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

[TT Boy]

Who's the best spinner in NZ history, I wonder...

John Bracewell.

 

[Smudge]

John Bracewell.

Jack Alabaster?

I'm biased as I'm a leggie - but I've heard good things about him, despite his average hovering around 38. 21 tests over 15 seasons is hardly fair...

 

[Loony BoB]

Edited my post.

 

[James]

As Matt (Blaze) said, try and keep this on topic guys.

If we manage to win this Test, it would have to go down as one of our best ever Test wins outside of New Zealand.

A South African commentator last night suggested we reverse our batting order, gave the example of when Australia did it in England when uncovered pitches were used and Don Bradman made 254* batting at No 7. Wouldn't that be amazing, Martin and Mills opening the batting

 

[TT Boy]

Jack Alabaster?

I'm biased as I'm a leggie - but I've heard good things about him, despite his average hovering around 38. 21 tests over 15 seasons is hardly fair...

Bracewell just sprung to mind because like Abdul Qadir both men played in an era in where spin bowling was pretty much dead.

 

[Loony BoB]

As Matt (Blaze) said, try and keep this on topic guys.

If this manage to win this Test, it would have to go down as one of our best ever Test wins outside of New Zealand.

A South African commentator last night suggested we reverse our batting order, gave the example of when Australia did it in England when uncovered pitches were used and Don Bradman made 254* batting at No 7. Wouldn't that be amazing, Martin and Mills opening the batting

I've actually often wondered if Mills and Franklin would do any good opening the batting, considering the jinx we have on openers. At least that way our better batsmen will be able to do something later on once the traditional opening failure is done with.

 

[luckyeddie]

Edited my post.

I'm staggered that there's no-one (on paper) who was any better than Vettori.

 

[TT Boy]

As Matt (Blaze) said, try and keep this on topic guys.

Wouldn't that be amazing, Martin and Mills opening the batting

Maybe I am thinking of another cricketer but wasn't Kyle Mills an allrounder when he came into the New Zealand side a few years back?

 

[Loony BoB]

I'm staggered that there's no-one (on paper) who was any better than Vettori.

I'm shocked myself at the overall bowling stats. But then again, I suppose we are a rather young nation who has only just started becoming a serious contendor in recent years.

EDIT: Wasn't surprised at Vettori being the best spinner, though.

 

[TT Boy]

Just looking at Kyle Mills average on Cricinfo, pretty impressive for a man who is batting at number ten and who Charlie Colville spoke about in the same breath as Chris Martin. The guy's first class average is better than Hamish Marshall.

 

[Jono]

Mills is an allrounder in International Cricket Captain

 

[Blaze]

Mills is a better option than Marshall to open the batting atm IMO.

 

[TT Boy]

Mills is a better option than Marshall to open the batting atm IMO.

Fulton did not look much better.

 

[TT Boy]

Mills is an allrounder in International Cricket Captain

Pretty good one as well, hit a double ton for me against Australia, sharing a 250 run partnership with Ian Butler, now that's what I call realism.

 

[Sir Redman]

That final session could have cost us the game. Our bowling with the new ball was awful - I don't know what the hell Martin and Franklin were thinking, we had had all our success by bowling the ball into the same sport every ball but for some reason they threw that theory out the window and went searching for wickets.

I also quite like the idea of changing the batting lineup. I just can't see our top order surviving long if the ball is shooting all over the place and we might as well just send in Mills and Franklin to take the shine off the ball.

 

[TT Boy]

That final session could have cost us the game. Our bowling with the new ball was awful - I don't know what the hell Martin and Franklin were thinking, we had had all our success by bowling the ball into the same sport every ball but for some reason they threw that theory out the window and went searching for wickets.

I also quite like the idea of changing the batting lineup. I just can't see our top order surviving long if the ball is shooting all over the place and we might as well just send in Mills and Franklin to take the shine off the ball.

Concur, Martin seemed to bowl the way I imagined he would coming into the test match, serving up tasty half volley's and bowling all over the place but Franklin's demise was rather more interesting, the guy seems to always go to pot after bowling a bad ball.

 

[vic_orthdox]

The guy's first class average is better than Hamish Marshall

Not to say that Mills can't bat - far from it - but it's an indictment (sp) on Marshall.

 

[Ming]

Mills' hasn't scored any first-class runs for about 3 years. His first class batting average used to be in the late 40s early 50s, and it's now only 30. Gotten worse with the bat....

 

[BlackCap_Fan]

Mills is an allrounder in International Cricket Captain

He's also rudiculously expensive IIRC.

 

[Ming]

Actually. Mills hasn't scored a first-class 50 since the 2002/03 domestic SC season.....