***Official*** West Indies in New Zealand 2013/14

[Kippax]

Very pleased to hear the groundsman is growing in confidence, but has he earned the right to prepare a good pitch?

It's the way he curates.

 

[straw man]

It's the way he curates.

It's important to be proactive and not take a backwards step. That grass can smell fear.

 

[straw man]

Good declaration to really test out West Indian openers Raval and Redmond for a few overs before stumps

Edit: But play called off instead

 

[Kippax]

West Indies call up NZ bamboozler Sunil Narine | Stuff.co.nz

Shane Bond blasts benign test match pitches | Stuff.co.nz

 

[Flem274*]

The Windies should give this Redmond bloke a call up.

 

[Beamer]

This has to be the most surreal warm up match I've ever come across. If Shiv gets out early then the only 3 West Indian batsmen in the side will have failed. I can only think Kraigg Braithwaite can't have arrived in time to play this match because he will be opening in the tests and will need to get used to the conditions.

As it happens, this is really only a useful exercise for New Zealand's fringe batsmen to score runs against a team including a few first team players.

 

[straw man]

Yes it has turned out a little odd - since it doesn't have FC status maybe when Edwards got out he should have walked back to the shed, changed into a different coloured helmet and walked back out to bat again.

 

[benchmark00]

Is Martin Crowe going to be fit in time for this??

 

[Bahnz]

Nah, but Rutherford and Latham are, and both seem to be in decent touch.

 

[BeeGee]

I wouldn't mind seeing Redmond given the 3 spot as an injury replacement, tbh. I'd rather Latham was groomed to take McCullum's spot.

 

[hendrix]

Looks like Williamson's fit and Redmond has won the job of back up batsman.

Unsure whether Sodhi will play or they'll go all seam. I suppose with Anderson playing it'll be overkill.

 

[Flem274*]

Not expecting too much from KW after an injury layoff. The first test will be a sighter for him.

 

[Mike5181]

Fulton
Rutherford
Williamson
Taylor
McCullum
Anderson
Watling+
Southee
Sodhi
Wagner
Boult

Redmond
Bracewell

Not too bad.

 

[Bahnz]

Not expecting too much from KW after an injury layoff. The first test will be a sighter for him.

He hasn't had much less cricket than Taylor, McCullum or Rutherford, and he's only been out for a month. He should be fine.

 

[RxGM]

Hugely disappointed to see Bracewell picked.
His list of poor bowling performances are really starting to mount up, he is just become a poor man’s Tim Southee.
Add to that his issues with the drink and I just think the needs to get a message.
I guess the issue is who do you replace him with, but the other options (ie Milne, Gillespie, Henry, Butler, Mitch) are either injured or don’t appear to be in great form at the moment.

 

[Flem274*]

Henry and Milne should be the next two cabs off the rank. Don't mind what order. If both Wagner and Boult went down Wheeler would be my reserve left armer. Mitch M still needs to transfer his limited overs excellence to the whites, and tbf to him his white ball commitments have hindered any opportunities to do so this season so far. Butler will need a lot of bowling when he returns from injury and Gillespie needs to show he's in ace form or he doesn't play.

Bracewell would benefit from playing for CD for a bit imo.

 

[Bahnz]

You're never going to get selected if you're not even producing the best figures for your domestic side. Henry hasn't done nearly as well as Bennett so far this season...and unfortunately Bennett himself has had too little cricket in the past 2 years to be a serious contender at this stage. It's partly a result of how flat most of the early season pitches have been so far, but having a quick glance over the early season averages...there's not a lot of options.

 

[RxGM]

Bracewell would benefit from playing for CD for a bit imo.

Assuming he doesn't play, he will hopefully go back to CD for the FC game which starts the day after the test and Beard (or someone who is out of the Otago FC side) will assume 12th man duties.

 

[Flem274*]

Henry has been the best bowler in his team since his debut. Short term figures could be better, but he's been bowling fine judging by vault footage and he will take a haul soon enough.

 

[RxGM]

Henry has been the best bowler in his team since his debut. Short term figures could be better, but he's been bowling fine judging by vault footage and he will take a haul soon enough.

Fair enough, what is he like with the old ball, suitable as a fourth seamer.

My impression of him is genrelly is he is tight so can lock up an end and work in tandem with Wagner, unlike Bracewell who bowls to many four balls. But might be just a new ball bowler, like Boult was when he first played for NZ.