***Official*** New Zealand in South Africa

[Loony BoB]

They should have given Todd Astle a crack IMO. And yeah Thompson should be there as well. Who are they kidding with Brendon Diamanti?

Todd Astle would be great if, you know, it was an U-19 match. He's only played five FC games (not a single List-A or T20 game so far), and he only averages 23.57 with the bat - 1 50 in 7 innings (a 56). Why the hell would you say he would be a good idea?

 

[TT Boy]

My South African team for Saturday dependent on Smith and Nel being 100% fit if not Boeta Dippenaar and Dale Steyn would play.

Graeme Smith
AB de Villiers
Jacques Kallis
Hashim Amla
Herschelle Gibbs
Ashwell Prince
Mark Boucher
Shaun Pollock
Nicky Boje
Andre Nel
Makhaya Ntini


New Zealand supporters your team for Saturday?

 

[Blaze]

Todd Astle would be great if, you know, it was an U-19 match. He's only played five FC games (not a single List-A or T20 game so far), and he only averages 23.57 with the bat - 1 50 in 7 innings (a 56). Why the hell would you say he would be a good idea?

It is a development tour. Hamish Bennett has been picked and he has probably played a similar number of games...

 

[Blaze]

Graeme Smith
AB de Villiers
Jacques Kallis
Hashim Amla
Herschelle Gibbs
Ashwell Prince
Mark Boucher
Shaun Pollock
Nicky Boje
Andre Nel
Makhaya Ntini


New Zealand supporters your team for Saturday?

How
Fulton
Styris
Fleming
Astle
Oram
McCullum
Vettori
Franklin
Bond
Martin

 

[TT Boy]

How
Fulton
Styris
Fleming
Astle
Oram
McCullum
Vettori
Franklin
Bond
Martin

Is there any chance of Marshall playing? or is his test career now going to be in limbo because he failed as an opener even though he is a middle order batsman.

 

[sportychic33]

Actual NZ 12 for Saturday

Marshall
Fulton
Fleming
Styris
Astle
Oram
McCullum
Vettori
Franklin
Bond (Mills if Bond not fit enough)
Martin

12th Man: Mills (if bond is fit)

 

[Blaze]

Is there any chance of Marshall playing? or is his test career now going to be in limbo because he failed as an opener even though he is a middle order batsman.

He will play, he just wouldn't be in my team.

 

[Loony BoB]

They drop How and Papps and keep Marshall.

Stunning. I wish I could say that I can't believe it.

EDIT: I also find it strange that after all the hassle of choosing not to play Vincent at #4 because "that's Fleming's spot" - Fleming now bats at #'3 and Styris at #4 (despite Styris being proven at the #3 position, too!). I'm just stunned at the lineup. Absolutely stunned.

 

[Macka]

They drop How and Papps and keep Marshall.

Stunning. I wish I could say that I can't believe it.

.....

I'm just stunned at the lineup. Absolutely stunned.

Couldn't agree more. I'm really left scratching my head for so many reasons.

 

[Kippax]

What on earth happened to "we've picked two specialist openers and a specialist # 3 for this tour and it's time to re-establish those positions"?!

It's now beyond doubt IMO Bracewell has scizophrenic ideas of where this test side is going which change on a day-to-day basis, and yet somehow the ultimate selection veto is still in his hands.

 

[Ming]

They drop How and Papps and keep Marshall.

Stunning. I wish I could say that I can't believe it.

EDIT: I also find it strange that after all the hassle of choosing not to play Vincent at #4 because "that's Fleming's spot" - Fleming now bats at #'3 and Styris at #4 (despite Styris being proven at the #3 position, too!). I'm just stunned at the lineup. Absolutely stunned.

How is Papps dropped? He wasn't even in the WI team.

 

[Retox]

I think it's time for bracewell to go. Can't keep putting decent middle order players into open

Drop Martin and have How open. And then we have atleast one opener.

 

[Loony BoB]

How is Papps dropped? He wasn't even in the WI team.

Dropped as in not being played after only being given one innings during the tour match, and dropped as in "We'll be going back to using specialist openers such as Papps" (not an exact quote) and then not playing either of them.

 

[_Ed_]

What did How do wrong as an opener?

 

[Haddin]

Is Graeme Smith going to play? Last time I heard he was rated a 50-50 chance.

 

[Loony BoB]

What did How do wrong as an opener?

He played for New Zealand.

 

[Ming]

Dropped as in not being played after only being given one innings during the tour match, and dropped as in "We'll be going back to using specialist openers such as Papps" (not an exact quote) and then not playing either of them.

You are wrong once again. Almost as bad as saying that Chris Martin can't swing the ball.

Bracewell has said a few times that he would consider Fulton as an opener for the 1st Test and included Marshall and Fulton in that 'group' he would have open.

 

[Loony BoB]

I never said Chris Martin can't swing the ball. I have said I've never known him to be called a swing bowler, but you can't blame me for the lack of information provided by the media (especially when they rarely show NZ tests in the UK). I honestly never had known him to be called one.

Regarding John, I've never heard him talk of Marshall opening for the first test but I think it's a pathetic - which is sadly not a surprise for Bracewell - decision.

 

[Ming]

Right. So all your posts is based on media reports....

 

[Loony BoB]

That, and statistics and scorecards and what games I saw in NZ, yes. And whatever games they show over here. So pretty much the same as every other person at CricketWeb who is commenting on a country that isn't the one they're living in.