** Official ** Sri Lanka in New Zealand tour

[anzac]

ok so now that Rigor has retired from intl cricket what are the picks for the lineup v SRL - esp with NZL in reality looking for 2 openers (Sinclair was only to cover Papps' injury & as such was a short term option)?????????????

atm I have Papps to come back into the side as he has only missed the last series due to injury & as such has done nothing wrong...........

I'd like to select another specialist opener to quickly build some foundation towards the future - my picks in current running order would be How, Cumming & McIntosh, but I don't think the selectors will go for it with AUS being the next series to follow...........me thinks they will stick with Sinclair to open as he's now got as much experience there as either Papps or Fleming.....although personally if they think their backs are that far against the wall I'd have Flem open & Sinclair at #3...........

which ever way they go at the Top of the order, IMO they MUST go with a 6-4 split to at least cover the lack of experience at this level.........if they don't then I see both Franklin & Mills being selected because of their ability to supplement with the bat (along with Oram, McCullum, Vettori).............

and although I earlier said that the scenario is tailor made for Macca I certainly do not want to see him in the starting lineup in a middle order of Styris, Astle & McMillan, followed by Oram, McCullum & Vettori (from #4 - #9 respectively), as we would be back to the same scenario as b4 with 6 players who are basically #6's or lower, 3 of whom are out of touch with the bat & 1 of whom has had a horror run of poor decisions going against him, so 4 are likely to be without a great deal of confidence..........

the only way I'd like to see Macca in the side is if he opens.............so far as I know he hasn't done so previously except for that 1 attempt during the WC, but likewise I'm not sure if Sehwag had opened b4 at domestic level b4 doing so in ODIs..........

because of the inexperience at the top Styris & Astle should keep their spots for the seriesat all things being equal.

I was also going to look for some new blood to be introduced in both the batting middle order & bowling ranks , but this will have to wait until the Zim / RSA tour at the earliest....................

I expect to see........
Papps, Sinclair, Fleming, Styris, Astle, Oram, McCullum, Vettori, Franklin, Mills, Tuffey
with McMillan as 12th man

 

[anzac]

just had a thought...............

NZL went to the ODI series in PAK with a new top & middle order, but importantly No's 1,2 & 4 were debutants.................

slightly different circumstances but the precedent has been set - would they be brave enough to select 2 relatively inexperienced openers again?????????

I'd hope so.................

 

[meatspx]

Noooooooooooooo McMilllan Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

 

[Kent]

This will never happen, but it would be my XI:

How/Papps
Fleming
Sinclair
McCullum
Styris
Astle
Oram
Vettori
Wiseman
Butler
Martin

I'd persist with Martin for now, given that he hits the seam better than Tuffey and was a genuine force the last time he bowled in NZ conditions. Butler must keep bowling against international batsmen to develop a better length and perhaps more consistent movement. In a damp little nation of 4 million people, players with his physical talent for pace bowling do not grow on trees. Bracewell or anyone else cannot afford to write him off, regardless of whether he may be a bit of a princess personality-wise.

Vettori is clearly our best bowler right now, so considerations have to be made regarding who can best combine with him as a bowling partnership. Even against Sri Lanka, I'd like to keep Wiseman on to see if Bracewell really is having a good influence on him, or if Adelaide was just one decent performance.

It could be a risk to surround McCullum with notorious donkeys like Fleming, Sinclair and Astle, but his position at #4 reflects how much potential I think he has looking towards the future. He strikes me as someone with the attitude to thrive on having more put on his plate, which is just as well for NZ because there'll be plenty in the next decade.

Jamie How needs some more success against Tuffey, Butler and co. in his game at Napier today, but I've always thought he looks much more suited to handling the ball above hip-height than say Papps, which there's a lot more of at test level. I guess I'd have no real problem with Papps getting a run instead, but the damning objective views regarding his technique can't be dismissed just yet.

With no Rigor, Fleming really needs to bite the bullet IMO a take the blank canvas of 0/0. There's a very real prospect of him now coming in regularly at 0-20/1, which will turn into a mindf*** for someone who cares so much about the team's cause. Going with Sinclair as a guinea pig is a foolish waste of someone who does have strengths, but negotiating the first 10 overs of a new ball certainly isn't one of them.

 

[meatspx]

Looks like Sinclair will be opening, we all should be resigned to that fact. Styris needs to be on the outer too, and Marshall given a chance. If the NZ top order doesn't perform, and changes aren't made, then I give up.

My eleven:
Sinclair
Papps
Fleming
Marshal/Styris
Astle
Oram
McCullum
Vettori
Franklin/Wiseman/Tuffey
Butler
Martin

 

[Kent]

Looks like Sinclair will be opening, we all should be resigned to that fact.

Yeah, that's sadly the case. I see he's opening for CD today, probably a request from higher up....

http://www.nzcricket.co.nz/fullscorecard.aspx?match=003

How has taken Butler to the fence twice already!

 

[bryce]

interesting that some commentators have been named in the SKY team this summer, they are:

*Mark Richardson
*Shane Bond(Sri Lanka ODI's)
*Chris Cairns(Four Tests)
*Adam Parore
*Michael Slater(Australian Tour)
*Greg Chappell(Australian Tour)

 

[Richard]

So if someone fails miserably against Bangladesh, should that be ignored to?

Well it's not exactly likely to matter, is it?
It wouldn't happen if they didn't have to play them.
It'd just be best all-round - you wouldn't have to have people getting inflation on their averages, and you wouldn't have people having the humiliation of failing against Bangladesh.

 

[Richard]

except that they are one of the worst touring sides in the world today.

Oh, yes, but they're not fairly average.
They're either extremely good (at home) or almost-without-fail-downright-poor (away).
Average is somewhere in the middle, which they don't tend to be very often.

 

[dinu23]

Fleming and Papps will open.Sinclair will drop down the order.

 

[Kent]

"Will"? First I've heard of it!

Bracewell seemed pretty certain on his "the side looks better with Fleming at 3" view, although he was also pretty sure he wanted Marshall over McMillan for the AUS tests, so I guess anything's possible.

 

[Tim]

There's no doubt in my mind that Sinclair should no longer open for NZ. He's outstanding at domestic level..but there's obviously a huge step-up to international level & I'd actually prefer to see him bat #4 or #5.

For me, it's got to be Michael Papps & Jamie How. They're relatively in-experienced but we can't afford to have Sinclair struggle against S.L & then be dropped against Australia so they can blood one of How or Papps. That would be insane.
Papps has not actually let NZ down yet at international level. He was great in the ODI's v South Africa & I thought despite some lucky breaks he played a superb innings v England in the tests.

Jamie How has all the hall-marks of being a superb player for NZ. He attacks the bowlers, is excellent in the field & he's not arrogant.

For the tests:

Papps
How
Fleming
Sinclair
Astle
Styris
Oram
McCullum
Vettori
Franklin
Tuffey

12th Man: Wiseman

 

[bryce]

if i had my way that would be my 11 too tim, except i wouldn't want sinclair at number four, i think he is a specialist number 3 and would probaly swap him with fleming.

 

[cric_manic]

tuffy might not be ready for international cricket yet so maby martin who bowls well in nz conditions

 

[Tim]

Im not convinced about Styris so far up the order. I think he needs to return to #6 where he had success early on.

Despite averaging in the mid 40's...I don't think he's going to survive with scoring 1 big score & then 5 bad scores when you see a player like Peter Fulton regularly scoring runs each championship match for Canterbury.

 

[Tim]

Franklin was poor against Australia, but I think he will have learned from that hammering by Langer.
Sri Lanka surely will be no worse than what Australia served up & I think the left arm variation will balance the side up a bit more.

 

[Tim]

I actually wouldn't mind seeing Kerry Walmsley in the mix. He's the type of bowler who could really damage Sri Lanka in our conditions with his pace & bounce.

 

[Richard]

if i had my way that would be my 11 too tim, except i wouldn't want sinclair at number four, i think he is a specialist number 3 and would probaly swap him with fleming.

There's not that much difference between three and four; someone who is a three shouldn't have too many problems at four.

 

[bryce]

you wouldn't think so, but look at sinclair's record and i'm sure you'll agree with me.

 

[bryce]

I actually wouldn't mind seeing Kerry Walmsley in the mix. He's the type of bowler who could really damage Sri Lanka in our conditions with his pace & bounce.

i've heard worse ideas, that track he got 7/28 on the other day was 'quite a good pitch' apparently, infact i heard that straight out of nick horsley's mouth