*Official* England in New Zealand 2019

[Jezroy]

When you think about who’s going to make up our bowling attack, it’s pretty hard regarding the spinner when we all know that Kane is so unwilling to use them at home. And you can’t blame him - Astle and Santner are hardly exciting spin options. Unfortunately none of our spin options are that exciting. But at least both Somerville and Patel have helped us win tests (even though that was overseas). Really disappointed that at least one of them wasn’t picked. I really thought Somerville especially would have been a good option in Australia. And the thought of our spin “attack” at the SCG being Santner and Astle later in the summer... ewwwwwww.

Sadly for Henry he now seems to be 5th choice seamer for tests. But he’s never really set the world on fire in tests - of course he has in ODIs where he was great at the World Cup). But it’s pretty exciting that we have three of our best test bowlers ever in Southee, Boult, and Wagner and depending on conditions and Ferguson, they aren’t really locked in. And it’s easy to forget how effective CDG’s bowling has been in tests, because he hasn’t been spectacular (bar his debut vs Pakistan), but he’s been a much better option over the last three years than I expected for sure.

Batting is obviously pretty settled barring injuries. Not much proven in the cupboard, but at least in the background you have the likes of Phillips and Seifert sniffing round, and of course when he is back Will Young. Then Conway next year, as well as Blundell as a replacement for Watling when he’s done.

Just hope we don’t hit a couple of Roadie McRoads. Should be a good series, but I do worry about some of the batting line ups ability to handle the express pace of Archer, plus how we every now and again collapse against spinners like Maharaj...

But all in all, pretty exciting times for the test team. Especially with 7 good tests coming up this summer instead of 4-5 rubbish ones has been the case a little for us.

 

[Athlai]

Why do people think the SCG still spins?

 

[Athlai]

Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

 

[Pothas]

Can't wait for this. New Zealand easily been our most enjoyable opposition over the last few years and the timings are just that bit nicer than Australia.

 

[Jezroy]

Why do people think the SCG still spins?

Oh wow I didn’t realise that the whole Great Southern Land is a spin graveyard.

 

[Jezroy]

On another note... how ridiculous the amount of people (especially talkback radio and news websites Facebook pages) who are confusing white ball Tim Southee with red ball Tim Southee. It’s infuriating.

“He’s been leaking runs for such a long time now”

“He’s past it”

“He was useless at the World Cup”

“He was terrible in the IPL”

FFS

 

[NZTailender]

It's annoying, but at least they've woken up to his L/O rubbishness

 

[NZTailender]

When you think about who’s going to make up our bowling attack, it’s pretty hard regarding the spinner when we all know that Kane is so unwilling to use them at home. And you can’t blame him - Astle and Santner are hardly exciting spin options. Unfortunately none of our spin options are that exciting. But at least both Somerville and Patel have helped us win tests (even though that was overseas). Really disappointed that at least one of them wasn’t picked. I really thought Somerville especially would have been a good option in Australia. And the thought of our spin “attack” at the SCG being Santner and Astle later in the summer... ewwwwwww.

Sadly for Henry he now seems to be 5th choice seamer for tests. But he’s never really set the world on fire in tests - of course he has in ODIs where he was great at the World Cup). But it’s pretty exciting that we have three of our best test bowlers ever in Southee, Boult, and Wagner and depending on conditions and Ferguson, they aren’t really locked in. And it’s easy to forget how effective CDG’s bowling has been in tests, because he hasn’t been spectacular (bar his debut vs Pakistan), but he’s been a much better option over the last three years than I expected for sure.

Batting is obviously pretty settled barring injuries. Not much proven in the cupboard, but at least in the background you have the likes of Phillips and Seifert sniffing round, and of course when he is back Will Young. Then Conway next year, as well as Blundell as a replacement for Watling when he’s done.

Just hope we don’t hit a couple of Roadie McRoads. Should be a good series, but I do worry about some of the batting line ups ability to handle the express pace of Archer, plus how we every now and again collapse against spinners like Maharaj...

But all in all, pretty exciting times for the test team. Especially with 7 good tests coming up this summer instead of 4-5 rubbish ones has been the case a little for us.

Henry's problem is he's a replacement for Southee and Boult. He's not really a third seamer either. Had there been a serious injury to one of Tim or Trent and had we played a decent amount of cricket he might've been able to find some rhythm. Oh well. I hope he continues to have a successful ODI career at least.

 

[jcas0167]

As someone who fondly remembers watching Shell Cup games at Blake Park in the mid 90's it's fantastic to see test cricket now coming to Mount Manganui. Well done to the hard work of the visionaries who made it happen.

The ground's general manager Kelvin Jones remembers the sceptical looks when the idea was first proposed to the Tauranga City Council in the early 2000s.

Blake Park had just lost first-class cricket; it was no longer deemed up to standard.

Jones was working as an operations manager for Bay of Plenty Cricket at the time, alongside David Johnston.

"We saw the need, saw the opportunity," Jones says.

The first priority was the return of first-class cricket to the area, but a group of local cricket tragics wanted to go bigger.

"In the initial days it was actually convincing sceptical councillors and sceptical funders that actually we can be an international cricket ground," Jones says.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=12208836

 

[jcas0167]

Ferguson and Astle released to play Ford Trophy.

 

[nzfan]

As expected Astle was not going to play but surprised at Lockie's exclusion. They didn't even play him in the NZ A side and I was hoping that's a sign he was going to play but not to be. I thought Mount is probably the flattest of the wickets in NZ and would have benefited with some extra pace.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Weird, that Ferguson for this game, Southee for Hamilton plan seemed to make a lot of sense.

 

[Athlai]

Rip Wagner if he has a bad game.

 

[FBU]

Rip Wagner if he has a bad game.

He won't. Last series of 2 Tests 16 wickets at 14.00, Boult 13 at 21.15.

 

[Athlai]

Rope given to Boult
>---------------------------------<
Rope given to Southee
>--------------------------------<
Rope given to Wagner
>-<

 

[kaetor]

It's a fair call to not have Lockie play, despite how much I'd love to see it. Really our seamers have been very good, and won us many games over the last few years and haven't done anything to say they should be replaced. I'm sure with the bowler rotation system he'll get a shot next test or over in Aus.

I think there's a reluctance to play 4 seamers + De Grandhomme as it'll be a bit overkill. The team is a bit of a weird balance where you don't want to drop CdG as he's performed very well, but he doesn't quite cover a whole bowling spot, and neither does Santner really.

 

[Prince EWS]

Why do people think the SCG still spins?

Yeah I'd rather play no spinners there than two. It sometimes spins sliiiiiightly more than the other grounds late in the game, but typically only in domestic cricket, and even then it's still Australia. The idea of playing two spinners unless they're actually your best two bowlers overall - a far cry from the reality here - is basically absurd. I hope the NZ selectors don't fall for the meme.

 

[Athlai]

There is something unique with cricket in the expectation of pitch conditions from literally decades ago still being the same as they are now. You hear it all the time in New Zealand and even when the groundsman go full meme and leave the pitch covered in green grass, everything’s dry and flat here by the afternoon of the first day.

 

[Woodster]

Thank goodness it's back to Test cricket!! And a pretty exciting series to come I expect, providing the pitches aren't completely lifeless.

So judging by the previous NZ posts it seems the Blsack Caps are a fairly settled unit with just the odd selection dilemma in terms of the third seamer and the specialist spin position.

For England there doesn't seem too much debate either about the XI they're going to go with from the squad that is available. There are a couple of positions I personally think where the players that are likely to get the nod are not the long-term answers, I'm talking specifically about Denly and Curran (and maybe even Buttler as the keeper/bat).

That said we do look to have a more balanced team, we have a first-class opening batsman (although I was a fan of the Roy experiment and wouldn't have discarded him from this tour), we have a young gun batsman in the right spot at six (Pope) and I do favour Buttler ahead of Bairstow in that number seven spot with the gloves.

Joe Denly, imo, is lucky to get the gig at three. He seems a top bloke and showed signs during the Ashes of a top batsman with some very pleasing strokeplay, I just don't see him having the requisite quality to consistently score runs in that crucial number three spot. However, I understand England not going with Zak Crawley at three, two debutants in the top three would not be ideal therefore for now, Denly stays.

I've mentioned previously that I still don't really get Sam Curran. I like his spirit, he has some ability with the bat down the order and if the ball is swinging he can be much more effective than normal, but it isn't going to swing appreciably, presumably, and at his pace he has to be so accurate and I'm not sure he is, rendering him rather ineffective. However, Woakes record away from home and with the Kookaburra ball does not make a compelling argument for inclusion and with Curran at least offering a different angle of attack I can see why he'll be included.

Buttler is an interesting one for me. He is a huge talent and as we've all seen he's capable of destroying any attack and also of batting properly and rescuing a potentially terminal situation. His Ashes series as a specialist batsman was poor and I am happier to see him back with the gloves and batting at seven where his cameos when batting with the tail might just take some of the pressure off him to score big runs. The other thing is Ben Foakes is exceptionally unlucky not to be in this side, performed admirably with the gloves when selected and is by far the best gloveman in the country.

He's left out of the side therefore based on his batting.....Foakes averages 38.01 in first-class cricket (41.50 in the few Tests he's played) and Buttler averages 33.00 in first-class and 33.94 in Tests. A tad unfair but I do understand why England want to keep Buttler in the Test side.

 

[Gremlin]

Fair summary. I'd prefer Foakes long term too but we are where we are and Foakes not had as good a season domestically. I do worry about Curran as a 3rd seamer but we'll see how it pans out. Exciting times!