I kind of hope we pick the next test team by thinking "What would Sri Lanka hate?": Ben Sears bowling rib ticklers, Will O'Rourke being scary, Matt Henry threatening the stumps, Phillips having a licence to boof some spinners around the park etc.
Conway's run of form makes his casual contract all the more curious. I assume he has been afforded it based on his commitment to become eligible- fair enough I guess.
I just feel like we are going to have to be creative to get anything at all out of these subcontinent forays: set funky fields, toss in a pinch hitter, use the odd golden arm bowler etc.
I agree Dave. With Ravindra and Phillips as lock ins we’ve got plenty of spinning back up for Ajaz, so Santner can go. As Dylan points out the runs will need to be made by the top 7 if they’re to be made at all. Of course they won’t drop Southee, but if they did a core attack of WO, BS, MH & Ajaz would cause a lot more tremors in the SL top 6.
Good point on Sears. I've always thought that was an underrated viewpoint - what does the opposition least want us to do? Although, given it's at the same venue next week, is it the same deck or are they bringing up a new one?
Naturally no Southee - he's done. And Santner, for the love of God - no.
I want a right hand/left hand opening combination and like your idea of Blundell or Phillips to open with Latham, and then it is a question of your option of Conway in the middle order breaking up the right handers or Young in the middle order where he should be. Personally I think Conway is done, and he'll just get bowled out of the rough outside offstump by the left arm spinner
I am tempted by the thought of Sears, O'Rourke and Henry (certainly at home + Jamieson, please!), but think it would be overkill at Galle, so:
8 Batsmen, two genuine strike pacebowlers, a genuine left arm spinner with Ravindra as backup, two better than part-time offies. Blundell to open over Phillips only because he has done it before - give him the same licence as Phillips (or go with Phillips...) BTW... have you played with a batter where you do all the calling? I have... you just tell them you're doing all the calling or they're welcome to run themselves out - why hasn't the same been said to Phillips? How many times did he try to run out Ravindra just prior to Ravindra getting to his 200 last season?
Of course Stead and the tour selectors won't drop the captain, or do anything innovative, so just a dream...
Interested in your thoughts on Southee Dylan. There’s a conspicuous lack of spotlight on him in all quarters. He averaged 200 runs a wicket in the home summer and had the keeper up to the stumps, yet he commands a place ahead of two guys who ran through the Aussies - Henry & Sears....captaincy complicates the picture but surely needs must...? I consider him to be a bigger problem than Conway. If Conway doesn’t make runs that’s a one man problem, not ideal but contained. Southee’s need to prove his place is spilling over the whole bowling attack. In the second SL innings O’Rourke bowled a spicey spell before lunch with the new ball and took the only wicket. After lunch, when he’d had a 40 minute break and the ball was still new he had to wait an hour to bowl because Southee bowled himself. Meanwhile the ball went soft and SL prospered against a toothless attack. That was a two man problem and a woeful waste of resources.
The concern around Conway is real, he's been horrendous since IPL 2023 and his breakout campaign there, which opened up significant opportunities and very likely changed his mentality to where the focus of his game lay. I don't expect to see any change in that, whether he opens, bats lower, or whatever else. His game is in disarray, and he's not changing that for a format that doesn't furnish his front room with flash new upholstery.
I have as much concern around Tom Latham, who doesn't have the same issues with franchise participation. Since Pakistan end of 2022, he has 17 scores of 20 or over in 24 knocks, has converted exactly zero into hundreds, and only 6 into half tons. That's not good enough for any 32-year-old 80-Test veteran, and certainly not one who has a busted partner. He's doing the hard work, and not doing enough with starts.
I have hope for Latham but feel that Conway is probably cooked. That front foot plants and it goes all wrong from there. Latham looks like the batsman he always was but just isn’t making runs. I do believe he’s overrated as his stats look great but he’s made all his runs against minnows, he’s not in the John Wright class at all, but he is the best we’ve got. But agree he needs to do better as a senior pro.
There is no doubt in my mind that we went into the first Sri Lankan test short of cricket. The Afghanistan fiasco in India being the cause. So I wasn't too upset at the result. The turning point was not establishing a decent first innings lead.
I'm a Conway fan but jeez he does look awful at the crease. Santner to me is not a test match bowler as he doesn't turn it enough and his batting has never come on like it once promised. Southee has been a great servant but he's bowling at 120kph! They won't drop him because he's captain but Sears/Henry would be a better bet.
Ajiz Patel bowled better as the game went on (lack of cricket before) and will be a big factor in the second test.
I remain optimistic but we probably don't want to be chasing a total again.
I kind of hope we pick the next test team by thinking "What would Sri Lanka hate?": Ben Sears bowling rib ticklers, Will O'Rourke being scary, Matt Henry threatening the stumps, Phillips having a licence to boof some spinners around the park etc.
Conway's run of form makes his casual contract all the more curious. I assume he has been afforded it based on his commitment to become eligible- fair enough I guess.
I just feel like we are going to have to be creative to get anything at all out of these subcontinent forays: set funky fields, toss in a pinch hitter, use the odd golden arm bowler etc.
I agree Dave. With Ravindra and Phillips as lock ins we’ve got plenty of spinning back up for Ajaz, so Santner can go. As Dylan points out the runs will need to be made by the top 7 if they’re to be made at all. Of course they won’t drop Southee, but if they did a core attack of WO, BS, MH & Ajaz would cause a lot more tremors in the SL top 6.
Good point on Sears. I've always thought that was an underrated viewpoint - what does the opposition least want us to do? Although, given it's at the same venue next week, is it the same deck or are they bringing up a new one?
Hi Dylan,
Love your work, keep it up :)
Before your good point about Will Young not being an opener (while a very good player), my team for the second test was:
Latham (c), Young, Williamson, Ravindra, Mitchell, Phillips, Blundell, Bracewell (or Sears at 10), Henry, Ajaz Patel, O'Rourke.
Naturally no Southee - he's done. And Santner, for the love of God - no.
I want a right hand/left hand opening combination and like your idea of Blundell or Phillips to open with Latham, and then it is a question of your option of Conway in the middle order breaking up the right handers or Young in the middle order where he should be. Personally I think Conway is done, and he'll just get bowled out of the rough outside offstump by the left arm spinner
I am tempted by the thought of Sears, O'Rourke and Henry (certainly at home + Jamieson, please!), but think it would be overkill at Galle, so:
Latham (c), Blundell, Williamson, Ravindra, Mitchell, Young, Phillips, Bracewell, Henry, Ajaz Patel, O'Rourke
8 Batsmen, two genuine strike pacebowlers, a genuine left arm spinner with Ravindra as backup, two better than part-time offies. Blundell to open over Phillips only because he has done it before - give him the same licence as Phillips (or go with Phillips...) BTW... have you played with a batter where you do all the calling? I have... you just tell them you're doing all the calling or they're welcome to run themselves out - why hasn't the same been said to Phillips? How many times did he try to run out Ravindra just prior to Ravindra getting to his 200 last season?
Of course Stead and the tour selectors won't drop the captain, or do anything innovative, so just a dream...
Interested in your thoughts on Southee Dylan. There’s a conspicuous lack of spotlight on him in all quarters. He averaged 200 runs a wicket in the home summer and had the keeper up to the stumps, yet he commands a place ahead of two guys who ran through the Aussies - Henry & Sears....captaincy complicates the picture but surely needs must...? I consider him to be a bigger problem than Conway. If Conway doesn’t make runs that’s a one man problem, not ideal but contained. Southee’s need to prove his place is spilling over the whole bowling attack. In the second SL innings O’Rourke bowled a spicey spell before lunch with the new ball and took the only wicket. After lunch, when he’d had a 40 minute break and the ball was still new he had to wait an hour to bowl because Southee bowled himself. Meanwhile the ball went soft and SL prospered against a toothless attack. That was a two man problem and a woeful waste of resources.
The concern around Conway is real, he's been horrendous since IPL 2023 and his breakout campaign there, which opened up significant opportunities and very likely changed his mentality to where the focus of his game lay. I don't expect to see any change in that, whether he opens, bats lower, or whatever else. His game is in disarray, and he's not changing that for a format that doesn't furnish his front room with flash new upholstery.
I have as much concern around Tom Latham, who doesn't have the same issues with franchise participation. Since Pakistan end of 2022, he has 17 scores of 20 or over in 24 knocks, has converted exactly zero into hundreds, and only 6 into half tons. That's not good enough for any 32-year-old 80-Test veteran, and certainly not one who has a busted partner. He's doing the hard work, and not doing enough with starts.
I have hope for Latham but feel that Conway is probably cooked. That front foot plants and it goes all wrong from there. Latham looks like the batsman he always was but just isn’t making runs. I do believe he’s overrated as his stats look great but he’s made all his runs against minnows, he’s not in the John Wright class at all, but he is the best we’ve got. But agree he needs to do better as a senior pro.
I’d buy that book and not only because Stephen Boock was the first cricket autograph I got.
There is no doubt in my mind that we went into the first Sri Lankan test short of cricket. The Afghanistan fiasco in India being the cause. So I wasn't too upset at the result. The turning point was not establishing a decent first innings lead.
I'm a Conway fan but jeez he does look awful at the crease. Santner to me is not a test match bowler as he doesn't turn it enough and his batting has never come on like it once promised. Southee has been a great servant but he's bowling at 120kph! They won't drop him because he's captain but Sears/Henry would be a better bet.
Ajiz Patel bowled better as the game went on (lack of cricket before) and will be a big factor in the second test.
I remain optimistic but we probably don't want to be chasing a total again.
Agree with everything you say Dennis
Nonpareil! That’s getting highfalutin. Eclipsed by Steve Braunias dropping ‘amanuensis’ into a piece today 😉
Gee if you were an opener or a keeper/batsman in the Plunket Shield this season you'd be licking your lips huh