General Blackcaps Chat

Forums › Sports › General Blackcaps Chat

1 | ... | 180 | 181 | 182 | 183 | 184 | 185 | 186 | 187 | 188 | 189 | 190 | ... | 255

11386 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3043701 1-Mar-2023 16:55

andysh:
There were talks about Western Springs being turned into a test ground, no idea if that idea is still floating around?

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/new-cricket-oval-at-western-springs-blows-out-to-91m-in-latest-strategy-for-aucklands-stadiums/CG7M5RHUVUYHZVNWM3X4Z73A5U/

It got lost in the usual morass of self interest and lack of vision.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#3043981 2-Mar-2023 17:09

Handle9:

It got lost in the usual morass of self interest and lack of vision.

That is a perfect way to describe what is going on with that situation.

It would make a great ground with all the room required for all 3 formats. Put some WA type soil in the pitch blocks for pace, brilliant. Eden park is a great white ball ground, but its historically been NZs home of rugby. It might end up being all it is if they build a cricket ground within 10km of the CBD. Aside from corporate events etc like roof top golf.

Not to mention the Warriors could have tagged along on the west auckland develoment, given they dont want to play at Eden Park given its deep ABs history/vibe. Cheaper than some mythical Harbourside stadium.

Back to our players, some of our top batsmen have been in a major slump since the WTC. Last 12 months of Tests Mitchell and Blundell have been the big scorers averaging around 70 each. Latham has been consistent around 41, but nobody else avgd above 40. Kanes average has dipped from 56 to 52 in the last 2 years. It will be interesting to see if the failing top order try to gather some confidence against Sri Lanka before heading back to Pak then Eng for a few months of white baill entirely. It feels like NZ is lacking in enough test cricket, which given our issues with KJ/Sears injury and now Boult retiring in the eyes of NZC (even though he hasnt retired as such). Nicholls is not only below 40 now, his avg is a mere 36, with the majority of that batting at home. It is well past his use by date when we have FC players with experience, ready to rock.

thermonuclear

600 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3046329 6-Mar-2023 15:42

A few thoughts on the NZ men's side.

Finally a test win over the English, a great match which I had given up on half an hour earlier. I have no faith apparently.

Wagner needs to stick to what has worked for him, regardless of whether the conditions are conducive to pitching it up. He takes wickets with the shorter stuff, he's taken a lot of wickets with that approach, he's a machine when he bowls shorter, unstoppable.

Great to see Williamson get the century and the batting record for most test runs, it's his best format no doubt in my mind. Agree with Tealeaf that the rest of the established batting unit has been average since they secured the Test Championship. Scores have been unbecoming the World Champs, even with Mitchell and Blundell doing their best to hold them together.

At least there have been some signs of revival in recent times, Conway, Latham, etc. I think Nicholls needs to go back to domestic cricket and think about things. Time to give Phillips a go, not sure they can carry him and Young in the same line up, but those are the two guys to get a shot at Nicholl's spot for a while.

Tom Blundell. Wasn't sure about him before I watched him at Lords last year, but holy heck, he's my guy now. I thought BJ Watling was the glue in the NZ side prior to his retirement and we'd struggle to find someone to fill his boots. But Blundell is Cold Cash Money, I'm sorry I ever doubted.

Trent Boult vs NZ Cricket. I get that they don't want to "set a precedent" but this situation is classic cutting off nose to spite face if ever I saw it. Trent Boult is not some up-and-comer who has tasted a little success and now wants to cash in at the expense of NZ Cricket. He is a special case, a consistent match winner for NZ over more seasons than we, as NZ fans, have frankly deserved. If he's available and he wants to play for NZ, he plays. The rules that apply to others don't apply to him, end of story.

Gavin Larsen. Pleased is not the right word, and not how I feel, but I do think it's right that he's stepping down and giving someone else a go as NZ Selector. He's had a great eight year run in the role but it's time for another voice. Not that the new guy's going to turn up a bunch of great players that Larsen missed. But it's time for some new input, particularly if the coach isn't stepping down yet.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#3046894 7-Mar-2023 16:00

A coulple interesting days in Plunkett Shield land.

Mark Chapman scoring a solid ton for Auck, I think O'Donnell got a ton too...

A 3 tons in one innings from NZ, Jeet Raval, Popri and Santner got 136 and now a 5fa. Seifert also getting a ton in the other game. So good to see some performances from known and trialed players , always good to have some depth in the domestic comp.

Blackcaps are chosing to go into Thursdays Test, with the bat heavy team of Test 2 of the Eng tour. Interesting, I thought we would have given one of the Seam bowlers in camp a crack on what should be Day 2/3 still grassy pitch with pace.

But Henry should step it up this game and try and get his Test Avg of 40 down into the 30s, which even that is not how good he is as a seam bowler. But long term its clearly been in his head as hes had goes on fast pitches that grip like this one should.

Feels weird watching Rd2 of the NRL only couple of days after the 1st Test of a full Cric Tour.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#3047949 9-Mar-2023 10:41

Looks grey in CCH and looks like we will get rain at some stage, more like scattered showers, with lots of fine periods, who knows it could burn off and get sun for 5 days, either way Im confident they can make up any losses with extra time. The 5 days forecast looks very good for cricket.

NZ won toss and obviously elected to bowl on this beautiful seamers surface.

Blair Tickener in, Will Young dropped, sigh. A quoted from cricinfo somebody posted re Will Young "Comes in for one game, doesn't get a score, gets dropped immediately - while watching Nicholls struggle for two years and continue to get picked"

Dochart

804 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3047958 9-Mar-2023 10:49

They drop Young again. How many chances has Nicholls had. Young deserves to at least play 15 tests without getting dropped to see if he can nail that No 4 position.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#3048008 9-Mar-2023 10:56

Dochart: They drop Young again. How many chances has Nicholls had. Young deserves to at least play 15 tests without getting dropped to see if he can nail that No 4 position.

Its so angering. Read the quote I posted in my above edited post from somebody on cricinfo about Young and Nicholls.

It truely is idiotic. The worst thing is, Nicholls with avg of 36 will probably get dropped 3 times and score 150 and be selected for another 3 years based on such nonsense.

Glenn Phillips got a 50 on debut and hasnt had a test since.

Partly that dufus Larsen, partly Stead being conservative and partly in the past Kane being conservative and recently Southee not quite up to the job of Test captain.

Equinox IT

Cloud spending continues to surge globally, but most organisations haven’t made the changes necessary to maximise the value and cost-efficiency benefits of their cloud investments. Download the whitepaper From Overspend to Advantage now.

Dochart

804 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3048035 9-Mar-2023 11:48

Over 7.6 - pitching outside leg but ball tracking shows that it will hit the stumps. I don’t think it should matter if it pitches outside leg, if ball tracking shows it will hit the stumps. Doesn’t the ball need to be at least 50% hitting the stumps. Footage showed it was between 90-100% hitting the stumps.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#3048036 9-Mar-2023 11:49

I just love how unplayable Hagley is morning 1 of a test haha, over a dozen close calls now, but largely the ball beating the bat, once the movement reduces a little is when wickets start to fall.

Just as I mention it another seriously close thing. LBW given by Ump, eventually over turned due to ball tracking wicket missing. sooner or later Southee or Henry will get that 2nd wicket.

SL 14/1

Dochart: Over 7.6 - pitching outside leg but ball tracking shows that it will hit the stumps. I don’t think it should matter if it pitches outside leg, if ball tracking shows it will hit the stumps. Doesn’t the ball need to be at least 50% hitting the stumps. Footage showed it was between 90-100% hitting the stumps.

Neither, as you prob know its actually a rule more for the umpires prior to ball tracking it avoided some howlers from the ball doing too much, but its outdated with modern tech. That was more frustrating than the Southee wicket over turned, as even those it was 2mm outside leg it was hitting for sure.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#3048068 9-Mar-2023 12:44

For me, it feels like Wagner has lost the ability to swing it, given he started as a swing bowler, as good as Southee, hes been able to start out swinging it in most tests in swing conditions. Hagley is a swing mecca, along with seamers paradise. 14 runs in his first over.

KJ I hope heals quick. Not to mention Boult being available but not selected was just NZ being so heavily non progressive even when we try to tell ourselves we are the opposite.

But if they asked Mitchell to put out as an all rounder/4th bowler, get Phillips in the game and you have 4 pace bowlers and 2 spinners.

I hope we dont drop Will Young for too long and I hope we start blooding batsman and bowlers sub 26yo.

SL 84/1. survived nearly every ball passing the edge and have started a bit of an onslaught.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#3048074 9-Mar-2023 13:13

Classic case of trying to hard due to frustration by NZ. The ball was doing a lot and SL were lucky on a number of occasions, so NZ looked like they then went searching for wickets, missing the line and length, which took us from 2.8rpo to 5rpo by the end of the session.

If NZ dont put the work in for accuracy then this will end up another Eng test 1 type situation which will leave NZ only a draw possible. Too early to call, of course.

Brilliant batting by Mendis, 73no @ SR143, very dangerous, NZ need the left hander out quick smart.

SL 120/1 at lunch

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#3048090 9-Mar-2023 14:21

It just feels like there is a curse on Henry. Southee and Henry could have bowled them out twice over by now any other given day.

They have also dropped the run rate from 5rpo to 4.65. The problem is, Tickener is getting a few close shaves but not as much and Wagner was taken to.

So perhaps NZ need to consider Mitchell to keep that run rate dropping. I guess wouldnt hurt to throw Bracewell the ball to see if he can turn it on the grass as he usually can, along with it being a bouncy pitch.

Some good captaincy and pressure applied is needed here from NZ.

SL 151/1

Edit: On queue it appears Mitchell is warming up. Seemed pretty obvious to me, his medium dribblers are usually accurate and hard to get taken to.

Edit: And there is the umpire with the finger up, no shot offered, 2 down. After 2 succesful LBW reviews, I thought he would have tried a 3rd time.

Well played by Mendis, hes been the thawn in NZ side, not only with play and miss and surviving umpires call reviews but hes made NZ pay in between. A fine 87 from 83 balls on a pitch where the ball is still deviating a lot off the seam.

SL 151/2

Edit: And now the 3rd wicket, brilliant bowling from Henry, class act.

SL 151/3

Can Southee and Henry dig in, to try and get a few more wickets after being near end of their bowling stints.

Edit:

Dochart: They drop Young again. How many chances has Nicholls had. Young deserves to at least play 15 tests without getting dropped to see if he can nail that No 4 position.

You will love this one too in the Cricinfo commentary !

""Meanwhile Glenn Phillips is on 82* for Otago against Canterbury, although Phillips could score 382* and Henry Nicholls would still stay in the side," chirrups Pete"

So bloody true, hopefully the new selector gets rid of Nicholls quick smart.

In the mean time out in the middle a quick rain delay, feels like could happen today on and off, should be better last 4 days of which they can make up the time easy.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#3048126 9-Mar-2023 15:34

Excellent work from Henry, Southee and Mitchell, have SL scoring below 2rpo this session. Id have to give this session to NZ at this stage with a few left before tea. Mitchell going for only 5 from his 4 overs. He bowls a great length.

Edit: Now Tickener is on the run rate has jumped up a bit. Which almost adds fuel to the "Young" being dropped crisis, seems pointless at this stage, if not very costly.

Edit: and now the run rate is back to 4.2rpo, pressure off.

SL 196/3, NZ has to crack 2 more eggs as Sri Lankas final 4 are genuine tail enders, if we can get the next 2 within 50 runs ie 250/5, we should see SL out for ~300.

Ugggh, play was just about to resume and the rain comes and covers go on. I saw at start of day the rain was predicted after 5pm, so we may lose the final session or most of it.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#3048658 10-Mar-2023 14:38

Conway and Latham might unleash here soon, which push the field back and make 1s and 2s easier.

Love seeing 3 run on a ground this big.

I wish we just played all our tests at Hagley or Basin and as a backup pitch Uni Oval.

A gorgeous 147 by Glenn Phillips for Otago in FC game. Took a few wickets too, but wasnt his best bowling. Remove Nicholls with Will Young and give him 15 tests to see his real potential, play Glenn Phillips instead of the 4th ineffective seamer and use Mitchell who is clearly still very accurate bowler.

Edit: Not often you see two "Umpires Call" in a review, Conway very unlucky, couple of mm twice is some bad odds haha. I thought it looked too high live.

Conway was a lot better down the line, but already some issues in the middle order. Not sure who could open, but if Nicholls is so good, try him opening and put Conway in at 4 with no Young. Nicholls is the weakest 4/5 NZ could select.

TeaLeaf

6325 posts

Uber Geek

#3048691 10-Mar-2023 15:46

That was just dumb batting from Kane, and brilliant bowling from the big Sri Lankan to set him up for an obvious catch at short cover, hit straight to him off a planned half volley, Kane very unlike him didnt keep it down.

Well, was looking so good a few overs before Tea, but is now a terrible session for NZ. Seems a waste our 2 best batsman out so early. But who do you bring in as an opener, which would definitely block Conway from moving back to 4. The 2 issuees are #2 and Nicholls. We should have stuck with extra batsman and used Mitchell to put in some overs as the all rounder, as he is this test, before KJ is ready again. Not a lot of tests on for NZ for a while after this series though.

1 | ... | 180 | 181 | 182 | 183 | 184 | 185 | 186 | 187 | 188 | 189 | 190 | ... | 255