1st Test - yeah...

2nd Test XI

Latham (c)
Young
Williamson
Ravindra
Mitchell
Phillips
Blundell
Bracewell
Henry
Patel
O'Rourke

thermonuclear:

 

2nd Test XI

 

Latham (c)
Young
Williamson
Ravindra
Mitchell
Phillips
Blundell
Bracewell
Henry
Patel
O'Rourke

 

That is near perfect right now, if only they went with it. Bracewell and even Henry add that tail runs we been missing. Im afraid Im never going to be in favour of Blundell as a consistent match winner though, but hopefully this season our youngster WK (having a brain fart on his name) puts more FC runs on, I think we have wasted other options (Fletcher etc) so its prob better to see if we can get somebody long term for rebuilding sake.

Otherwise I like that squad.

Pitty SL slayed us day 1, outside an amazing first and second session day two, its already SL's to lose from 306-3. 

Day 2 4:30pm NZ time.

Hopefully Orourke and Southee can snaffle 3 quick ones and Patel/Phillips can start taking wiickets, but it looks all up hill. Im not sure about Santner selection, or at least Id much prefer a wicket taker, not saying he doesnt have his place.

Conway needs a HUGE one.

How many more catches does Mitchell have to drop before it is finally acknowledged by 'leadership' that he is not an adequate replacement for Ross Taylor at first slip?

thermonuclear:

 

How many more catches does Mitchell have to drop before it is finally acknowledged by 'leadership' that he is not an adequate replacement for Ross Taylor at first slip?

 

To think NZ's #1 quality was not our batting and bowling but the quality of our fielding (along with sportsmanship). I agree re Mitchell. 

To be fair, NZ had a shocking display in the field with maybe 15 chances and half chances not being taken, that is when the bowlers can start to stray line and length, due to the fielding not snaffling a high percentage of them.

I think its obvious with GP being quality bowling and handy in the middle order that Bracewell being similar is the all rounder we needed not santner. 

Is there anything left to say about Conway? I remember Taylors form slump in middle of his career, ppl were much more critical far earlier than  the time Conway has been given. Id rather see one of our quality T20 openers trying to put on fast runs at the top. The issue imo is Conway being good against pace to the onside, but hes going against the angle now, especially spin. Shot selection is where his issue lies.

a shame to see O'rourke get taken too and then put away by the captain. not confidence building decision.

To sum it up, Sri Lanka capitalised on NZs fielding mistakes and were just too good for us in the end. Huge 1st innings and now NZ lost both openers for sweet fa. 

I know thats all very critical and we have to be realistic with the team selected, but thats also a big issue. I dont think its unfair to critique that fielding performance.

I've mentioned this before but Conway needs to go back to domestic cricket and rediscover his mojo. Most international sides these days do their scouting and have worked him out. It's not going to get any easier against India and England coming up. To be fair, he got a rough one with his dismissal last night but that often happens when you're out of nick. If making a tactical retreat to do some time in Wellington colours and rebuild his game is beneath him and he'd rather chase the T20 money, then good luck to him.

2021: 379 runs @ 63.13
2022: 649 runs @ 49.92
2023: 422 runs @ 32.46
2024: 68   runs @ 11.33

Doesn't make for great reading. Should have made the changes above for this test but Stead knows better than all of us armchair selectors. NZ will be lucky to finish second in this fixture as things stand. I fear for the immediate future of NZ Cricket under the current administration. I was shocked to see how many players have turned down central or provincial contracts to chase the dollars overseas. The White Ferns on a ten-match losing streak as well. It's not good.

thermonuclear:

 

Doesn't make for great reading. Should have made the changes above for this test but Stead knows better than all of us armchair selectors. 

 

For sure, however he does stick with guys a bit long imo, Im not sure if our "Selector" who in reality is a suggestor is helping with change being needed. Perhaps Larsen had the same, he stuck around simply because we had such a good team of players for a decade. Is Kane of the same mind as Stead etc. all things none of us will ever know other than those in the know or perhaps news, but its rarely raised.

When Taylor retired he just made mince meat out of NZ domestic T20 bowling, which is how you get confidence back (solid bat on ball feel), Nicholls I havnt watched recently but he was a much improved player when he was first dropped. I agree, Conway should have been back in Domestic or better Eng County FC (both) a couple of years ago, but now with his age, is that a realistic option? I think this is the Dilemna Stead has backed himself into with Conway. Regardless of what happens I will never forget how dominant he was around that WTC era for NZ.

Oh how humbling. To be fair SL is climbing the table, with NZ now essentially out of the WTC.

The ONLY positive was to see Conway with better shot selection and batting at a pace to save the test, even if it was all in vane, it might be the bat on ball he needs to get his technique back. But if somebody else is a viable option I do not think 60 runs is enough to avoid replacement, I cant think of an opener who would be good for succession plans off the top of my head. 

But, the openers job is to see off the movement of a new ball, there are two ways to do that, the traditional is to see off the shine circa 20ov etc, the other is aggression and smacking the shine off the ball, that was Conways method at his best. 

also good to see Blundell, even if far too late in the series, deliver runs. Would be nice if he and GP could put on a good partnership and maybe a century for GP, about time he went from just handy to being capable of putting on the runs that in the future is hopefully icing on top of the top orders Cake/runs.

If you'd told me two weeks ago that the White Ferns would be in the T20WC semi-finals I would have laughed.

floydbloke:

 

If you'd told me two weeks ago that the White Ferns would be in the T20WC semi-finals I would have laughed.

 

Same, despite their early upset over the Indians. I see that the Windies managed to tip up the English to set up a semi against the White Ferns. I can't see NZ winning that. Hard luck for the English who now have to face Australia in the other semi, which should have been the match-up in the final really.

The 1st test against India to begin at 5pm this afternoon, weather permitting. Woke up to the disappointing news that Sears has been ruled out of the tour with a knee injury. He would have been in my starting line-up on a pitch which has historically favoured pace (60% of test wickets taken at this ground have been by the seamers).

Not really inspired by Jacob Duffy as the tour replacement for Sears, I would have preferred to see Nathan Smith called up instead. Duffy's arrival means we will probably see the insipid bowling of Southee again in this test. The former captain did the right thing by stepping down from leading the side. He should have announced his retirement from test cricket at the same time but I get that he loves the game and just doesn't want to go. I don't see a path to 400 test scalps for him which is obviously his goal. It's a shame for someone who has been one of our absolute best.

My preferred side for the 1st Test

Latham (c)
Young
Ravindra
Mitchell
Phillips
Blundell
Bracewell
Henry
Duffy
Patel
O'Rourke

thermonuclear:

 

Same, despite their early upset over the Indians. I see that the Windies managed to tip up the English to set up a semi against the White Ferns. I can't see NZ winning that. 

 

Agreed, Windies looked real sharp with the bat.

thermonuclear:

 

... Hard luck for the English who now have to face Australia in the other semi, which should have been the match-up in the final really.

 

England are heading home. It's South Africa against Australia in the other semi.

floydbloke:

 

England are heading home. It's South Africa against Australia in the other semi.

 

Doh! Should have checked tables properly before opening my mouth, I just assumed England had done enough to progress to the semi's. That's been a poor tourney for them then, they looked a class above NZ in that recent series.

Dochart: Blackcaps have such a poor record at winning a toss in a test in India.

Last time we won a toss in test cricket in India was back in 2012. We still loss the match but we were quite competitive when we were allowed to bat first.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/new-zealand-tour-of-india-2012-565793/india-vs-new-zealand-2nd-test-565818/full-scorecard

2016/17 - 3 test matches and loss the toss - always forced to bowl first
2021/22 - 2 test matches and loss the toss - always forced to bowl first

Today we loss the toss again and that’s 6 test matches in a row where we have loss the toss in tests in India have to bowl first each time. I swear this is probably a world record.

Not sure India will be that pleased with their decision to bat just at the moment.

(3 down for 10 runs after less than 10 overs, Kohli out for 0)

Dochart: Blackcaps have such a poor record at winning a toss in a test in India.

Last time we won a toss in test cricket in India was back in 2012. We still loss the match but we were quite competitive when we were allowed to bat first.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/new-zealand-tour-of-india-2012-565793/india-vs-new-zealand-2nd-test-565818/full-scorecard

2016/17 - 3 test matches and loss the toss - always forced to bowl first
2021/22 - 2 test matches and loss the toss - always forced to bowl first

Today we loss the toss again and that’s 6 test matches in a row where we have loss the toss in tests in India have to bowl first each time. I swear this is probably a world record.

After watching the ball move and leap of the pitch and wickets tumbling i am glad we lost the toss, we would have batted and we would be facing Bumrah