Black Caps need a real test

A Black Caps sequence of test wins over West Indies, India and West Indies again is encouraging.

But we need to remind ourselves that we have not been tested against Australia and South Africa in the same period.

The previous summer, we more than held our own against England, and there was a test win in Sri Lanka.

With the inevitable decline of Dale Steyn and the retirement of Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith, South Africa will be a less formidable opponent, and Australia will not be the force they were, despite trouncing England in the Ashes series in Australia.

We certainly have major strengths.

Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor are now world class as top-order batsmen, BJ Watling is developing into a keeper-batsman of genuine quality, and Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner are a reliable bowling attack, genuinely dangerous when the ball is swinging or seaming.

Guiding them all is the best and most positive captain in world cricket, Brendon McCullum, who adds a great deal of value with his batting and his athleticism in the field.

There are still negatives.

Tom Latham, Corey Anderson, Jimmy Neesham, Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig are still works in progress, and there is a desperate need for a opener with the grit and skill of Mark Richardson.

The biggest disappointment to me is the continued failure of Southee to knuckle down at the crease and show the same sort of maturity that he shows with the ball.

Surely the batting coach can work on him if he is to remain at No 8 in the order.

Next year's series away in England and Australia should provide the benchmark to judge the potential of the current crop of Black Caps. 
http://www.stuff.co.nz

[quote author=The Chairman link=topic=90964.msg573379#msg573379 date=1404411237]
Guiding them all is the best and most positive captain in world cricket, Brendon McCullum, who adds a great deal of value with his batting and his athleticism in the field.

[/quote]

Surely Michael Clark is the most positive captain.

And how McCullum is the best - so he better than Dhoni. SMH.

Mussee a New Zealander write this.

The proof is right in front of your eyes , bokie dokie :

Brendon McCullum is de ONLY skipper that declared OVERNIGHT recently.

PuP and Dhoni wouldda shyte dem pants and come out for an hour.

Quote:[size=1.35em]Relentlessly proactive and innovative, Clarke's aggressive leadership in the field played a decisive role in Australia's brutal assault on their visitors.[/size]

How Good a Captain Is Michael Clarke? Assessing Australia Skipper's Record

Pup would never have declared Overnight.

Especially AWAY :

I seh suh 

Quote:[size=1.35em]An Australian declaration became West Indies' most likely means of getting off the field.

When Clarke called his men in - following Test-bests for both Harris and Lyon - they still trailed by 43. With the exception of the leather-jacket match at Centurion in 1999-2000, with its two blank innings, only one team had ever won a Test after declaring behind: England beat West Indies at this very venue on a rain-affected pitch in 1934-35.

[/size][size=1.35em]The momentum now was Australia's, and Clarke bravely reasoned that, with a shade over four sessions to go, he had little to lose. Things turned out rather better than that. Asked to bat for half an hour before tea, West Indies wilted against Hilfenhaus, who showed he had learned from the first day by pitching full and straight. Barath aimed a drive and lost his leg stump, Brathwaite swished unnecessarily outside off to be taken behind by the debutant Matthew Wade, and Kirk Edwards shuffled across and was lbw in a manner that would become familiar to English observers later in the year.

[/size][size=1.35em]After the break, Harris collected the most critical scalp of all, angling the ball in from round the wicket and darting it away to send back Chanderpaul; Siddle then snuffed out a brief rally from Bravo before the close, which West Indies reached with a lead of 114 but only five wickets in hand. A series of nuisance-value lower-order stands soaked up time on the final morning, setting Australia 192 from 62 overs.

It would test both their ability to score quickly on a wearing surface and the limits of light that had faded early on every day of the Test. [/size][size=1.35em] Clarke's plan called for the preservation of wickets up to tea, which was taken at 61 for one from 22 overs, and a headlong pursuit thereafter. Cowan dropped anchor - to the irritation of a section of fans - and Watson played aggressively for a 57-ball 52. He became the first of four quick wickets for Deonarine's gentle off-spin, including Cowan after 100 balls and just one boundary, but Sammy's subsequent field-placings suggested West Indies' priority remained salvaging a draw. Australia, by contrast, stayed focused on victory, and now Hussey and Wade put together a partnership of infinitely greater value than the 37 runs it accrued, steadying the innings while also rushing it forward. [/size][size=1.35em] Roach removed Wade with 15 needed, and Hussey with only three to go, but the winning runs came as the sun hid behind the Hall and Griffith Stand.

Australia celebrated proudly, and in full view of a disconsolate Sammy, who promised to remember their jubilation. Clarke found parallels with the 2006-07 Adelaide Ashes Test, when Shane Warne had insisted the match would be won from similarly unpromising beginnings. "As a young player I thought: 'Righto, that's my attitude, I'm going to win.' A few years on and I'm in the change-rooms telling the boys we're going to win this Test match," said Clarke. "Hopefully a few of them believed me the way I believed Warnie back then."[/size]

What does that post suggest ?  :-\

That Baz was in the same situation ?

I am still not impressed by New Zealand's series win over West Indies. A better team like South Africa or Australia would easily dismiss the kiwis. Sure they have been making progress but they I to constantly win series and matches for me to take them seriously in terms of being one of the top teams.

I honestly do believe a bigger task needs come.
If they want to prove themselves, they need a big task to show what they are made of.

They have proved their mettle against lower ranked teams,#save India.That was an off series probably.NZ are looking good on paper but to ascertain the real strength,they should be put in a tough situation,for now,they have had all good instances and they responded well.
It doesn't need to be a higher ranked team.Someone should grind them down,leaving them staring for answers. Idk who can do it,but if they really can do,then NZ will be different,either way,of how you think.