NZ Cricket Selectors mess it up again, Larsen needs to go

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TeaLeaf

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#210388 25-Mar-2017 11:51

Seriously its time for Larsen to go.

I know we have Taylor, Southee and Boult injured, but this is just a bizarre selection on a wet wicket which is only going to stay wet.

JA Raval, TWM Latham, KS Williamson*, NT Broom, HM Nicholls, BJ Watling†, MJ Santner, C de Grandhomme, JS Patel, MJ Henry, N Wagner

Why are we selecting 3.5 spinners?

Raval spins it better than either Santner or Patel, yeah ok he cant bowl as many overs but if they give Williamson more experience the 2 can easily block an end. And if we are going to pick a spinner, pick the only one in the country who can actually SPIN the ball as in WRIST spin in Ish Sodhi.

Santner cant bat or bowl, Patel is a dribbler, both are about as good as each other and De Granhomme is a bit better at batting but not batsman or bowler. And then we have Latham which all the commentators were expecting a change in this test.

Lockie Ferguson is our ONLY bowler bowling above 150kph which is worth gold on green slippery pitches. Not only that but he averages 25 which is better than any of our Test bowlers in First Class cricket, so why on earth are we giving these old timers a go instead of developing a young prodigy? Much like Sodhi vs Patel and Santner.

Pick your best team and play it, not 4 all rounders.

It should have read

J Raval, H Nicholls, Munro, Williamson, Broom, Watling, De Grandhomme, Henry, Wagner, Ferguson, Sodhi

As soon as boult or Southee are Healthy they replace Henry then De Grandhomme, and when Taylor is back he replaces Broom with Munro moving back into Brooms spot.

We are not selecting our best 1st class players, sure I could be wrong on some things but I definitely know we are not picking our best team and we should have one that first test and selection cost us as did Latham, the second test nobody could save us and the only thing saving us in this test is rain.

South Africa can be 90/6 and score 370. You need your BEST bowlers available not part timers like Santner.

In saying all this, happy Matt Henry struck early and then De Granhomme delivered a jaffa, but it wont make any difference if we cant bat.

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#1747584 25-Mar-2017 14:22

Lets see if we can create another injury to our 3rd best bowler (possibly our best going on form) Wagner by choosing 3.5 spinners and making Wagner over bowl like they did to Boult and Southee. Nice one Williamson.

If only Guptil could find a suitable number in test cricket, I think he would make a far better and more aggressive captain with more common sense.

Dingbatt

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#1747588 25-Mar-2017 14:40

While they are at it, get someone who can use the DRS properly. Twice when they should have used the system and didn't, and twice when they did and shouldn't have in only about 35 overs.

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TeaLeaf

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#1747592 25-Mar-2017 14:56

Dingbatt: While they are at it, get someone who can use the DRS properly. Twice when they should have used the system and didn't, and twice when they did and shouldn't have in only about 35 overs.

I know its a shocker. They should be 5 down already. But watch, we will play santner and patel and the last 4 wickets will put on 200.

We need Ferguson to come in full steam with 150kph yorkers.

Im not a huge fan of De Gronhomme, bowling wise, but at times he has that Jaffa ball in the corridor when he bowls from out wide. Him and Neesham are our only real all rounders. Santner sucks at bowling and sucks at batting, why they continue with his failures is worse than latham, at least latham showed promise in the middle stages of his career so far. Santner is no Dan Vettori and never will be close to it. So pick another batsman. Then replace Patel with a real spinner in Sodhi.

The DRS I think they should actually leave it up the 3rd ump, there is enough time between enquiries and the 3rd ump to see if an inquiry is worth investigating. It shouldnt be about the teams proving the Ump wrong it should be about using technology for the Umps to get it right.

vexxxboy

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#1747604 25-Mar-2017 15:32

Fergusson was injured in his plunket shield match , couldn't play.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

TeaLeaf

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#1747647 25-Mar-2017 17:57

Thanks Vexx didnt realise that.

Still think bowling 3.5 spinners is stupid if you arent even include our only player who can turn the ball off the pitch more than Tim Southee (Ish Sodhi).

Plenty of other bowlers spring to mind but id have to check their fitness as well, but Santner and Latham effectively make the game 9 vs 11. At least Patel doesnt bowl the same delivery over and over and bats just about as well and certainly doesnt try to stick around for a nothing score like Santner.

Yep I know I dont make it obvious on my opinion, but Ill state it, Santner is a talentless waste of space, at least Latham has potential.

Well no way this game is going to have a conclusion unless SA bowl us out for 100 each innings, which is quite likely with the batting selection.

TeaLeaf

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#1747918 26-Mar-2017 11:06

Matt Henry the new De Gron Homme

Averages 56 in tests and 28 in first class which would suggest he has the ability to bowl but hasnt performed for us before. This 3fa so far should bring that 56 down dramatically lol.

Speaking of Ferguson, how is Milnes injury going?

Styris usual dribble " NZ will know they are only 1 wicket away from the tail"

South Africa dont have a tail, we had them 90/6 in the last test and they scored 370, did he forget?

So SA are now 151 for 5, id say they will score at least 300 which pretty much means a draw due to the rain Tuesday/Wednesday, or South Africa will bowl NZ out twice, in the last session today and tomorrow. Lets hope it rains with our batting line up.

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TeaLeaf

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#1747986 26-Mar-2017 12:11

Oh the Weakest Link Tom Latham comes up with an absolute speccy of a catch to get rid of Du Plesis. The square leg umpire was in disbelief with an open mouth, after about 5 seconds of watching the players running around celebrating he put his finger up and shook his head haha. It was that good. Hopefully that will give Latham some confidence and transfer to his batsmanship.

If they can this time get the tail out cheaply we might have them out for below 300.

I just wish we had never played the two spinners in the first Test which created Boults injury, had we played Southee and possibly Ish Sodhi we would have easily won that first test, even as it was we should never have drawn it.

I think NZ fully fit is strong enough to beat SA in Tests. But we have to stop messing about with our selections and pick our best team not keep coming up with Dr Jeckle science experiments.

They were talking about why we are playing so many all rounders and the #6 position and quite rightly the South African commentator said "Whats wrong with picking a specialist #6 batsman?", to which they had no response and I think Doull it was that basically said the selectors have a fascination with trying to produce an all rounder.

And that to me is our biggest down fall, trying to produce something that isnt there instead of picking our best batsmen and our 5 best bowlers.

Picking two spinners who can barely turn the ball and cant bat to save themselves on a pitch day 2 that is still green is just plain idiotic. Especially when you have Raval who is as good as Patel, but just pick one spinner and one that can actually turn the ball and that is clearly Ish Sodhi.

So its time for Larsen to get the sack and Williamson and Hesson to get a boot up the rare.

TeaLeaf

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#1748012 26-Mar-2017 12:32

And another ripper catch from Latham in the slips.

He cost us the 1st test both with his batting and dropping 200 runs in 2 catches, and clearly failed in the 2nd.

But maybe this is the turning.

Nobody expected him to be selected for this test, but if he can get a century he might save his spot.

SA 219/7 but DeCok is still out there.

Matt Henry is on fire, almost another edge to the slips but just drops short. Henry taking his recall with both hands and leading the way with the ball.

TeaLeaf

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#1748690 27-Mar-2017 13:38

I think NZ if they want a sniff in this game they need to be batting a one day style innings, knock off the SA score fast as possible, then aim for a few overs this evening at the SA openers with a 50 or so lead.

I think Latham may have JUST saved himself this test with that 50, thats all you want from your opener, to see off the new ball.

But Raval, what a find if only we had found him 8 years ago.

Lathams average has plummeted down to 38 now. I hope if he does get another go he can turn it around, we really do need someone his age to hang around for the future.

Raval strangely is averaging 43 odd after this innings yet his highest score is 80, which spells CONSISTENT. If I could have 2 openers who could score 40 each garunteed and face 90 balls each, id take that every day of the week. But then we have Williamson who can get bogged down as well can Taylor which is were we need that Munro/Guptil player. I guess Taylor is retiring in the next couple years.

Either way if this test didnt have weather involved Id say NZ well on top, but it is going to lose another days play, so NZ have to score at 6 an over to have any sniff of a chance. It would be nice to draw the series, but I think its just wishful thinking. We should never have stuffed up the first Test and we shouldnt keep playing this crazy all rounder line up.

TeaLeaf

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#1748791 27-Mar-2017 16:03

NZ doing very well, Raval is a beast, Williamson turning up the pace.

But NZ need to go T20 on it now with a possible half days play being lost.

If we can lead by 50-100, get those 3 spinners working on those foot marks we might get SA out for 150 ish and just need a quick 50 to win.

Will be nice to have Raval out there to see off a second new ball. Faced 200 balls for 73, truely a good old fashioned opener.

TeaLeaf

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#1748820 27-Mar-2017 16:57

Lol 3 full tosses in a row.

Raval hit one to the boundary then one to the fields man and was dropped, but was no ball anyway, oh and now another one.

But Williamson gets one and hits his 16th century, not equal with NZs prior best batsman, the great Jafa Martin Crowe.

Raval, faced 230 balls now, what a find, at least no matter if we have to drop Latham we have found a great opener. Highest score of 82 now and averages 56 haha.

The finger spinner is turning it 2 feet, why oh why do we pick nobodies like Santer when we could have picked Ish Sodhi and another Batsman. Ish Sodhi would look like Shane Warne on this pitch with wrist spin.

Flappn selectors.

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TeaLeaf

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#1748866 27-Mar-2017 17:52

Morne Morkel should be ashamed of himself the way he just sprayed right up in Ravals face just then, the guy has played you for 270 balls and you have the ordasity to send him off with a face to face spray, typical SAFA.

Well done Raval, seen off 1.5 new balls and scored 88, solid as a rock.

Morne should think more about learning to bowl better before he starts pushing the boundaries of sportsmanship, Morne Dorkel.

NZ making this look easy, only hope for SAFA now is the rain which I thought would save NZ but just isnt coming, it surrounds the ground and rains but its like a halo of light above seddon park.

SAFA deliberately bowled a slow rate which has cost NZ and potentially could impact a win.

Then they caught out chucking the ball in the dirt, it got tested and was replaced due to not fitting through the rings. Sure enough the new ball stopped swinging, so like a bunch of petty girls the SAFAs roll it in from the outfield. You gonna cheat and get caught out, get over it.

TeaLeaf

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#1748890 27-Mar-2017 18:29

Haha commentators discussing this absurd fascination NZ has with having a number 6 all rounder. Smithy said, heres a point for you to ponder Mark, generally speaking in any given game the team with the most runs wins. Rigger started to argue back, Smithy simply said "would you go sit next to Gavin Larsen" lol.

It is absurd.

You dont even need a spinner with Raval in the team, we can pick our 6 best batsman plus keeper, so 7 good batsmen and our 4 top line pace bowlers, Southee, Boult, Wagner, Ferguson.

Now we have lost Raval we are dropping like flies and this just proves how stupid this concept Larsen and Hesson have is.

Bahaha Santner clean bowled, nearly proved the point once again, but the Bowler over steps the crease. Santner you better make 100 now.

TeaLeaf

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#1748911 27-Mar-2017 19:06

SA should be shunned for the over rate, especially considering half were bowled by spinners.

Santner gets 2 lives, he better do something with it or I think we might be dropped permanently.

Munro should have replaced Santner. And De Gron Homme should have been at 6 not 8.

Still we got Watling to come and Williamson still out there so we should easily get a 100 lead and if our Tail wags another 150, I think that should be enough with the amount of turn on the wicket, these 3.5 spinners in the NZ team better get them out for sub 250.

cldlr76

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#1748967 27-Mar-2017 20:45

Assuming everyone in nz is fit I'd like to see the following team...
Latham, Ravel, Williamson, Taylor, Neesham (as a batsman only) Anderson, Watling, Wagner, Southee, Boult, Ferguson/Henry/Shodi depending on the track.

That gives a top 7 combined average of 286.77 compared to our current top 7 of 241.77 (although admittedly Brooms 10 brings that down significantly compared with Taylor's 47). SA top 7 currently average a combined 251. Still short of Aussies 297 though.

However with that top four batting time, wearing down attacks etc I reckon you see both Neeshams and Andersons averages get up well above 40.

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