*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

[Immenso]

^^ that was an ODI only tour.

Following ODI debutants:
R Jones
Cumming
Canning
M Walker
Walmsley
Mason

(Although Walmsley had gotten a test 8 years earlier when G Turner was throwing darts at a Shell Trophy dartboard)

Not a lot of depth back then - Cumming and Walmsley had talent to be decent if had different doors open, but others were definitely above their ceiling.

Let's hope for better outcomes for this batch of debutants.

 

[SteveNZ]

From memory, it was because some players refused to go to Pakistan.

 

[Flem274*]

Michael Mason could have been a thing with more faith.

He was a pretty solid corridor bowler at respectable pace.

 

[TheBrand]

Finn Allen has teh Covidz.

 

[Flem274*]

rip tour

 

[Chewie]

Well he travelled separately at least since he was coming from the UK

 

[Kippax]

Why was everyone unavailable for that tour? Anyone remember? I thought it was that this was the make-up tour for the bombed out one in 2001/02, but that was actually caught up with by a full replacement tour later in 2002 with most/all players available.

NZ's October 2001 tour wasn't bombed out, it just had an itinerary of games that were never played, on account of September 11. May 2002 had the hotel car park bombing on the first morning of their second Test.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

CDG is a must if conditions are anything like previous series. He will take most wickets with low ER

 

[SteveNZ]

Matthew Walker was a guy who could've made it as an ODI bits and pieces guy, too. Sort of an Andre Adams-lite sort of guy, nippy and skilful with the ball and could smack it with the bat.

 

[nzfan]

rip tour

I think it'll go on. Allen may not be available for this series. Only CDG traveled with him but CDG hasn't got covid.

Allen will have to isolate for 15 days meaning he'll likely miss playing Bangladesh. Hope CDG is all right.

 

[NZTailender]

Michael Mason could have been a thing with more faith.

He was a pretty solid corridor bowler at respectable pace.

Didn't he suffer a bit by not being in favour with the clique?

Remember there being a mic'd game and Fleming (or maybe it was Vettori) asked Mason to bowl in on a particular line and length, which he did repeatedly without fail, and got clobbered. Almost like he was being setup to fail.

Just wildly speculating tbh. Or maybe thinking of Mark Gillespie who wasn't liked by Vettori and was bowled into the ground in SA in an attempt to never be picked again (and yet still got 5fer)

 

[Bahnz]

Mason wasn't helped by getting the yips in his sole test match. Completely lost his run-up and started bowling from about a meter behind the crease. Didn't get another look (and then only in ODI's) for about 3 years, by which point he was nearing the end of his career and I think the selectors were increasingly turning their minds to finding younger alternatives. Probably was unlucky not to play a few more tests.

 

[Flem274*]

I don't remember any potential Mason hazing but I remember Vettori doing Gillespie dirty. It was actually a home test against either West Indies or Bangladesh where he was brought in to replace Chris Martin because Martin was bowling **** and Gillespie in top form spits fire.

Gillespie was on one of his long injury returns iirc and Vettori spammed him in an attempt to expose him as rubbish.

Vettori is one of those cricketers I have huge respect for on field but always been surprised at things implied about him off the record.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Mason wasn't helped by getting the yips in his sole test match. Completely lost his run-up and started bowling from about a meter behind the crease. Didn't get another look (and then only in ODI's) for about 3 years, by which point he was nearing the end of his career and I think the selectors were increasingly turning their minds to finding younger alternatives. Probably was unlucky not to play a few more tests.

Never heard Simon Doull as outraged as when that happened!

 

[Immenso]

Yes, Mason probably had the best international career of those mentioned , to be fair. His ODI returns were quite respectable over 20+ games.

But seemed at or slightly above is ceiling to me.

By mentioning Walmsley and Cumming in particular. well, Cumming as a test opener could have been high 20s to 30 average at a different time, with more consistent selection.

Walmsley, just on the eye test, struck me as guy who had wicket taking deliveries in him. If he had been around a decade later with more professional bowling coaching to reduce his bad balls (His action, tendency to drift on pads or over-correct short and wide). His front on action is more common now and the coaching, I'd guess , would be better suited to help him.

I have no qualms about Walmsley's opportunities in his time. He wasn't in best 6 to 8 seamers.

 

[Immenso]

Never heard Simon Doull as outraged as when that happened!

Problem was he still had yips in his second/third spell, IIRC.

I mean, Davis, Owens had shocker opening spells in test cricket due to nerves, but they recovered within those sells (sort of, Davis was just simply above his station at that point of his career).

 

[Immenso]

But the biggest takeaway is the differences in depth 17 years apart.

Sure, these guys may get beaten bad, some may play as many as Canning or Walker.

(also, different times. 3 forms of cricket, rotations - there is already huge pool of players exposed to international cricket)

So, debutants this tour, only 3 of them:
Ravindra
McConchie
Sears

 

[Kippax]

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Spark Sport has secured the broadcast rights for the Black Caps tour of Bangladesh, a week out from the Twenty20 series opener as platform ping-pong continues for New Zealand cricket viewers.

Next month’s tour of Pakistan, featuring three one-day internationals and five T20s, the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and three T20Is and two tests in India starting in late November will all be shown on Sky TV, a spokesperson said.

 

[The Hutt Rec]

Wouldn't have bothered getting a month of Spark for them ... but that 10pm start time is pretty decent, and there's not much else to do during lockdown. Damn you two competing sports coverage tv services!!!!

 

[Athlai]

jam t20s meh