We were looking for improvements
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Kane Williamson sure knows how to do an understatement in a press conference.
The way of losing was well balanced.
1st ODI Fielding
2nd ODI Bowling
3rd ODI batting
To simplify it, Australia won the Trevor-Barry because when their batsmen got in they made it count.
It was a series in which New Zealand did a lot of things right, but never collectively. In some ways it was summed up on Friday night when Martin Guptill, New Zealand’s best batsman over the week, played the worst shot of the night at the most important time.
And they were up against a side that included David Warner.
Smith 164
Warner 119
Warner 156 (he almost carried his bat, you know)
Key Learnings
We’ve heard a lot about Key Learnings over the weekend, and that in itself is the biggest worry. In the corporate world when someone in middle management stands up and talks about Key Learnings people just switch off.
It would appear that Jimmy Neesham is now a specialist batsman. The former winner of the young fast bowler of NZ Competition seemed not overly interested in much action at the crease, although his efforts with the bat might indicate a change of career path along the lines of fellow media personality Mark Richardson.
One KL would be that BJ Watling’s energy is not best served in ODI cricket; especially not batting at #7. In such a lengthy season you cannot expect him to play in every game, and the various white ball games against Bangladesh over the holiday period would seem to be the obvious time for a rest.
Henry Nicholls is struggling in his international career; a tour to Australia in his less preferred form of the game was a bit ambitious.
Colin Munro once again missed a trick or three.
Colin de Grandhomme made the squad due to his surprise success in the home tests at home against Pakistan in November. He wasn’t a failure as such, but it seemed a bit vague as to how he should best be used. He is not really a fifth bowler in an ODI, more like a replacement for Elliott as a 6th bowler who fiddles in half a dozen overs in the middle of the innings to open up options for the skipper. He really needs to come off with the bat soon though.
Speed ball Auckland promoted phenomenon Lockie 155k Fergusson was probably elevated a bit early. Looks like a good T20 option though; given the 4 over restriction.
In other news Southee and Boult were mostly slightly improved from where they’ve been over the last year while Henry, arguably NZ’s best ODI bowler in 2016, had a toe curlingly bad over at the death in Canberra.
Santner was very good with the ball, if handled strangely at times, but he needs a decent innings in some form of the game pretty soon.
And then there was the chief Key Learnings guy. Kane Williamson. He was clearly found out a bit here. But we know Kane; he’s a slightly obsessive learner of the game. If there is to be silver lining/learning out of this, it’s a reasonable guess he’ll come back a better captain.
If only he would stop talking about Key Learnings.