It’s all been said here before and my hope is that this gives rise to some serious reflection and forward planning. Whatever happens with the PNG & Uganda games will make no difference to what has been a disaster.
You mentioned Tim Paine’s comments about England. Possibly true, but probably truer of us. In modern T20 a top three with Conway and Williamson in it is conservative thinking. Over the last two years we’ve had Phillips, Mitchell & Ravindra show us what a new top order could look like but we’ve been afraid to go there.
You also mentioned the quality of the Super Smash and fair call. And possibly the thinking may be “sure the old guys are fading but super smash is so far below international standard we can’t have any faith the emerging talent there is actually that good”. This has been an argument in NZ cricket for years. But at some point you have to try something different.
I would have liked to have seen Robinson, Sears and Foulkes go to this World Cup. They’re the emerging talent.
Great point on the three changes to the first game. Clear sign that they got things completely wrong in the first game, and then exacerbate the problem by bringing in three other cold guys - the exact issue from the first game.
AI makes my skin crawl at times but I do think we could put it to good use at times, such as replacing Gary Stead without incurring cost on the final year of his contract.
My other issue is with the ICC and the scheduling of this tournament, on pitches that at times have been completely unsuited to a decent product, and also so close to the IPL that created a situation where we played no warm-ups, Australia had four coaches on the field to make up numbers (and hilariously, the fielding coach dropped a catch) etc. The IPL is 16 years old and we are no closer, in fact further from making it work hand-in-hand with the international calendar.
The Herald is reporting a line of questioning directed at Williamson after the game. Interestingly his response to the proposition that NZ’s golden era is over was “there’s still some guys here that will hang around for a while yet”. An insight into the thinking / reluctance to cycle in new talent?
Having completed the NRL.com Ladder Predictor for the rest of the season, we can lose a maximum of 3 more games to make top 4. Even losing 3, I have us finishing 5th.
5th & 6th place get a week one home final. It is the long route to the GF but when was the last time we had home finals in back to back years?
Regarding the Euros I am currently in Germany and the entire country has been taken over with euro fever. The city I'm staying in has a famzone that had over 30,000 people visit it yesterday for a pre tournament concert. What do you believe NZ does wrong with tournaments and our teams that means we don't have this same level of fanaticism?
Our conservative nature and mostly 2 bit stadiums where you aren't close to the action? Having been part of the women's football world cup the overseas fans provide so much more colour and passion that NZers only show when a try is scored.
I also rmember enjoying Hunter S Thompson on Leon Spinks (I think), but now that I try to find the piece I mean (included in The Great Shark Hunt if you're a fan of his writing) I think it may not be so much about Spinks, as Ali and boxing... so potentially neither a profile or a feature on anyone :D
Some great points there re: the cricket Dylan.
It’s all been said here before and my hope is that this gives rise to some serious reflection and forward planning. Whatever happens with the PNG & Uganda games will make no difference to what has been a disaster.
You mentioned Tim Paine’s comments about England. Possibly true, but probably truer of us. In modern T20 a top three with Conway and Williamson in it is conservative thinking. Over the last two years we’ve had Phillips, Mitchell & Ravindra show us what a new top order could look like but we’ve been afraid to go there.
You also mentioned the quality of the Super Smash and fair call. And possibly the thinking may be “sure the old guys are fading but super smash is so far below international standard we can’t have any faith the emerging talent there is actually that good”. This has been an argument in NZ cricket for years. But at some point you have to try something different.
I would have liked to have seen Robinson, Sears and Foulkes go to this World Cup. They’re the emerging talent.
Great point on the three changes to the first game. Clear sign that they got things completely wrong in the first game, and then exacerbate the problem by bringing in three other cold guys - the exact issue from the first game.
AI makes my skin crawl at times but I do think we could put it to good use at times, such as replacing Gary Stead without incurring cost on the final year of his contract.
My other issue is with the ICC and the scheduling of this tournament, on pitches that at times have been completely unsuited to a decent product, and also so close to the IPL that created a situation where we played no warm-ups, Australia had four coaches on the field to make up numbers (and hilariously, the fielding coach dropped a catch) etc. The IPL is 16 years old and we are no closer, in fact further from making it work hand-in-hand with the international calendar.
The Herald is reporting a line of questioning directed at Williamson after the game. Interestingly his response to the proposition that NZ’s golden era is over was “there’s still some guys here that will hang around for a while yet”. An insight into the thinking / reluctance to cycle in new talent?
I'm glad you mentioned Braunias. A master of his craft IMO
Glad to hear Duncan Grieve’s writing referenced too. By the way, hope there’s a ‘Fold’ podcast episode lined up at some point.
That Kevin Fallon profile is wild. I didn’t remember that from the time thanks for posting
Top 4 does look a step too far for the Warriors.
Having completed the NRL.com Ladder Predictor for the rest of the season, we can lose a maximum of 3 more games to make top 4. Even losing 3, I have us finishing 5th.
5th & 6th place get a week one home final. It is the long route to the GF but when was the last time we had home finals in back to back years?
Another great newsletter Dylan.
Regarding the Euros I am currently in Germany and the entire country has been taken over with euro fever. The city I'm staying in has a famzone that had over 30,000 people visit it yesterday for a pre tournament concert. What do you believe NZ does wrong with tournaments and our teams that means we don't have this same level of fanaticism?
Our conservative nature and mostly 2 bit stadiums where you aren't close to the action? Having been part of the women's football world cup the overseas fans provide so much more colour and passion that NZers only show when a try is scored.
I enjoyed Tom Wolfe's profile of Junior Johnson, although it may be too sprawling for that title by your criteria, and reads a little too uncomfortably of-its-time in places. https://classic.esquire.com/article/share/0162ac6c-ece8-4d24-aeb2-0046fb1a4655
I also rmember enjoying Hunter S Thompson on Leon Spinks (I think), but now that I try to find the piece I mean (included in The Great Shark Hunt if you're a fan of his writing) I think it may not be so much about Spinks, as Ali and boxing... so potentially neither a profile or a feature on anyone :D