. Irreplaceble.

I'd be lining up Kyle Jamieson as his replacement. Has had domestic success both as first change and as opening bowler. But as he becomes more senior each year for Canterbury I assume he'll be doing less first change.

Different type of 3rd seamer. But, trying to replace Wagner with someone nearly as effective will be nigh on impossible.

 

[Kippax]

No I think we're going to need that religious fervour element to properly replace Wagner. This guy will hail from South Africa again and we don't know his name yet, most likely.