New Zealand vs Zimbabwe, Only Test, Napier, 26-30 January, 2012

Watling looks likely to play for New Zealand ahead of van Wyk. One or both of Keegan Meth and Shingi Masaka should make their debuts for Zimbabwe.

3 day warm up match started today against a strong NZ team. Another Bracewell's playing in this match, do they just come out of some burrow?

Should be a doddle for the Kiwis.

I wonder if Meth's nickname is "Amph" or "Fet"?

Red wrote:Should be a doddle for the Kiwis.

That's NZ farked then.

skully wrote:I wonder if Meth's nickname is "Amph" or "Fet"?

Maybe Crystal (not Gayle).

I think it will be closer than most expect. They did bat well against Ajmal and co for one innings and the bowling is very decent. Will be miraculous if Zimbots win though.

Already taken.

Meth mouth then

Ouch.

That made a meth of his mouth.

So if no-one bumps this, will it slide off page 1 and be duplicated by the Head Cheese?

It will be my singular aim that that does not happen.

Pretty decent effort by Zimbabwe today, they're 330/9 without Brendan Taylor against McKay, Martin, Wagner, Arnel and a few others. Vettori's still the worry for Zimbabwe methinks.

Good man, t. I feel comfortable now that you are on the case.

Not good in the second innings from Zim, NZ XI are 270/5 and 4 of them are apparently retired out.
Shingi and Vitori having no ball issues as well. Chakabva should be playing the test after an 87 in the first dig.

Scorecard

Otago all rounder Sam Wells has been added to the NZ squad for the test.
Link

According to McCullum (of the Brendan kind), Wells is a batsman and is a decent bit part bowler.

Looking forward to this one.

Media going potty over Sam Wells' selection into the team.

It's supposedly a John wright selection and it goes against the "pie chart" selection policy.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/6023063/New-look-NZ-cricket-selection-policy-revealed

A bit of a Pattinson (the senior) selection as even the folk from Dunedin have not much of an idea about who he is.

Carn you Bots.

Possibly a green-ish pitch for the test.

BJ Watling has been confirmed as NZ's keeper and they may play four pace bowlers and Vettori at 6.

Not getting much from Zimbabwe.

Watling doesn't even keep wicket in first class cricket. Strange that NZ have suddenly chosen him to keep in a test match.

I don't know why they dropped Young in the first place.

Young was sh*t. Dropping him was a no-brainer. I don't know why Brendan McCullum doesn't stop acting like a c*ck and wear the gloves again. Having him as the keeper would improve the balance of the side so much. Yes he has a bad back now and then, but maybe quitting the IPL would remedy that?

Young was sh!t with the bat. He's more than a decent keeper.

McCullum had had a surgery in his right knee after some torn cartilege and dropped keeping in FC cricket. Best to avoid the risk and not do a Freddy.

It would be better for New Zealand if he stopped keeping in ODI and T20 cricket and only kept in the proper stuff.

Don't think that would be wise, simply because of the number of deliveries that a keeper has to crouch and stand in FC and test cricket. He's also not the sharpest keeper in the world and his batting has come a long way since he dropped keeping.

If he has such a serious problem with his knees, I'd like him to completely drop keeping.

He might suddenly find himself struggling to hold his spot in the test side as a specialist batsman. His record isn't THAT great. Take away Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and his test average is around the 30 mark.