1st Test: New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Dunedin on Dec 10-14, 2015

[ANTiLAG]

Top 6 wont change, as neither Anderson nor Neesham are ready to play.

Really just a question of the bowling attack and the wicket - Wagner or Craig still imo. Bracewell has bowled well all summer, he's locked that spot down for now IMO, even if he only took one wicket he bowled better than that.

I'd consider resting Boult tbh, and bring Henry in. - Boult simply cannot be fit, or at least confident in his back. As long as the wickets have some green, I'm keen on 4 pace bowlers and Santner

Henry can stay away if Boult rested. Just play Craig and Wagner. Or trial Milne as a part of a 4 prong pace attack (Tim, Doug, Wagner, Milne - with Santner) that includes workhorse Wagner so that if he breaks down the attack can cope.

I do not agree that Anderson, Neesham and Santner are the only people who can play 6. I quite like the thought of a specialist batsman there myself. Nicholls or Bracewell could be given a chance. Could move Guptill down the order and try Brownlie or Raval opening. That wont happen after his ton. But its not like all that is wrong with Guptill has suddenly been sorted after one innings.

 

[JJ]

Think it's handy to have a 5th bowler somewhere in the top 6, I know Williamson can bowl, but I prefer he didn't, and he looks like he's carrying a few niggles

 

[ANTiLAG]

Another thing Guppie is not bringing to the table.

Raval has some leggies at 49. Before you blush, thats a better record than Santner.

Once McCullum retires hopefully the team can get Jesse back. Bat Jesse at 6 to give him time to lose any hangover, at 5 can go Smith or Nicholls, unless Raval or Brownlie opens and Tom or Guppie drop down.

I know you're not a Jesse fan, but a middle order with Kane, Ross, Nicholls (or Bracewell or whoever) and then Jesse with BJ is far stronger than what we have now.

 

[JJ]

I like Ryder as a cricketer, nobody doubts his ability - but we simply can't have a merkin like that in the team, simple, never again.

I know Santner's first class record is poor, and frankly was surprised he was picked - but he's done well and should be persevered with. I hope McCullum sticks around a bit longer tbh I know you and others don't rate him, but his leadership has generally been good, the culture change under him and Hesson has been fantastic - not the nice guy stuff, the competing day in day out. He's worth a sport at 5-6. There's plenty of talent about though.

Guptill is a nice bloke, and I am glad when he succeeds, but he's not convinced me he's an international bat, I am afraid - he's temporary

 

[ANTiLAG]

I like Ryder as a cricketer, nobody doubts his ability - but we simply can't have a merkin like that in the team, simple, never again.

I know Santner's first class record is poor, and frankly was surprised he was picked - but he's done well and should be persevered with. I hope McCullum sticks around a bit longer tbh I know you and others don't rate him, but his leadership has generally been good, the culture change under him and Hesson has been fantastic - not the nice guy stuff, the competing day in day out. He's worth a sport at 5-6. There's plenty of talent about though.

Guptill is a nice bloke, and I am glad when he succeeds, but he's not convinced me he's an international bat, I am afraid - he's temporary

I rate McCullum. I am critical of posts where his batting prowess is overrated:

His tripple, his three doubles and his 195 were against Asian attacks on roads of pitches that were not spinning. Take Jo Romanos and his stupid piece today as having BMac as the 6th best NZ batsman of all time. No way he was better than Jones, Richardson, Flemming, Dempster, Sutcliffe, Donnelly, not to mention one of your favourites, who I do not rate, J F Reid.

There is still room for him in the team. He could try opening again. Heck Jesse could open and someone else bat 6 with McCullum at 5.

I think it possible that Jesse and BMac do not get along, for whatever reason. I hope that when BMac retires, Jesse will make himself available for selection.

 

[JJ]

I think it's probably just that Ryder is bad for most teams he's in tbh

Flat track or not, Baz's 300 was balls to the wall stuff, he and Watling saved that test

But laughable to suggest there were only 5 better than him

I do think his leadership with Hesson has been good, and while he f**ks up a lot, he'll go down as one of our best captains

 

[ANTiLAG]

I think it's probably just that Ryder is bad for most teams he's in tbh

Flat track or not, Baz's 300 was balls to the wall stuff, he and Watling saved that test

But laughable to suggest there were only 5 better than him

I do think his leadership with Hesson has been good, and while he f**ks up a lot, he'll go down as one of our best captains

Agree with everything above bar Ryder. Ryder has made friends in the teams he plays for. Ryder just gets heavily drunk in public and makes himself an easy target for small and insecure to pick on and get involved with so as to presumably feel important and relevant for a few minutes. Should he go home before he gets that drunk that he starts losing his physical faculties and ability to speak coherently? Yes. But he's an alcoholic so he doesn't.

Agree with everything else save to say we do want less f**k ups (like Lords).

 

[JJ]

I'm not sure it's about making friends either, it's just endless unnecessary distractions for the team - and the public utterings he made suggested he didn't believe he had a problem, and it was up to NZ cricket to sort it out for him...

I don't see him back in the team, it is a shame as he is a talent, and we're not inundated with it.

 

[ANTiLAG]

I don't think he has a problem with alcohol compared to the masses of his age group and their behaviour when drunk (or alternatively alcohol problems are far more wide spread than the severe pigeon box that the press and public have put Jesse in). The punching a window of the pub to enter and use the toilet is the worse act he has committed and it has been a one off of damaging someone else's property? But he may have been further savaged publicly for the lesser offence of defecating on the street?

I think his problem is not being able to act in accordance with his celebrity. That is the bigger issue. With sporting celebrity and its perks of 'young money' and many very attractive suitors, there is a public expectation of being a role model and not a lad who get s drunk in the more lively and energetic bars in the city. Jesse just acted like a young lad, which he was, and every person with a cellphone wanted to be a journalist. It was becoming 6 o clock news to have footage of him out drinking. Not commiting any crime. Noone making a police complaint. Just out drinking. That is outrageous. Further, people that want to pick fights with sporting celebrities are just geniuss. They used to send those kind of people to Australia permanently.

Oh and the misreporting. From cricinfo:

"Still, he won another recall for New Zealand, scoring what was the seventh-fastest ODI hundred - off 46 balls - against West Indies in January 2014, in the same match that Corey Anderson broke the record. A month later, he missed out on a first Test appearance in more than two years after indulging in another late night. "

No he was out drinking because he had not made the test team. He was dropped from the test and ODI squad as a result of being out dirnking, despite the fact he was going to be sent to FC cricket as he had not been selected for the match.

Jesse can get pissed in English bars every night, and those football crazy poms have no idea who he is and there is no incidents published in the media. As he gets older, he should mellow, or at least realise he needs to patron more exclusive bars - which might still pose a problem in locating and existing, Auckland & Wellington excluded.

 

[JJ]

Agree to a degree, but it started long before the very public incidents for Jesse, at least as I understand it, that was why he left CD initially

Anyway, if he's back at some stage, that's good - as he's a talent. I just had the feeling he wouldn't buy into what the group was trying to achieve...

 

[TheParraboy]

Another win at home, undefeated at home for almost 4 years now.

who have you played in that time?

 

[ANTiLAG]

who have you played in that time?

England, India, Sri Lanka, Windies.

If NZ had won Adelaide it was 2.5 years home and away undefeated. But now its about the enlonging the home record.

 

[JJ]

We play everyone that tours Parra Also done rather well away, including England and Pakistan

We have a good competitive side - unfortunately Boult is not 100% at the moment, and in general we didn't seem well prepared for the Aust tour - but from day 2 on in Perth we went toe to toe with Aust.

McCullum's made some f**k-ups along the way (Lords, and Adelaide to a degree), but we're going ok - you have to remember cricket is a hobby/past-time here

 

[TheParraboy]

England, India, Sri Lanka, Windies.

That's awesome

 

[African Monkey]

We play everyone that tours Parra Also done rather well away, including England and Pakistan

We have a good competitive side - unfortunately Boult is not 100% at the moment, and in general we didn't seem well prepared for the Aust tour - but from day 2 on in Perth we went toe to toe with Aust.

McCullum's made some f**k-ups along the way (Lords, and Adelaide to a degree), but we're going ok - you have to remember cricket is a hobby/past-time here

Yup we are. The next test will be tough but we shouldn't have too much trouble for the rest of the test summer.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Yup we are. The next test will be tough but we shouldn't have too much trouble for the rest of the test summer.

I wouldn't be that confident. I think that this plucky Australian side may put up a fight with Warner, Pattinson and Hazelwood.

I know what you're saying about Australia away on pitches with something in them for the seam and swing bowlers, their batsmen make Stuart Broad look like Waqar Younis but Adelaide demonstrated, that if they get lucky like with terrible umpiring decisions going their way, they can put up some fight on a cricket wicket with grass and snag an unlikely victory. That was a home test for them mind you.

 

[African Monkey]

Don't get me wrong they'll put up a fight like the angry little men they are, but they won't trouble us lets be honest. We'll win and show a good amount of dignity in the process.

 

[Hutty1986]

Don't get me wrong they'll put up a fight like the angry little men they are, but they won't trouble us lets be honest. We'll win and show a good amount of dignity in the process.

 

[TheParraboy]

Don't get me wrong they'll put up a fight like the angry little men they are, but they won't trouble us lets be honest. We'll win and show a good amount of dignity in the process.

agree mate, probably 3-0 I reckon

Not so sure about the 2 test matches

 

[JJ]

agree mate, probably 3-0 I reckon

Not so sure about the 2 test matches

If we produce proper NZ wickets you're pretty much stuffed imo - as above, you made Broad look better than Waqar on green seamers - you've been largely mud away from home, and the last two greenish wickets we've played you on have been 1-1, and the Adelaide test has been discussed, let's just say that regardless of what went on after the Lyon howler, he's given out, we almost certainly win. Your players patently cannot handle a moving ball