The Sol Bar: New Zealand Cricket Randomness

[Hurricane]

Should be doing big, 5+ hour cycling sessions 3x per week, along with working on mental conditioning as physical and mental fatigue are the issues.

Indeed interesting take.
Ivan Lendl started beating Jonny Mac once he took his fitness to new levels.

He also needs to find a way to bat against spin bowling, kiwis are quite weak at it. He has a nice sweep shot and may need to use it more aggressively and consistently,
Lyon had him out a few times looking like a numpty,

He is quality and he will rise to the top.

 

[Meridio]

Should be doing big, 5+ hour cycling sessions 3x per week, along with working on mental conditioning as physical and mental fatigue are the issues.

I know this is your pet theory for Latham - and I'm sure increased fitness will help any batsman - but it's a bit simplistic imo. I don't recall him having any difficulty scoring big runs at first-class level, and IIRC it was a season where he hit several centuries including a double or two that got him into the test team in the first place. It's more a mental thing though I think; he seems to loosen up a bit once he gets to 40ish and starts driving at balls that aren't really there for it. At first-class level he can probably get away with that a lot more, but at test level bowlers have that extra ability to move the ball, and can hit the in-between length with more consistency, which exposes his driving. I think he's also not quite balanced in his stance, with his weight just slightly hanging on the back foot a bit - I seem to remember in the Australian series him getting out driving when it looked like he was late on the ball, and that's the reason imo.

Anyway, IIRC he will be playing County cricket this season, though can't remember for who. Hopefully that gives him the opportunity to work things out.

 

[hendrix]

I know this is your pet theory for Latham - and I'm sure increased fitness will help any batsman - but it's a bit simplistic imo. I don't recall him having any difficulty scoring big runs at first-class level, and IIRC it was a season where he hit several centuries including a double or two that got him into the test team in the first place. It's more a mental thing though I think; he seems to loosen up a bit once he gets to 40ish and starts driving at balls that aren't really there for it. At first-class level he can probably get away with that a lot more, but at test level bowlers have that extra ability to move the ball, and can hit the in-between length with more consistency, which exposes his driving. I think he's also not quite balanced in his stance, with his weight just slightly hanging on the back foot a bit - I seem to remember in the Australian series him getting out driving when it looked like he was late on the ball, and that's the reason imo.

Anyway, IIRC he will be playing County cricket this season, though can't remember for who. Hopefully that gives him the opportunity to work things out.

agree with all of that, FWIW. I just think it's the fatigue that's causing him to loosen up. He's presumably noticed it happening often enough, he's just unable to counter it.

 

[hendrix]

Wagner in ridiculous form

 

[SteveNZ]

Should be doing big, 5+ hour cycling sessions 3x per week, along with working on mental conditioning as physical and mental fatigue are the issues.

I'd stress the importance of the mental conditioning as the most important part, Latham doesn't strike me as a guy who struggles for fitness. But yeah, physical fitness does promote mental alertness to a point.

I'd suggest his issue is more so around the periods of his innings where he mentally softens. If someone had more expertise and time than me, they'd probably be able to pinpoint a time in his innings where he's either being dismissed or offering chances in his Test innings. In Australia especially, in demanding conditions, he looked absolutely spot on for an hour or so against a new ball Johnson/Starc/Hazelwood and co. Then all of a sudden he'd get out - hardly ever in the same manner.

I reckon it's routine. If you're preparing for the next ball exactly the same way every time, you give yourself the best chance. That's why Martin Crowe has the most hundreds for NZ. Huge ability, no question. But his 'watch the ball' mantra absolutely kept him in the moment delivery after delivery.

He's also suspect against spin, which will become pretty important over the next 12 months.

 

[hendrix]

It's pretty much after 80 deliveries, you could probably set your clock to it.

I wouldn't say it's hardly ever in the same manner - he'd start driving at balls that weren't quite there to drive, and push forward very lazily in defense. He'd also start falling over his stumps and become very susceptible to LBW and missing out on runs off his pads. You could see he was very aware of it by the end of the Aussie series and attempted to shut up shop, but the Aussies knew exactly what was happening and didn't give him an inch. It was quite ruthlessly inevitable.

There are of course technical deficiencies, particularly in his cover driving, but they become more and more exaggerated into his innings.

 

[SteveNZ]

It's pretty much after 80 deliveries, you could probably set your clock to it.

I wouldn't say it's hardly ever in the same manner - he'd start driving at balls that weren't quite there to drive, and push forward very lazily in defense. He'd also start falling over his stumps and become very susceptible to LBW and missing out on runs off his pads. You could see he was very aware of it by the end of the Aussie series and attempted to shut up shop, but the Aussies knew exactly what was happening and didn't give him an inch. It was quite ruthlessly inevitable.

There are of course technical deficiencies, particularly in his cover driving, but they become more and more exaggerated into his innings.

Yeah there were a few of those, but there were also lazy wofts to fine leg, think I remember a caught and bowled, awful chipped dismissals off Lyon etc.

No one's ever going to say he's technically perfect but he's very seldom dismissed in the first 30 balls (6 of 35 innings, and generally never more than once a series). That suggests to me he's got the right stuff technically, plus obviously what we see.

I really hope he kicks on soon because 35 Test innings is enough to no longer be a greenhorn, and he has the tools to be our greatest opener. But that won't happen if he potters around at an avg of 30 for the next 2 years.

 

[Hurricane]

Nice posts and analysis gentlemen

Apart from his first test where he swaggered out to the middle and got his comeuppances he has been a great find. I really hope this stint in county cricket merido mentions pans out. It could be the making of him.

Terrific young talent and he would probably get a game as the second opener for a number of test match sides in the world right now without further improvement.

We will be keeping him on.

 

[_Ed_]

So the BCs' Facebook page made a cryptic post suggesting Kane's about to be appointed Test captain. Big shock there. Press conference later today to confirm.

But I'm not sure why the cryptic post decided to have a pic of Kane with the number 34, which is apparently the total number of internationals he's captained so far.

IMO it would have been cooler to just accompany the picture with the number 29, him becoming our 29th test captain (according to a lazy Wiki search). But there you go. No biggie.

 

[Athlai]

Or the number 1, to represent his skillz

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Or 420 to represent his hobbies.

 

[NZTailender]

The TAB did it much better with a photoshop of him wearing a naval captains hat.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

So the BCs' Facebook page made a cryptic post suggesting Kane's about to be appointed Test captain. Big shock there. Press conference later today to confirm.

But I'm not sure why the cryptic post decided to have a pic of Kane with the number 34, which is apparently the total number of internationals he's captained so far.

IMO it would have been cooler to just accompany the picture with the number 29, him becoming our 29th test captain (according to a lazy Wiki search). But there you go. No biggie.

too bad, the Black Caps have outgeeked you

He is the 34th captain to skipper the New Zealand team in any full international format,

The quiz becomes which five have only captained in limited overs games, I guess (KW was already one then?)

 

[Hurricane]

too bad, the Black Caps have outgeeked you

He is the 34th captain to skipper the New Zealand team in any full international format,

The quiz becomes which five have only captained in limited overs games, I guess (KW was already one then?)

Kyle Mills captained once didn't he? (in an ODI?)

 

[Athlai]

The TAB did it much better with a photoshop of him wearing a naval captains hat.

I do have a certain fondness for the non-CW meme nickname of "Steady the Ship Williamson"

 

[_Ed_]

Kyle Mills captained once didn't he? (in an ODI?)

So did Cairns, Nash, Larsen, Jones and McMillan.

 

[Hurricane]

So did Cairns, Nash, Larsen, Jones and McMillan.

Nice work!!!!!!

 

[SteveNZ]

I cannot remember any of those guys captaining us. I thought Dion Nash captained us in a Test, am I right in saying that?

Even the great man Millsy who I cannot possibly profess enough love for, when did he skipper? Do we have a list of when these guys were in charge? Must've been sub-continent nothingness ODI series.

 

[Hurricane]

I cannot remember any of those guys captaining us. I thought Dion Nash captained us in a Test, am I right in saying that?

Even the great man Millsy who I cannot possibly profess enough love for, when did he skipper? Do we have a list of when these guys were in charge? Must've been sub-continent nothingness ODI series.

It is a great trivia question indeed.

 

[Hurricane]

I cannot remember any of those guys captaining us. I thought Dion Nash captained us in a Test, am I right in saying that?

Even the great man Millsy who I cannot possibly profess enough love for, when did he skipper? Do we have a list of when these guys were in charge? Must've been sub-continent nothingness ODI series.

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Apparently he did it 4 times.