West Indies tour of New Zealand (5 T20s, 3 ODIs and 3 Tests)

[PhatBoy]

I think we are at the stage we can say the Test game is to bowler friendly

To be fair to this wicket, the overhead conditions have enhanced it a fair bit as well. The ball has swung in both innings well past the 40-50th over.

WI have a number of players not equipped to deal with it the combination of movement off the pitch and in the air, certainly not defensively.

Good to see Hope and Chanderpaul showing that they are, though.

 

[Plugger35]

I think we are at the stage we can say the Test game is to bowler friendly

More like the standard of test batting has deteriorated where most batsmen struggle to cope on anything but flat T20 style roads.

 

[PhatBoy]

More like the standard of test batting has deteriorated where most batsmen struggle to cope on anything but flat T20 style roads.

That plays a part - I don’t think it’s a coincidence that players like Bavuma, Smith (although he CAN adjust to play t20), Rahane before he was dispensed with, Mathews who played some really good innings in NZ and England - they are players who you would want to dig in for you in tough conditions, players who while they may have played a lot of T20 cricket, they aren’t ’specialists’ at it or didn’t become ‘reputational’ T20 players as such. They play T20 cricket BECAUSE they’re good batsmen, they aren’t considered good batsmen because they can play T20 cricket.

So it definitely has merit.

But outside of England where pitches aren’t as green as they used to be, there’s no doubt that it’s tougher.

You could maybe make the argument that SA isn’t quite as tough as it used to be because the venues are moved around a bit more: they don’t play on damp flyers at The Wanderers EVERY summer as a rule which from memory they used to.

But pitches certainly aren’t as easy on a whole and I don’t think there’s any argument you could make to the contrary

 

[Plugger35]

Conway finally takes a catch off Chanderpaul and it was harder than the two he dropped off him.

 

[Plugger35]

The light is getting bad there again so NZ are forced to bowl spin rather than pace, there could be some rain coming as well.

 

[PhatBoy]

Not an ideal scorecard but I’m reasonably pleased with that given the conditions

 

[PhatBoy]

Hopefully some sunshine tomorrow and we can whittle that deficit down to something below 30 or thereabouts

 

[Plugger35]

I think the rain has stopped there now but I don't think the players will be going back out there with the light still being bad.

 

[Plugger35]

The players are back out there and NZ are allowed to bowl their pace bowlers, that's a surprise.

Duffy getting the wicket of Imlach off his first ball after the break.

 

[PhatBoy]

I think I have a new favourite number 11

 

[PhatBoy]

That was Walsh-esque

 

[Plugger35]

Duffy cleaning up the Windies tail to get a 5'fer and a 64 run lead, that's better than I expected when the Windies were 100/2.

 

[PhatBoy]

Duffy cleaning up the Windies tail to get a 5'fer and a 64 run lead, that's better than I expected when the Windies were 100/2.

Probably about what I was

 

[Plugger35]

Latham and Conway surviving the first hour of play and taking the lead over 120, conditions look much better for batting today.

 

[Plugger35]

The Windies striking back with the wickets of Conway and Williamson before lunch but with a lead of 164 NZ are still well ahead.

 

[Plugger35]

Fifties for Latham and Ravindra and the lead up to 250 now, Ravindra having some luck though with a couple of dropped catches.

 

[Plugger35]

NZ definitely won that session, they piled on 133 more runs without losing a wicket and Latham scoring his first ton in 3 years.

 

[Plugger35]

A great ton from Ravindra at close to a run a ball, he has made the Windies pay for those dropped catches early on in his innings.

 

[ioppolo]

Well, i expected NZ to win but I didn't expect a score of 2/378.

 

[Plugger35]

A great yorker from Shields to bowl Ravindra but too little too late with Rachin scoring 176 and the lead now closing in on 500.

PhatBoy is still noticeably absent from this thread today now that the Black Caps have batted his Windies team out of the game.

 

[PhatBoy]

What a hideous day

 

[Plugger35]

NZ all out for 466 and a lead of 530, neither Blundell and Smith could bat due to injury, Roach getting a 5'fer with the last wicket.

I can't see the Windies chasing that target down over the next couple of days even though conditions look better for batting now.

.

 

[PhatBoy]

Roachy

 

[Plugger35]

Duffy dismissing both the Windies openers since lunch.

Once again the Windies hopes are now resting on Hope.

 

[Plugger35]

Athanaze gifting his wicket to Bracewell, he would fit in well in the England batting line up with reckless shots like that.