*Official* West Indies in New Zealand - Nov/Dec 2020

[Moss]

yea people need to accept the standard of international, full strength t20 is light years ahead of any cheque cashing league like even the ipl.

so many dominant franchise players get owned in t20 wcs.

Possibly true, but the last T20 WC was in 2016 and my feeling is that standards in the IPL have improved since then (can't comment about the CPL but surely it must have gotten better too). Also for the sake of argument, the West Indies have done extremely well in the last three T20 WCs, winning two of them - surely there is some correlation with the fact that their best players regularly featured in all of the bigger leagues.

 

[Flem274*]

the t20 wc will be won like every other white ball wc - the team with the best bowling attack and a batting unit who can reliably make par will win.

steve smith and kane williamson will hold a much greater value in real matches compared to their franchise value.

this isn't me refuting the west indian quality tho, im refuting kuggs selection based on foreign franchise performances. if he couldn't hit 150kph and bat a little bit he would never play a t20 for nz.

 

[Moss]

the t20 wc will be won like every other white ball wc - the team with the best bowling attack and a batting unit who can reliably make par will win.

steve smith and kane williamson will hold a much greater value in real matches compared to their franchise value.

this isn't me refuting the west indian quality tho, im refuting kuggs selection based on foreign franchise performances. if he couldn't hit 150kph and bat a little bit he would never play a t20 for nz.

Sure, nothing super-impressive about Kuggs in the appearances he's made for NZ in T20, but bowling-wise must have been doing something right to become the top wicket taker in the CPL. Well assuming it was the CPL which worked in favour of his selection, hope the selectors at least watched how he was bowling.

 

[Kippax]

It would seem to me that guy is always going to be just one slightly awkward media engagement or a provocative banner away from being completely thrown off his stride over the next seven years or so in this country. We'll see.

He should almost blaze a new Brendan Nash trail, tbh. Shannon Gabriel would put his arm around him once he's qualified and make a high-T jibe about how at least he didn't like boys. It may take a masterstroke switch of allegiance like that to finally put a smile on Kuggeleijn's dial.

 

[Beamer]

Sure, nothing super-impressive about Kuggs in the appearances he's made for NZ in T20, but bowling-wise must have been doing something right to become the top wicket taker in the CPL. Well assuming it was the CPL which worked in favour of his selection, hope the selectors at least watched how he was bowling.

He was impressive with the new ball, taking early wickets with some movement and the occasional short ball. He got Brandon King out a number of times and he's a very talented player. He also bowled Hetmeyer early on with an inswinger. I was pretty impressed.

He is certainly a better T20 bowler than Tim '80mph length balls' Southee.

 

[Prince EWS]

He was impressive with the new ball, taking early wickets with some movement and the occasional short ball. He got Brandon King out a number of times and he's a very talented player. He also bowled Hetmeyer early on with an inswinger. I was pretty impressed.

He is certainly a better T20 bowler than Tim '80mph length balls' Southee.

I do worry for him a bit that he may be express by domestic standards but not by international standards, and that once he's not beating blokes for pace he may just go the journey... as has tended to happen when he's actually played internationals thus far.

Agree with what you said about King though (good player and thus good sign) and Southee (time to put a pin in his T20I career) though.

 

[Flem274*]

oh yea i don't rate southee at all, i just don't rate kuggs all that highly either. needs to operate at full 150kph tilt to be selected imo.

 

[Beamer]

I do worry for him a bit that he may be express by domestic standards but not by international standards, and that once he's not beating blokes for pace he may just go the journey... as has tended to happen when he's actually played internationals thus far.

Agree with what you said about King though (good player and thus good sign) and Southee (time to put a pin in his T20I career) though.

Yep you may well be right. He was generally 140 - 145kph in the CPL, which was rapid on some very slow wickets where the batsmen were getting used to the ball not passing much above knee height. He might go the journey on good pitches.

I'd certainly want to see him given a go if he were a West Indian though, I'd have thought he'd earned the right for a few games to find out either way. King will probably be opening in the T20's so that should give him confidence.

 

[Beamer]

First warm up match is this evening. Windies side will be captained by Chase as Holder is in quarantine. Looking forward to it!

Any idea if there will be a live stream?

 

[Kippax]

No there won't be. Just the scorecard that will appear here.

Schedules

www.nzc.nz

That'll probably have boundaries and wickets videos to click on, although if it's a very informal hit-out before the proper first-class game on the 26th, I can't guarantee that.

 

[Beamer]

Better than nothing. Thanks Kippax.

Hoping for some runs from the batsmen for once.

 

[Pup Clarke]

lol can someone explain why Conway is not in the test squad? Thought he'd be a shoe-in and guaranteed selection.. The guy's 29 and making a stack of runs. Why hold him back?

 

[vandem]

lol can someone explain why Conway is not in the test squad? Thought he'd be a shoe-in and guaranteed selection.. The guy's 29 and making a stack of runs. Why hold him back?

There isn't a spare middle order slot.

Nicholls is still safe due to 3 good test seasons 2016-17 to 2018-19, at home 977 runs @ 54. But his place is under pressure after low scores last season.

Young has a impressive FC record (2189 runs @ 47 in the last 4 1/2 domestic seasons). While he hasn't played at test / ODI level yet, he had a very successful intro to the NZ team when making 60 + 130 + 111 in 50 over World Cup warm up games in 2019 in Aussie (the games were 12 aside but Auusie bowling was serious, Starc + Cummins + Coulter-Nile etc).

To get into the test squad vs WI Conway would have needed Bradman-esque runs in the last month. But there is a realistic chance he could be in the test squad vs Pak if Blundell or Nicholls have a run of low scores vs WI.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Metservice says there will be some light rain in Qtown this morning before clearing in the afternoon.

https://www.metservice.com/towns-cities/locations/queenstown

 

[nzfan]

Test cricket is such that someone's always going to be out of form. If it's Kane or Taylor or Latham or Watling, then Conway won't be able to get in. They are regulars till they hang their boots. If one of Blundell or Nicholls don't put good scores on board the pressure will mount and given Conway is getting good runs at the moment he will likely get in. Not before they have tried Young though. You never say never with test cricket. Strange things happen. Only last year it was thought Jeet Raval will be an opener for next couple of years, now he's out of contract and probably out of Black Caps setup forever. International cricket is such that there is always going to be an opening, it's just the next guy's form should be outstanding to get in or it's a timing factor just like how Blundell got in as an opener.

At this point in time if there was a spinner that was picking a lot of wickets they would get in quite easily but there are none right now in domestic cricket.

My question is why is Will Somerville not in the NZ A? If he's the next in line for injured Ajaz, shouldn't he be playing for NZ A? I'm thinking they are surely looking at a spin option from NZ A.

 

[vandem]

Good question on Somerville's absence from NZ A. At least he got a long bowl last week.

 

[kaetor]

Young and Ravindra opening up against Roach and Gabriel. That's exciting to watch!

Hopefully we'll get clips of the match

 

[Beamer]

Young and Ravindra opening up against Roach and Gabriel. That's exciting to watch!

Hopefully we'll get clips of the match

Yep there are clips. One very nice looking cover drive on the up from Young.

 

[Beamer]

Ravindra just edged one off Chemar Holder through slips.

Most boundaries have been off very full deliveries, floaty half volleys. I don't think they've found their length yet.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

43/0 after 15 overs