***Official*** New Zealand in Bangladesh & Sri Lanka 2013

[Prensel]

Finally..

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Our seamers 5-127

noooooo they're too tired!

 

[Maximas]

wow, only way Sodhi would get a wicket, door open now

 

[Maximas]

weird batting in those last 4 overs, but somehow they got through, NZ a little on top now, the pitch is still playing well from what I've seen though, will be interesting to see if either team can maintain concentration for the entire 5 days

 

[hendrix]

Look I understand that it's hot etc but **** mate, Boult, Bracewell and Anderson looked about 3 times as likely to get a wicket as anyone else barring Kane.

Can I ****ing repeat the fact that Jeetan Patel is the best NZ spinner? It's so much ****ing easier to select someone with a 50 average on a wing and a prayer huh?

Yeah it's a flat wicket but that's no excuse to bowl full tosses and long hops on repeat, over and over. Mominul played well but he was simply putting away **** deliveries. Absolutely dreadful bowling.

 

[Maximas]

At least Jeets can maintain a bit of pressure, it's one thing to be able to contain, but another to be able to become a potent weapon against the very best, I saw some people (can't remember if here or on cricinfo commentary feedback) saying Nathan McCullum should get a game, that's ridiculous given Patel is still around. NZ's strength is quite clearly their pace bowling, so their spin attack should be composed of the guys most capable of supporting the pace attack, and Jeets is probably the man, cos Sodhi and Bartin aren't consistent enough

 

[wellAlbidarned]

seriously, is everyone actually reminiscing about jeets? ffs it's like we're taking the piss out of ourselves. It's not hard for the grass to be greener cos the grass is ****ing dead everywhere.

 

[hendrix]

I think I'm the only one seriously reminiscing about Jeets, but I think there's not a single person happy with Sodhi debuting and the fact that Martin cannot bowl an over without giving up a release ball.

 

[Maximas]

It's hardly reminiscing on my part, but you have to be realistic with your options. Anyway, didn't Jeets have a decent run in County Cricket this year?

 

[Prince EWS]

It's hardly reminiscing on my part, but you have to be realistic with your options. Anyway, didn't Jeets have a decent run in County Cricket this year?

2011 - 17 wickets @ 20.23
2012 - 51 wickets @ 22.76
2013 - 52 wickets @ 30.01

Now, I definitely don't think anyone should be "reminiscing" about Jeets because his Test career for the most part has been pretty much crap. I certainly didn't think the day would ever come again where I'd advocate his selection after his effort in Zimbabwe, but I'd be highly surprised if any NZ spinner could've managed the above county figures over the last three seasons, Vettori included. I think Martin did enough to hold his place as the first choice spinner and I think Williamson actually compliments him really well as a second option.. but as much as picking a Test spinner for NZ is difficult due to the pitch conditions in the Plunket Shield, Jeets is definitely better than Sodhi and Astle IMO. If the conditions here warranted two specialist spinners on top of Williamson regardless of their quality (and I can definitely see the argument for that) then Patel should've been playing. It's not about thinking he's a world beater or reminiscing about his performances, but - as you said - being realistic with your options and realising he's the best available.

 

[hendrix]

Also, I've made this point before, but he's sort've had an opposite of Stuart McGill effect; he's been behind Vettori his whole career, but instead of being selected for turning tracks like the Aussies did, he's purely been selected for flat, lifeless decks against good players of spin bowling.

Basically whenever our mediocre medium pace bowlers of the mid 2000s CBF, Jeets was thrust in.

 

[hendrix]

Napier 2009 being the classic example.

Chris Martin, Iain O'Brien (so overrated), James Franklin (when he'd stopped swinging the ball) don't fancy bowling too many overs on the flattest deck in the world against Gambhir and Sehwag (when both were very good, Gambhir was probably the best in the world at the time), Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Yuvraj and Dhoni?

No problem, Jeets will bear that load.

 

[Maximas]

Looking at the stats Jeets appeared to outbowl all the other spinners in that match

 

[Athlai]

If Jeets comes back. I will paste his face on Darth Maul here. Star Wars Episode I - Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Maul - YouTube

 

[BeeGee]

The problem here isn't who we're picking, it's what we're picking. Two specialist spinners + Williamson is just flat out nuts.
As Hurricane pointed out, our seam bowlers have taken 5 wickets so far and our spinners have taken 2. On a wicket that aids spin bowling and is unhelpful to seamers.
The Bangladesh spinners have taken 9 wickets, their seamers 1.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, NZ does not have any test quality specialist spin bowlers. Not one.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

It's hardly reminiscing on my part, but you have to be realistic with your options. Anyway, didn't Jeets have a decent run in County Cricket this year?

I agree, it's about being realistic. Realistically, all our spinners sans dan are godawful and I wouldn't play them even if the pitch had pva squirted all over it.

 

[ohnoitsyou]

nah Jeets is just mediocre. You don't take 50 division one wickets by being utter ****

 

[Challis]

If anyone's interested the West Indies u19 vs Bangladesh U19s Youth ODI series is being broadcasted by the West Idies board here:-

WI U-19 v Bangladesh U-19: 3rd One Day on USTREAM: . Cricket

It's a seven games series, and its one game a piece, with Bangladesh ahead in the third game. The Bangladesh batsmen look pretty good and the bowling attack is predictably spin dominated. Also these Bangladesh youngsters look a bit feisty, they are chirping and sledging a lot.

 

[Scaly piscine]

The problem here isn't who we're picking, it's what we're picking. Two specialist spinners + Williamson is just flat out nuts.
As Hurricane pointed out, our seam bowlers have taken 5 wickets so far and our spinners have taken 2. On a wicket that aids spin bowling and is unhelpful to seamers.
The Bangladesh spinners have taken 9 wickets, their seamers 1.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, NZ does not have any test quality specialist spin bowlers. Not one.

Yea that's the thing with spin bowling, unless you get an absolute raging bunsen/minefield then it doesn't really matter what the pitch is like - if you don't have quality spinners and your opposition play spin competently then they're not going to take many wickets - obviously they still may hold up an end, keep it tight etc..

If you've got mediocre seamers then there's still a fair chance they can do some damage with any assistance from the pitch/new ball/overhead conditions.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Iain O'Brien (so overrated)

Gah. You're dead to me.