Cricket: Official Blackcaps thread the people’s #1

[Thor Sedan]

Unfortunately Matt Henry is bowling exactly like everyone thought he would bowl.

[Kiwias]

Jamieson gets his 4th with a lovely delivery to Rizwan.

[Kiwias]

Unfortunately Matt Henry is bowling exactly like everyone thought he would bowl.

Henry deserved that wicket but Taylor dropped a sitter.

[Trapper]

Jamieson is just about unplayable at the moment.

[Jb1981]

This was from Certain Navigator on the previous page:

Henry, on the other hand, has often bowled well, but (i) he's rarely, if ever, played two tests in a row, (ii) he's only ever got to play on featherbeds when one of the frontliners has gone down with a mysterious injury, and (iii) Taylor has an aversion to taking catches off his bowling.

Point three is pertinent.

[-RB-]

What a test. I still think Santner is a fairly useless test cricketer (taking nothing away from his limited overs game which is very good), but he came through big time when it counted.

I still think technically we have to wait until after the next test to be officially ranked #1 - which is a bit of a tease once again - but it seems fairly likely to happen. Never thought I'd see the day given how poor we were in the 2000s when Vettori was our best bowler, batsman, captain, coach, statistician, water boy, and everything else. ICC outlined all the permutations here: https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1960283

Kane has officially gone to #1 on the Test batting rankings though - hard to argue when Kohli isn't playing and Smith is in a form slump.

Sounds like Wagner is out for 6 weeks though so another bowler will come into the squad. Will probably be Matt Henry which is a bit uninspiring given he averages 50+ in tests with a strike rate of 90. Great if you're a batsman, not so much for a fast bowler. Maybe worth having a look at Jacob Duffy after his great T20 debut? Topped the Plunket Shield wickets list last season and he's sitting 3rd so far this season. Real shame Ferguson is injured.

Ferguson's few overs before breaking down in Oz last season showed for all to see why at 28 he'd never played test cricket before. Henry, on the other hand, has often bowled well, but (i) he's rarely, if ever, played two tests in a row, (ii) he's only ever got to play on featherbeds when one of the frontliners has gone down with a mysterious injury, and (iii) Taylor has an aversion to taking catches off his bowling.

The real problem is that, assuming Patel is still short of a gallop, NZ doesn't have a spinner worthy of the name. Watching Todd Astle bowl (admittedly in hit-and-giggle cricket) on NZC's live stream the other day just rubbed it in as to how much Williamson and the selectors missed a trick there. Santner was rushed into the team far too early and has repeatedly shown he's just not up to it: two half-trackers an over from a finger spinner is not first-class standard, let alone international material.

Well that was prophetic.

[Kiwias]

Henry rules!!!!! Taylor makes it up with Henry.

[Jb1981]

Taylor forgot who was bowling and held on . Henry deserved that.

[Gumboot]

Matt Henry takes a wicket.

Taylor takes the catch.

[Kiwias]

An absolute peach from Boult, too good to get an edge.

[Kiwias]

KJ has another five-for and Pakistan 260/7.

[Kiwias]

KJ has another five-for and Pakistan 260/7. Let's clean the tail up and get them out for under 300.

[Jb1981]

297-9. Pick up the last one quickly and that would justify the decision to bowl first.

[Kiwias]

297-9. Pick up the last one quickly and that would justify the decision to bowl first.

Your wicket!

[Enzedder]

That is a good score for Christchurch 1st innings evidently. (I heard the average was 280)

[Monkey Magic]

Good dog by Pakistan- might be misremembering but sure there was a game there recently where the movement settled down bit day 2 which made it harder to bat on as the ball didn't go past the edge as often.

Will be impressed if black caps get a decent lead

[mrbrownstone]

Hard to know what to make of that. Commentators reckon Pakistan will be happy, but I still think you're pretty happy if you win the toss and bowl the opposition out for under 300 in a day. Openers can start fresh in the morning in what should be good batting conditions.

Jamieson outstanding again. Boult still looks a little out of sorts, and Southee was pretty decent.

Not sure how to evaluate Henry. Yes he was unlucky with drops/good balls that missed the edge, but I also thought he bowled too many boundary balls. At the same time I feel for him - hes very much a new ball bowler, but asked to play the role of 3rd/4th seamer most of the time. Barring injury though he's not getting near the new ball in this team, even accounting for Boult being slightly out of sorts. Look at his career too and he played 3 tests in 2015, 4 in 2016, 2 in 2017, 2 in 2019, 1 in 2020, and now this one. Hard to find your feet at this level when you're career is so stop-start. His first class stats are fantastic - 298 wickets @ 25, SR of 48. On the other hand, in tests he's got 30 wickets @ 50, striking at 92. Fear we'll never see the best of him at test level.

[Certain Navigator]

Taylor forgot who was bowling and held on . Henry deserved that.

Sadly, Taylor has been, by international standards, a poor slipper for a long time. Nowhere near the level of Fleming or Astle, or from the current team Southee and Latham. I can only assume he's kept there because he's incapable of fielding anywhere else.

[Carter's Choice]

Hard to know what to make of that. Commentators reckon Pakistan will be happy, but I still think you're pretty happy if you win the toss and bowl the opposition out for under 300 in a day. Openers can start fresh in the morning in what should be good batting conditions.

Jamieson outstanding again. Boult still looks a little out of sorts, and Southee was pretty decent.

Not sure how to evaluate Henry. Yes he was unlucky with drops/good balls that missed the edge, but I also thought he bowled too many boundary balls. At the same time I feel for him - hes very much a new ball bowler, but asked to play the role of 3rd/4th seamer most of the time. Barring injury though he's not getting near the new ball in this team, even accounting for Boult being slightly out of sorts. Look at his career too and he played 3 tests in 2015, 4 in 2016, 2 in 2017, 2 in 2019, 1 in 2020, and now this one. Hard to find your feet at this level when you're career is so stop-start. His first class stats are fantastic - 298 wickets @ 25, SR of 48. On the other hand, in tests he's got 30 wickets @ 50, striking at 92. Fear we'll never see the best of him at test level.

I think it's a classic case of "both teams will be happy" and we won't really see where the match stands until the end of the Black Cap's innings. NZ will have to bat well to earn a first innings lead. However the fact that they get to start the day with their innings gives them every chance of success.

[mrbrownstone]

Taylor forgot who was bowling and held on . Henry deserved that.

Sadly, Taylor has been, by international standards, a poor slipper for a long time. Nowhere near the level of Fleming or Astle, or from the current team Southee and Latham. I can only assume he's kept there because he's incapable of fielding anywhere else.

https://stats.espncricinfo.com/wi/conte ... 83649.html

4th most international catches of all time. Second best catches per innings rate among the top 20, only marginally behind Graham Smith.

Not bad for a poor slipper.

Let's not go crazy over one drop.

[Gumboot]

The weather's looking good for a full and uninterrupted Day Two.

[JPNZ]

The weather's looking good for a full and uninterrupted Day Two.

To be honest the Christchurch weather should be fine for the rest of test. Batting conditions will improve

[Monkey Magic]

The weather's looking good for a full and uninterrupted Day Two.

Thats good news.

Having been a long time supporter my first thought is we'll give up a pretty big lead. However looking at their performances over last couple years they should get 350

[Jb1981]

I see things as evenly poised after day 1 but based on this from cricinfo, they appear to see it as advantage Pakistan.

Pakistan have given themselves a chance by scoring at the rate they did yesterday. Opportunity to drive home the advantage now.

[Gumboot]

NZ 38/0 at Drinks. Good start.

[Enzedder]

Pitch is still lively so the runs are hard work.

May have to look at the thread title though

https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/me ... kings/test

Still #2

[Jb1981]

Pitch is still lively so the runs are hard work.

May have to look at the thread title though

https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/me ... kings/test

Still #2

Noted and updated.

[Jb1981]

The title change jinxed the opening partnership.

[Kiwias]

Blundell goes lbw on Pakistani review. 52 - 1 now.

[Kiwias]

Pitch is still lively so the runs are hard work.

May have to look at the thread title though

https://www.icc-cricket.com/rankings/me ... kings/test

Still #2

Last updated on 14 December, though.

[Kiwias]

Latham follows almost immediately to a catch on rebound.

[Jb1981]

Those match numbers in Enzedder’s link are interesting. England have played the most matches at 41 with the next most only 27.

[Jb1981]

Latham follows almost immediately to a catch on rebound.

Changing thread title mid-game is worse than keeping your feet grounded on Nelson .

[-RB-]

Taylor forgot who was bowling and held on . Henry deserved that.

Sadly, Taylor has been, by international standards, a poor slipper for a long time. Nowhere near the level of Fleming or Astle, or from the current team Southee and Latham. I can only assume he's kept there because he's incapable of fielding anywhere else.

Really? I don't remember him being particularly poor lately.

[Kiwias]

Latham follows almost immediately to a catch on rebound.

Changing thread title mid-game is worse than keeping your feet grounded on Nelson .

You have lost me.

[Jb1981]

Latham follows almost immediately to a catch on rebound.

Changing thread title mid-game is worse than keeping your feet grounded on Nelson .

You have lost me.

111 is known as ‘Nelson’ and cricket superstition is that you need to keep your feet up until the score changes. I changed thread title and two wickets immediately fell - hence, perhaps a worse action/bringing worse luck than not lifting feet while the score was 111.

[Enzedder]

Shit - shouldn't have started watching. Will kick myself and go into the garden.

[Kiwias]

Changing thread title mid-game is worse than keeping your feet grounded on Nelson .

You have lost me.

111 is known as ‘Nelson’ and cricket superstition is that you need to keep your feet up until the score changes. I changed thread title and two wickets immediately fell - hence, perhaps a worse action/bringing worse luck than not lifting feet while the score was 111.

I know about the 'Nelson' but was confused as the score was nowhere close.

[Kiwias]

Taylor gone and we are struggling a bit at 71-3.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

Yes, you'd have to say Pakistan have the upper hand at this stage of the game.

One of the pleasures of continuing to work from home is having the game on in the background.

I wouldn't get away with that in the office, especially in Australia.