NWR Cricket

Kevin, Hampshire v Middlesex game just finished at Southampton

Seam: 32 wickets for 640 runs average 20.00
Spin: 2 wickets for 285 runs average 142.50
Thankyou Jasper. NZ is much better off if we can go in with Boult, Southee, Wagner and Jamieson, and not bother with a specialist spinner. Williamson might have to bowl a few overs and Conway is so good he could probably learn how to bowl spin by then as well.
 
Thankyou Jasper. NZ is much better off if we can go in with Boult, Southee, Wagner and Jamieson, and not bother with a specialist spinner. Williamson might have to bowl a few overs and Conway is so good he could probably learn how to bowl spin by then as well.
Seems like the Middlesex and Hampshire spinners are about the same quality as the Kiwi candidates...
 
Devon Conway has just reached 100 on debut at Lord's.

I thought I was having a good day, enjoying the glorious weather in the East Neuk of Fife. Lunch at Craig Millar in St Monans was pleasant indeed. However, Conway is having the day of my dreams.
I think it would be reasonable to suggest he is currently the best player in the team, which is an unusual thing to say about someone on debut.

Consider to, that they have only managed to squeeze him into the team by filling gaps as they occur; wicket keeper in the 20/20 team and opener in the test team, neither of which are his usual roles. Just shows how good he is. It was staggering that there was no interest in him from the IPL.

At the other end of the scale, Taylor does seem to be coming to the end of his reign. There is a useful replacement waiting for him in Will Young who scored two centuries for Durham recently.

I do love the comment I have seen a few times recently that England are using their games against the two best teams in the world as warm up opportunities before playing the 4th best team in the world.
 
I do love the comment I have seen a few times recently that England are using their games against the two best teams in the world as warm up opportunities before playing the 4th best team in the world.
Test rankings are irrelevant when it comes to the Ashes, will be either deepest gloom or uncontainable joy and the abundance of deep gloom since I started watching in 1968 means they are far more important than relative rankings!
 
Yes, to bring up his double-ton with a six was something else. An almost chanceless innings, which was only ended by the closest of margins.
He has always looked class whenever he has had an opportunity. Unfortunately he is a bit of a one man band with the rest of the lineup collapsing in typical fashion. The bottom six are all supposed to be able to bat a bit and for a couple of them that is the main reason they are in the team. Taylor and Santner will both need to do something in the remainder of this game to hold their places.
 
Looking at the recent records of many of the Kiwi batsmen, especially Williamson - who is an utterly class player, I am perplexed by the view that Conway is a one-man batting line up.
I mainly meant he turned out to be a one man band in that innings. But some of the others are a worry. Obviously Williamson is all class, but he does only average 28 in the UK. Latham who is quite solid at the top hasn't scored a test century for about 18 innings. Taylor and Watling, who are both nearing the end of their careers, have also had about 17 goes since their last tons. Santner who is thought of as an allrounder has only passed 50 three times in over 30 goes. De Grandhomme has hardly played for the last 12 months and has never been a reliable test batsman.

NZ cricket of course has always had players with those sorts of records, but virtually for the first time ever we actually have viable contenders waiting in the wings. You won't be aware how hard it has been for Conway to get into any of the NZ teams and now you can see what he has to offer once he is there.

Hopefully we do get another innings in this test. If Taylor, Santner and de Grandhomme in particular fail again they will be under a lot of pressure from in form potential replacements.
 
I would have liked us to have gone for the total to win the Test. I think we missed an opportunity there.

Interesting to see Bess get the call up. Shame about Robinson as he looked like a good player.

I'm off to Edgbaston on Friday so hoping to see a good day of Test cricket.
 
I’m not sure I can feel the love to drive down the A38 tomorrow am? Oh well. A nice brunch and another bbq followed by more pyrotechnics will have to do!


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I have been surprised by the lack of interest in the cricket on here recently. Wasn't this test the first time big crowds were allowed at an event for months, and isn't it exciting to be playing one of the top two teams in the world? Or at least the B team from one of the top countries.
 
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