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3rd Test: New Zealand v South Africa at Wellington Mar 23-27, 2012

TheParraboy

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
69,397
Cant believe NZ are getting worse and worse as the series goes on

They have a good couple of sessions with the ball, but everything else is poo

SA should go 3-0 here very very easily
 

Iafeta

Referee
Messages
24,357
Changes galore required...

Put a red pen through the test careers of Brent Arnel and Rob Nicol. Move McCullum back to open. Bring in two new bats, move Vettori to 7. Having him bat at 6 I believe provides a big imbalance in the team. It requires blokes like Bracewell who look like flat track bullies too much batting responsibility.
 

Hallatia

Referee
Messages
26,433
New Zealand have announced a 14 man squad for this test

Ross Taylor (c)
Trent Boult
Doug Bracewell
Dean Brownlie
Andrew Ellis
Daniel Flynn
Mark Gillespie
Martin Guptill
Chris Martin
Brendon McCullum
Tarun Nethula
Kruger van Wyk
Daniel Vettori
Kane Williamson
 

Hallatia

Referee
Messages
26,433
Changes galore required...

Put a red pen through the test careers of Brent Arnel and Rob Nicol. Move McCullum back to open. Bring in two new bats, move Vettori to 7. Having him bat at 6 I believe provides a big imbalance in the team. It requires blokes like Bracewell who look like flat track bullies too much batting responsibility.
I completely agree about Vettori at six, when I see him in with 4 down I go into a mindwarp. The selectors have went your way re Arnel and Nicol
 

Red Bear

Referee
Messages
20,882
Arnel is terrible, shouldnt have replaced Boult really.

The best NZ have looked with the bat was when they got rained out in Dunedin, hopefully they can get an upset result here.
 

Rod

Bench
Messages
3,764
I like those changes. I hope they play both Flynn and Brownlie so Vettori can drop to 7. His average is good enough that he can bat 6 but our side looks better with him a bit lower.
 

armchaircritic

Juniors
Messages
379
Apparently they are are going to play Flynn as an opener. McCullum should be opening. He is on a hiding to nothing facing the new ball.

McCullum/Guptil, Taylor 3, Williamson 4, Flynn 5, Brownlie 6, Vettori/Van Wyk 7/8, Bracewell 9, Gillespie 10, Martin 11.
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
32,786
Really like the selection of Daniel Flynn... he's got tremendous character, and has been through severe injury issues and is demanding a place on what he's done in first class cricket...

But not sure of the logic of him opening... McCullum has looked good as an opener... Guptill shouldn't be in the test team for mine but there's no obvious replacement...


But I reckon
Guptill
McCullum
Flynn
Taylor
Williamson
Brownlie
Vettori
van Wyk (ultimatey Watling at 7 and Vettori 8)
has a pretty solid look about it... I'd actually prefer Taylor at 3, Williamson 4 and Flynn 5... to me the only reason Taylor is batting 4 is the lck of faith in (ability of) the openers
 

edabomb

First Grade
Messages
7,208
TBH I'd like to see Vettori dropped for Nethula. He has no penetration in the test form - it's basically like setting up a bowling machine at one end these days :lol:

I don't rate Nethula particularly highly but I think throwing something fresh at SA is the only chance we have.

That said it'll never happen.
 

vvvrulz

Coach
Messages
13,629
TBH I'd like to see Vettori dropped for Nethula. He has no penetration in the test form - it's basically like setting up a bowling machine at one end these days :lol:

.

The Daniel never was an attacking weapon in Test cricket, he was at most a tandem bowler who choked up one end while the attacking pace bowler fed off the pressure.

How we miss Shane Bond...
 

beefstew

Juniors
Messages
505
All the batsmen in that squad have far more talent than Mark richardson, who is probably in the
top two openers we've ever had, sadly they all lack the mental strength and maturity it takes
to be an International opener, they dont seem to be able to adjust their stroke making to
suit the circumstances, or if they can, it's not for long.
 

edabomb

First Grade
Messages
7,208
The Daniel never was an attacking weapon in Test cricket, he was at most a tandem bowler who choked up one end while the attacking pace bowler fed off the pressure.

How we miss Shane Bond...

Yea but he always managed to pick up a few wickets in the first innings at least previously. Now he is a pure stock bowler who only seems to get wickets through the other team hitting out.

He would be a great bowler against NZ since we can't grasp scoring less than 3 an over is fine if the bowling is on line.
 

vvvrulz

Coach
Messages
13,629
Yea but he always managed to pick up a few wickets in the first innings at least previously. Now he is a pure stock bowler who only seems to get wickets through the other team hitting out.

He would be a great bowler against NZ since we can't grasp scoring less than 3 an over is fine if the bowling is on line.

Even Murphy Su'a would have a good time against the NZ batting line-up!
 

Meth

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
35,795
Flynn looks set to open.

So;

Flynn
Guptill
Taylor
Williamson
Brownlie
Vettori
Van Wyk
Bracewell
Gillespie
Martin

Personally, I'd rather see Guptill and McCullum opening ( even though I seriously doubt Guptill as a Test opener) and Flynn at 3.
 

Timbo

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
20,281
Guptill doesn't seem to have it. Averages 235 vs. Bangladesh and 53 vs. Zimbabwe. Next best is 27 vs. Pakistan and it gets progressively bleaker from there.

All at sea vs. quality opposition. Flynn looked good in patches but was still a bit suspect.

BJ Watling could be an option when fit?

I also fear for the career of Williamson. Cannot recover when you're in a tailspin at 3 for not many. No mental strength.

I think Ronchi will walk straight in next January, his batting is a cut above most of your specialists.
 
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Rod

Bench
Messages
3,764
Guptill and Williamson are seen as the future, they would have to keep up this form for another year before they were dropped. Guptill is still only 24 (I think) and Williamson is 21.

And TBH I can see the logic in not dropping them, because the fact is at the moment there is no one better that can be brought in. Williamson has been scoring tons at will in our domestic comp since he was 18, he's earned his spot. Obviously he's going to take some time to learn the international game, but he might as well continue to improve himself on the international stage. I don't see what the point to dropping him would be when he's just going to back into the domestic comp, rack up some more tons but not improve his game (especially on the mental side of things).

Guptill is a bit more of a question mark I admit. He has the talent but seems unable to combat bowling that is continously on the mark like we have seen from Philander, Steyn and Morkel. He is another one who tore our domestic bowlers to shreds earlier this season, but unlike Williamson, I think he could benefit from playing as much cricket in the longer format as possible. He's turned down the oppurtunity to play IPL this year to play county cricket so that's a step in the right direction.
 

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