*Official** New Zealand in England

[Rich2001]

Certainly Papps has been the winner in this match so far...there's no doubt he's in contention with McMillan for the 1st test. I think NZ will push McMillan up to #3 in their 2nd innings and how he performs then will decide his fate for the next 2 weeks.

Martin & Bond have been disappointing but the selectors are confined to selecting 1 of these players because Mills has not played a game so far.

I think the selectors will be 90% certain on the side..they're probably just hoping that tonight/today Martin or Bond suddenly take 4 or 5 wickets & make their job easier.

Tim any chance that the selectors could dropp McCullum and select both Papps and McMillian and use Papps as the kepper?

 

[Neil Pickup]

Tim any chance that the selectors could dropp McCullum and select both Papps and McMillian and use Papps as the kepper?

I seriously doubt that.

 

[Kent]

McCullum pretty much took care of that threat by moving from Otago to Canterbury, meaning Papps hasn't really had a chance to develop his 'keeping at f/c level.

The only time I can see him getting the gloves would be in the county game between the 1st and 2nd test (if McCullum finds some batting form, or he plays as a batsman and is rested from 'keeping duties).

Papps might also get a chance in the ODI tri-series if NZ have any dead games, providing he makes the ODI squad with Astle likely to come back at opener.

 

[marc71178]

I wouldn't be surprised to see McMilllan open to be honest (2nd time round) - Richardson is a certain, so give him as much time in the middle as possible.

 

[meatspx]

Well looks like things aren't going to well in the performance department............no basis for concern though.

With Vettori and McMillan being the perennial under-performers, i'd leave them out. Dropping Papps stuffs up the batting order and exposes out best batsman (Fleming), and Astle will struggle against the seaming ball batting at 3. The batting order should be Richardson, Papps, Fleming, Styris, Astle, Cairns.

Bond is just coming back from injury, so i'd use him in short bursts (4-5 overs). Vettori ain't a wicket-taker atm, and Martin should be given a go based on his last TEST performance. But it all depends on how he is releasing the ball (seam position), Tuffey looks to have sorted it out whilst Martin is struggling (bases on the latest results).

 

[anzac]

From a biased English perspective, I'd like to see NZ go into the game with the top-heavy batting lineups and weak/samey bowling attacks you have all talked of. You've not troubled rejects Hick and even Robert Key.

I've seen it too often that England have done the same and it's backfired.

Looking at the current bowling stats:
Tuffey 1-47; Martin 1-51; Bond 0-57; Cairns 1-44; Vettori 1-63 & Styris 0-26

My confidence is building - I think England to win the series, but it'll be tight. It'll come down to the crunch passages of play as it did in the West Indies.

I suspect that Bond will probably be the one missing from the 1st Test lineup....

as I said earlier IMO the current bowling situation is a result of the weather & getting used to the different ball...........

if the weather had been kinder I'm sure we would have seen Mills at the crease by now just to give the selectors another option - however they have needed to concentrate on their main bowling contingent due to their depleted opportunities & problems...........

makes me wonder why NZC don't go with the Duke balls in their domestic program if they are genuinly better in these conditions..............

IMO NZL will be most vulnerable in the 1st Test because of the above situation, and hence the selectors will go with a 5 man bowling attack to cover their options as no one is a standout as yet..............

however I expect things to be quite different in the subsequent tests so far as the form & confidence of the bowling attack goes..........

 

[anzac]

As you know Kent...McMillan only performs when he REALLY has to.
He probably thought his 86 against Worc's was good enough and that he didn't need to score runs against Kent.

I agree - yet Macca's average is v good & 2nd only to Richardson!!!!!!

 

[anzac]

With the talk about the team not performing that well, I woud've thought that with the make-up of the 11 for Thursday by no means certain, the ones who are the borderline should be trying doubly hard!

a prime example of the problems surrounding a limited squad........while NZL cricket may feel good about the batting depth in general, a 14 man squad does nothing to enhance this...........

 

[anzac]

I wouldn't be surprised to see McMilllan open to be honest (2nd time round)

funny that - I think I made that suggestion some time ago...............

 

[Arjun]

Who'll make the NZ starting lineup? And what is your (fans') choice?

 

[tooextracool]

Tim any chance that the selectors could dropp McCullum and select both Papps and McMillian and use Papps as the kepper?

highly unlikely.....wicketkeeping in england is not an easy job(ask boucher) because there is more movement behind the stumps than before it, particularly at lords. perhaps the media centre is to blame for that though. a part time keeper would definetly have problems dealing with that.

 

[tooextracool]

Dropping Papps stuffs up the batting order and exposes out best batsman (Fleming)

since when is fleming you're best batsman...astle and richardson are much better batters than fleming

 

[_Ed_]

Fleming has been our best batsman since his 274 against Sri Lanka. He has been in the best form of his life since that knock, including 192 against Pakistan and 2 matchwinning ODI centuries against Pakistan and South Africa.

Richardson is our best batsman overall, but he had a bit of a form slump during the South African tour.

 

[Craig]

McCullum pretty much took care of that threat by moving from Otago to Canterbury, meaning Papps hasn't really had a chance to develop his 'keeping at f/c level.

The only time I can see him getting the gloves would be in the county game between the 1st and 2nd test (if McCullum finds some batting form, or he plays as a batsman and is rested from 'keeping duties).

Papps might also get a chance in the ODI tri-series if NZ have any dead games, providing he makes the ODI squad with Astle likely to come back at opener.

Well the form shown by Papps v South Africa in the ODIs makes him hard to drop. Hamish Marshall needs to pull his finger out and be more consistent.

Also are you forgetting there is little chance Astle will open again according to Ashley Ross.

 

[marc71178]

funny that - I think I made that suggestion some time ago...............

I was talking about this one game - get the men who haven't yet had it, some time in the middle - Papps and McMillan followed by McCullum, Styris, Astle?

 

[PY]

Jones is going well.

90* off 89 balls with 11 fours and 4 sixes. Definitely what English selectors needed to see if he is a dead-cert for the First Test.

 

[marc71178]

So what team will we be looking at for the 1st Test then:

I expect same as for the 4th Test except Giles for Batty.

 

[luckyeddie]

So what team will we be looking at for the 1st Test then:

I expect same as for the 4th Test except Giles for Batty.

With so many bowlers throwing their hat into the ring it's a nice position to be in.

 

[PY]

Yeah I reckon so.

Trescothick
Vaughan *
Butcher
Hussain
Thorpe
Jones +
Flintoff
Giles
Jones
Harmison
Hoggard

Looks pretty good to me on paper.

 

[tooextracool]

why is giles a certainity though?i think his record in england speak for himself....id rather have collingwood,strauss or maybe even another fast bowler in there instead of him