The Season that will be 2009-2010

I have postponed the "team of the week" post this week in order to post Part 2 of my review of the last season and ideas/opinions on the one to come.
In discussing the season of 2009/2010 I take my lead from an article in the NZ Herald (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/cricket/news/article.cfm?c_id=29&objectid=10579744) which includes points that I agree with and some which I do not.
In what seems to be an obsession of the news media, the phrase 'honeymoon period is over' appears when talking about Andy Moles' position as coach of the Black Caps and although I find the description to be uninspired, the point is accurate - Moles has finished his first season of international coaching and now the real test begins. Appropriately the line-up this season is similar to last:

• Sri Lanka (away)
• ICC Champions Trophy (away)
• Pakistan (away or at home is yet to be clarified)
• Bangladesh (short home series)
• Australia (home)

The Champions Trophy (pointless as it is in my opinion) is another tournament in which NZ can strive to achieve success after the terrible 20/20 effort in England recently. The Bangladesh series will prove more of a hindrance than help because (for the THIRD consecutive time!!!) it is followed immediately by games against Australia. The latter will be the real test of how far Moles' Black Caps have grown after the 2-0 defeat last November

As for the players to be contracted this season, here are the picks from the article:

Vettori, McCullum, Taylor, Ryder, Oram, O’Brien, Guptill, Franklin, Mills, Martin, Southee, Patel, Bond, Flynn, Elliott, Butler, Redmond, McIntosh, N. McCullum and Broom

Most are obvious selections but I do have some thoughts:

• Oram needs to sort out what he wants to play as and in what form/s of the game quickly - I don't buy the notion of 'just one more season'; he needs to decide now and stop mucking NZ about
• We should have realised a year ago that O'Brien's skills in the limited overs games are limited - the 20/20 World Cup was just confirmation
• James Franklin needs to get positive with the bat and (more importantly) swing the ball if he wants to play - if he can he will replace Oram as the all-rounder
• I'm not as harsh as the NZ Herald article on Tim Southee, he is very young and was slightly mismanaged by Vettori and Moles (as I mentioned last post). He has great potential and must be eased back into the team after a tough 2009 season.
• If Bond can play he should play (although his bowling might not be very effective in Sri Lanka)
• Daniel Flynn belongs in the Top 3 in our test side (the jury is still out on ODIs) and I think he could play as a Justin Langer type opener
• Elliott is the new Styris in ODIs but his test match opportunities will be limited
• The interesting pick for the tests will be Ian Butler - we will be watching with interest and hope he doesn't get injured
• McIntosh has huge foot-work problems (not to mention his odd hook-shot) and is not an immediate pick for the tests in my opinion - although on slow pitches he may be able to fix the problem
• I agree with the article that Williamson is too young at the moment - if he can replicate his success from last season he could be in contention for the Australia series in February and March
• Redmond should open in ODIs and 20/20s. His attacking skills are now established after he disposed of his terrible defensive style in the test matches and his partnering with Ryder allows McCullum to return to his role of finisher in the lower order
• The article was correct when it came to Brendon McCullum, he should never be playing as just a batsman if he can keep and his skills are better used at No. 7 than No. 1. The experiment of making him a Gilchrist has largely failed not so much the lack of impact at the top but the hole it has left at the end of the game when a calm head is required.

Well that completes my review of 2008/2009 and my opinions regarding 2009/2010. I will provide predictions of each tour/series closer to the date of their commencement.
Over the weekend I will look at the points raised by this year's Colin Cowdrey Lecture on the Spirit of Cricket (by Adam Gilchrist) and next Thursday will be my Best England XI (which is currently giving me all sorts of headaches)

Thanks for reading

The Season that was 2008-2009

Hello and welcome back to my blog

As a keen cricket follower pointed out to me, the NZC contracts are ending and new ones are to be announced this week so I thought I might provide a review of the last season and any points to keep in mind for the next.
First my congratulations go to the women's team for making the finals of the 20/20 World Cup. They played very well but unfortunately didn't have their brain in gear for the final where they should have realised a 10:30 start at Lords would see the ball nip around. They should have aimed at a total of 120 not 140/150 - the Sri Lankan men's team fell to a similar mistake in their final.
However the White Ferns did far better than the Black Caps in England and deserve better than their treatment in the media where they have been accused of being overawed - the team that took 4 English wickets and made the opposition work to chase the small total was not overawed, they just made an error in calculation that cost them.

Now as to the Black Cap's Season 2008-2009

Keep in mind that in 2008 (winter tour) we lost 2-0 to England in the tests and won 3-1 in the ODIs (the test series should have been 1-1). The team was still rebuilding and for 2008/09 the immediate problem was the batting line up that had largely failed.

Overall Stats:

Tests: 9, Wins: 1, Draws: 5, Losses: 3

ODIs: 18, Wins: 7, No Result: 4, Losses: 7

20/20: 5, Wins: 3, Losses: 2

Series Breakdowns:
Bangladesh

• NZ bounced back after being 1-0 down in the ODIs thanks to Oram who scored 2 half-centuries and bowled well (Taylor also scored a hundred in the deciding game). It was as early as these games in which Southee was targeted by opposition batsmen
• The first test was won by Daniel Vettori in a brilliant all-round display: scoring 55* and 76 as well as 9-133. The second test was rained out until day 4 so a draw was predictable but not before Jesse Ryder impressed with 91
• The tour largely failed to deal with the batting problems although Ryder and Taylor provided good contributions.

Australia

• This tour was split in-half as the tests were played in November while the ODIs were in January
• On a greenish pitch the batsmen struggled (Taylor and Flynn showed good technique though) and the only highlight was Southee shutting up the Australian commentators with 4-63 on the first morning. Ultimately we were chasing too many to win and lost comfortably
• In the second test Redmond finally abandoned his poor defensive game to smack 83 then AUS were 245-5 but the bowlers couldn't get Haddin out. This loss was by an innings
• The ODI series was a great contest as NZ went 2-0 up after Mills (4-34) set up a victory in Perth and then Elliott (61*) guided as home in the second game. Elliot stood up to the Styris role in the third game with 8-0-44-2 plus 115 with the bat (in a lost game)
• The AUS batting got better as the series went on and the 2-2 finish (after the fifth was washed out) will seem disappointing.
• The 20/20 was lost by just 1 run as Brendon McCullum showed some form.
• The tour highlighted the growing maturity of Ross Taylor and Elliot (as an ODI all-rounder) but also the batting weakness to pace bowling and the lack of impact by O'Brien in the shorter formats.

West Indies

• The ODI series was marred by rain as the first game was washed out. The second was won by WI as Southee again was targeted (particularly by Gayle). Vettori set up a simple chase in the third game with 10-0-20-4.
• At 1-1 the fourth game was washed out but not before Guptill scored 122* on debut - a magnificent ODI innings. The final, deciding game was rain affected too but Ross Taylor got us ahead of the run rate and the series was won 2-1
• The first 20/20 was a tie (Gayle won it in the SUPER OVER)
• The second featured a 130 opening stand by McCullum and Ryder (at Hamilton just like against ENG the year before).
• The test series began with a swap in the batting that saw Flynn at 3 and Ryder at 5. It came off as they scored 95 and 89 respectively. This should have set up a victory if NZ hadn't let WI off the hook with Jerome Taylor's century.
• The Napier test was drawn on a flat wicket with 136 to McIntosh and the Flynn/Ryder swap worked again with 57 and 57
• The series solidified the batting line up but the bowlers seem helpless unless there is swing. Of particular worry is the punishment Tim Southee received in the ODIs and 20/20s. The WI batsmen hit him off his line and I think he was over bowled by Vettori (mentally if not physically).

India

• SIX years after their last tour the pitches had gone from very green to very flat and the results suggested as much.
• NZ surprisingly won the 20/20s with McCullum guiding the team to competitive totals with 56 and 69*
• The ODIS were dominated by the Indian batsmen. The first was decided when rain set a target of 218 from 28 overs for NZ - not possible against the Indian attack. The second was washed out but the poor form of Mills was beginning to be expensive.
• Hundreds to Tendulkar and Sehwag destroyed us in the next two games despite 101 to Ryder. Southee had figures of 10-0-105-0 in Christchurch as India set NZ 393 to win. McCullum and Ryder put on 101 at Hamilton (good record building for them at this ground) to no avail; 3-0 after 4
• The solitary win came on a greenish wicket in Auckland as Ryder took 3-29 then hit 64 off 49 balls to win the game.
• The first test was lost after the batsmen couldn't adapt to the longer form of the game. 6-60 on the first morning is not a score that wins test matches although Ryder (102 - maiden ton) and Vettori (118) did rescue the total. India scored over 500 and avoiding an innings loss was the only consolation from the thrashing
• The Napier pitch was even flatter than before and both teams cashed in. NZ was 3-13 early before Taylor blasted 151 followed by Ryder (201) and McCullum (115). Although India were bowled out for just 305 the wicket gave no help to the bowlers on days 4 and 5. I began my blog following this test match after the appalling treatment Ryder got from members of the media after his dismissal on 201.
• The Wellington test saw NZ escape a beating after rain and Ross Taylor (107) saved the last day. India were 204-6 on day one but the bowlers allowed the total to reach 379 by stumps and the initiative was lost
• The whole tour was a run-fest on flat wickets and against that kind of Indian team the result was a forgone conclusion.

The season allowed the batting line up to solidify and the batsmen will need to develop in those positions next year. The bowling is now the major problem because 1: they lack penetration on pitches that aren't green and 2: they are all 30 or there abouts - hopefully the domestic scene will produce a few new pace bowlers to balance the aging attack. The return of Shane Bond will help for the next season but this is not a long term solution.

Well this post has become long enough so I will hold off my comments on contract selection till later in the week (instead of a 'team of the week')

Well that's it from here and I hope to see you again
It's good bye for now

11 Baggy Green Caps

Team of the Week

I continue this week with my "best ... XI" series by naming my ultimate Australian Team. surprisingly this selection was far easier than the New Zealand XI from last week because, although Australia has produced an army of very good cricketers, the great players stand just over the others. No doubt people will question the absence of the Waugh twins, the mighty Allan Border, the elegant Greg Chappell or the legendary Richie Benaud and they were in contention but only just missed out.

The Team:

• B. Woodfull
• B. Ponsford
• R. Ponting
• Sir. D. Bradman (c)
• V. Trumper
• K. Miller
• A. Gilchrist (wk)
• R. Lindwall
• S. Warne
• D. Lillee
• G. McGrath
• B. O’Reilly

Explanations:

• To open I believe the two Bills would be the best combination, both averaged over 45 in tests and 64 in first class cricket and known for their powers of concentration. They formed the rock that Australia built their scores around for a decade between 1925 and 1934 (along with Bradman) and their possible low run rate would be offset by the following middle order.
• The middle order includes three of the most (successfully) aggressive batsmen in the history of the game. Ponting for his ability to confront bowling fits into his natural position which allows Sir Donald to build massive scores at No. 4. Trumper, who averaged just 39 in tests, is included for his reputation on 'sticky' wickets and would be best suited to save a top-order collapse as Australian teams are prone to do every now and then.
• Miller is the allrounder of the side averaging 37 with the bat and 23 with the ball and could counterattack with either skill
• The position of keeper was easy for me, Gilchrist is one of my favourite cricketers for his keeping and his batting (which destroyed many a New Zealand bowling attack) and his ability to keep against spin puts him ahead of Marsh
• The spinner is the best leg spin bowler in the history of test cricket - enough said
• The pace quartet (including Miller) is completed with Lindwall, McGrath and Lillee. It wouldn't really matter which opened the bowling, although I do regard Miller as a partnership breaker. Also Lindwall's ability to bat (average 21 with 2 centuries) removes the need for a batsman to bowl from the top order
• The 12th Man is Tiger O'Reilly solely for the purpose of playing instead of Shane Warne when playing India (he would play along side him in other games too). His leg spinners were near medium pace and provided bounce (like Kumble) and would be very useful on sub-continent pitches.

As you can see the side selected here includes players from as early as 1904 and this is only possible due to the information available on the likes of Trumper and the two Bills. Their reputations have lasted the test of time and still find their ways into conversations concerning the great players of cricket. For those of you not familiar with some of these names I would recommend cricinfo as a starting point and perhaps you can delve into the history of the game that I have so enjoyed doing over the last few years.
Either way I hope you provide your opinions on my Best Australian XI

Join me next Thursday for another XI

The Pakistan Bunny

Hello and welcome back to my blog

One of a cricket fans favourite past times is to reminisce about bowlers that had a hold over specific batsmen - their bunnies. From Warne getting out Cullinan, McGrath getting out Atherton and even Verity getting out Bradman it can be funny to remember how techniques, great against some, would crumble at the very sight of others. Well it happens from team to team as well - in New Zealand's case the tormentor seems to be Pakistan (given how often other teams beat them it is strange that NZ fall so often to the most unpredictable team in cricket).

Here is a timeline of major losses that Pakistan has inflicted on the Black Caps in World Cup events:

• 1992 - the semi-final, NZ were the form team of the tournament and in this game Crowe lifted the total to a competitive 262 but then watched Inzamam-ul-haq (60 off 37 balls) destroy the bowling in the late overs (Harris: 10-0-72-1) to leap into the finals (which they won)
• 1999 - the semi-final again and it was worse as Pakistan chased down 241 with 9 wickets in hand and 15 balls remaining (Saeed Anwar: 113* off 140 balls). They were crushed by Australia in the final.
• 2007 - 20/20 world cup semi-final and Pakistan again cast us aside by first keeping us to just 143 (Gul: 4-0-15-3) and then chasing it down with 7 balls to spare (Imran Nazir: 59 off 41 balls)
• 2009 - 20/20 world cup super 8 stage, Pakistan crushed us out of nowhere by 6 wickets after Umar Gul (again) impressed with 3-0-6-5. Although the up-coming game against Sri Lanka will decide our fate, this loss to Pakistan may prove our downfall.
• 2011 - world cup:???

As we can see, for some reason, Pakistan has beaten New Zealand comfortably on several important occasions (not dissimilar to a certain French sports team) even when the Black Caps are in their best form. Naturally there are other teams such as Australia that have done the same but the fact that Pakistan was only a top cricket nation from 1987-1992 makes their victories more surprising.

If we look at Test matches we see a terrible record:
Played: 45
NZ victory: 6
PAK victory: 21
DRAW: 18

• From 1990-1994 Pakistan beat NZ 6 consecutive times
• Javed Miandad averaged 80 against NZ with 7 hundreds
• As recently as 2002 the Black Caps were clobbered by an innings and 300+ runs after Inzamam-ul-haq scored 329

The ODI record is worse:
Played: 78
NZ victory: 29
PAK victory: 47

The best sides and the best players have often used the New Zealand cricket team to improve their statistics but I fear that Pakistan manages to humiliate us too often.
Looking at the specific victories listed above, they are 'wicket' victories - perhaps we should be BOWLING first against our world cup nemesis

Well that's it from here and I hope to see you again
It's good bye for now

Best New Zealand XI

Team of the Week

This week I begin a series of posts devoted to the "Best ... XI" of Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies. Each time I will select the best combination of 11 players (plus a 12th man) from what I have seen, read and been told about the players from the relevant country. At the end I will nominate the best XI of world cricket.

This week I start with New Zealand and boy what a challenge it is - probably the nation I'm most knowledgeable about - with great players from Dempster and J.R. Reid to Sutcliffe and Donnelly then the professional era of Turner and Hadlee and now Fleming and Vettori. I have tried to narrow it down by thinking of combinations and the realities of Test Cricket - the goal being to win test matches on any surface.

The Team

1. G. Turner
2. J. Wright
3. M. Crowe
4. S. Fleming (c)
5. J. Ryder
6. C. Cairns
7. B. McCullum (wk)
8. Sir. R. Hadlee
9. D. Vettori
10. L. Cairns
11. S. Bond
12. M. Greatbatch

Explanations:

• Being a traditionalist of sorts I wanted a right-hand-left-hand combination to open the batting which meant the likes of Richardson and Sutcliffe suffered. The Wright and Turner are also noted as doing well against the best fast bowlers of their times (West Indies) particularly Turner who scored FOUR double hundreds in ONE tour of the Caribbean.
• To counter balance the noted-defensive style of said openers, Crowe and Fleming are the other top-order batsmen. Crowe, as our best technical batsman is the No.3 as he would have the best ability to change his game from defence to attack as the situation may demand. Fleming is captain and his best batting was achieved at 4, he is my favourite Black Cap batsman as a elegant driver and puller.
• My No. 5 selection will cause the most controversy I'm sure as Jessie Ryder has only played a handful of test matches. I believe he will finish (off-field behaviour aside) as one of our best batsmen, his hundreds against India impressed me with his range of shots and the right temperament informing his shot selection.
• C. Cairns and Hadlee have been our best allrounders, both aggressive batsmen (right and left-hander too) and bowlers with different skills on offer.
• I think any side that wishes to win test matches must have a spinner and Vettori has been our best, he has a great spinner's brain and his style is developed to contain on green pitches.
• L. Cairns provides variation in the bowling attack with his famous in-swing that allowed him to take TWO 7-fors against England
• Bond provides pure pace and more swing and his combination with Hadlee would match the best in the history of the game.
• I have included Greatbach as the 12th Man in recognition of his 146* at Perth in 1990 - one of the great NZ innings

The cricket scholars among you may note that none of the players above played before the 1970s. The difficulty of comparing players across eras is well noted and indeed I could have provided another XI with players from 1930-1975. In the end I decided to keep it to the professional players which also coincides with the beginning of New Zealand's competency in the sport. Also the footage and other media available on these players is superior to the older players (unfortunately as Donnelly and Sutcliffe were apparently a joy to watch).

Well, there is my best NZ XI and I invite comment and criticism on this favourite of cricketing exercises

Join me next Thursday for another XI

Cricket Obituaries

Hello and welcome back to my blog

While the 2009 international season gets into full swing in England with the 20/20 World Cup and impending Ashes contest, there will no doubt be plenty to talk about - so in order to balance the current events with the discussion created by them I am introducing a new segment. Six observations of the game this week

THAT'S SIX 6S IN THE OVER!

1. We weren't sure whether to laugh or sigh as 20/20 World Cup Hosts, England were beaten by the Dutch
2. Those of us supporting New Zealand couldn't do either, but instead close our eyes and pray as the Scots almost inflicted a loss on us
3. ...and unfortunately the means of our success, Ross Taylor, is cause for just as much concern as he continues to hit across the line as a default shot; he is a great off-side player that will cheat himself out of a fine career if he doesn't get his brain in gear
4. The Yellow Australian Machine looks as rusty as in 2005, with poor batting, sloppy fielding and thoughtless bowling
5. ...on the bright side they got rid of those terrible 20/20 uniforms from last year!
6. Finally, at least in this 20/20 tournament we don't have a seven minute add break chopping up the action - good riddance

Andrew Symonds

In a newspaper we find kindly written obituaries to the people whose lives have sadly ended and unfortunately this courtesy has not yet been extended to the career of Andrew Symonds. The speed at which people have rushed to denounce him and highlight their own 'never-wavering' support of ending his career is appalling and to any lover of the game, comes across as opportunism and sports journalism at its worst. I would like to provide a better account of his colourful and controversial career.

People sat up and noticed Symonds in 2003 when he scored 143* against Pakistan and although I didn't see the innings, there has been nothing but praise said of it because he came in with his team FIVE down with few runs on the board. The innings saved Australia's World Cup campaign after it was deflated (Shane Warne's drug ban) - a point apparently forgotten by Ian Chappell.
http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/407791.html

One innings I did see was his 156 (127) against the Black Caps in Wellington where Australia had lost wickets and he carried them well past 300. The highlight was THREE consecutive sixes off Chris Cairns. At the SCG, he helped Ricky Ponting rescue the team from 3-13 against Sri Lanka and ended with 151 (127) as Australia turned around a 1-0 finals series.
Both innings revealed a master ODI batsman that, when in, was able to hit any delivery to any part of the ground and just didn't look like getting dismissed.

The public is quite aware of his drinking problems in 2005, 2007 and in the last six months but too often the events are taken out of context. For instance, granted he did drink before the game against Bangladesh in 2005 - a game that should be remembered for the shock result not his absence - but he did come back and win that series for Australia with fine performances with bat and ball (winning man of the series).
The 'gone fishing' incident was the possibly the worst received as it was reported as selfish (although it was a mistake by him not an intentional rebuke). We must remember that Shane Warne was accused of and often proven to have perpetrated, far worse things but many allowed his on field brilliance to redeem him in their eyes; does Symonds have to be a Wisden Cricketer of the Century before he gets such treatment?

The worst was Peter English of Cricinfo, who produced a terrible piece within a day of Symonds being sent home from the 20/20 world cup where the controversies caused by Symonds and those where he was the victim were blurred to paint the picture of a spoilt individual. This allowed the slight of hand where English reduced his cricket talent to 'slogging to midwicket' as opposed to the brilliant ODI all-rounder that he was. The whole article reeked of a conservative bias that managed to include a tacky and irrelevant quip about the Australian Budget deficit. I was ashamed as a cricket-traditionalist to read it.
http://www.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/407431.html

Some might say we deserved better from Andrew Symonds and those that look up to cricketers as role models probably did but he certainly deserved better from us, the people who enjoyed his career on field.

Well that's it from here and I hope to see you again
It's good bye for now

NZ 20/20 XI for the World Cup 2009

Team of the Week

Just before the tournament kicks off this weekend I have taken a moment to compile the XI that I believe can do well for New Zealand in England over the next three weeks. I have tried not to rely on stats too heavily because I find them misleading at best in the shortest form of the game. Instead I have drawn on my recollection of how the players performed in the IPL, at home in 2008/9 and their noted skills.

The Team:
Openers (strikers)

• B. McCullum (wk)
• J. Ryder

Middle order (innings players)

• M. Guptil
• R. Taylor
• S. Styris

Lower order (sloggers/hitters)

• J. Oram
• J. Franklin
• N. McCullum

Flexible (fiddlers/strike rotators)

• P. McGlashan
• D. Vettori (c)

Tail end

• I. O'Brien/I. Butler (the latter will naturally appear higher up the order if selected)

• As the coach I would instruct the strikers to go-for-it as early as possible, naturally one will get out early and the remaining one should continue with one of the innings players at the other end getting set (if two innings players should bat together, one should become a striker asap).
• The sloggers should come in from over 10 and look to hit singles for about an over then hit out.
• The fiddlers are the players I believe can maneuver the ball best and feed strike to the sloggers etc. They are hugely important because they must be able to come in at any point where a collapse is looming and hit the ball to strange places (McGlashan has shown particular skill in this department all year)
• With two spinners and three full time seamers the attack in nicely balanced with Ryder as back up
• Brendon McCullum should keep so that my fantasy cricket team works properly!
• The plan is basic and the players I have selected are, mostly, clever enough to adapt to the situation which is the real key to succeeding at this game

Well that is my pick and please feel free to pick at my selection and reasoning - no doubt it will not completely succeed as 20/20 is hard to predict

Look out for my upcoming post about the balance of bat and ball across the forms of cricket

Join me next Thursday for another XI