*Official** New Zealand in England

[Kent]

Compared to our last test squad in England in 1999, I'm glad to say in most departments we should be a lot healthier...

Fleming, Allott, Astle, Bell, Cairns, Croy, Doull, Harris, Horne, McMillan, Nash, O'Connor, Parore, Twose, Vettori, B. Walker.

It was slightly stronger in 'keeping and swing bowling I suppose. Doull was out injured very early on though.

 

[marc71178]

Horne. Batting at 3 because of McIntosh and Richardson. He is an opener.

Yet you don't list McIntosh as a possible, and he's keeping Horne from it, so how can Horne be good enough?

 

[Richard]

Except in the last Test he played in.

Barring injury I would be surprised if he didnt tour England.

The second-most-recent innings was indeed bizarre.
Nothing's changed in the one-day format, and I'm fully confident that the 6-for was just a blip. It happens sometimes.

 

[Mingster]

Yet you don't list McIntosh as a possible, and he's keeping Horne from it, so how can Horne be good enough?

If you read my post properly, I said I could list many openers, but I only listed a few on that post.

Yes and McIntosh can be included.

 

[Mingster]

Ah but Gaffaney doesnt usually open. How is inconsistent, and since when did I say he should be in the Test team by default as twin of Hamish?

Show me a link where I said it, if I did fine, I would like to see proof.

I hardly think Horne is good enough, he hasnt taken his chances he has been given.

But Gaffaney still opens for Otago. He is a better option that Cumming, who has not put on any good scores this season. If you were to have a SC form team at the moment, Gaffaney would be in it.

OK, maybe you weren't one of the people who said James should be in the Test team. My mistake, sorry.

I wouldn't want Horne in the Test team either, but if I was given a choice between him and Cumming. I would take Horne anyday.

Cumming has done nothing this season.

 

[Mingster]

None of those batsmen have done any better though..they've all been as inconsistent as each other this season.

Except for Papps.

Yes I know. But Craig said Cumming would be a bolter, and I listed all the other candidates who would be in the running before him.

 

[Tim]

Take into account the fact that Cumming missed most of the State Championship due to the fact that he was playing Pakistan.

 

[Mingster]

Take into account the fact that Cumming missed most of the State Championship due to the fact that he was playing Pakistan.

There would be no room for here anyway in a Test squad.

However he might come into contention for the NZ 'A' team like Horne.

 

[Tim]

I think the NZ 'A' side should look like this:

Jamie How
Tim McIntosh
Peter Fulton
Mathew Sinclair
Ross Taylor
Rob Nicol
Jeff Wilson
Robbie Hart +*
Bruce Martin
Michael Mason
Ian Butler

12th man: Matthew Walker

Now some ppl will question why i've put How, Nicol & McIntosh in but I feel they should be given a go on test quality like pitches. Jamie How showed that on a good wicket he could play shots all around the ground. And there's no doubt that the pitches will be of a better standard than what they get in domestic cricket.

Presuming McCullum is picked as the test keeper, surely Hart is still good enough to play for NZ 'A' although Nevin actually hasn't performed too badly this season so Hart could be in line for a serious falling out but i've decided to keep him around for NZ 'A'.

My other option would be to leave out Rob Nicol & replace him with Matthew Walker. Both Walker & Wilson have scored runs this season so they could justifiably fill #6 & #7.

 

[Craig]

The second-most-recent innings was indeed bizarre.
Nothing's changed in the one-day format, and I'm fully confident that the 6-for was just a blip. It happens sometimes.

I wouldnt have him in there as well (ODIs). But I have a feeling he will go in the Test squad.

 

[Mingster]

If the Test squad to be named consisted of the following 13-players:

Papps, Richardson, Fleming, Styris, McMillan, Cairns, Oram, Hart+, Vettori, Bond, Tuffey, Butler.

This would be my 13-man NZ 'A' Test squad:

Jamie How
Chris Gaffaney
Matthew Sinclair
Peter Fulton
Lou Vincent
Chris Harris
Brendon McCullum +
James Franklin
Jeff Wilson
Kyle Mills
Andre Adams
Bruce Martin
Michael Mason

Note that Franklin, Wilson, Mills and Adams got in there for their bowling not their batting.

 

[Tim]

interesting, so you don't think Ross Taylor should be in that 'A' team?

 

[Mingster]

interesting, so you don't think Ross Taylor should be in that 'A' team?

Not for the 4-day games. But definitely for the One-Dayers.

There are more performed batsmen than Taylor in the SC. He needs to learn to pace his innings rather than just thrash at everything.

 

[Kent]

Mingster - you'd forget about Vincent as an opening option ahead of the England tour?

Our middle-order looks like it'll be tough to break into for a few years yet, and averaging about the same as Edgar did as a NZ opener surely isn't enough of a reason to quit.

Do you think Vincent should now be eyeing Astle's place after he retires or what?

 

[Kent]

Also, if this main aim of these reciprocal 'A' series this year is to provide a step up for future prospects, why is Harris taking up a place? You still think there's time for Harry as a test player?

 

[Prince EWS]

Very interesting that you havent included Jones in you A team. He seems to be the backup batsman at the moment, and I picked him in the test sqaud!

 

[Mingster]

Mingster - you'd forget about Vincent as an opening option ahead of the England tour?

Our middle-order looks like it'll be tough to break into for a few years yet, and averaging about the same as Edgar did as a NZ opener surely isn't enough of a reason to quit.

Do you think Vincent should now be eyeing Astle's place after he retires or what?

Vincent is not an opener, and his talents are better used lower down. He is a stroke-maker, someone more suited to the middle-order. The position I think there is a future for him is number 4. With Fleming look more and more comfortable at 3, and the likes of Styris, McMillan and Astle occupying 5 and 6. That should be a position Vincent should eye for. This man is a talented cricketer, he didn't score a century and a fifty on debut for nothing. Many have already put down his chances of him ever playing for the Black Caps again, but I certainly won't. We aren't exactly in a position like Australia where we have wonderful depth of batsmen to choose from. Vincent could really establish himself in the next few years if he gets a chance in the middle-order.

Our middle-order isn't all sorted yet. Styris has to prove this series, that he deserves a spot in the Test team as a batsman. McMillan has many critics to put wrong, and Astle is still under and injury cloud.

 

[Mingster]

Also, if this main aim of these reciprocal 'A' series this year is to provide a step up for future prospects, why is Harris taking up a place? You still think there's time for Harry as a test player?

I always thought of this as a chance for the form players of the State Championship to show their worth.

But Harry has been nothing short of sensational this season. Who (middle-order batsman) would you rather have instead of him?

 

[Mingster]

Very interesting that you havent included Jones in you A team. He seems to be the backup batsman at the moment, and I picked him in the test sqaud!

Jones seems to have fallen out of favour with the selectors at the moment.

He hasn't had the best of form this season and I doubt he is the back-up batsman. Fulton surely has to be ahead of him.

Jones to me seems to have a shaky technique, and just doesn't look to have the skill needed to succeed at the top-level.

 

[Prince EWS]

When I said he was the back up batsman, I meant that last time a backup batsman was needed, Jones played (when Cairns was injurred v Paksitan).