NPR

Thor Sedan wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:00 am Unfortunately Matt Henry is bowling exactly like everyone thought he would bowl.

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.

Certain Navigator wrote: Fri Jan 01, 2021 4:56 am

mrbrownstone wrote: Thu Dec 31, 2020 5:14 am 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.

Jb1981 wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 6:11 am 297-9. Pick up the last one quickly and that would justify the decision to bowl first.

Jb1981 wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 4:33 am Taylor forgot who was bowling and held on . Henry deserved that.

mrbrownstone wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 6:50 am 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 wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 8:38 am

Jb1981 wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 4:33 am 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.

Gumboot wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 7:16 pm The weather's looking good for a full and uninterrupted Day Two.

Gumboot wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 7:16 pm The weather's looking good for a full and uninterrupted Day Two.

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

Enzedder wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:24 pm 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

Enzedder wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:24 pm 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

Kiwias wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:40 pm Latham follows almost immediately to a catch on rebound.

Certain Navigator wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 8:38 am

Jb1981 wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 4:33 am 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.

Jb1981 wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:41 pm

Kiwias wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:40 pm Latham follows almost immediately to a catch on rebound.

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

Kiwias wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:45 pm

Jb1981 wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:41 pm

Kiwias wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:40 pm 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 wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:48 pm

Kiwias wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:45 pm

Jb1981 wrote: Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:41 pm
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.