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#3439472 2-Dec-2025 11:13

thermonuclear:

You were saying? ;)

Batting line-up looks very weak, Mitchell is a big loss given he's been in decent form so far this summer in the white ball stuff.

Haha, its a shame, Conway was looking to get back to some form of late. What a nothing defense with the wand out there and not getting forward, make the bowler get the edge, dont find the edge. Still glad to see Young in the middle order thougn.

Yes its a very weak side without Mitchell, I almost miss Nicholls its that bad haha.

Foulkes should get some hooping if conditions remain the same, but KJ would be the dominant bowler in these conditions. If hes not injured, its a serious selection blunder. I think Duffy with his extra pace might go ok on this. Henry will do his channel consistency.

thermonuclear

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#3439475 2-Dec-2025 11:21

Time to move Latham down into the middle order, take the gloves, and look for two new test openers. I don't think Hay has made every post a winner in his opportunities so far and Latham could be another nuggety BJ Watling type at 6-7 for a couple more seasons. His glove work is plenty good enough. Have to put Blundell out to pasture though, his best days are behind him unfortunately.

Great to see another Chanderpaul in the Windies side. He marks his guard the same way his old man used to.

TeaLeaf

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#3439480 2-Dec-2025 11:41

thermonuclear:

I don't think Hay has made every post a winner in his opportunities so far and Latham could be another nuggety BJ Watling type at 6-7 for a couple more seasons.

I think Hay only missed out on the T20s, although his SR was fine enough, he also had some nothing times to come in to bat. I think you have to trust the NZ FC record, which is on avg 17 more than Blunders. So hard to imagine selectors moving one of NZs all time bets openers to WK for me. We have to blood players in the format they are known for and we dont have many FC batsmen with FC avg ~50

For me ideally you just remove Blundell, who is down around avg 34 playing #6. Ideally to get back to peak we were averaging 40+ to #7 (Watling). It is surprising losing a couple of players can change a squad so much.

To get back to that team this is the new blood version for me, which has to happen at some stage. If Hay can anchor that #7 spot you have 2 genuine all rounders behind him plus Henry who can be handy. Its a long batting line at a high average and a bowling squad who can keep taking wickets. My frustration when we had Southee and Boult we didnt really have anyone else contributing, the last Aus tour was a classic example where we had them 200/5 type scores but just didnt have all rounders who could take wickets to finish them off. I think KJ/Henry/Orouke/Duffy would be a nasty unit of pace. which would mean leaving out the all rounder Foulkes/Smith, I think thats a pitch selection on the day not a hard and fast team selection.

1. Latham

2. Conway

3. Williamson

4. Ravindra

5. Michell

6. GP

7 Mitch Hay

8. KJ

9. Either an all rounder in Foulkes/Smith or the 4th pace bowler.

10. Henry

11. O'Rourke/Duffy/Sears

The question is, how long will Wiliamson continue for, some are talking this summer, but I think he will want to see if we can get into another WC and WTC. Hes too good a player to put an age factor on imo. But for me Ravindra has to mature his batting in a hurry as hes the next key #3.

Dochart

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#3439503 2-Dec-2025 12:53

Had Darryl Mitchell not been injured it look like Young would have not played today as he is batting at No 5 instead of opening. But glad to see him back in the middle order. I still think Rachin should move to opening and allow Young to occupy the No 4 spot. It should have been his after Ross Taylor retired.

TeaLeaf

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#3439509 2-Dec-2025 13:31

Dochart:

Had Darryl Mitchell not been injured it look like Young would have not played today as he is batting at No 5 instead of opening. But glad to see him back in the middle order. I still think Rachin should move to opening and allow Young to occupy the No 4 spot. It should have been his after Ross Taylor retired.

Yes that was quite possible.

I get the feeling they are going to stick with Latham and Conway opening, which isnt a problem provided Conway is genuinely returning to some form. A bit hard to say off of today, that ball was moving absurd amounts and he just didnt move his feet with a parralel bat, at some point there are a number of older players that are going to retire/get dropped an this entire team will be unrecognizable. I expect Chapman will be in focus for the middle order with GP. Assuming Rachin plays 3, the problem we have is finding two talented First Class openers to step up. I think Mitch Hay is just a matter of time at WK. The bowling stocks are OK. So yeh, that opening pair is a worry.

No doubt about Young at 4, if Kane Williamson struggled being moved around for a couple of years at the start, Young has had to play a career in constant indecision by the Coach.

thermonuclear

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#3439523 2-Dec-2025 14:22

With NZ going to England in June next year and to Australia next Christmas, this was an ideal series to blood the next batsman at home against weaker opposition (no disrespect) to see who the next guy is pushing the incumbents. Still too easy for some to sit in the side with very average performances while the cricketing public is told there is nobody else.

Would like to see the younger Boyle brother get a go, also see my favourite Robinson has been scoring some runs in the Plunket Shield for Wellington. :D Then you've got Abbas as well.

Phillips must eventually come back into the side at the expense of Bracewell, it feels like he has been injured for 18 months. He's been working his way back to full fitness with Otago but I don't think he's done much with the bat yet. If my Latham at #6 idea is no good then Hay is the next cab there but he has to play at #7.

You've got Ravindra, Mitchell and Phillips who can all bowl at test level, there's no way Blundell should be coming into the side at #6 so they can pack the side with seamers. There should be another three specialist batters in the top six when you have three of them who can bowl.

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TeaLeaf

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#3439542 2-Dec-2025 16:30

thermonuclear:

Would like to see the younger Boyle brother get a go, also see my favourite Robinson has been scoring some runs in the Plunket Shield for Wellington. :D Then you've got Abbas as well.

Yep, there is plenty of talent, those are some good ones you mentioned.

Blundell will score 100 here to save NZ and go on to play until hes 50 and retire at an avg of 28, in that time Mitch Hay had a FC career in NZ and Eng at an avg of 50 haha.

I think we have to get a stronger team together before Aus and no way we should be playing so many all rounders in the pace bowling there. KJ, Henry, Orourke, Duffy are the type of tall bowlers that will work well in Aus, with Henry, Orourke being seamers, Duffy has a little movement, KJ has movement and surprise bounce along with that hard to see in swinging yorker. You could add Smith or Foulkes, if Hay does become the keeper, GP 5, Chapman 4, Ravindra 3, then probably Latham one and one of the young FC openers.

So I dont think we HAVE to post a rubbish side, but it will require getting some young guys in and ready. BUT. Im hoping Conway hits some form and Williamson decides to keep playing through this WTC cycle.

Blundell better produce today, even though this is a bowling wicket, NZ will not have as good conditions. So a score of 200 is essential.

I think GP is ready next test with that 90+ score in Plunket shield. Im hoping Mitchell hangs arond this Cycle too. But just try a new opener in this series. Eng, Ind and Aus away obviously we need our best team possible,

Edit: Every now and then Blundell produces some beautiful drives with footing moving forward. Problem is he is a nibbler when he first gets in and gets caught for not much too often. Whether he posts 100 today or not, we can do much better for the future, you want your #6 being a genuine batsman because he needs to bookend these kinds of situations, so you need that guy who consistently posts positive 50s and 100s with the mid order and the all rounders and bowlers.

Dochart

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#3439543 2-Dec-2025 16:37

Will Young with another low score again. I guess his bad form at the moment is going into tests as well.

thermonuclear

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#3439554 2-Dec-2025 17:40

Have the prayers been answered with Blundell pulling a hammie? You know it's been a bad batting effort when Blundell's been talked about as a potential high point in the innings.

Yeah, Young can't buy a run at the moment. Hopefully he can get some runs in the second dig. As mentioned in the earlier post, he's stood up for NZ in the last 12 months in tests.

Phillips to come back into the side for the next test. Young to open with Latham, Mitchell back in, Hay at seven, three quicks and a spinner. Conway out, dunno how long we have to wait for the 2020 version of him to return. He's not a natural opener and it was a tricky wicket this morning I grant you, but that shot looked ugly.

TeaLeaf

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#3439634 2-Dec-2025 20:29

thermonuclear:

Phillips to come back into the side for the next test. Young to open with Latham, Mitchell back in, Hay at seven, three quicks and a spinner. Conway out, dunno how long we have to wait for the 2020 version of him to return. He's not a natural opener and it was a tricky wicket this morning I grant you, but that shot looked ugly.

Yes some changes will stiffen the batting. GP Im sure will be ready next Test given he nearly got a century for Otago. Id like to see Hay, but if the Coach hasnt selected him yet, I feel hes relying on the wrong old guard which imo Blundell is not part of. Id also like to see KJ play a test, he always adds that awkward height that they struggle picking length of, not to mention swings it both ways. I would like Henry, Duffy, KJ and one of the all rounder medium pace all rounders (Foulkes or Smith).

thermonuclear

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#3439651 2-Dec-2025 22:39

TeaLeaf:

Yes some changes will stiffen the batting. GP Im sure will be ready next Test given he nearly got a century for Otago. Id like to see Hay, but if the Coach hasnt selected him yet, I feel hes relying on the wrong old guard which imo Blundell is not part of. Id also like to see KJ play a test, he always adds that awkward height that they struggle picking length of, not to mention swings it both ways. I would like Henry, Duffy, KJ and one of the all rounder medium pace all rounders (Foulkes or Smith).

We'll have to see how this test plays out but, assuming Blundell is injured and can't keep wicket, Latham will have to take the gloves. Unlikely he would then open the batting in the second innings so he swaps position with Young in the order. My evil plan gets an early run.

Absolutely stupid shots from Bracewell and Smith, the Wellington Mafia were steadying the ship and not really looking troubled. Bracewell we knew about with the bat but it was promising to see Smith play some good shots and look like a competent allrounder.

I'd rather they kept Jamieson in cotton wool and saved him for the big series next year. But, chances are they do that and he breaks down on Day 1 of the 1st Test against England and is out for twelve months again. He's a world beater if he can stay fit but it's difficult to put much store in that given what's happened.

Sounds like more rain about down there tomorrow.

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TeaLeaf

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#3439748 3-Dec-2025 11:38

thermonuclear:

We'll have to see how this test plays out but, assuming Blundell is injured and can't keep wicket, Latham will have to take the gloves. Unlikely he would then open the batting in the second innings so he swaps position with Young in the order. My evil plan gets an early run.

Absolutely stupid shots from Bracewell and Smith, the Wellington Mafia were steadying the ship and not really looking troubled.

True, then next test if its an actual tear, surely they will select Mitch Hay......

As much as Im so annoyed by this belligerent selection of a low 30s avg WK (which was great in the 80s), I do wonder how we are going to get out of this Test without an L with one Bat down. Kane will save us as expected by all haha.

Foulkes I said the other day is like having Trent Boult when he bowls around the wicket but oddly with a much harder right hand swing away from the lefty's, now the commentary are saying it. It really does look good.

Yes, Smith I can forgive, Bracewell lets himself down so many times to be honest with such shots. I tell you who I feel is a true Batting all rounder is Abbas, Im positive he will make the team in time. FC he is averaging nearly 35 with the bat and is getting close to under 30 with the ball, so lots of potential there with the over 30 and under 30 genuine all rounder category (which is world class to be fair). Is hard when the entire team is already all rounders hehe.

I get what you are saying about KJ, but Id like to see him playing Tests rather than playing FC. I feel hes dropped his speed a LOT, but hes still got that absurd height and swing both ways and then that bouncer off a good length has broken some world class batsmens fingers and taken their wickets. He still has the potential to be NZs fastest to 100 test wickets, he has the fastest to 50 with ease. Wagner held the 50 and has the 100 and 150 I think, Hadlee was hovering around avg 30 until he found that channel and became arguably the best pace bowler all time, and surprisingly a genuine all rounder with 21 bowling and ~30 with the bat.

Young takes one then drops a pretty easy one.

Henry joining Foulkes around the wicket with the quarter seam, this one goes in and takes the poles, NZ have a chance if they get another few before 70 odd.

Edit: Foulkes is unplayable. Its his seam presentation, like beautiful NFL QB throw, i could watch that angled seam presentation all day long. So he gets a little swing then the ball hits the surface and bites in and moves further. He almost needs to bowl a set of stumps down the leg side when bowling to the lefty. KJ and Foulkes opening in these conditions could see teams 5 down for not many consistently. Then Henry/Duffy to bowl channels (although Duffy can swing a bit, hes ~140lph).

Ugggh I thought that was out for Foulkes, LBW review and was Wickets Hitting umpires call. He should have 3 wickets.

Now Conway drops one, harder than Youngs catch in the slips but Id expect Conway to take that, it is the reason he is in that position.

TeaLeaf

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#3439769 3-Dec-2025 13:01

Oh man now Conway drops Chandpaul AGAIN at leg slip. Conway is an awesome fielder and clearly being a WK he has good hands, When the batsman look to be playing onside despite being blind you have to be expecting the ball is coming your way. The first one was a sharp catch but still expected to be taken, this one was pretty much a sitter.

Not good, every wicket is critical as this wicket will lose its cut off the seam as it begins to brown off end of day 2.

thermonuclear

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#3439838 3-Dec-2025 14:04

Jamieson should be in every NZ test side if he could stay fit. NZC are doing the right thing by managing his return to the longer forms of the game. It's really unfortunate he's been plagued with the same injury that ultimately stuffed Shane Bond's career and stopped him getting right to the top of NZ bowling stats.

Can't afford to be dropping catches when they are defending such a small total. Conway has been a liability so far in this test. He's needs a Nicoll's style double hundred in the second innings to turn his personal ship around. Whichever of Conway or Young in their next bats probably gets the nod.

The "good" thing is that they will probably be the opening partnership in the second innings so they can be directly compared in the same batting conditions. The one that does better should get the nod for Wellington.

TeaLeaf

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#3439852 3-Dec-2025 15:14

thermonuclear:

Can't afford to be dropping catches when they are defending such a small total. Conway has been a liability so far in this test.

Not to mention failing to pick up the ball for the run out oppurtunity. Has been a horrid test for him so far.

Henry hitting the seam and its digging in an moving for him. Oddly even he is getting some swing with the conditions the way they are, which is really what un did that last wicket.

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