**Official** Pakistan v New Zealand in the UAE 2014

[Blocky]

I suppose no county would take on Guptill either. Give Bracewell the call and he'll take anything Kiwi. Kieran Noema-Barnett could go pretty well in English conditions; especially April-June, but I don't think he's a better player than Sodhi.

Actually, plenty counties would take on Guptill solely for the fact that he's previously performed at an international level and single handedly won games against England with two centuries over there, despite being utterly **** and rubbish since, he's still "attractive" when you say "international player with an average of 38 in ODI cricket" to a county.

Sodhi, not so much.

As for Noema Barnett - better batting average and better bowling average in the same domestic competition as Sodhi. Go figure.

 

[Blocky]

Blackcaps Player ratings

I am going to do one of these after each test. A pak fan can do Pakistan.

Latham 10 (if I could give him higher I would - I don't care that he failed second dig, I approve of the shot he got out to 2nd dig - although with his high standards he will wait for a fuller
one next time)
McCullum 5 - while usually I make jokes about a captain that uses short covers instead of a second slip in this case - while Pak were piling on 500 runs it looked proactive and probably stopped the fielders from either falling asleep or wishing they were at home instead of on the field. Good attitude in the 2nd dig for batting and good on him for putting his hand up to open
Wiliamson - 0 two soft dismissals
Taylor 2 - higher score than williamson as the bowler got him out to a degree in both digs. He gets those deliveries twenty runs later and he would have kept them out. Despite his run of no ducks he is an edgy starter more so against spin.
Anderson - 7 good fighting knocks - good bowling. He is more than a 4th seamer.
Neesham 1 - didn't see him bat tbf but the scorebook is not kind to him
Watling 3 - OK first dig knock - his missed stumping was unacceptable
Craig 0 - looked loose whenever I was watching and I got the impression that brendon started to favour Ish over him as the game progressed.
Southee 7 - Don't care about his batting that is not what he is in the side for. I don't care that he didn't get any wickets although that is his job. Whenevr I watched his was hitting good areas this was just a roady road.
Sodhi - 5 - Outbowled Craig and I genuinely thought he improved in this game.
You may wonder why I gave Southee more points. The answer is I thought Tim bowled better than Ish. Even though Ish was at his best ever.
Boult 6 - see Comments on Southee above

I'd have Taylor at a 0 too, because unlike Williamson who was reasonably unlucky in his first dismissal, Taylor just didn't look capable at all.

Sodhi, Boult, Southee - I'd all have at fours. Craig, I'd have at 2. Latham I'd have at 8 - his side needed more from him in the second innings but understandably he was probably jaded and tired. Watling I have at a five, fighting innings are his fortay, his keeping was dismal and ultimately meant we never had a chance at putting pressure on the opposition. Anderson I'd have at a 5, I think he gave his wicket away despite looking so comfortable in the first innings and was a non-event in the second innings, much improved bowling though.

 

[Bahnz]

He also did pretty well in his last county stint if memory serves, so that'd go in his favour as well.

 

[hendrix]

I'll play:

Latham 7.5
The only NZ batsman that ever looked comfortable. Loses points for not carrying on after his hundred (he should have picked the inswinger coming up) and for getting out on 20 after looking so good in the second innings.
McCullum 5
Captaincy was generally good. Wasn't the worst batsman.
Williamson 2
A very forgettable test for him. Perhaps unlucky to get out the way he did in the first innings
Taylor 3
A horrible starter, got good balls before he was settled. Looked alert at slip but may want to move a foot closer
Anderson 6
Decent with the ball, our second best batsman.
Neesham 1
Bad with bat, bad with ball, awful in the field. He does have what it takes with the bat though
Watling 4
Poor behind the stumps on the first day, although he was much better from then on. Decent with the bat.
Craig 3
He's on a hiding to nothing against 11 right handed batsmen who are good players of spin. Was easily milked, looked completely unthreatening. Decent with the bat
Southee 4
A couple of good spells but lacked the energy and fire he'd shown on flat wickets in the Windies. Needs to get fired up a bit
Sodhi 6
Our best bowler. Bowled very well in the first innings.
Boult 3
Again, needed to pick up the energy and sprayed it around a bit more than Southee.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Actually, plenty counties would take on Guptill solely for the fact that he's previously performed at an international level and single handedly won games against England with two centuries over there, despite being utterly **** and rubbish since, he's still "attractive" when you say "international player with an average of 38 in ODI cricket" to a county.

Sodhi, not so much.

Guptill's already played county cricket but if KNB can get a contract and Jeetan Patel has massively outperformed his NZ domestic results on the UK scene, I wouldn't be particularly surprised to see a smaller county pick up Sodhi; especially for the 2nd half of the season if they've lost their first choice overseas player to injury or international commitments as often happens. Gloucestershire would be the obvious choice given Bracewell's willingness to pick up Kiwis.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Hafeez - 10. Scored big in both innings and got crucial wickets. The only problem is that he will now stay in the team for the next 2 years based on this performance.

Shehzad - 10. Great innings and hope he recovers

Azhar Ali - 9. Good knock but shame about the low score in the second innings.

Younis - 9. Same as Azhar

Misbah - 10. Can't fault him

Shafiq - Poor guy didn't get to make a 100. Can't score since he didn't bat but I heard his fielding was good.

Sarfraz - 4. Based on his keeping

Shah - 9. Good bowler who helped win the matches at the end.

Babar - 9 - Did really well like Yasir

Ali - 10. Amazing performance on a road

Khan - 7. Decent performance on a road but should be given a chance in coditions that help. Performed better than the NZ quicks.

 

[Bahnz]

Latham 8, McCullum 3, Williamson 3, Taylor 0, Anderson 6, Neesham 1, Watling 4, Craig 2, Southee 3, Sodhi 4, Boult 3

 

[Blocky]

Guptill's already played county cricket but if KNB can get a contract and Jeetan Patel has massively outperformed his NZ domestic results on the UK scene, I wouldn't be particularly surprised to see a smaller county pick up Sodhi; especially for the 2nd half of the season if they've lost their first choice overseas player to injury or international commitments as often happens. Gloucestershire would be the obvious choice given Bracewell's willingness to pick up Kiwis.

KNB - all rounder who averages 30 with the bat and 32 with the ball. Sodhi, tail end batsman who averages 50 with the ball.

Seriously. Are you really trying to say a county should want to take Sodhi on? This is the type of brainlessness which perpetuates me thinking you actually rate the guy and think he's going to be a good bowler.

 

[Hurricane]

I'll play:


Boult 3
Again, needed to pick up the energy and sprayed it around a bit more than Southee.

I also had tim higher - bowled tighter lines. Regarding your comment on Tim needing to fire up - there was a certain "this is a road and I cbf" about it. But I don't really know what else he could have done.He is only 135kms so it is not like he could have just tried beating them with fast yorkers (like they did a couple of times to us). I think he was bereft of ideas.

 

[Bahnz]

Seriously think Neesh's average is going to keep gradually sliding downwards until he's either dropped or it settles in the mid-high 20's. Hope I'm wrong though. Reckon Anderson's will hover in the low-mid 30's at least in the medium term.

 

[hendrix]

I also had tim higher - bowled tighter lines. Regarding your comment on Tim needing to fire up - there was a certain "this is a road and I cbf" about it. But I don't really know what else he could have done.He is only 135kms so it is not like he could have just tried beating them with fast yorkers (like they did a couple of times to us). I think he was bereft of ideas.

He regularly broke into the 140s looking for reverse in the Windies. And it worked.

 

[Bahnz]

I also had tim higher - bowled tighter lines. Regarding your comment on Tim needing to fire up - there was a certain "this is a road and I cbf" about it. But I don't really know what else he could have done.He is only 135kms so it is not like he could have just tried beating them with fast yorkers (like they did a couple of times to us). I think he was bereft of ideas.

I remember Southee was capable of bowling low-mid 140's for a prolonged spell in that test we won in Sri Lanka - very different circumstances mind (Tim had had his feet up for 2 days, and knew he was only going to be bowling for an hour before stumps) but he needs to bring that kind of intensity to this series if we're to have any chance of avoiding further embarrassment.

 

[Hurricane]

Hafeez - 10. Scored big in both innings and got crucial wickets. The only problem is that he will now stay in the team for the next 2 years based on this performance.

Shehzad - 10. Great innings and hope he recovers

Azhar Ali - 9. Good knock but shame about the low score in the second innings.

Younis - 9. Same as Azhar

Misbah - 10. Can't fault him

Shafiq - Poor guy didn't get to make a 100. Can't score since he didn't bat but I heard his fielding was good.

Sarfraz - 4. Based on his keeping

Shah - 9. Good bowler who helped win the matches at the end.

Babar - 9 - Did really well like Yasir

Ali - 10. Amazing performance on a road

Khan - 7. Decent performance on a road but should be given a chance in coditions that help. Performed better than the NZ quicks.

Thanks for this I thought your SLA was MOTM despite the batting efforts

 

[OverratedSanity]

Rahat actually got the Man of the Match award. Unexpectedly good stuff from the adjudicators. Really was a road for the quicks, and to get such returns deserves recognition.

 

[Teja.]

I also had tim higher - bowled tighter lines. Regarding your comment on Tim needing to fire up - there was a certain "this is a road and I cbf" about it. But I don't really know what else he could have done.He is only 135kms so it is not like he could have just tried beating them with fast yorkers (like they did a couple of times to us). I think he was bereft of ideas.

That's not a very good look when you're at the very least in the top 5 pacers in the world. Particularly considering a rook pacer from the opposition was swinging both the new and old ball to good effect.

 

[Kippax]

I suppose no county would take on Guptill either. Give Bracewell the call and he'll take anything Kiwi. Kieran Noema-Barnett could go pretty well in English conditions; especially April-June, but I don't think he's a better player than Sodhi.

Well it's not really about the blue sky of someone in county cricket though. I watched Sodhi against Northants (yep, Northants). There was turn for him, but they calmly put away any that were dragged down, used their feet occasionally and played him well.

 

[Hurricane]

I remember Southee was capable of bowling low-mid 140's for a prolonged spell in that test we won in Sri Lanka - very different circumstances mind (Tim had had his feet up for 2 days, and knew he was only going to be bowling for an hour before stumps) but he needs to bring that kind of intensity to this series if we're to have any chance of avoiding further embarrassment.

I think he and I think he will **** himself. If it swings for him and moves around like that SL spell - he will respond with more effort.

I am trying to think what Hadlee would do in these conditions - he certainly wouldn't bowl faster and bend his back more.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Well it's not really about the blue sky of someone in county cricket though. I watched Sodhi against Northants (yep, Northants). There was turn for him, but they calmly put away any that were dragged down, used their feet occasionally and played him well.

Look, the point is leg spinners do not improve without overs under their belts in match situations. Sodhi shouldn't be doing it in international cricket, but he isn't getting it in the NZ first class scene. County cricket isn't ideal either to be perfectly honest, but the alternative isn't giving up on Sodhi as an international player, it's giving up on him entirely in all likelihood. A one off tour match or limited short tours kinda supports the point I was making and a series of one day games is an irrelevance. Even if he can't get a county deal, plenty of Kiwis before him have played in the top English club leagues and have been the better for the experience.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah, though Hadlee was probably naturally quicker than Southee - capable of bowling in that 137-142 zone with less effort. But then, didn't even Hadlee struggle pretty badly on his one trip to Pakistan?

 

[Hurricane]

That's not a very good look when you're at the very least in the top 5 pacers in the world. Particularly considering a rook pacer from the opposition was swinging both the new and old ball to good effect.

They have Waqar Younis as their coach. And no doubt Akram gets involved. I am not surprised they reversed it more than us. From reading about Pakastani cricket you have to learn how to be a master of reverse on their pitches.

as for the new ball swing - sometimes it goes for us and sometimes it doesn't - this will offend my fellow kiwi posters - but usually we cheat or push the rules to their limits - by having a whinge about the slightest imperfection in the ball until we get one that does move. Sometimes we can't find a reason to complain though. That may sound ridiculous but that is how we operate.