*Official* South Africa in New Zealand

[Tim]

It's not just this match, it's been happening for awhile now.
We seem to always have 1 poor partnership in the middle order.

Anyway, McCullum & Oram have got NZ to a pretty good position 361/7 at stumps.

 

[Mingster]

NZ in deep trouble...225/6..they still need another 30 or so runs to avoid the follow on.

The selectors need to start using their brains....IMO forget about playing both Oram & Cairns, we need another specialist batsmen in there & we need to also forget about playing a 2nd spinner just because its turning because Wiseman is clearly not up to standard.

Mason should have been playing & we definately need some more batting stability in the middle order.

Why not play both Cairns and Oram? Cairns can make the side on batting alone at the moment, and Oram can make the side with the ball alone. They both add balance to our side. Oram and Cairns both showed their batting worth today. Cairns was unlucky not to get more than his 28.

I bet you have regreted saying that since now that our total seems nicely placed.

However I agree with you that we shouln't play Wiseman ever if it is turning. A pace bowling option in Butler or Mason would have been more suitable for our team.

 

[Tim]

This idea of 'balance' in NZ cricket is rubbish....personally I prefer 6 batsmen, the keeper & 8, 9, 10 & 11 as your bowlers so everyone knows where they stand...maybe #6 and another batsmen can do some part time bowling. Vettori's batting would be a bonus at #8 but certainly we shouldn't class him as an all-rounder yet.

Sure Cairns & Oram semi worked today, but then again this isn't exactly a pitch where Ntini, Pollock etc are going to be able to really test you. Let's see the #6, #7 combination work at Centurion before I regret what I say.

 

[Tim]

NZ's bowling strength is not spin, it's medium/fast bowlers who can bowl wicket to wicket & work to a gameplan.

I really only think they're selecting Wiseman, because it's turning so therefore the norm is for a team to select 2 spinners..but I think South Africa showed that you can take wickets without needing 2 spinners..and Paul Adams ain't that great either.

 

[Mingster]

Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of specialists as well.

I want to see specialist batsmen right down to 6, but it wasn't a fault today. They should give that combination a few more chances before someone like Sinclair or Fulton get added into the frame.

 

[Tim]

Let's say Astle & Bond are fit tommorow...i'd pick this test side.

Richardson
Papps
Fleming
Styris
Astle
McMillan
Oram
McCullum
Vettori
Bond
Tuffey

So Bond, Tuffey & Oram the pace bowlers..Vettori the spinner, Styris & McMillan can roll their arm over if required & hopefully Astle if he's able to.

Now that is a very solid lineup...i'd be very happy with that team.
Sinclair, Cairns, Fulton, Mason & Bruce Martin as the reserves.

 

[Kent]

Don't tell me SA don't have a problem bowling to "tail-enders".
225/6 is now 485/8!

########

My full-strength side:

Rigger
Papps
Flem
Styris
Astle
Oram
Cairns
McC
Vettori
Tuffey
Bond

I don't really feel any less at ease with 3 or 4 all-rounders than playing specialist batsmen as hot-and-cold as Astle and McMillan. You'd want more consistent tours of England than their last if they keep Chris Cairns out of the side, who is improving as the months go on without serious injury.

Some harsh calls would need to be made if NZ reach full strength. In addition to Cairns taking wickets and Astle and McMillan stringing quality innings together, I think Vettori needs to bowl less short rubbish to feel safe about Bond's possible return. You can only tolerate the advantage of variety so far, e.g. Paul Adams isn't a regular with a test average 4 runs less than Vettori's.

 

[Mister Wright]

Good to see one G. Smith go cheaply. Tuffey is really coming on as a good srike bowler.

Chris Cairns gets his first test wicket in two year - good to see. Fleming really worked Rudolf out there.

Go the Kiwis!

 

[Tim]

South Africa have probably just done enough today to ensure that they will at least avoid losing.

NZ will have to hope they can bowl out South Africa with a lead of less than 150 for them to have any hope of chasing a score.

 

[aussiefan]

looks like it is going to be an intresting last days play

 

[Tim]

I know U19 & club cricket isn't near the standard of test cricket..but in McCullum's career he's shown that he's a far more devastating batsman in the longer version.

Against the South African U19's a few years back he scored 2 centuries & a double with a strike rate over 100.
And in a 3 or 4 day club match in Darwin he scored 250 off around 100 balls.

Whereas in the OD's in club, domestic & international cricket he hasn't really shown the same kind of ability..well recently he may have.

 

[Craig]

McCullum's been good, but can he keep it up I will want to see.

 

[Gaijin-san]

Can anyone tell me a bit about Papps? From what I've seen of him he looks like he has good footwork and a good simple technique, but I hadn't heard of him until the one day series when he was playing very well. Then he hits a 50 on debut. Where has he come from?

Does it seem to be a really good run of form or is he a class player?

 

[Tim]

I think he gives the NZ lower order more shape & he was not fazed coming out to bat when NZ potentially could have lost their way...he played his natural game & changed the course of NZ's innings.

There's every chance that had we played Robbie Hart, he would have scratched around for 30 balls..scored 8 runs & gotten out.
I think providing McCullum can score runs reasonably consistently he'll be NZ's test keeper for a long time to come.

 

[Tim]

Papps is an interesting story....my Uncle knows him quite well & said he never really shone while he was at Shirley Boys Highschool unlike McMillan & Astle who scored prolificly for the same school.

Although it can't have been much longer after high school that it clicked for Papps because he made the NZ U19 World Cup side in 1998 that got to the final in South Africa.

Technically Papps is far far better than the other openers NZ have tried in test cricket over the last 3 or 4 years...he's always looking to get onto the front foot & can play all around the wicket also.
I think he's also benefited from the fact that he's spent 4 good solid years in FC cricket rather than being rushed straight in from U19 level.

Papps has scored alot of runs for Canterbury this season, I think for the majority of the season he lead the averages for both FC & OD cricket until he was called up to NZ.
His averages aren't teriffic because his first year & a half at FC level were poor but since then he's been very consistent & deserved his call up to the NZ side.

 

[nibbs]

Papps FC record wont be as good because of the quality pitches that he has to play on in New Zealand, because of them being too bowler friendly all.

 

[Kent]

I think NZ have 3 more hours to take 7 wickets.

Not likely with our best spinner saying "I need more bounce" (Lou Vincent would also like to roll up the WACA and take it with him...), but a great fightback from 225/6 anyway.

 

[Craig]

Cut off the head, the body will follow.

That is Kallis and Gary Kirsten.

 

[Kent]

There's every chance that had we played Robbie Hart, he would have scratched around for 30 balls..scored 8 runs & gotten out.

I thought the exact same thing! I guess Kallis or Oram will get the MOTM award unless something incredible happens, but on a 3-2-1 basis you'd hope McCullum is in there somewhere.

Before I've seen Oram tend to freeze when the heat is on him at the crease, but I think McCullum really led the way out of the hole. After losing Parore a tad prematurely, it's like we've gone to the AIS and stolen one for the good guys!

 

[Kent]

Sure Cairns & Oram semi worked today, but then again this isn't exactly a pitch where Ntini, Pollock etc are going to be able to really test you. Let's see the #6, #7 combination work at Centurion before I regret what I say.

Tim, does this mean you think McMillan would be a more reliable source of runs at a place like Centurion? After seeing some of Oram's back-foot play in his last 2 tests I'd rate him to outscore McMillan, whose best test innings have been in Sri Lanka, a Tufnell-fest in Manchester, and India. On harder tracks he gets nicks to attempted cuts and square drives more than just about any player I've seen. If Bond and Astle are back, surely he has to be the most nervous heading to England.

No doubt he'll score another ton soon and say 'drop me now!', but there's no way they won't pick Cairns to play the English. I do agree though if you think Cairns' current importance to NZ cricket is overrated by his chums who have freshly entered the media.