Who would you have?

[Richard]

Having sitters dropped off you should always impact your opinion of how a bowler's bowled, regardless of if everyone else had the exact same.

Where did we mention 7 Tests BTW? There were only 6 that series, and as I said IIRR the catching improved in the last 2.

2 missed chances per innings is terrible. Once a fielder gets a decent hand on a ball not travelling at knots, he should catch it. Simple as. You can't catch a ball with your fingertips, and you can't catch a ball that you don't have the chance to react to. Anything else, you expect to (and mostly do) see fielders take far more often than not.

If you're having 2 put down per innings over 4 games, that's shockingly poor.

 

[shortpitched713]

I'd take Graeme Smith for Pakistan for obvious reasons. I'd also have him captain the side as well tbh.

 

[Matt79]

Where did we mention 7 Tests BTW? There were only 6 that series, and as I said IIRR the catching improved in the last 2.

Nel has played 7 tests against Australia. My point was that if after 7 tests against an opposition, you have a crap record, that probably means that the opposition is too good for you, as opposed to it being the product of freaky bad luck or similar.

2 missed chances per innings is terrible. Once a fielder gets a decent hand on a ball not travelling at knots, he should catch it. Simple as. You can't catch a ball with your fingertips, and you can't catch a ball that you don't have the chance to react to. Anything else, you expect to (and mostly do) see fielders take far more often than not.

Rich, this is really frustrating. You keep on disagreeing with me when you then go on to agree with what I've just said. I said UNLESS the 2 catches per innings were all bad misses, then I don't see it as a big problem. Exactly what you've said there. What's not clear is what proportion of the "15 drops in 4 tests" figure you plucked out of the air (no pun intended) were bad misses, as opposed to fingertippers/no chance to react.

If you're having 2 put down per innings over 4 games, that's shockingly poor.

I didn't think you meant there were 15 drops off Nel's bowling in 4 tests. 2 drops per innings overall isn't fantastic, but if some of them were fingertip/no reaction time jobs, then its not unusual or particularly significant either.

 

[Richard]

Nel has played 7 tests against Australia. My point was that if after 7 tests against an opposition, you have a crap record, that probably means that the opposition is too good for you, as opposed to it being the product of freaky bad luck or similar.

They were too good for him only in his 1st game (in 2001\02). IMO he quite held his own in 2005\06 and would have had pretty to very good figures had catches been held and his fitness been retained throughout.

Rich, this is really frustrating. You keep on disagreeing with me when you then go on to agree with what I've just said. I said UNLESS the 2 catches per innings were all bad misses, then I don't see it as a big problem. Exactly what you've said there. What's not clear is what proportion of the "15 drops in 4 tests" figure you plucked out of the air (no pun intended) were bad misses, as opposed to fingertippers/no chance to react.

None of them were, otherwise I wouldn't call 'em drops.

I didn't think you meant there were 15 drops off Nel's bowling in 4 tests. 2 drops per innings overall isn't fantastic, but if some of them were fingertip/no reaction time jobs, then its not unusual or particularly significant either.

They weren't, though - fingertip jobs aren't dropped catches, because (as I say) they can't actually be caught really. These are mostly straightforward things (even though few slip-catches are out-and-out sitters) and stuff that you see dropped and think "cripes, shoulda caught that".

 

[Julian87]

The only one I'd consider at all is Daniel Vettori.

 

[Perm]

The only one I'd consider at all is Daniel Vettori.

What country do you support? South Africa and the West Indies are the only two teams I can think of who don't have a decent spinner, with all due respect to Paul Harris and Dave Mohammad.

 

[Richard]

Australia? MacGill's hardly top-shelf.

 

[Perm]

@ Richard.

Rodgie! says: Tell him he's a wanker thanks Ritchie.

 

[Richard]

Interesting thread to post that on!

Sorely tempted to say "Tell him ......" too, TBH.

 

[Perm]

Interesting thread to post that on!

Sorely tempted to say "Tell him ......" too, TBH.

He disagreed with your commet about MacGill.

 

[Athlai]

NZ has a great spin team so we don't really need a spinner.
We have a decent wicket keeper, not a world beater but getting better all the time. So we don't need one of them.
We have a great pace man in Bond so we don't need one of them.
We have a great support bowler (in tests) in Franklin and Mills (when fit in ODI) and sometimes they can cross over, so we don't need one of them either.
A few bit hitting wicket taking all rounders? Orams a great ODI bowler when fit and a reliable enough test batsman and Styris is a bowling workhorse, smart cricketer and a decent batsman.
So that takes care of the middle... so hmm... what does New Zealand need.

Don't get me wrong I'm a great fan of Vincent especially since his apparent revival where he has decided to be actually rather useful with the bat, but who else do we have?
We have a few test options we drop all the time and we have the emerging Taylor.
Fulton is a great prospect but its still our greatest weak point.

So who is the most reliable batsman in the world?

I really can't decide. Yet thats who we need.

A Ponting or a Kallis someone who will score runs no matter what the conditions or game situation, who do you guys think would be New Zealands ideal player to cover up this gap?

Which has grown even wider with Fleming on his way out.

 

[Richard]

He disagreed with your commet about MacGill.

Typical Rodgie. Call someone names because they can't take a comment about a player.

 

[Perm]

Typical Rodgie. Call someone names because they can't take a comment about a player.

Yup, I laughed.