For New Zealand Fans....

[Fast Eddie]

Neil Wagner isn't eligible till April which sucks, really could do with him against Aus. Picked up another 5for today.

 

[Red Bear]

Martin would play the home series as well you would think Unless he gets slaughtered by our batsmen, which seems unlikely given present form).

 

[Fast Eddie]

Yeah he probably will stick around to the end of the South Africa series, then we can move on with an attack of Southee, Wagner and Bracewell. Not a bad attack that.

 

[Red Bear]

Potentially quite good.

NZ results if Bond had been able to play 100 tests, rather than less than 20, would've been interesting the last decade. Shame the best post-Hadlee bowler just couldnt stay fit.

 

[African Monkey]

That's the good thing about Martin as well. The guy never gets injured unlike every other NZ bowler in history.

 

[JJ]

Tests against Aus will be

Guptil
McCullum
Williamson
Taylor
Ryder
Brownlie
Vettori
Young
Mills
Southee
Martin

Should be Martins last test series as well. Leaves us short with only 4 frontline bowlers though so maybe Vettori or Young might have to bat 6 and that allows Bracewell to come into the side? I'd rather have him over Mills or Martin anyway but don't think thats the way they will go.

Should be, I just trust that when Ryder has his obligatory injury they bring in either Flynn or Broom

 

[blain]

Yeah that would be the team, Broom as back up batsman, Mills if a green wicket Bracewell if its hard and fast. We really need another spinner, I dont know if Astle is up to it, but would love a leggy there. He has done the best for a spinner in domestic for the last couple seasons.

 

[Meth]

We have the potential to post a pretty good total, but we always fall short of that potential. Guptill, McCullum, Ryder and Taylor are reliably unreliable. At times they look world class. At times they look like Papatoetoe.

Our bowling attack, as it is, is horrendous. Martin, Mills and Patel need to be gone for good. We've got some good young bowlers coming through- here's hoping we can put together a decent team in the not-too-distant future.

 

[African Monkey]

Yeah you could do worse then Astle. There's also Nethula if you're looking for a wrist spinner.

As for backup batsmen, I like Andrew De Boorder as a reserve batsman. Don't know where he is in the pecking order though.

 

[Gas Panic!]

Isn't it a tragedy that Shane Bond didn't have a long and injury-free career? He could have been anything.

 

[IanG]

Neil Wagner isn't eligible till April which sucks, really could do with him against Aus. Picked up another 5for today.

Shows that Cricket must be dying in the arse if they're starting to rely on expats

 

[roofromoz]

Some really fast guy played some cricket last year (cant remember his name) maybe some potential there.

Adam Milne?

Also, wonder if anyone has ever gotten 76 in both innings of a test match before. Odd score to have in both knocks

May be a good question to pose to Cricinfo Statsguru.

 

[roofromoz]

Isn't it a tragedy that Shane Bond didn't have a long and injury-free career? He could have been anything.

Always seem to lift against Australia as well. He was a gun and a half.

 

[Iafeta]

:lol: Windies made about 600 at the Basin during that tour didn't they? Easy to see why.

Maybe we'll see Nathan McCullum make the test team as a 'spinner' this year :lol:

No I believe the tour where Larsen/Harris were involved as front line bowlers was the tour of the West Indies... 600 and then Courtney Walsh getting 13 for about 55 in the test was at home. The attack in that test featured Murphy Su'a, Danny Morrison and Simon Doull. And that lethal orthodox spinner, Matthew Hart. I remember that test, Shane Thomson was in the squad for the test and suffered a significant injury pre-test but was picked anyway and had to basically field in the slips for two days because he was unable to field anywhere else. It was neville novice selection stuff. Rudders was the captain, and other stalwarts included Darrin Murray (who did in fairness top score in the first innings). Crowe as per usual was unavailable with injury.

 

[Iafeta]

I remember a team we put out against South Africa in South Africa in 2000 being terrible due to injuries. And like you have mentioned that side in the mid 90's. I dunno about you but I think Mills, Southee, Bracewell, Wagner, Vettori can top Morrison, Larsen, Vaughn, Kennedy and Patel.

I remember a test against Zimbabwe when Glenn Turner was coach featuring an attack of Geoff Allott on test debut, Robert Kennedy on test debut, Greg Loveridge on test debut (Greg never got a bowl in test cricket after breaking his hand straight driving a Zimbot for four as his only ever scoring shot in test cricket)... I think Chris Cairns and Dipak Patel were the veterans of that attack. Dipak Patel v Jeetan Patel would be an interesting comparison, both as bowlers are as about as threatening as a pubic hair in a caesar salad.

The Zimbots featured Eddo Brandes who of course will always live on as a legend for the biscuits quote to McGrath.

I just can't believe looking at the old scorecards that we opened the bowling against the Windies in a test with Gavin Larsen! And if the opening batsmen could get through that then they had to deal with Justin Vaughn at first change and Harry coming on later!

Vaughan also had a few goes at opening the batting in test cricket too. Vaughan did help beat Pakistan in Pakistan, I remember listening to it on radio sport.

 

[blain]

Shows that Cricket must be dying in the arse if they're starting to rely on expats

Its frustrating seeing a genuine quick left armer carve up for 3 seasons and have journeymen in their potential spot.

We have promising bowlers, they are just all around 19-20 years old.. Wheeler, Milne, Bracewell, Henry, Small and Boult all have potential. Boult should get game time this season, and is contracted to the blackcaps. But really they are all 1-2 seasons off. And Southee is still only 22.

De Border has always been highly rated, he captained Auckland last season for a bit, great for a 21yo. Needs a few big scores and a strong summer to push into contention though. Broom should be the next in line, I really like the look of him and his stats are good, just chucked in crap situations in ODIs at 6.

 

[Lego_Man]

Isn't it a tragedy that Shane Bond didn't have a long and injury-free career? He could have been anything.

And if he wasnt banned for 2 years at his peak for playing the wrong 20/20 competition in India.

 

[JB]

In Tests, most of the top order has been settled IMO:

McCullum
Guptill
Taylor
Ryder
Williamson

Individually some talent and potential there. Problem being (as it was in the Fleming/Astle/McMillan days) is getting the majority of them to perform at once (and consistently) and build decent totals in which we can put teams under pressure.

Too often 1 player gets a decent total but not backed up by anyone else, hence a history of nothing scores really.

 

[Fast Eddie]

7-37 today for Southee, gonna be good to have him back spearheading the attack.

 

[Fast Eddie]

New Zealand Cricket today announced a 13-man Test squad for the upcoming tour of Australia.
Ross Taylor - Central Stags
Trent Boult - Northern Knights
Doug Bracewell - Central Stags
Dean Brownlie - Canterbury Wizards
Martin Guptill - Auckland Aces
Chris Martin - Auckland Aces
Brendon McCullum - Otago Volts
Jesse Ryder - Wellington Firebirds
Tim Southee - Northern Knights
Daniel Vettori - Northern Knights
BJ Watling - Northern Knights
Kane Williamson - Northern Knights
Reece Young - Canterbury Wizards
The squad includes ten players who were part of the recent Test victory over Zimbabwe together with Tim Southee and Jesse Ryder who return from injury and uncapped Trent Boult.
Boult, a 22 left-armer from the Northern Knights, was part of the NZC Fast Bowling Winter Camp and given a central contract for the 2010-12 season.
BJ Watling will remain in New Zealand to play for the Northern Knights against the Otago Volts in the third round of Plunket Shield. He will join the team on day-one of their four-day warm-up match against Australia A.
New Zealand Cricket National Selector Manager Kim Littlejohn said: "We were keen to show consistency in selection for the tour of Australia and retain the nucleus of the side that performed well against Zimbabwe.
"In choosing our squad we decided to go with 13 players and will consider adding another seamer before the first Test. That will largely depend on how the players pull up after the warm-up match.
"It is pleasing to provide Trent with an opportunity. He is a promising young bowler and deserves his place in the squad after impressing at the NZC Fast Bowling Camp during the winter and making a strong start to the Plunket Shield.
"We have decided to allow BJ Watling to play in the third round of Plunket Shield to give him maximum game time. We did not plan on selecting him for the warm-up match against Australia A and feel it is more beneficial to keep him playing cricket.
"The side for the First-Class warm-up fixture against Australia A will be chosen from the remaining 12 players."

http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/cricket/.../blackcaps-announce-test-squad-for-australia/

So Watling and Boult will miss out on the first test team I'd say. Pretty good squad actually.