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*Unofficial* New Zealand Black Caps Thread

S

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Bahnz said:
Question for the upcoming Pakistan tour: should NZ reshuffle the batting order, opening with Conway and pushing Latham down to 4?
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Not for this tour. Latham has a decent record in the sub-continent, so I'd keep backing him at the top. Very good player of spin so he can bat until that time, he'll be primed to cash in.

Bigger question is do they keep persisting with Will Young in the position he's not suited to? Do they move him to 4, or drop him completely? Is Rachin a chance? Both Rachin and Young have two big scores this season and absolutely bugger all else. I imagine they'll keep things as per Leeds, and drop Wagner out of the XI for Ajaz, giving them two spinners who turn it either way.
 
ataraxia

ataraxia

International Coach
SteveNZ said:
I imagine they'll keep things as per Leeds, and drop Wagner out of the XI for Ajaz, giving them two spinners who turn it either way.
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On this - don't you think they'll go with 3 pacers? Macewell + Ajaz + Southee + Jamieson + Mitchell isn't much, on inevitable pancakes. If they do go 5 bowlers, that necessitates dropping either Nicholls or Young.
 
Bahnz

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
Fuller Pilch said:
Jamieson's still injured, while Boult will be unavailable. I'd far rather have Wagner than Henry.
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It's a tough one. I'd take 2018 Wagner over Henry in a heartbeat, but unless he's rediscovered that lost 10kph in the past few months I fear he'll struggle to offer much of a threat in some pretty punishing conditions. Having said that, Wagner has always generated a touch of reverse, which could make him more of a threat than Henry's seamers.
 
Prince EWS

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Bahnz said:
It's a tough one. I'd take 2018 Wagner over Henry in a heartbeat, but unless he's rediscovered that lost 10kph in the past few months I fear he'll struggle to offer much of a threat in some pretty punishing conditions. Having said that, Wagner has always generated a touch of reverse, which could make him more of a threat than Henry's seamers.
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Yeah I think even Wagner just bowling full would be more of a threat than Henry in Pakistan.
 
Prince EWS

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Predicted lineup:

1 Latham
2 Conway
3 Williamson
4 Mitchell
5 Nicholls
6 Blundell
7 Macewell
8 Southee
9 Wagner
10 Henry
11 Ajaz

Not how I'd go but I can totally see it.
 
straw man

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
_Ed_ said:
Jamieson's pretty doubtful too, by the sound of it.

www.nzherald.co.nz

'It's been a challenge': Black Caps star still without firm timetable for return

Kyle Jamieson has been out of action since sustaining a back injury in June.
www.nzherald.co.nz www.nzherald.co.nz
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Would've always assumed he wouldn't make this tour, having not played an FC match yet.
Prince EWS said:
They're totally going to pick Macewell at 7 right?
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Well it would be vastly preferable to picking him at 8 as one of the four bowlers.

Massive hole where a second spinner should be in our bowling attack anyway - Somerville will probably tour but we all remember how terrible he was in India.
 
Moss

Moss

International Captain
straw man said:
Massive hole where a second spinner should be in our bowling attack anyway - Somerville will probably tour but we all remember how terrible he was in India.
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Somerville had a tour that would be career-ending normally, but he came into the series with no FC cricket for months and was let down by terrible captaincy (packed legside fields and instructions to bowl a non-threatening middle stump line). Unless there's a genuine alternative would still go with him.
 
S

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Fuller Pilch said:
Jamieson's still injured, while Boult will be unavailable. I'd far rather have Wagner than Henry.
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Pardon me, forgot about all of that. It'll be:

1. Latham 2. Young 3. Williamson 4. Conway 5. Mitchell 6. Nicholls 7. Blundell 8. Bracewell 9. Southee 10. Wagner 11. Ajaz or they drop Nicholls and play Henry. Two seamers plus two spinners + Mitchell seems sufficient for how the Pakistani wickets have been playing, I doubt Henry will offer much.

The issue being, we have no out and out pace. In fact both of our front line seamers (if that's Southee and Wagner) probably will struggle to hit 130 at times. They'll have to be incredibly skillful in taxing conditions, as Robinson and Anderson have been. Even basic finger spinning has been very hittable, with Abrar's wrist spin deception being the most effective (Zahid has got the odd tail end wicket but been largely mud, why he played over Abrar with their respective records in the first Test is bemusing).

I know we default to being pessimistic but I honestly feel like we're going to battle big time over there to bowl Pakistan out, and to play Abrar.
 
Moss

Moss

International Captain
SteveNZ said:
Pardon me, forgot about all of that. It'll be:

1. Latham 2. Young 3. Williamson 4. Conway 5. Mitchell 6. Nicholls 7. Blundell 8. Bracewell 9. Southee 10. Wagner 11. Ajaz or they drop Nicholls and play Henry. Two seamers plus two spinners + Mitchell seems sufficient for how the Pakistani wickets have been playing, I doubt Henry will offer much.

The issue being, we have no out and out pace. In fact both of our front line seamers (if that's Southee and Wagner) probably will struggle to hit 130 at times. They'll have to be incredibly skillful in taxing conditions, as Robinson and Anderson have been. Even basic finger spinning has been very hittable, with Abrar's wrist spin deception being the most effective (Zahid has got the odd tail end wicket but been largely mud, why he played over Abrar with their respective records in the first Test is bemusing).

I know we default to being pessimistic but I honestly feel like we're going to battle big time over there to bowl Pakistan out, and to play Abrar.
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I see Henry as being surplus to requirements for this tour unless Ramiz is absolutely determined to give Pakistani pitches a makeover.

Yes this is the tour where failure/refusal to develop Ferguson or even Sears as longer-format options will probably come back to bite NZ. Seeing how England are getting a decent amount out of Wood in tests, really feels like a missed opportunity these last few years. With no Boult or Jaimeson it doesn't look great. Would rather have someone like Rippon in Macewell's spot, but who knows.
 
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straw man

straw man

Hall of Fame Member
Moss said:
Somerville had a tour that would be career-ending normally, but he came into the series with no FC cricket for months and was let down by terrible captaincy (packed legside fields and instructions to bowl a non-threatening middle stump line). Unless there's a genuine alternative would still go with him.
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Yeah there were some mitigating circumstances with his lack of cricket leading into that series, but he was just so far off the pace that I am very reluctant to see Somerville selected again for NZ.

Think that discussion of selecting lesser spinner in SC vs selecting all-conditions better bowler (ie seamer) came up several times on that India tour. Though now we have fewer good seamers available too :dry:.

Desperately need to test out some bowling depth this home summer.
 
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