CWC Game #7 Black Caps v Pakistan
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@akan004 said in CWC Game #7 Black Caps v Pakistan:
The Pakistanis did well with a number of yorkers and slower balls in the last few overs. Southee could have replicated that, not sure if Henry can.
I actually like this set up for Henry. I've been critical of him so far this tournament but if Pakistan do come out looking to play the long game (similar to Amla & co) I do like his chances of frustrating or forcing a wicket.
If he goes at 8s here they can drop him at the airport on the way to Lords'.
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I've been up since 5 so have seen the last ten overs or so. When i wemt to bed we had just lost Latham so to wake up to a score of 238 and someone other than Williamson getting close to a ton was a pleasant surprise. Pakistan were 120-3, so i was optimistic. But in eyeballing the game situation as things have unfolded since, a few things have come into acute focus.
The main thing is selection. Blind Freddie can see Munro is a bag of arse holes in this format, and has to go. Today he's contributed significantly to an irrecoverably poor start. Latham is also terribly out of form. Today was made for him but he failed. Another 20-30 runs from the top five and this chase could still look dramatically different. That's not a lot to ask. Guptill has class so will come right, plus they can't all be replaced anyway. Even replacing Latham and Munro is problematic as we only have one spare batsman. More on that later.
We've badly mid-read the pitch today. I think setting a total was an ok call but we desperately needed an attacking spinner. Sodhi should have played, probably for Henry. We may not strike a pitch like this again but i hope if we do that Stead and Kane can be more flexible with selection.
So Australia next. Sodhi for Henry if we get another pitch of this ilk but otherwise it's just the batting which needs a rejig. Blundell and Nicholls should come in but this does shorten the order a tad as Blundell is a keeper who can bat as opposed to a batsman who keeps wicket like Latham. We could try him at the top in the dasher role but that's a lot of pressure especially under the conditions in which we'll face the form side in the tournament. But Blundell at five makes the order look a little light. I'm thinking Nicholls for Munro and Blundell to six with Neesham promoted especially given he now has form.
