Pakistan in NZ - Pyjama tour 2017/18

[Iafeta]

Appalling decision to wide that bouncer. And then justice. Castles him.

 

[Iafeta]

Put 3 long stops in. Pakistans last two are smashing the hell out of their inside edge. Flukes.

 

[Iafeta]

Should have kept fluking nicks. Ta ta the goose, 5 zip thanks for coming.

 

[ANTiLAG]

NZ are the better 0-40 over team. But by god they are an awful 41-50 over team. Inaccurate bowling and really shoddy batting in this series.

Bar CDG's batting well, Pakistan bowled well and Latham is being carried after his great chasing ton in India that went deep. Niccolls is on thin ice. Its not like selectors are unaware of Bruce, Chapman, Seifert and Phillips.

The bowling is more of a worry. Ferguson isn't quite the finished product, Milne was slow in India, Henry isn't a death option and CDG lacks variety in his later spells (if any).

Santner was outstanding this series bowling. But he aint going to bowl many after the 43rd.

 

[Meth]

Nicholls isn't on thin ice. He wasn't on thin ice before this summer and he's scored 3 good half centuries v WI and India.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Nicholls isn't on thin ice. He wasn't on thin ice before this summer and he's scored 3 good half centuries v WI and India.

Meth, clearly we do not get along personally. But you have just made yet another absurd statement.

Henry Niccolls wasn't even currently a regular in the ODI team before this 2017/18 season. He was dropped after 2015/16.

He played ONE ODI game last home summer and did not play in the Champions Trophy. He didn't even play those games in Ireland against the host and Bangladesh when the IPL players were out.

He played in the A team in India and got into the NZ ODI team by that means at the start of the 2017/18 season. He hardly starred for the A team neither that was thrashed. Then in the national team, he did stuff all in the game the Blackcaps won in India and failed to get past 50 in the 2 games NZ lost, which was costly.

Just how thick do you think the ice was under him?

As for 3 good half centuries, CDG could well have saved his last 50 from looking rather inept in a manner akin to Brathwaite making Samuels look good at the World T20 final. But its not as though Neesham didn't make 4 50's (3 last summer and 1 in winter incl a 70 odd in Aus) before being dropped from batting 6. And Niccolls ain't bringing much bowling to the table (nor was Neesham really either).

Now if you think Niccolls isn't the first cab off the rank to be dropped when Chapman or Bruce or whoever else stars in the Ford Trophy, and the complaints about the NZ middle order lacking power arise again, then say so. But if its not Niccolls, who is it? KW? Taylor?

But I believe that Niccolls is still on thin ice, and Latham is being carried, and if either of those 2 players are dropped from the ODI team between now and World Cup, I won't be surprised in the least. Taylor or KW, well that would be rather surprising to me. Despite Niccolls current scores, SKY commentators are happy to list potential NZ changes at present that don't include him in the team incl Styris who would have CDG at 6 to make room for Astle in the team. Further, Hesson has dropped both him in the past as well as more who have made 3 or more 50's. Niccolls with some good scores may have the thin ice under him thicker, but its still comparatively thin to those more certain player selections who are permitted a weak performing series and still not be under selection pressure.

 

[Meth]

I'm not a big Nicholls fan, but he seems to be selected regardless. It's harder to see him getting dropped when he's actually making some good contributions.

 

[Meth]

Meth, clearly we do not get along personally...

This is an internet forum dude. We have no personal relationship.

 

[ANTiLAG]

This is an internet forum dude. We have no personal relationship.

Well clearly we don't get along 'internet-forumly' if mere internet forums socialisation precludes the existence of personal (person to person) relationships.

 

[ANTiLAG]

I'm not a big Nicholls fan, but he seems to be selected regardless. It's harder to see him getting dropped when he's actually making some good contributions.

More difficult maybe or even definitely. But he's still far from a (almost) certain selection nor was he one at the start of the summer.

 

[hineyrulz]

Internet = serious business.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Internet = serious business.

And apparently a redescript of what ammounts to person to person (formerly known as personal) communications.

Maybe its virtual personal relationship? Or cyber personal relationship?

Whatever it is, we clearly don't get along.

 

[hineyrulz]

Yeah.

 

[ANTiLAG]

World Number 1 NZ plays World Number 2 Pakistan.

NZ won toss and will bowl.

NZ playing a weakened team with no Boult nor KW (stiff side injury)

New Zealand's XI: Guptill, Munro, Phillips, Bruce, Taylor, Kitchen, De Grandhomme, Santner, Southee, Sodhi, Rance

Pakistan's XI: Amin, Zaman, Babar, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz, Shadab, Faheem, Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir, Raees

Southee is captain for NZ who look to win 13th game in a row.

Bruce batting at 4 is interesting, pretty much make or break for him now.

Kitchen could do with a good game to stop the Devecich claims.

The drop in pitch is apparently to Doully and Styris patchy with lightning fast and bouncy greener grass patches and bare low and slow bald and brown spots.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Pakistan 4/2 in 3rd over.

Very poor crowd in Wngtn where its a holiday.

 

[ANTiLAG]

15/3 in 4th over.

 

[ANTiLAG]

22/4 in 6th. This is pathetic batting.

Kitchen is bowling rubbish (full tosses galore), and gets a wicket with a half volley that didn't even drift.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Pak 38/6 in 10th.

Santner on a hat trick.

 

[vvvrulz]

What the hell happened to Pakistani cricket.

 

[ANTiLAG]

What the hell happened to Pakistani cricket.

Retirements and a lack of good replacements of batting greats.