***Official**** Sri Lanka in New Zealand 2014/2015

[Blocky]

I would love, love, LOVE for this to happen. But anyone with a cricket nous at NZC HQ would put the kibosh on it. The Duke in our conditions would equal 3-day Tests as a rule.

Perfect for us as long as we're equipped with Southee and Boult, hell, you might even get Mills back in the test side.

 

[Hurricane]

In the second dig where we batted properly, we did play well against pace, very well in fact (at least when I was watching on day 3), the thing is that both Southee and Boult are exceptional bowlers, if you have any more of them to bring into the side then I'd suggest you pick them, however if you don't I'd argue you ought to stick with Craig who caused more problems than his figures give him credit for

I respect all your views especially on spin bowling so I have read this seriously. I thought Craig bowled a real treat I really do. Looked better than Jeets has done in some outings for us. And looked ten times better than Bruce Martin.
There were also times where he got taken off and I thought no just stick with him. I was just really impressed with their techniques against him. Even your tailenders seemed to bat well against him. Imagine facing herath in the nets and then facing Craig in the game - it is no wonder they do well.

While we don't have someone as good as Tim and Trent - Doug is in form and will travel better than Wagner (even though I wouldn't drop Wagner for him as Wagner bowled ok). I am basing this all on Bracewell apparently having his swing back. If he doesn't swing it he will be ineffective.

Finally while you may have batted well against pace in the 2nd dig at the end of the day you lost 9 wickets to pace and one to spin even though Craig got through 38 overs.

 

[Immenso]

On the calendar year stats stuff.

Watling been having a good 2 years in the all time WK dismissals in calendar year for nz

Fielding records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Maximas]

I respect all your views especially on spin bowling so I have read this seriously. I thought Craig bowled a real treat I really do. Looked better than Jeets has done in some outings for us. And looked ten times better than Bruce Martin.
There were also times where he got taken off and I thought no just stick with him. I was just really impressed with their techniques against him. Even your tailenders seemed to bat well against him. Imagine facing herath in the nets and then facing Craig in the game - it is no wonder they do well.

While we don't have someone as good as Tim and Trent - Doug is in form and will travel better than Wagner (even though I wouldn't drop Wagner for him as Wagner bowled ok). I am basing this all on Bracewell apparently having his swing back. If he doesn't swing it he will be ineffective.

Finally while you may have batted well against pace in the 2nd dig at the end of the day you lost 9 wickets to pace and one to spin even though Craig got through 38 overs.

Good post, however on the last point, I just don't think more pace bowlers will cause more problems, if the 3 frontline bowlers and Neesham all bowl well then they will cause enough problems and bowl enough overs to bowl us out pretty cheaply you'd think, ultimately Southee and Boult will probably do most of the damage as they are both world class just about and the other 3 bowlers are a side-show almost, may as well include some variety in that side-show IMO

 

[Hurricane]

Good post, however on the last point, I just don't think more pace bowlers will cause more problems, if the 3 frontline bowlers and Neesham all bowl well then they will cause enough problems and bowl enough overs to bowl us out pretty cheaply you'd think, ultimately Southee and Boult will probably do most of the damage as they are both world class just about and the other 3 bowlers are a side-show almost, may as well include some variety in that side-show IMO

Doug should be better than side show quality one hopes.
I think some of us remember Doug at his best. He had very very late outswing and a vicious off cutter. Then he just stopped swinging it and did become side show material.

 

[Maximas]

Sure, but he comes in at the expense of Wagner rather than Craig for mine, 4 seamers isn't something I'm inherently opposed to but with Neesham around to provide another seam option it seems too much, although if Williamson is still effective bowling legally then I might agree

 

[Hurricane]

Sure, but he comes in at the expense of Wagner rather than Craig for mine, 4 seamers isn't something I'm inherently opposed to but with Neesham around to provide another seam option it seems too much, although if Williamson is still effective bowling legally then I might agree

I view Neesham as a 5th seamer rather than a 4th. He is good for 10 overs a day when the ball is old. Corey on the other hand is a legit 4th seamer probably.
But Jimmy has done enough to keep his spot so I don't see them dropping him.

Good points Max

 

[Hurricane]

By the way there were some unflattering comments made about jimmy by the commentators this test:

1) Here is what is wrong with his bowling (and they were correct) why hasn't he fixed it...does he not want to learn or are his coaches not switched on.
2) He is a batsman that likes to get the enjoyment of doing big hits and when he bowls he likes the same thing specifically to fire it down as quick as he can and watch it thud into the keepers gloves.

None of those comments make him sound like a thinking man's cricketer. Usually commentators shy away from making any meaningful observations and just make bland comments but they didn't with Jimmy.

 

[Bahnz]

It won't happen, but if the Basin presents another well grassed surface, then New Zealand really should drop Wagner for Bracewell (or ideally Henry). With the ball swinging conventionally for 50+ overs, there's far less need for an old-ball specialist in the side, and Bracewell has similar fitness levels to Wagner, so long spells shouldn't be a problem.

 

[NZTailender]

Geeze Wagner could go out there and average under 30 for a calendar year with a better strike rate than the golden boys and I bet people would still call for him to be dropped.

 

[YorksLanka]

Congrats to NZ on the win and whilst I am sad we lost,it's good that we made a fight of it and didn't roll over after the first innings. I can only comment based on the scorecard as no coverage where I am at the moment but nice to see Dimuth getting his maiden ton( I believe) and good rearguard action from Eranga.hopefully we will learn from the mistakes in this game and come back stronger. As for the debates about out bowlers,I rate both lakmal and prasad and whilst I didn't see this match,know what they have done in the recent past and back both of them with eranga..I like the control that dilruwan gives and he can bat a bit but I believe kaushal turns it more and had a reasonable debut match.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

wagner is rapidly becoming the NZ Sammy. Doesn't look pretty, but he puts up the results more often than you realise.

 

[Kippax]

By the way there were some unflattering comments made about jimmy by the commentators this test:

1) Here is what is wrong with his bowling (and they were correct) why hasn't he fixed it...does he not want to learn or are his coaches not switched on.
2) He is a batsman that likes to get the enjoyment of doing big hits and when he bowls he likes the same thing specifically to fire it down as quick as he can and watch it thud into the keepers gloves.

None of those comments make him sound like a thinking man's cricketer. Usually commentators shy away from making any meaningful observations and just make bland comments but they didn't with Jimmy.

Oh there's been improvement since 2010, but he was coming from a long way back.

 

[hendrix]

I only saw Tim's last tour, and obviously never saw Hadlee and Cairns, so i can't really comment. I also woudn't have a clue how the ball has changed over the last 30 years and how this changes things.. Hadlee was a freak, he would swing the ball anywhere. Similarly McGrath, these bowlers only needed the ball to swing a bit, and Harris is similar. We all know Johnson can swing the ball round corners, yet most of the time we see him move the ball much less.

I suppose its the difference between "swing" and "swing", where one is banana swing, and the other is a little bit through the air, which rewards bowlers in the Hadlee-McGrath mould. Our bowlers tend to be me more effective with the former, Southee is improving, but he's still not as good as a Harris, or even Hazlewood at the later, while Boult remains firmly in the former camp.

This is such a weird post. Southee is pretty much on par with Harris. He hasn't been a banana bowler for years. In fact he's probably sacrificed a little strike rate to very much become in the Hadlee-McGrath mold, particularly with the old ball.

He's miles better than Hazlesood, I can't even believe we're making this comparison.

 

[GGG]

Geeze Wagner could go out there and average under 30 for a calendar year with a better strike rate than the golden boys and I bet people would still call for him to be dropped.

Sure I would pick him on a lifeless wicket as a workhorse but on green wickets we are better off with a Bracewell if he is in form.

 

[Kippax]

Carlchopa seems like he'd appreciate Dougeh being removed from domestic cricket for a week.

 

[Kippax]

A good channel for videos from the match just completed -
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbzzgle06KNYT-ogc6WO48g

He now has advertising earning him money, this NZAUTV uploader. Sky more concerned about a Kippax and Plunket Promise revival though, obvs.

 

[NZTailender]

Sure I would pick him on a lifeless wicket as a workhorse but on green wickets we are better off with a Bracewell if he is in form.

Would rather take a punt on Henry at this stage. And on green wickets, you'd be better to drop the spinner than the third seamer, surely.

 

[Flem274*]

I feel sorry for Wagner because despite being a bloke who makes the most of his more limited ability and is very passionate about his team who has won us some games in the past 12 months, his style of bowling is never going to look as good as Henry, Milne or Bracewell when they're bowling well and Wagner himself is very inconsistent compared to Southee and Boult so there will always be sideways glances at him.

But.

Wagner isn't bowling well at the moment. He looks short of a gallop and isn't getting the ball to zip through like he usually does even when he's bowling his standard high 130s pace. He's still got the rage and the variations (very underrated bowler when it comes to using angles against a batsman) but without the zip it's useless. I don't know whether he needs more bowling or time out to have a fix up with Bond but I don't think Wagner offers more than Bracewell, Henry or Milne in New Zealand conditions right now.

If we go with one of Phlegm's golden trio though then we need to accept we're going to lose out on Wagner's angle and length variations. He's not a conventional "pitch it up, get it to swing, nick the batsman off" bowler barring a few gems like the KP yorker which makes him look mud. I reckon Wagner gets a ridiculous number of catches at short cover which conventional fan/commentator wisdom puts down to poor shot selection or execution by the batsman but it's a legitimate trap. He's very good with finding variable bounce as well which tricks batsmen looking to play the horizontal bat shots.

What we have to choose from is the above from Wagner, outswing plus heavy ball bowling from Dougeh, mini-Southee from Henry and very raw-Bond from Milne.

By the way Rutherford is playing the next test, which means he should go to England as well unless McHesson are feeling brave enough to debut a new player against Anderson and Broad on their own turf. At least we know if it happens McHesson won't drop the poor sod immediately if Anderson and Broad eat them for breakfast.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Is my suggestion that Neesham might open a truly silly idea? I can accept it if it is.