Test for Black Caps batsman without Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson Absence

With Kane Williamson ruled out of the 2nd ODI vs Sri Lanka due to shoulder injury, Black Caps batting looks weak. Although, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor are playing - Kane Williamson has been the backbone of NZ batting past two years. It will be interesting to see who takes the No. 3 batting spot now. Are we going to see Ross Taylor bat at No. 3 and do this? or will it go to Latham (who badly needs opportunity to bat in top order).

Vettori needs Wickets

There is news from different sources that Daniel Vettori would play the 2nd ODI. This will be big game for Vettori as he is coming from Big Bash, where he had been very average with the ball. He needs to get some wickets in his bag ahead of the world cup.

Martin Guptill

Guptil had "Hit a 50 or get a single" kinda performances since last season. This series is the best chance for him to get his form going.


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CLT20 Time! Is Otago Volts Ready?

Otago gets a second chance to have a go at Champions League T20 (CLT20). Having participated in Champions League 2009, they could not reach the main draw of the competition as they have lost both the qualification games.

It looks like they have prepared well this time. Prior coming to India, They trained themselves in Australia for few days and then moved to Sri Lanka to play few practice games against local clubs. Glad that they won all the games and seems well prepared  for this T20 bash.

With the players like Brendon McCullum, RN ten Doeschate, Nathan McCullum, HD Rutherford, Neil Wagner in the squad, one can expect the team to do well!

Otago Volts Squad for CL T20:
DC de Boorder*†, NB Beard, MG Bracewell, NT Broom, IG Butler, MD Craig, JA Duffy, BB McCullum†, NL McCullum, JM McMillan, JDS Neesham, AJ Redmond, HD Rutherford, RN ten Doeschate, N Wagner

Volts will face Faisalabad Wolves, Kandurata Maroons and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the qualification round on 17th, 18th & 20th of this month respectively.

Looks like Otago is well prepared this time, however, the Coach Vaughan raised fitness & availability issues with all-rounder RTD. It'll be a big blow to the balance of the side if RN ten Doeschate is not available!

Wishing them Good Luck from BCF!

I want to see this NZ squad for WC 2011

1.McCullum+
2.Ryder
3.Guptill
4.Taylor
5.Styris
6.Franklin
7.Oram
8.Vettori (c)
9.NcCullum
10.Mills
11.Milne/Southee

Would personally bat Guptill ahead of Williamson in the ODI's. Not only does Guptill average over 30 with the bat & strikes over 80, but he's also a freak in the field & usually saves around 10-15 runs an innings with freakish stops. For me, Williamson's still more of a test prospect at this stage.

We're also effectively forced to play N. McCullum as the second spinner in subcontinent conditions & to be fair to him he was probably one of the better performed players in our nightmarish last dozen or so ODI's.

It's probably wishful thinking that Milne, under the guidance of Bond will take the world by storm in the next couple of months, but what the hey

Edit: Massive boost to get Oram back, he's criminally underrated as a one-day bowler & his return along with Franklin suddenly makes our batting line-up look ridiculously deep.

McCullum's 225 - Easily the best test innings in the recent times for NZ

Was such a great moment when Brendon brought up his 200. I was at the stadium; The innings that I can never forget in my life time.

Team's Batting Performance

Two test draws against India. Batsmen scoring runs more than once a series. Everyone in the top 7 contributing. Openers scoring centuries!!! Three innings without a massive collapse. Two 400+ scores and a 'low' score of 350 in three innings. They may be flat pitches but the NZ batsmen I know would still conspire to get themselves out.

Yet another splendid batting performance from NZ, making it really difficult for India to win a series they entirely expected to win at a canter. The batting in the second innings again showed good intent and discipline, while McCullum will quite rightly take the headlines with a tremendous match saving double ton, Kane Williamson impressed once again. He seemed more positive and fluent than when he made his century in the first Test, he was willing to come down the pitch to the spinners and hit over the top, and his back foot strokeplay was again good.

This is SO GOOD.

What happened to the real NZ? This must be what it feels like to support a proper test team.

What will we all constantly whinge about? Will Jonathan Millmow and the talkback troupe need new jobs? You can't complain much about McIntosh, McCullum and Guptill after this.