*Official* Australia tour of New Zealand Feb-Mar 2024

[Skyliner]

GP did the job, and would have done it better if the fielders held their catches, so what point of difference would Santer have offered? A virtuoso spin performance along the lines of Warne or Murali at their brilliant best?

 

[Fuller Pilch]

NZ bowling stats under Southee's captaincy:

Henry, 33 wickets @ 23.78
Southee, 31 wickets @ 35.06
M Bracewell, 19 wickets @ 37.78
Ajaz, 19 @ 34.52
Phillips, 16 @ 16.00
Sodhi, 16 @ 29.5
Wagner, 14 @ 42.64
Santner, 12 @ 17.41
Tickner, 12 @ 36.25
O'Rourke, 11 @ 17.36
Jamieson, 8 @ 22.25
Ravindra, 7 @ 20.42
Kuggleijn, 6 @ 42.33
D Bracewell, 2 @ 38.5
Mitchell, 1 @ 166

For all our justified doom and gloom, the spin stocks are actually pretty healthy.

 

[Skyliner]

NZ bowling stats under Southee's captaincy:

Henry, 33 wickets @ 23.78
Southee, 31 wickets @ 35.06
M Bracewell, 19 wickets @ 37.78
Ajaz, 19 @ 34.52
Sodhi, 16 @ 29.5
Wagner, 14 @ 42.64
Santner, 12 @ 17.41
Tickner, 12 @ 36.25
O'Rourke, 11 @ 17.36
Jamieson, 8 @ 22.25
Ravindra, 7 @ 20.42
Kuggleijn, 6 @ 42.33
D Bracewell, 2 @ 38.5
Mitchell, 1 @ 166

For all our justified doom and gloom, the spin stocks are actually pretty healthy.

GP?

 

[Gob]

I think it's time to drop Tom and Tim and move forward. Give the captaincy to Rachin as well ala Greame Smith

 

[jcas0167]

NZ bowling stats under Southee's captaincy:

Henry, 33 wickets @ 23.78
Southee, 31 wickets @ 35.06
M Bracewell, 19 wickets @ 37.78
Ajaz, 19 @ 34.52
Sodhi, 16 @ 29.5
Wagner, 14 @ 42.64
Santner, 12 @ 17.41
Tickner, 12 @ 36.25
O'Rourke, 11 @ 17.36
Jamieson, 8 @ 22.25
Ravindra, 7 @ 20.42
Kuggleijn, 6 @ 42.33
D Bracewell, 2 @ 38.5
Mitchell, 1 @ 166

For all our justified doom and gloom, the spin stocks are actually pretty healthy.

What's the story behind Henry's improvement in tests? Is it just getting new ball opportunities.

 

[anonymouskefe]

What's the story behind Henry's improvement in tests? Is it just getting new ball opportunities.

that playing consitently and bowling a fuller length

 

[Bahnz]

Australia probably wouldn't have read it that way either, they just back their spinner and always select em.

4 specialist seamers seems overkill at the best of times. If you can't achieve what you need with your 3 best seamers, how is a 4th going to make a difference. (West Indies not withstanding)

4 seamers kinda made sense when NZ had Wagner to balance the attack. Hasn't made sense since early 2022 at the very latest.

 

[Gob]

Nz needs a solid counter attacking opener like Mark Richardson. What player he was. Very good

 

[Fuller Pilch]

GP?

Oops - will update

 

[TheJediBrah]

I think it's time to drop Tom and Tim and move forward. Give the captaincy to Rachin as well ala Greame Smith

Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think a bloke that threw his wicket away twice in a game hitting short and wide balls in the air straight to point is captaincy material

 

[Spark]

Yeah that's a bit too much of a load to put on a young bloke who is clearly still learning the ins and outs of Test cricket. Characters like Graeme Smith are vanishingly rare.

 

[Nintendo]

Could you give mitchell the captaincy? He's a fairly senior player and probably the most secure batsmen in the side.

 

[SteveNZ]

Doubt he'll do anything radical like get Ravindra to open

I don't know if I'm the only one, but I don't want this to happen. Potentially ever. I feel like he's far too precious as a 4, long term. That might change but I think with the way he's playing right now, we'd be weakening him and our overall stocks by making him open. I don't think his tightness on and around off stump is anywhere near efficient enough.

 

[Flem274*]

Yeah Rachin is still batting like a young dumb talent. It's fine atm because he's 24, but he ain't no skipper yet.

 

[jcas0167]

Could you give mitchell the captaincy? He's a fairly senior player and probably the most secure batsmen in the side.

I didn't think he had any captaincy experience, but I see he was entrusted with leading the NZ XI in 2020. Santner could be another option given they are using him to captain the T20 side now.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...teady-new-zealand-xi/articleshow/74111469.cms

 

[SteveNZ]

What's the story behind Henry's improvement in tests? Is it just getting new ball opportunities.

No doubt the new ball helped and being seen as the spearhead...but maturity was a big part of Henry's improvement, as well. When he got the new ball post-Boult, he had finally matured as a bowler and started to work as hard as an international player should. His attitude wasn't there for years. He idolised Southee and his laidback approach, and it did nothing for Henry's talent for a long time.

It would be easy to say the new ball (and again no doubt that helped) but to me it was more that around this time he realised he needed to work harder, to be the guy, or no one else would be. Look at his numbers first change - they are horrible. Averages about 80 when not bowling with the new ball, 27 with it. That can't all be explained away by the few overs difference between the lacquer on a ball. He needed to step up and when Boult was starting to go, he finally did.

 

[SteveNZ]

Nz needs a solid counter attacking opener like Mark Richardson. What player he was. Very good

We could do a lot worse than a guy who averaged 44 and averaged around 113 balls an innings, and put a hugely hefty price on his wicket. A guy who knew his game inside out, had a game plan, and stuck to it with grit. You're absolutely right. And it's actually not inconceivable that someone could do it if they're prepared to sacrifice T20 and if NZC support them correctly.

 

[anonymouskefe]

We could do a lot worse than a guy who averaged 44 and averaged around 113 balls an innings, and put a hugely hefty price on his wicket. A guy who knew his game inside out, had a game plan, and stuck to it with grit. You're absolutely right. And it's actually not inconceivable that someone could do it if they're prepared to sacrifice T20 and if NZC support them correctly.

and more importantly scored runs against the big teams (not so much aus)

 

[Nintendo]

I didn't think he had any captaincy experience, but I see he was entrusted with leading the NZ XI in 2020. Santner could be another option given they are using him to captain the T20 side now.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...teady-new-zealand-xi/articleshow/74111469.cms

I was gonna say santner but I don't know if his spot is guaranteed at home. Nz decks don't offer a ton for the spinners usually (this summer aside), and with Phillips and rachin in the top 7 the selectors seem more confident in 4 frontline pacers.

 

[Burgey]

Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think a bloke that threw his wicket away twice in a game hitting short and wide balls in the air straight to point is captaincy material

I actually think that wider line to him was something deliberate tbh. The way he throws his hands away from his body in that wristy sort of way makes him a bit susceptible to slicing wider balls in the air. I think it's something he can easily work out, and tbh he'll probably score a lot of runs playing that way anyway. Swings and roundabouts I guess.