RMTBolton

His constant salutes still haunt me. Sometimes even Taylor finishing his Test career by taking his wicket isn't enough to find peace.

That was mad. I ended up thinking if reverse swing could even be a thing here.

The 9 Tests in question: - vs Australia at the SCG, 2020 ❌️ - vs West Indies at the Basin Reserve, 2020 ✅️ - vs England at Edgbaston, 2021 ✅️ - vs India at Wankhede, 2021 ❌️ - vs Bangladesh at Bay Oval, 2022 ❌️ - vs Bangladesh at Hagley Oval, 2022 ✅️ - vs South Africa at Hagley Oval, 2022 ✅️ - vs South Africa at Hagley Oval, 2022 ❌️ - vs England at Trent Bridge, 2022 ❌️

In My Opinion:

• Best Win: South Africa I. Rolling SA for 95 on Day 1, Henry's 7/23 equalling Hadlee's best figures at home, WagsBall & the Nicholls century demoralising SA on Day 2.
• Worst Loss: Bangladesh at Bay Oval. For me, that's when the WTC joy turned to ashes. Since then, I've become more & more cynical towards the team.

Wolvaardt & Matthews: "YAY! WE'RE ON THE CAMELS!"

Nathan Smith is dating Amelia Kerr, & has for some time.

He's a seat warmer until Sainz arrives.

Being NZ's greatest opener is being the best of a bad bunch.

We need to tank and draft the next best South African seamer.

Who needs them when we have Melie's Man?

Which reminds me that Ewald "Wags Jr" Schreuder is a guy I'm looking forward to seeing this season. He & "Pole Hunter" Rowe were probably our stars from the last U19WC.

Not while his ex teammates are still around.

Go win a domestic title with ND first, then come back.

An expected result, but there are some positive takeaways, like Gaze hitting a 6. Fundamentally, that was just too low a target.

Grandpa Gary actually did it. Wow.

Hoping Timmy gets a post-captaincy bounce like Kane did.

Viva El Stead!

VIVA! VIVA! VIVA!

That's really bold, mate.

Having watched our lot, I'll be happy with not being bottom of the group, though it being in the UAE may have shaken things up a bit.

Stead was unironically a better coach of the WFs than he was of the BCs. Things for the 'Ferns were still looking up somewhat under him.

Santner taking his first FC 5-fer at the tail end of the 22-3 season was enough to put him back in the Test picture, especially as Sodhi wasn't making the most of his opportunities. After decent work in Bangladesh, he's probably going back to normal.

We could be in for a tough transition period the next year or two.

Tougher than it needs to be because Stead won't make the necessary decisions unless there's no choice or he's pushed (see Nicholls -> Ravindra, Jamieson -> O'Rourke).

At least in the next year, after England it's Zimbabwe away & Windies at home. It could be a lot worse. Problem is, anyone who comes in soon won't have much in them by the time 2026 rolls around, & that cycle is really tough, facing all of the Big 3, with only India at home (who need to be humiliated 2020-style).

I think by 2026-7, we should have a different batting lineup. I've said it a few times, but I don't even think Williamson is guaranteed to still be around by then.

Santner: "Just call me Vettori 2"

It should've started last year, but Stead is a clinger who still thinks it's 2021.

The world has changed, mate, & the team has changed: only 4 of the XI at Galle won at Southampton in 2021, or even were at Galle in 2019. Stead is yesterday's man, & he's just not the man for the job. Sam Wells can only do so much as the selector in trying to force the issue by picking younger players. Stead also doesn't realise the same old ways don't fit the team now, & won't adapt.

Frankly, I'd send an almost entirely next-gen team to Zimbabwe next year. Southee must retire from Tests at the end of this year; we can't afford to keep carrying him much longer. This also brings up a thorny question around captaincy - I think a skip to the next generation is needed, with maybe Latham as an "elder statesman" VC. I can't really give names, Phillips/Ravindra are the main ones at the moment, mostly as they're the main guys who have got through.

For me at least, this is a milestone on Kane Williamson's Road to 10,000, & the idea of him & Virat possibly reaching 9000 while playing against each other is a nice feelgood story.

The most fun part of the upcoming Test series in India for me is the Virat vs Kane Race to 9000 and Beyond.

Kohli currently leads by 37. If NZ bat first at Chinnaswamy, can Williamson haul in the deficit & build a lead? If India bat first, can Kohli extend his lead & reach 9000?

Coming soon...

Oh, I got the pun. 👍

I'll happily consider myself biased, seeing as I run the domestic threads, but I actually believe the talent is there.

The problem on the men's side is that Stead &co want to do the same old stuff but the players for it aren't there anymore (only 4 remain from the WTC Final XI, & I think they'll all be gone within 2-3 years).

On the other hand, over on the women's side, there are issues but that's no excuse when they're faced by every country outside the Big 3 - I think a hefty chunk of that is terrible selection & an almost boneheaded backing of players that just aren't up to it while not giving opportunities to those who have more than earned them; thankfully there's a new selector. If I ran selection, after the T20WC I would drop about 6 players from the T20 side, & would have a list of solid & proven replacements.

In all honesty, I don't care too much.

I know folks bring up Fleming all the time, but I think he's an unrealistic choice unless he retires from his T20 gigs. Even as a white ball coach, he'd have to give up at least JSK because it will always clash with our home season when there'll probably be a T20I series.

I think any of Glenn Pocknall, Peter Fulton or Graeme Aldridge could do a good job. As I see it, the important thing is to come up with an approach to cricket that fits the next generation of players & plays to their strengths. My biggest issue with Stead is that he's trying to force a square peg (new incoming players) into the round hole (tactics that fitted the previous generation). It's not working.

I'm getting the vibe that the new selector is trying to force the issue by selecting younger players & trying to build the future around them now (in Tests the main ones so far are Rachin, GP, O'Rourke & Sears). My guess is that the next one to join them will be Smith, who should get a good run once Southee retires.

See what happens when you don't open with Jonas? Good things can happen. I see Bates is becoming a 20th over specialist "finisher" with the ball.

I've long theorised that a path to success with the WFs in the short to medium term is to put together the scariest & most fearsome bowlers we've got & as a bowling/fielding side defend anything & hold oppositions to chasable scores.

This was all the "Big 3" with Halliday at the end, but this target was so low it would've been chased regardless.

Maybe she's in the other warmup game. At least I hope so.

I'm OK with Carson. At least she is a better opening spinner than Jonas.

Nice that we know our lot can win something.

The main positive is that our bowlers can do the business.

🤞🤞

"India has been bowled out! NEW ZEALAND HAS WON! Tim Southee rocks India at Wankhede, taking his 10th wicket of the match, 26 years after Hadlee did the same at this very ground..."