mitch starc is playing tonight, wrong threadHow did the White Akram bowl?
I Agree with all of this.Disagree.
IMHO he's been picked because we haven't got a spinner who is one of the top 4 (or even top 10) bowlers in the country, so unless we are in the subcontinent we are going to pick 4 seamers and then have someone in the top 6 for a part time defensive spin option (boost the over rate, keep the run rate down, perhaps winkle out a few wickets on days 3-5).
And yes, Anderson is a somewhat proven middle order batsman, but would need to bat #5 in the current team, or improve bowling to become a test quality 4th seamer.
Kind of agree, kind of disagree. Yes we were trying to bowl wicket taking deliveries each ball, but I think that was the right tactic since there was something in it for the bowlers. Drying up the runs would have entailed bowling a shorter length and usually that means less wickets.i think the kiwu were relying too much on the individual ball to be brilliant rather than setting up a plan
it's only the wrong plan in hindsight imo, like if it came off nobody would have said anything - since cook and de kock were immovable though i think drying up could have worked, especially since in a post game quint said how surprised he was he could leave so many ballsKind of agree, kind of disagree. Yes we were trying to bowl wicket taking deliveries each ball, but I think that was the right tactic since there was something in it for the bowlers. Drying up the runs would have entailed bowling a shorter length and usually that means less wickets.
I really don't think NZs #5 is their biggest issue atm and switching out one young batsman for another won't change much.I Agree with all of this.
For me the team is perfect except I want to use my influence as a renowned poster on CW to influence Mike Hesson, who reads this forum daily, to push relentlessly for Popli to be rushed into the team and for our number 5 who's name I haven't bothered to learn to be banished back to plunket for a few years. I do think our present number 5 could be a test match player but not in the next 5 years, he needs a lot more cricket under his belt and preferrably a gig or several gigs in England.
it's only the wrong plan in hindsight imo, like if it came off nobody would have said anything - since cook and de kock were immovable though i think drying up could have worked, especially since in a post game quint said how surprised he was he could leave so many balls
either way it was great batsmanship so i don't want to take anything away there
Noted. I have no response to this, other than to say I made my mind up about him while watching him in ODIs. I think he is a real prospect in 50 over cricket. But again KaneHesson (we need a word like McHesson) feel a compulsion to play all players in all 3 forms of the game. Popli is suited to the long form and a quick check of cricinfo shows he hasn't even appeared in a List A match. He is our guy for tests. 1000 runs in a season should be enough to book you a ticket.I really don't think NZs #5 is their biggest issue atm and switching out one young batsman for another won't change much.
Nicholls has gotten Australia, Zimbabwe, South Africa as his introduction to this level. Two early outs in Zimbabwe and all of a sudden it's hard for him to nail his spot, even with his 50 against the West Island scum. India in India next. He picked a poor time to dayboo. A nice long home summer against popgun international bowling isn't on the cards for him.
I hear you.Does a NZ Test bowling day go by these days without Southee getting some special mention for either 'actually bowling quite well in part of some spells' or 'improving' after an overall disappointing day? Any half-decent seamer in the world would have beaten the bat a few times on that deck yesterday with that little bit of seam movement.
No Southee didn't bowl well and hasn't for a long time now. We shouldn't keep narrowing it down to citing 2-3 over here and there where he doesn't spray in all over the place and then claim it's somehow a promising sign.
I can't work out whether he's simply too erratic to consistently land the ball in good areas, too impatient to do so, or just a combination of the two.
And what's with him using the crease that much in the first 4-5 overs when surely the plan is just to hit the right areas and worry about changing the angles of the crease a bit later on, he seems to be varying it every 2nd-3rd delivery.
I could be reading too much into it, but it seems some are constantly trying to find these tiny positives about an aspect of Southee's bowling after an overall disappointing return. He's still a long way off the mark as a threatening Test bowler against quality opposition and has bee for a long time now.
Not suggesting we necessarily drop him or that we have better options at this point and your observation about his pace being up is valid enough. What hasn't improved is his consistency and ability to land at least 5 out of 6 (ideally 6) in the right areas, and that doesn't seem to have improved since his dip in form some 18 months ago (or whenever it was).re: Southee
- His pace was up
- his seam presentation was good
- he was much better against the LH batsmen than the previous test.
I think he was ok.
Not making excuses for him, but until Henry comes good there's no competition. Well, Bracewell bowled about equally to him last night.