**Official** New Zealand v World XI

[Kippax]

actually the more I've thought about Styris' quotes the more ****ed off I am...........were they given b4 or after he was 'rested'????????

if I was coach I'd have him on the bench for at least the next game - don't care who it is or how important the game - IMO you can't afford to have anyone with that sort of attitude - particularly in a 5 man Test batting lineup when he bats at #4...............

IMO that's the sort of attitude that helps denegrate the value associated with representing your Country at your chosen sport...........

furthermore at less than 2 dozen Tests he's still paying his dues IMO...........especially considering he's a converted OD bowling allrounder...........

Styris has a well-known ego that we've talked about before on CW, but let me play devil's advocate and look at it from his point of view. He was probably NZ's best batsman last season (not sure if he won the Redpath or Walter Hadlee Cup or not), now 9 months later he's facing the axe.

McMillan had roughly 7 years averaging about 26 in ODIs, and Fleming comes out in a Sunday paper saying "I've got a strong personal interest in Craig getting back to his best". Then he makes his post-toss comment about Styris being short of runs and it being time to give Macca another run.

My guess is that Styris is starting to feel a lot like Sinclair always has. Both try to make up for their technical deficiencies with a lot of self-belief and determination, and never quite feel they have the keys to the dressing room like others do.

IMO Fleming has always tended to be very 'glass half full' when he talks about either Astle or Macca, regardless of their form. In contrast Styris and Sinclair will be tolerated yet never sympathised with. Those two are viewed as colleagues, not close mates. From Styris's point of view, I could understand if he feels he has a lot shorter leash (and will continue to have a shorter leash) because of who he is and where he isn't from.

He's probably right to an extent, but on the other hand Astle and McMillan have clearly posted better numbers than him recently. If he's whinging about being an ugly ND duckling that gets crap pitches and no shoulders to cry on, there's nothing stopping him shifting province.

 

[Kippax]

so what's the verdict on Goldie - was his selection warranted & should he be persisted with for the AUS series ODIs let alone Test consideration?????

my reaction at this stage is 'yes' to all of the above, particularly if the selectors are looking for some pace with the ball.......so far as Test selection goes (and in view of the 'pace' question) I'd say that both Wilson and Adams would be in consideration ahead of Butler atm..............

Yep, Wilson has won me over also. It seems I'd only seen him going through the motions at domestic level, but when he's giving 100% there's shades of Shaun Pollock in him I reckon, both in terms of his action as well as his accuracy with good bounce.

I'd not only pick him for my test side but have him well ahead of a pedestrian, scrambled-seam Tuffey in my pecking order. I don't know what happened to that technical work Tuffey was supposed to do with R Hadlee, but on an A-grade batting surface, he's still showing me nothing that should scare anyone.

If they could somehow talk Cairns to come out of retirement just while Oram's out, I can actually see him and Wilson forming quite a handy combination in whites.

 

[Legglancer]

Warne wants new Aussie tour venue

Warne's side believed the pitch was unsafe to play on
Shane Warne believes New Zealand authorities should move Australia's one-day international from Hamilton in March because of a poor pitch.
Warne on Wednesday saw his World XI bowled out for 81 in 20.5 overs and New Zealand lose six wickets in 15 overs to complete a 2-1 series win.

"I think the authorities should have a look to see if the game should be moved," Warne said.

"It's substandard - you couldn't play a one-day international here."

Australia are due to play the fourth one-day international of a five-match series at Westpac Park on 2 March.

Wednesday's charity match last barely three hours and to appease the 11,500-capacity crowd the teams agreed to play an extra 10-overs-a-side game


The World XI refused to play a competitive Twenty-20 match saying the pitch was too dangerous.

Australian opener Matthew Elliott, who scored 10, took three blows on his hand and both Kumar Sangakkara and Andy Bichel were nursing sore shoulders.

The same pitch last season saw a crater develop during the first Test against South Africa.

A year earlier, New Zealand and India created Test history when they were both dismissed on a green top for under 100 in their first innings.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden admitted the wicket was "not ideal".

But he told the Waikato Times: "I don't think players were in danger."

"There just needs to be a bit of discussion and quiet reflection on what's happened and we'll see what happens from there."

 

[Tim]

Apparently nearly everyone said they were too scared to go forward on the pitch.

From the crowd, I thought the pitch looked ok..it didn't look like a crater or anything.

 

[MoxPearl]

i duno why anyone would say that all the pitches were bad.. the first 2 were fine as.. just look at how flemming/astle batted on the first one.. then look at the scores in the 2nd one.. the 3rd one was a shocker.. no doubt about that.

But still... didnt the teams get to practice on the day b4 the game ? they didnt really say anything about it before the game.

 

[shaka]

The practice the day before was introduced for the series, so Warne has nothing to complain about, doubt they would have changed the pitch overnight.

 

[Smudge]

Sir Paddles gave Goldie big wraps in the Southland Times today - the story isn't on the website, so no link I'm afraid.

 

[Ming]

Yeah, what is up with Tuffey's seam. He'll never get any consistent seam movement with taht seam position.

 

[Tim]

Tuffey's seam position has always been a problem. He just doesn't seem to be able to get it right.

He really should though...it's not something that is difficult to learn with the right people around you.

 

[shaka]

Sir Paddles gave Goldie big wraps in the Southland Times today - the story isn't on the website, so no link I'm afraid.

It is posted here Voltman:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3169148a10133,00.html

 

[Smudge]

It is posted here Voltman:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3169148a10133,00.html

That's rather embarrassing - I couldn't find the link, and I work for that bloody paper.