May 28, 2026 • 48 mins
This week on On The Front Foot, Bryan Waddle and Jeremy Coney were joined by Black Cap Rachin Ravindra and White Ferns Coach Ben Sawyer as both teams prepare for major events in England.
Plus, former Black Cap Hamish Marshall shares a few of his memories of playing at Lords.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, take another padreck, it is out.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
The Test is over. Goodness, smoke us a beauty.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It is out and hearing guys.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
This delivery has in the music to.
Speaker 5 (00:33):
Bowl on the Front Foot with Brian Waddell and Jeremy
Coney powered by News Talks head B at iHeart Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Hello, Yes here we are again on the front court.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
What are we talking this quick?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Well, a series loss for the White Ferns, but shortcomings exposed,
needing urgent attention. Two days of the Irish Test completed
for the black Caps. They've done or they could, I
imagine as they warm up to the Lord's Test.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
But are they well enough prepared for England?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Much in Ravenger joins on the front foot as the
first Test that comes near, and Jeremy Caney also joins
after he's finished packing his bags to head off to Lord's.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
For the Test match.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
And I don't think Rutch and Ravenger will have too
much concern about his form at the moment, bearing the
mind he hasn't played a lot of what a red
ball cricket in recent months.
Speaker 6 (01:28):
No, what's today? Yes, about to head away in a
couple of days. Quite exciting, isn't it really, as long
as I avoid the Middle East? And yeah, yeah, no,
Ratchard looked to be in quite reasonable Nick actually played
some nice strokes, didn't he particularly down the ground. I
thought he saw the lengths nicely against iron. He's got
(01:50):
a few little offerings and sort of didn't pass those up,
of course, powerfully through the leg side, a lot in
the air and finally that brought it about his dismissal.
But you know, dominated the attack. Really didn't he look comfortable?
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yes, he did. The one that impressed me.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Apart from Foxcroft of course, he's proving now that he
can bat, whether or not he's a spinboller is Tom Blundell.
He really has been in a great vein of form
in recent times. He was Credit of the Year in
Wellington because of his domestic play. He's hitting double figures
and good high double figures in recent times. He came
(02:29):
in at a difficult time. They'd lost two openers. The
departure of Latham's second bore goodness, gracious men, and then
Conway just shipping the ball to midwicket.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
But Blundle on.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
That form is encouraging, bearing in mind his last two
tours to England as well, and three of his test
hundreds have come against England, so that is great news
from New Zealand's point of view.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
Yeah, what I liked again about his innings. I mean,
he played nicely, there's.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
No doubt about that.
Speaker 6 (02:58):
But he kept the ball along the ground and if
he was going to hit it, he hit it hard
and powerfully. But he was not playing quite as square
as he does in New Zealand. And I was seeing
some cover drives. I was seeing some turns through the
on side quite straight, and I like that because New
Zealand a little bit quicker than perhaps the Irish kind
(03:21):
of pictures.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
It looked as if it was doing a little bit
early on, didn't it. And he.
Speaker 6 (03:28):
Coped with that and got a very good partnership going.
So I mean New Zealand obviously at the moment they're
in a very powerful position. You know, getting five hundred
always helps, doesn't it, And they got there quite smartly
over four runs and over, So a great warm up
for the New Zealanders. It's more than a warm up,
isn't it.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Really.
Speaker 6 (03:47):
I mean it's another test, and so all those runs matter,
they count in the final analysis and.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
They you know, key players.
Speaker 6 (03:56):
Even Kane Williamson had a bit of time at the crease,
didn't he. Okay, he's wagging across if you noticed, on
sort of middle and off, so eating outside his eyeline
and he's going to let go and take the keeper
and the slip cordon out of play. But the danger
with it is, of course, is that your pads are
still in line if you go across your stumps. And
(04:19):
he missed one a little knitbacker and was out l
b w's which will have annoyed him because he had
some runs. But he's still got it. You know, he
was in there for some time. He hasn't had a
bat for you for quite a long time.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, I think he probably would have enjoyed a second
innings as well, probably just looking as though he needs
time and increase. I'm in a bit of a dilemma
about Foxcraft. I don't think there's any doubt about his
batting capabilities. But he's basically required as an off spinner,
isn't he or is he there as a batsman. He's
batting at seven and will bat at seven if he
(04:53):
gets into the Test match side or is he coming
at six?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Well, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
You can't put Blundle down any lower. But is he
the spinner that we want? We need spinning skills from him.
We need a bowling all round or rather than a
batting all round it.
Speaker 6 (05:07):
Don't we We just don't have another bowling all rounder
and who bats. We've got batsmen who bowl a bit.
We've got three of those, so and we're going to
have to make choices. I mean, Ravender is going to
get there because of his batting position anyway, and the
way he plays. Phillips has been there for some time,
batting at seven beneath Blundele all the time, and it's
(05:32):
just a question of whether that's Foxcroft. I don't think
there's room for Foxcroft as well as there.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
No, I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
You know, he's basically the braceful replacement, isn't he, or
the center of replacement or somebody who can bowl spin.
But whether or not he's a Test match spinner yet
is in the lap of the gods. So we will
have to see how that develops. A follow on, none
of the bowlers are going to be played in the
Test match apart from my imagine Smith, he will be
(06:01):
included in the thinking alongside O'Rourke, Henry and Jamison Boy.
He made a distinct depression on that Irish deck, didn't he,
Nathan Smith?
Speaker 5 (06:13):
He did.
Speaker 6 (06:13):
He got the He got the duke ball to Duke's
ball to swing. He was bowling from quite wide, wasn't he.
So he was looking for v he get to straighten
up and bring the pads into play and if they
played across that he was in the chances for getting
a bowled. He brings the slips into play, so it's
provided he can swing the ball. If it's moving for him,
(06:34):
he can be quite dangerous. He got I didn't see
his runout. Did he run himself out or was it
a mistake from the other man.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
It was a bit of a bit of an error
from from Smith. But you know, those are the things
that happen, and you get all those things out of
your system in warm up games.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
I think they need to still sharpen up their fielding.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Some of the catching was just a little bit dodgy
in terms of the timing and the you know, the
ease with which the catch has taken. It's just the
fact that they haven't played this form of cricket test
match cricket, and we talked about the rhythm of the
game and getting into that rhythm. And Williamson I think
was the prime candidate, wasn't he He needs a bit
(07:22):
of extra time playing in the test, not of the nets,
in game conditions.
Speaker 6 (07:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Well this is a perfect build up for him.
Speaker 6 (07:29):
And it's a bit unfortunate, as you say, and you're
right that he may not get a second innings, so
what can he do? Nothing else can he really other
than test? This is what I've said as a test tour.
There are no such thing as tours nowadays, not really,
as are they where you develop your game or develop
(07:50):
a young player like Foxcroft through.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
A series of county games.
Speaker 6 (07:56):
It's just a shame we don't have those kinds of
test tours now, you know, they're just only test matches.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Unfortunately that's the way the game is.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Yes, Unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Well I told you we're going to hear from Ringer
and the break from the test match arena seemed to
have had a little effect on him. Another Test one
hundred had a chance to talk to him before he
headed off overseas, and he reflected on what he's done
since the last Test series in December.
Speaker 7 (08:25):
Haven't played a game in a little while and sort
of obviously running the drinks in the IPL and getting
opportunities to train and talk to Kais has been great.
But to be honest, I don't really feel too out
of match practice. I think it was a very very
hectic schedule beforehand. But yeah, I think part of the
reason being able to come home for five days or
so and do a little bit of training and prepare
(08:47):
for what's to come because we know tiss cricket is
super important, and especially in a series in Ireland and England,
that's super exciting. So I just want to give us up.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
The best chance was down in.
Speaker 7 (08:58):
Christ Church for a day and had a couple of
training sessions down there, had some nice grass facilities, So yeah,
tracking long, really really excited to get underway.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Really, I guess it's a mental adjustment to some extent
more than a technical adjustment.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Yeah for sure.
Speaker 7 (09:11):
I mean we've played T twenty for the last six
months pretty much all of this year, so I'm just
trying to get adjust to the tenth of red ball
and more especially the duke ball as well, which probably
poses a different challenges appeared to the cooker barrough, which
is maybe an easier transition since we were growing up
facing the cooker. So just going back to basics and
(09:31):
keeping it rather simple, but in our own sort of
test match way.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
You've played at Lord's before, but not a Test match
as such, so it's a different experience you're heading off
to this time.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 7 (09:42):
I mean as a cricket tragic and a Black Ops
fan and a Credit fan in general, these moments are
what you dream of and being have to play a
Test at Lord's will be fantastic And I experienced them
a one day and I've run drinks at Lord's two
for the Boys in twenty twenty one, So I mean
that's such a special place to play. I've watched many
many highlights over my time on YouTube, so it's going
(10:04):
to be called to walk out there and through the
members and hopefully put on a good show.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Yeah, how do you approach it?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Because it's a traditional test match ground, isn't it, and
there is a real history there. Do you have to
try and divorce yourself from that kind of thinking and
just take it as another cricket ground.
Speaker 7 (10:23):
Yeah, I mean more than than not if you. I
think if you try to ignore it, it gets the
best of you because you haven't given proper time to
accept and reflect and realize. I think perspective is a
massive thing. I think as a kid growing up, if
you get told you're going to play a Test match
against England at Lord's, You're going to be probably the
happiest cat ever. So I think first of all is
accepting that perspective, realize I'm going to be excited for
(10:45):
the occasion, but it doesn't take it away. Still a
baton ball game against the quality side, so I mean
it shouldn't be any different. But I think it's just
the history of the game. Sometimes can elevate the stage
but and end the day, so it's a normal performance
on the special stage, so it's always going to be recognized.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
How much do you draw on your form and the
last Test series against the Weston You've got a big
one hundred and seventy six I think it was. Can
you draw on that in terms of experience and how
you're going about your game?
Speaker 7 (11:17):
Yeah, for sure. I mean any sort of experience is positive.
I think at the end of the day, if if
you don't do so well, as you're learning. If you succeed,
you're learning as well. So yeah, I think also there's
times where I.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Could do bed.
Speaker 7 (11:26):
I was probably interested a little bit attacking early on
and all that, but I think that's part of the
way I play. But yeah, I think you draw a
confidence from what this series, but also understanding it's a
different opponent, different ball, likely to be very well, potentially
different conditions. So going back, like I said, to my
test basics and you know, finding hopefully continuing the form
(11:48):
that I had in December.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Yeah, last one for me if you had a look
at the England side and assessed what you're up against
or will that come a little bit closer to the time.
Speaker 7 (11:57):
Yeah, I've had a brief lot obviously they announced the
scott about a week or so ago and have had
a little look over their bowlers, but not not nothing
in two in depth at the moment. The obviously a
good side with comedy Bollward. So I'll be doing doing
my homework a little bit close to that first test.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
He's going to be a key player, Jerry, isn't he
Ratch and revenge? We know he's a class player, and
I think the point you made was he did hit
a fairbit in the air and that could lead to
us down for but he hits the ball so hard,
he times it so well. Once he's in the groove,
he is He's just a class player, isn't he.
Speaker 6 (12:36):
Revenders obviously come back. He wasn't playing. It seemed a
sensible thing to do to give him. Well, it was
only four or five days, wasn't it. And even then
he was down at New Zealand Cricket having some practice
and so on.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
So that was good.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
And he looks as if he's carried, you know, a
little bit of form in the nets through to Ireland.
And nothing better than getting a decent innings behind you either,
So that whole thing seems.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
To have worked out well for us.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Yes, indeed, say he's ready to go for the Lord's Test.
Just reflecting Beck that remembering someone who will have cause
to remember Lords Fonnalley is opener divon Conway his first
ever test and remember.
Speaker 8 (13:19):
This, So Robinson again long strides runs in Conway's on
ninety eighty bowls. It's full, it's flicks away with a
flourish into the lakeside. What a wonderful shot and a
really good way.
Speaker 9 (13:31):
To reach a first Test century you're taking anyway, frankly,
but with a shot like that, with a backfoot off
the ground and a real flourish of the bat.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Well he remember that for the rest of his life.
Speaker 9 (13:42):
One hundred Lords in his first Test, a dismissive flick
Flamingo style through deep backwards square legg and Devin Conway's
got his first Test one hundred and it's kissing his
New Zealand badge. He's mopping his brow. He's getting a
standing ovation from the six and a half thousand of
the here plus his teammates all on the balcony to say,
(14:03):
well played.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Ye divin Conway, who' be looking for the same sort
of form? Double one hundred first Test match at Lord's.
No nerves there, you'd have been there to watch that, Jerry.
We didn't win the Test, but it was a great
innings all the same from Devon Conway.
Speaker 6 (14:20):
Oh we dominated wads really, we got a good total
and everyone wanted to talk, of course to Devon and
even the New Zealand, even Caine Williamson sitting close to him,
asking him questions about what does he do and what's
a bit different inside? He was right at the peak,
wasn't he then playing so well at that stage? And
(14:44):
then of course New Zealand gave a bit of a
target to England and.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
They didn't even accept it.
Speaker 6 (14:51):
And it was a very limp England performance actually to
try and even go after those runs.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
So New Zealand finished very much.
Speaker 6 (15:01):
While they didn't win in the score book, they certainly
won the hearts of the people who were there watching.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Yes, well, they'll be looking for that this time. One
would imagine one man with Lord's experience, not so much
international but county cricket is Hamish Marshall, who played over
ten years for Gloucestershire. He made one international appearance against
the West Indies. Hamoush joins on the front foot and
you were saying, hamous you also had the benefit of
(15:27):
playing there at a young age as young cricketer to
Lord's I forgot that when was.
Speaker 10 (15:33):
It nineteen ninety eight?
Speaker 11 (15:36):
Luckily enough to get the scholarship in New Zilla used
to send a young player over.
Speaker 10 (15:39):
I think marn Crow did it.
Speaker 11 (15:42):
Roger twos and then later in the piece the like
Sir Matthew Bell and even Ross Taylor was one of
the last. So it's one of those, you know, one
of those opportunities that were I was pretty ucky to
get and had a great time.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
What was your experience like at Lord's.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
I always remember my first appearance there, and that was
only in the broadcasting box. Was sort of one of
awe and trans tradition. You didn't want to do anything
that might not fit the Lord's experience because it is
a traditional venue, isn't it?
Speaker 10 (16:15):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 11 (16:15):
I mean my first experience I was when I was
a young cricketer and we were just playing a game.
I can't remember who it was. The games might have
been an Ireland a side or something like that. And
at nineteen things are a bit different, was a bit
older back then. It's got a few new stands now,
but that was, you know, that was a pretty special occasion.
You get a photo on the ground, get a terror
(16:37):
of the pavilion and so forth.
Speaker 10 (16:40):
It was awesome. It's probably every cricketer's dream is to
play there.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Was playing there.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Any different than say any other ground. I mean we
talk about the slope and the impact that that has.
Does it have an impact on batsman more than bowlers?
Do you have to think about that in your preparation
for batting at Lords.
Speaker 11 (16:59):
Yeah, there's all sorts. I mean, there is a slope,
that's one part of it. There's also just the aura
of being in the pavilion and looking all the paintings
and all the ex players that have been through there,
even training on the on the nursery ground at the back,
all those special sort of things that come with playing
at Lord's. But certainly the slope is one thing you
have to adjust to. And it's not just been a
batsm and it's been a bowler. You know, when you're
(17:21):
running in as a bowler, often the slope pushes you
away from the stumps when it's sloping away, or pushes
you into the stumps, and it's sort of understanding that,
and I guess that comes with experience or even having
an experienced coach or players in the side to let
players be aware of that. But when I batted, it's
certainly there and it probably affects you, but you don't
feel it massively, but it probably does push your weight
(17:42):
slightly that way, and it's just something you've got to
be conscious of.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Did the pitch surface change much over the period of
time that you'd have played there, because I mean you
were with Gloucester for ten years. Weren't you in two
thousand and six to about sixteen, so you would have
been there at odd times over that period of time.
Speaker 11 (18:00):
Yeah, not a lot. It was always been a good surface.
Certainly every time I played there it was a pretty
good wicket to bat on. Of course, it depends on
the time a year. If it's early May, it can
nip around a bit because it's still pretty cold in England.
But most of the time it's just a great surface.
And then you talk about the outfield's it's like a
it's like a green, you know, golf green. It's just flat,
(18:23):
beautiful role. You have no worries about diving and so forth. Here,
it's just it's a ground that's immaculate in every aspect.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
You played a One Day International there against the Westernis.
I think got forty odd in that game. Any memories
of that.
Speaker 11 (18:37):
Yeah, fond memories because it was the final for that
one day series and we had a whole whole one
day series. A few games reigned out, but we hadn't
lost a game. So it was a successful little tour
for us over there, and certainly a lot of fun,
but up against a pretty good outfit with the likes
of Lara and Gail and Sawan and so forth in
their side. So we had a good side and we
(18:58):
had a pretty good trip and it was it was
a good game, although it was rain affected and it
was an overcast ay normally when you play at Lords.
I had another final for Glocester there and it was
a beautiful day, blue sky, and it does make the
occasion that much better when there's when the sun's out.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
How did that final go?
Speaker 11 (19:17):
We won both of them, So I've had two finals
and both won, So haven't really got a bad memory.
Of course, lost games there, but in terms of the
ones you really want to win, have had two wins
and finals there. Although I was at the World Cup
final when New Zealand lost, I was sitting in the stand,
so I have effectively been at Lord's and that was
probably the most cutting sporting moment in my life.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Yeah, I think everybody who is a New Zealand fan
felt that way. I don't believe we lost that game.
I think we basically won it. We just lost the boundaries.
Speaker 10 (19:48):
Yeah. Yeah, it still hairs, isn't it. Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:52):
What about other innings that have been played there? Any
memories of innings either that you've played or seen in
particular played against players who've enjoyed conditions there.
Speaker 11 (20:06):
I remember watching Marvin Ada paddu Yet two hundred at
Lord's when I was a youngster.
Speaker 10 (20:12):
I remember sitting there thinking it'd.
Speaker 11 (20:13):
Be nice to be out there one day and watching
someone of his class and style.
Speaker 10 (20:18):
I remember that finally, that was pretty good.
Speaker 11 (20:20):
Actually one of my fond memories of Lords As I
played and there was a World eleven or Princess Diana
memorial game there and there's sort of an mcc versus
or World eleven and Chris Kens was involved in it
and I was asked to be twelve man, so I
managed to be involved in that with all the big
names like ten Dolka, and there was Akram, so there's
(20:40):
I mean, every team had a top international player. All
the players were into the top international players, so that
was a pretty special occasion and something won't I won't forget.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
From your point of view, of course, you chose Gloucestershire.
I think you opted out of a New Zealand contract
at some stage too, didn't you. So that probably had
an impact on playing international matches there is.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
Is that a fair point?
Speaker 10 (21:05):
Yeah? Absolutely.
Speaker 11 (21:06):
I remember the following year thousand and eight when I
went and watched New Zealand play there. James, my twin,
was batting in the Test at Lord, so although I
played it one day there, he's played a Test there,
which is probably Trump's my occasion, but it was nice
just to be there and watch him. I certainly went
and watched a lot of New Zealand games there once
I did move to the UK, and it was always
(21:27):
good to but you know, you've also got to be selected,
so it may not have may not have changed things
because I might not have been selected.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Yeah, I have a memory of.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
You scoring one hundred for Gloucestershore at Bristol on the
same day that he scored one hundred for New Zealand
at Essex? Is that my memory working in my favorite.
Speaker 10 (21:48):
Yeah, it's correct.
Speaker 11 (21:49):
I remember coming off and someone told me that on
the day it happened, said, oh, your brothers just scored
one hundred as well at Essex for New Zealand, so
that was a Yeah. I think it was a warm
up game before that series. I do remember that.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Yeah, you dn't have got a Test match the first
of the series there, and there will be players with
their first experience. I mean somebody like Rutch and Ravendra
has had little experience there, but he seems to be
a kind of player that over a period of time
has built his confidence that will probably to a certain extent,
(22:23):
negate some of the tradition and feelings of Lords.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
I imagine.
Speaker 11 (22:29):
Yeah, I don't think players are overawed by much anymore,
are they? When you watch the game and the way
it's played, the occasion doesn't tend to overwhelm them. And
at playing at Lords as special and if you haven't
played there, certainly it'll.
Speaker 10 (22:41):
Make a difference. It's excitement of it as much as anything.
Speaker 11 (22:45):
But if you know, if you can control that anxiety,
because everyone wants to score a hundred Lords, everyone wants
through well at Lord's it's a pretty special place and
you'll always remember your first game there. So if you
can control that anxiety about how you perform, I guess
it's not too bad. And someone like Ravender, he's that good.
He doesn't have to worry about his ability. That's certainly,
(23:06):
he's tick that box caplete, So it's just the occasion
and he'll be find I'm sure.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
We have a nervous at any time, and I suppose
every player gets a little nervous, But did you ever
find that it overtook you when you were preparing for
in THEX.
Speaker 11 (23:22):
Not towards the Endemacress soon when I was younger and
I was trying to find a way and felt a
bit more pressure. I think as you get older and
you establish yourself, you get it gets easier because you know,
I think when I had kids as well, and life
changed for me a bit, it wasn't the ball on
the end or when you're younger, you put a lot
more pressure on yourself, so later on life it actually
(23:42):
became a heap easier for me.
Speaker 10 (23:45):
So yeah, no, I mean everyone's different.
Speaker 11 (23:48):
You look at someone like Caine, it always looks like
he's under control every time he goes out in bat,
but not everyone has that has that ability.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yeah, I guess you've got to give an aura of confidence, don't.
You can't let an opposition side see that you're not comfortable.
You're not comfortable in a certain environment, whether it's a
domestic game, accounty game, or a test match at any ground.
Speaker 10 (24:08):
It No, I mean.
Speaker 11 (24:11):
It's easier obviously if you're informing things like that. When
you're out of form. You can certainly see in body
language and so forth if people are struggling a little bit.
And certainly the best players in the world, and even
the likes of Australia will know that Australia was one
team that used to really get in ols Africa most
international sizes, to be fair, if they saw a little
inkling of weakness, they would certainly tap into it. And
(24:33):
and one of that is the area. And they talk
about the great with Richards and the way he used
to straight out to bat and he probably wouldn't wouldn't
have known if he was in or out of form
because the way he went out there was just he
just ownes confidence from what I believe, And so that's
if you can have that way of doing things, and
I guess it makes a difference.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
You watch the game pretty closely, Homiss, and you keep
an eye on teams performing overseas. What have you made
firstly of the New Zealand side. They haven't played Test
matches since the home series against the West Indies, and
of course they've played a game against Ireland. But lords
(25:12):
is a World Test Championship.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
How do you write the chances?
Speaker 11 (25:18):
I think, actually I think it's it's probably going to
work in his Zild's favor a little bit in terms
of a lot of the players have come from the
IPL and although it's twenty twenty, they're still getting some
sort of cricket. I know that some of the players
have left early to go and play over in the
UK to get some extra cricket. But I think it's
(25:38):
pretty well because you've still remember England or under a
lot of pressure from what's been going on in there
offseason excuse me, after Australia. There's a lot of pressure
on them to perform and some are even saying even
if they do beat New Zealand, it doesn't negate what
happened over the winter. They need to consistently show good performances.
So they're under pressure and I think New Zealand can
probably use that to their advantage. But we've got a
(26:00):
good you know, some of our best bowlers are back now,
so we've got the squad that we need to go
to England. Our bowling attack looks very good. Cain back,
which is great. You know, it's always nice to have
one of the best patters in the world in your side.
And yeah, I actually feel pretty positive about it. Although
it is early season. Sometimes that suits us because we're
used to that. You know, with our bowlers they know
(26:22):
how to swing the ball and.
Speaker 10 (26:23):
Nip it around.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Even without Jacob Duffy, it's got an attack. It's an
exciting look about it. Hasn't it to have players who
can hit good numbers with pace. You've got a rour
who's tall and Jamison who's tall, and they get good
bounce on pictures in that part of the world, I
would imagine, plus the Duke's ball correct.
Speaker 11 (26:43):
Yeah, I mean quite often when you're in England, you
can get there and you look down and look screen,
but actually the best thing to do is look up
and if it's overcast, the ball will tend to do
a bit more and if it's blue sky it won't
do a lot. And so the wicket itself doesn't always
play a part. It's the looking up at the weather above.
And if we can get the toss right and our
bowlers get it in the right areas and England are
(27:05):
good side, let's you know, although go well in Australia
they're very good side. So we'll have to bet our
best and if we can get the right conditions I'm
sure we'll put them under heat of pressure.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Yeah, if you had a look at their side, made
much an impression on you in terms of what England
are going to put out a.
Speaker 11 (27:23):
Little bit, but I think in general it's pretty much
the solid side that they've had with the players they've
got there with Roote and Stokes and the main fold.
But there's a couple of new openers probably coming in
with Room maybe and the Gay Medio Gay, so those
two will be interesting. And but the bowling attack you're
going back to Robinson. I think early early conditions he
(27:45):
will be quite tough. But they look a good side, yeah,
and they're always tough in their own conditions. O.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Nice to have a confident air of the pursuits for
the side. We hope that it works out that way.
You'll be watching through the knife or will you be
watching replays in the morning.
Speaker 11 (28:07):
Well, we do both. I think I'll try and watch
a bit of the first session and then i'll probably
hit the habit. Yeah, it probably depends on how they're
going in the test. If it's not looking too good,
I'll just at the hay. Then if it's going well,
I stood up and.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Watch interesting reflections Jerry from Hamos and thanks for your time,
Hamous for talking to on the front foot. One of
the points made earlier right at the outset was the
young player to Lords, and we had a few of
those and they had good careers, and he mentioned Ross
Taylor was one of them. I just wonder where that
would fit now within the scheme of things for New Zealand.
(28:41):
Is there time to send a young player to Lords?
I mean, your grandson's on the way up. Could you
see him or any of his ilk and his early
stages of first class career and enjoying a period of
time at Lord's.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
Does Jiven Cricket want to do that now?
Speaker 4 (28:59):
Well? I hope so.
Speaker 6 (29:00):
I mean it's a pretty good thing to get, isn't it.
Wads to send a young man over there to play
for a season and experience the Lords, you know, hold
the background and Hamish spoke about the nursery ground and
so on and just being at Lords and living in London.
Fantastic experience I think for a young man.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
Will it happen? Probably not.
Speaker 6 (29:25):
I think those times now are in our past and
unfortunately it's one of those things that are going to
be left behind. It's it's something that you would would
love to be able to do. But yeah, I'd forgotten
Hamish had had that opportunity. I knew that Crowley, you know,
Martin was certainly over there and he loved that time exactly.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Yeah, yeah, there were there were a number of them,
and I mean we're talking for Hamish, you know, back
in the late nineteen nineties and sort of the developmental
phase of his career. But you know it did him
no harm quite clearly, and hopefully it does return or
that we get a chance to even pay for a
player to go over there, just for six months to
experience the lifestyle there.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Brian Waddell Jeremy Cooney on the front foot.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
Some extensive work needed by the White fans if they're
to feature in the finals of the World T twenty.
After the highs of a top class performance in the
second T twenty against England, they couldn't go close to
reproducing a similar performance in the final match at Hove.
They lost it to England, one of the sides they'll
meet in Paul play alongside Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland and
the West Indies. The inability to score consistently in the
(30:38):
top order was exposed despite the green divine partnership at Canterbury.
So how does coach Ben Sewyer prepare to approach the
issues that they have.
Speaker 12 (30:49):
Yeah, it's a concern, but yeah, obviously we got out
of it the other day with a pretty much a
record partnership because they don't have to be relying on
that every day. But yeah, something that we've got to
work on in the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
You tried three players in the opening spots Plumber Gaze
and in the final game Susie Bates. Is that likely
to continue with mate?
Speaker 12 (31:10):
No, not necessarily. I don't know, to be perfectly honest.
It's you know, we've looked at Georgia and Isy and
I think you know, in the past year they've they've
had some really good strike rates. We've had decent partnerships
up top. Obviously merely has been a part of that
as well. Yeah, we wanted to have a look at
Susie today. I think the pleasing part is hopefully the
last couple of years we build a little bit of depth.
Going to the last World Cup, we probably weren't able
(31:32):
to make changes much to the batting order, but now
you know, we're able to look at different combinations, so yeah,
we'll look at it again in probably the two practice games.
And then yeah, said along something for the first.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Match, captain Milly Kerk couldn't produce the scores she's capable of.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
Is den a concerned?
Speaker 12 (31:46):
Yeah, I'm sure she isn't overly happy with the series
that she's had. She's a real competitor, but again, it's
it's T twenty cricket. We're challenging our players to go
out there and make big scores against you know what
I probably think at the moment is one of the
one of the best attacks in the world, especially with
Lauren Bell opening up, and you know, we're pushing our
players to try to a big score and that's gonna
(32:10):
come with risks. So yeah, it's really hard to criticize
them when you are pushing them to do that and
we're gonna have days like this where we have a
low score. But as a coaching staff, we're okay with that.
F the intense good and yeah, I feel it throughout
the series.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
It has been the top order issue is one thing.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
The ability to account for the power play billers is
another key area of work. The Ferns found left arm
and Lindsay Smith a real handful and will be when
they meet in the World Cup.
Speaker 12 (32:37):
Yeah, she's she's been absolutely outstanding. And we sat there
as coaches and you know, we don't have a lot
of left arm orthodox even in New Zealand, and it's
a little bit of something that our girls haven't seen
a lot of and you know, trying to rely on
the likes of Sophie and Merely and Susie for that
little bit of intel, but look at something that we're
(32:58):
going to have to go away. We've got a camp
coming up. I'm sure left arm Morthoe facing the power
play is going to be a big part of that camp.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Have been positives, of course, despite failures in the last game.
Maddie Green has produced some consistent form and newballers Bree Illing,
she's been effective with the left arm pace and Nierschi
Patel has been impressive.
Speaker 12 (33:20):
Yeah, she's been a real standout for us. You know,
I'd like to give the players a little bit of
I guess information before they get here, and probably didn't
think Nancy was gonna play a huge part in that
and express that to her, but she stood up at
practice and then in these matches she stood up and
proved to be really good. So she is really pushing
her case for World Cup selections. So all credit to
(33:41):
her for the work she's done.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
And a short break before preparation for the World Cup begins.
Speaker 12 (33:46):
Yeah, so we've given out girls. They got five days off,
I think, if you know, hopefully to make that fine
or where he nearly seventy days, So I feel it's
important that they get away a little bit. So they've
got the option of leaving for a few days and
I think a few of them have taken that up
and seeing different parts of the world.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
But we come back together in.
Speaker 12 (34:03):
Five days time, have a camp at Millfield School and
yet get back into the prep for the World Cup
and then yeah, two practice games in Lafra.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
So some fair and honest responses there from Ben Sawyer.
He has got a challenge, a hell of a challenge. Yes,
they've got some players capable of doing the big jobs
for them. Divine Er Green is starting to come forward.
Is he Sharp's another one. But they've got to get
(34:32):
that consistency. And we've talked about it week in week out,
haven't we, Jerry.
Speaker 6 (34:36):
Yeah, it was it was a bit disappointing watching it,
wasn't it for those of us who have followed the
White Ferns that the top order is clearly the main
issue for them at the moment. And they're having a
few days off, aren't they. So that's that's not a
bad thing if they come back, but I don't you know,
(34:57):
and then they work very hard in those two games
they have prior to the start of the tournament. That's
going to be very important to get some confidence. I
think back into those top order players. You can't be
four for eleven or six for thirty. That's just you
don't give your bawl as a chance, do you in
a match? So and most of them seems to me
(35:18):
trying to get out playing aggressively, and that's Sawyer's point
about they want them to play aggressively. But you've got
to get yourself inwards. Even though it's a T twenty match,
you've got to give yourself two or three deliveries. At
least you get information from those two or three deliveries.
What's the pitch up, what's the bounce like, is it
(35:39):
holding up slightly? You get that information. You're used to
it as a player and you pick those things up
naturally and instinctively once you are at the crease and
you've got to try and I think maybe get off strike,
you know, get a single if you can, or if
it's a bad ball, yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:58):
Put it away by all means.
Speaker 6 (35:59):
But you know they've been getting out very early, haven'tly
they And they're very I mean a player like Amelia
care is a top player, a top player in the world,
and so she doesn't need to me to be playing sweeps,
not really. She can play with a straight bat, and
I think for a left she's not really a turner
(36:20):
of the ball either. I didn't see her turn a ball.
She just brings it in with the arm. It's little
slow swingers, aren't they. They're an arm ball. And so
I think for a right hander, you want to be
hitting that with the full blade, not across the ball,
and you need to be hitting that to sort of
down the ground to mid off to just wide of
(36:41):
mid off, so you are getting inside the line of
the ball and playing it with the full blade. That
is your best chance of striking the ball, not sweeping,
not reverse sweeping. Where they've been getting out so I
think they're not quite going about it in the right way.
If they want to be aggressive, push push mid off
(37:03):
back because midoff is up inside the circle, aren't they
It's the long it's the mid.
Speaker 4 (37:07):
On that's back. You know, they're back at long on.
Speaker 6 (37:10):
That's what they're field for, Lindsey Smiths, and they need
to be hitting it over the top or along the
ground through mid off a lot more. I think that's
a better percentage shot to get away.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Yes, And the ball is that they're facing and you
make the points. The ball is not turning, and we
look back at some of the other games that have
been played, it's not actually the turn that is doing it.
It's the ball through the air, the changes in action.
Lindsay Smith has a high delivery and then a round
arm delivery, and she's coming in with the arm and
using the air rather than.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
The pitch to deceive the players.
Speaker 4 (37:45):
That's correct. So she's really like a very slow seema
or swing bowler, do you know what I mean? That's
what she does.
Speaker 6 (37:53):
You should not get beaten outside your bat if you're
a right hander. The ball is always coming in if
she starts at a little bit straighter, you know, and
it swings down into your pads.
Speaker 4 (38:05):
Then you can play your sweet can't you?
Speaker 6 (38:07):
But is she she's always she's pretty accurate, and you
that's a good thing because you know where it's going
to be pitching. You know what the line of the
ball is going to be. So I think to get
inside the line slightly and hit towards mid off is
a good option.
Speaker 4 (38:22):
I think all.
Speaker 6 (38:23):
Top order players should be able to play that stroke.
But keep your shoulder to the ball. I mean, these
are more technical kind of things, so you get your
shoulder aiming at where you want to play the ball
and not to the leg side.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Yeah, I said there was an element of experimentation in
some of the shots that were played.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
Particularly Mealy Kerr.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
She played shots that you don't expect her to play
early in her inning. She's a person, she's a Caine
Williamson type players and a Quali player with technique, and
she looks to work the ball and then plays the
big strokes and you know here she is sort of
reverse sweeping and trying to slog sweeping.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
Early in the inning.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
So you know, they're the things that they will work on.
They're having a break and then they've got a camp
before they prepare for their first game, interesting results. The
first up game between England and India. England were want
by an Indian side that didn't have three of their
top or well had two of their top order batsmen
(39:23):
who didn't perform, and of course harm and PreK Coll
wasn't there, and yet they still demolished an England side
that will be looking forward to having Natsiver Brunt back
very shortly and very quickly in time for the World Cup.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
I would imagine.
Speaker 6 (39:37):
Yeah, India are a strong side, aren't they. They're getting
better and better and they have the confidence. They've been
to Australia, they've played there, they're coming back now, they're
playing in England as well, getting ready for the tournament.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
And look, England are beatable, Brian.
Speaker 6 (39:53):
If New Zealand can get one hundred and seventy one
hundred and seventy five against them, they are in the
game and they are that's not beyond them. We want
the player like Amelia cur to be batting for maybe
fourteen overs fifteen over, that's what we want from her,
not to be getting out first ball doing those things.
And you may well be right, she's trying things out,
(40:16):
but I think you want to get as you get
closer to the tournament, you want to get in.
Speaker 4 (40:19):
The groove, don't you.
Speaker 6 (40:21):
You want to be playing an innings that is going
to be similar to what you're going to be playing
in the World Cup itself.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Yeah, the fact is that position three and four are
your best batsman, aren't they and are the ones that
you don't want to be seeing and as you mentioned,
fourteen or fifteen overs from them as when you get
the big titles, and that's what we need.
Speaker 5 (40:38):
To rely on.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
So well, what that with interest. There's a lot of
cricket going on in England at the moment, with the
New Zealand series coming up and then of course the
World Cup starting mid June.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
We look forward to that and.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
England have got their own public just quickly towards the
end of this edition of On the Front Foot, former
England past ball of Darren Goff has questioned the appointment
of Marcus North as England's new select are, saying the
arrival of the Australian will further divide the national team
from the domestic game.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
Now I'm not sure about that.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
I mean, in the end result, he's a man who's
been in England feb at a time. He's got the credentials,
as I said, anyway, former player, former coach. I just
wonder whether it's more Darren Goff being peeved that he
didn't get the job that he applied and that Marcus
North did.
Speaker 6 (41:29):
Yeah, I think there's probably maybe more than a scratch
in there once that you've got you've identified. Look, Marcus
North has played for Lancashire, He's played for Derbyshire.
Speaker 4 (41:40):
He played at Gloucestershire and Hampshire and Glamorgan and then
he had.
Speaker 6 (41:43):
A whole year at Durham as a player, and then
he became the director of cricket for seven to eight
years and during that time Durham worked their way from
the Second Division up to the First Division. So he's
been around a while. He married an English girl. They
live in the Northeast in a place called Gateshead. They've
got two kids. They are English. He has been in England,
(42:06):
you know when he played at Durham, which was two
thousand and four, So he's been in England for at
least twenty six years, twenty seven years at least.
Speaker 4 (42:15):
So that's and he's only forty six. He's been half
his life in England.
Speaker 6 (42:19):
There, he lives there, he's got a family and married
an English girl, and he's got English children. I don't
think there's much in that, Frankly, I think he's played
for not many players played for that many Shires do
they they do in those county sides. So he is
really you know, I don't think there's much in it
that he's Australian and going to be making Australian decisions.
Speaker 4 (42:41):
You No, no, no, he's not. I'm sorry. That doesn't
wash with me quite so much.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
Yeah, I don't know how many selectors in New Zealand have.
I know that Gavin Larsen's a selector, and so too
is Rob Walter, and I presume well, I think that
Paul Wiseman from the New Zealand Cricket Center was basically
a part of the selection. I'm not sure, but the
English have got it. But he truck a lot of them.
I mean, they're going to have to hire a plane
to get them from place to place because they've got
(43:09):
high performance coaches and high performance this and certain spotters
doing their selection for them.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
It's a huge number.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
I wonder whether Das McCullum enjoys having all those selectors around.
Speaker 6 (43:22):
Well, I'm not sure so far he hasn't. So far
he's made the decision that he and Key and Stokes
are the main men. Really, I think, you know, there's
no doubt about that. Been the last four years he
has not only told people you know where to look
(43:42):
what sort of people he wants and what he wants,
you know, the.
Speaker 4 (43:46):
Attributes that those players have.
Speaker 6 (43:48):
And that's been part of an issue, really, hasn't it,
Because he's taken away the county championship, you know, that
relationship between the County Championship and the England cricket team itself.
There was a bit of tension developing between those. He
wasn't looking at people who have got good averages and
are bowling nicely and picking up wickets. Wanted tall bowlers.
(44:09):
He wanted bowlers who bowled at a certain speed and above.
He wanted bowlers who released the ball at a high
you know, release point for if you're going to be
a spinner. He wanted batsmen who were hyper aggressive, the Ducats,
the Crawleys, the Brooks, those kinds of players. So they
were becoming selectors, you know. So it wasn't like the
(44:32):
other you know, coaches of England who had selectors and
were given a team. They wanted these players, and they
made errors, didn't they They found that Shaabasha was unselectable
and that was a three or four year experiment.
Speaker 4 (44:46):
Actually yeah, and it wasn't used. Now he's back in
the team.
Speaker 6 (44:50):
I find that a confusion, you know, a confusing kind
of selection, to be honest, says a lot about spin
bowling in England, doesn't it. In fact, it's going to
be interesting that these two sides don't really have a spinner,
a frontline spinner, either of them.
Speaker 2 (45:04):
No, and I don't suppose we're going to see pitchers.
That will turn quite clear if we're going to be
dominated by seam bowlers.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
Something to watch throughout the series, Jerry.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
We'll finish on a note of a birthday of an
old mate of yours. I'm probably about six weeks late
in acknowledging it, because it's only just happened.
Speaker 3 (45:25):
He's turned eighty one.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Now do you know? Do you know who I'm talking to?
There's a lot of people turned and he went. But
you probably don't know, do you.
Speaker 4 (45:33):
I don't know who you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (45:34):
No, I I and I think you knew him.
Speaker 3 (45:37):
Too as Andy's.
Speaker 6 (45:39):
Andy's yeah, excuse me what this is?
Speaker 4 (45:45):
This is actually going this is the public podcast once.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Okay, well that's that's what we used to call Brian Andrews.
Speaker 4 (45:53):
Oh Andy, Andy's.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Oh you might have called him that, You might have
called him.
Speaker 6 (45:59):
A Yeah, well I remember I remember touring Australia with Brian.
Speaker 4 (46:06):
He was good and swing bowl Actually.
Speaker 3 (46:09):
Yeah, well he holds you.
Speaker 2 (46:10):
You you in memory fondly.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
Do you know what?
Speaker 4 (46:14):
Well I took his care I took a catch off him.
Speaker 3 (46:16):
He got two Test wickets and they were both caught
by you.
Speaker 4 (46:20):
They were she and Paul Shean.
Speaker 6 (46:22):
And then a couple of balls later I couldn't believe
it coming straight to me comfortably, Thank you very much,
Greg Chapel. And there and there was Undies skipping down
the pitch.
Speaker 4 (46:34):
You pee, you pee? What you pee? Undies? For heaven's sake, Yeah, yeah,
that was that was.
Speaker 6 (46:43):
That was the second Test match in that series. And
and oh the rain came and finished it. You know
they were chasing about four seventy two, yeah exactly.
Speaker 3 (46:54):
Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
Well, anyway, it's his birthday and of course he worked
with us in the commentary in christ for.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
A period of time.
Speaker 4 (47:02):
Right, Okay, we.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
Was Andy's happy birthday and one one of these days
will be the same age as he is. Get your
bags tied up, lockdown, make sure that they're all clean
and there's no deady shoes, and there's no problem with
getting into the country. Yeah, you've got to get off
the plane and go straight to Lord's.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
All right, I do, yeah, I do.
Speaker 6 (47:26):
Words looking forward to it. You know, I don't know
whether you'll be listening. I know that you like to
follow these things pretty closely, but you'll be watching it
on the Telly, I'm sure, and trying.
Speaker 2 (47:36):
To get them BBC. That's the problem. You can't get
BBC in New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (47:40):
So no.
Speaker 4 (47:41):
But but you'll get talk Sport.
Speaker 2 (47:44):
Yeah, but I don't.
Speaker 3 (47:46):
I don't listen to that.
Speaker 4 (47:49):
I knew what you were going to say.
Speaker 6 (47:50):
All right, it'll be but it will be good fun
and I hope we get a good teenly fort test series.
Speaker 2 (47:56):
Most definitely carefullen still in words, we'll do words.
Speaker 4 (48:02):
Cheers mate.
Speaker 1 (48:08):
Assuming for more from News Talks at b listen live
(48:33):
on air or online, and keep our shows with you
wherever you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk Seed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on
iHeart Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, take another padreck, it is out.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
The Test is over. Goodness, smoke us a beauty.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It is out and hearing guys.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
This delivery has in the music to.
Speaker 5 (00:33):
Bowl on the Front Foot with Brian Waddell and Jeremy
Coney powered by News Talks head B at iHeart Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Hello, Yes here we are again on the front court.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
What are we talking this quick?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Well, a series loss for the White Ferns, but shortcomings exposed,
needing urgent attention. Two days of the Irish Test completed
for the black Caps. They've done or they could, I
imagine as they warm up to the Lord's Test.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
But are they well enough prepared for England?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Much in Ravenger joins on the front foot as the
first Test that comes near, and Jeremy Caney also joins
after he's finished packing his bags to head off to Lord's.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
For the Test match.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
And I don't think Rutch and Ravenger will have too
much concern about his form at the moment, bearing the
mind he hasn't played a lot of what a red
ball cricket in recent months.
Speaker 6 (01:28):
No, what's today? Yes, about to head away in a
couple of days. Quite exciting, isn't it really, as long
as I avoid the Middle East? And yeah, yeah, no,
Ratchard looked to be in quite reasonable Nick actually played
some nice strokes, didn't he particularly down the ground. I
thought he saw the lengths nicely against iron. He's got
(01:50):
a few little offerings and sort of didn't pass those up,
of course, powerfully through the leg side, a lot in
the air and finally that brought it about his dismissal.
But you know, dominated the attack. Really didn't he look comfortable?
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yes, he did. The one that impressed me.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Apart from Foxcroft of course, he's proving now that he
can bat, whether or not he's a spinboller is Tom Blundell.
He really has been in a great vein of form
in recent times. He was Credit of the Year in
Wellington because of his domestic play. He's hitting double figures
and good high double figures in recent times. He came
(02:29):
in at a difficult time. They'd lost two openers. The
departure of Latham's second bore goodness, gracious men, and then
Conway just shipping the ball to midwicket.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
But Blundle on.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
That form is encouraging, bearing in mind his last two
tours to England as well, and three of his test
hundreds have come against England, so that is great news
from New Zealand's point of view.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
Yeah, what I liked again about his innings. I mean,
he played nicely, there's.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
No doubt about that.
Speaker 6 (02:58):
But he kept the ball along the ground and if
he was going to hit it, he hit it hard
and powerfully. But he was not playing quite as square
as he does in New Zealand. And I was seeing
some cover drives. I was seeing some turns through the
on side quite straight, and I like that because New
Zealand a little bit quicker than perhaps the Irish kind
(03:21):
of pictures.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
It looked as if it was doing a little bit
early on, didn't it. And he.
Speaker 6 (03:28):
Coped with that and got a very good partnership going.
So I mean New Zealand obviously at the moment they're
in a very powerful position. You know, getting five hundred
always helps, doesn't it, And they got there quite smartly
over four runs and over, So a great warm up
for the New Zealanders. It's more than a warm up,
isn't it.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Really.
Speaker 6 (03:47):
I mean it's another test, and so all those runs matter,
they count in the final analysis and.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
They you know, key players.
Speaker 6 (03:56):
Even Kane Williamson had a bit of time at the crease,
didn't he. Okay, he's wagging across if you noticed, on
sort of middle and off, so eating outside his eyeline
and he's going to let go and take the keeper
and the slip cordon out of play. But the danger
with it is, of course, is that your pads are
still in line if you go across your stumps. And
(04:19):
he missed one a little knitbacker and was out l
b w's which will have annoyed him because he had
some runs. But he's still got it. You know, he
was in there for some time. He hasn't had a
bat for you for quite a long time.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, I think he probably would have enjoyed a second
innings as well, probably just looking as though he needs
time and increase. I'm in a bit of a dilemma
about Foxcraft. I don't think there's any doubt about his
batting capabilities. But he's basically required as an off spinner,
isn't he or is he there as a batsman. He's
batting at seven and will bat at seven if he
(04:53):
gets into the Test match side or is he coming
at six?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Well, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
You can't put Blundle down any lower. But is he
the spinner that we want? We need spinning skills from him.
We need a bowling all round or rather than a
batting all round it.
Speaker 6 (05:07):
Don't we We just don't have another bowling all rounder
and who bats. We've got batsmen who bowl a bit.
We've got three of those, so and we're going to
have to make choices. I mean, Ravender is going to
get there because of his batting position anyway, and the
way he plays. Phillips has been there for some time,
batting at seven beneath Blundele all the time, and it's
(05:32):
just a question of whether that's Foxcroft. I don't think
there's room for Foxcroft as well as there.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
No, I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
You know, he's basically the braceful replacement, isn't he, or
the center of replacement or somebody who can bowl spin.
But whether or not he's a Test match spinner yet
is in the lap of the gods. So we will
have to see how that develops. A follow on, none
of the bowlers are going to be played in the
Test match apart from my imagine Smith, he will be
(06:01):
included in the thinking alongside O'Rourke, Henry and Jamison Boy.
He made a distinct depression on that Irish deck, didn't he,
Nathan Smith?
Speaker 5 (06:13):
He did.
Speaker 6 (06:13):
He got the He got the duke ball to Duke's
ball to swing. He was bowling from quite wide, wasn't he.
So he was looking for v he get to straighten
up and bring the pads into play and if they
played across that he was in the chances for getting
a bowled. He brings the slips into play, so it's
provided he can swing the ball. If it's moving for him,
(06:34):
he can be quite dangerous. He got I didn't see
his runout. Did he run himself out or was it
a mistake from the other man.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
It was a bit of a bit of an error
from from Smith. But you know, those are the things
that happen, and you get all those things out of
your system in warm up games.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
I think they need to still sharpen up their fielding.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Some of the catching was just a little bit dodgy
in terms of the timing and the you know, the
ease with which the catch has taken. It's just the
fact that they haven't played this form of cricket test
match cricket, and we talked about the rhythm of the
game and getting into that rhythm. And Williamson I think
was the prime candidate, wasn't he He needs a bit
(07:22):
of extra time playing in the test, not of the nets,
in game conditions.
Speaker 6 (07:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Well this is a perfect build up for him.
Speaker 6 (07:29):
And it's a bit unfortunate, as you say, and you're
right that he may not get a second innings, so
what can he do? Nothing else can he really other
than test? This is what I've said as a test tour.
There are no such thing as tours nowadays, not really,
as are they where you develop your game or develop
(07:50):
a young player like Foxcroft through.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
A series of county games.
Speaker 6 (07:56):
It's just a shame we don't have those kinds of
test tours now, you know, they're just only test matches.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Unfortunately that's the way the game is.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Yes, Unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
Well I told you we're going to hear from Ringer
and the break from the test match arena seemed to
have had a little effect on him. Another Test one
hundred had a chance to talk to him before he
headed off overseas, and he reflected on what he's done
since the last Test series in December.
Speaker 7 (08:25):
Haven't played a game in a little while and sort
of obviously running the drinks in the IPL and getting
opportunities to train and talk to Kais has been great.
But to be honest, I don't really feel too out
of match practice. I think it was a very very
hectic schedule beforehand. But yeah, I think part of the
reason being able to come home for five days or
so and do a little bit of training and prepare
(08:47):
for what's to come because we know tiss cricket is
super important, and especially in a series in Ireland and England,
that's super exciting. So I just want to give us up.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
The best chance was down in.
Speaker 7 (08:58):
Christ Church for a day and had a couple of
training sessions down there, had some nice grass facilities, So yeah,
tracking long, really really excited to get underway.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Really, I guess it's a mental adjustment to some extent
more than a technical adjustment.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Yeah for sure.
Speaker 7 (09:11):
I mean we've played T twenty for the last six
months pretty much all of this year, so I'm just
trying to get adjust to the tenth of red ball
and more especially the duke ball as well, which probably
poses a different challenges appeared to the cooker barrough, which
is maybe an easier transition since we were growing up
facing the cooker. So just going back to basics and
(09:31):
keeping it rather simple, but in our own sort of
test match way.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
You've played at Lord's before, but not a Test match
as such, so it's a different experience you're heading off
to this time.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 7 (09:42):
I mean as a cricket tragic and a Black Ops
fan and a Credit fan in general, these moments are
what you dream of and being have to play a
Test at Lord's will be fantastic And I experienced them
a one day and I've run drinks at Lord's two
for the Boys in twenty twenty one, So I mean
that's such a special place to play. I've watched many
many highlights over my time on YouTube, so it's going
(10:04):
to be called to walk out there and through the
members and hopefully put on a good show.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Yeah, how do you approach it?
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Because it's a traditional test match ground, isn't it, and
there is a real history there. Do you have to
try and divorce yourself from that kind of thinking and
just take it as another cricket ground.
Speaker 7 (10:23):
Yeah, I mean more than than not if you. I
think if you try to ignore it, it gets the
best of you because you haven't given proper time to
accept and reflect and realize. I think perspective is a
massive thing. I think as a kid growing up, if
you get told you're going to play a Test match
against England at Lord's, You're going to be probably the
happiest cat ever. So I think first of all is
accepting that perspective, realize I'm going to be excited for
(10:45):
the occasion, but it doesn't take it away. Still a
baton ball game against the quality side, so I mean
it shouldn't be any different. But I think it's just
the history of the game. Sometimes can elevate the stage
but and end the day, so it's a normal performance
on the special stage, so it's always going to be recognized.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
How much do you draw on your form and the
last Test series against the Weston You've got a big
one hundred and seventy six I think it was. Can
you draw on that in terms of experience and how
you're going about your game?
Speaker 7 (11:17):
Yeah, for sure. I mean any sort of experience is positive.
I think at the end of the day, if if
you don't do so well, as you're learning. If you succeed,
you're learning as well. So yeah, I think also there's
times where I.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Could do bed.
Speaker 7 (11:26):
I was probably interested a little bit attacking early on
and all that, but I think that's part of the
way I play. But yeah, I think you draw a
confidence from what this series, but also understanding it's a
different opponent, different ball, likely to be very well, potentially
different conditions. So going back, like I said, to my
test basics and you know, finding hopefully continuing the form
(11:48):
that I had in December.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Yeah, last one for me if you had a look
at the England side and assessed what you're up against
or will that come a little bit closer to the time.
Speaker 7 (11:57):
Yeah, I've had a brief lot obviously they announced the
scott about a week or so ago and have had
a little look over their bowlers, but not not nothing
in two in depth at the moment. The obviously a
good side with comedy Bollward. So I'll be doing doing
my homework a little bit close to that first test.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
He's going to be a key player, Jerry, isn't he
Ratch and revenge? We know he's a class player, and
I think the point you made was he did hit
a fairbit in the air and that could lead to
us down for but he hits the ball so hard,
he times it so well. Once he's in the groove,
he is He's just a class player, isn't he.
Speaker 6 (12:36):
Revenders obviously come back. He wasn't playing. It seemed a
sensible thing to do to give him. Well, it was
only four or five days, wasn't it. And even then
he was down at New Zealand Cricket having some practice
and so on.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
So that was good.
Speaker 6 (12:50):
And he looks as if he's carried, you know, a
little bit of form in the nets through to Ireland.
And nothing better than getting a decent innings behind you either,
So that whole thing seems.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
To have worked out well for us.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Yes, indeed, say he's ready to go for the Lord's Test.
Just reflecting Beck that remembering someone who will have cause
to remember Lords Fonnalley is opener divon Conway his first
ever test and remember.
Speaker 8 (13:19):
This, So Robinson again long strides runs in Conway's on
ninety eighty bowls. It's full, it's flicks away with a
flourish into the lakeside. What a wonderful shot and a
really good way.
Speaker 9 (13:31):
To reach a first Test century you're taking anyway, frankly,
but with a shot like that, with a backfoot off
the ground and a real flourish of the bat.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Well he remember that for the rest of his life.
Speaker 9 (13:42):
One hundred Lords in his first Test, a dismissive flick
Flamingo style through deep backwards square legg and Devin Conway's
got his first Test one hundred and it's kissing his
New Zealand badge. He's mopping his brow. He's getting a
standing ovation from the six and a half thousand of
the here plus his teammates all on the balcony to say,
(14:03):
well played.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Ye divin Conway, who' be looking for the same sort
of form? Double one hundred first Test match at Lord's.
No nerves there, you'd have been there to watch that, Jerry.
We didn't win the Test, but it was a great
innings all the same from Devon Conway.
Speaker 6 (14:20):
Oh we dominated wads really, we got a good total
and everyone wanted to talk, of course to Devon and
even the New Zealand, even Caine Williamson sitting close to him,
asking him questions about what does he do and what's
a bit different inside? He was right at the peak,
wasn't he then playing so well at that stage? And
(14:44):
then of course New Zealand gave a bit of a
target to England and.
Speaker 4 (14:49):
They didn't even accept it.
Speaker 6 (14:51):
And it was a very limp England performance actually to
try and even go after those runs.
Speaker 4 (14:57):
So New Zealand finished very much.
Speaker 6 (15:01):
While they didn't win in the score book, they certainly
won the hearts of the people who were there watching.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Yes, well, they'll be looking for that this time. One
would imagine one man with Lord's experience, not so much
international but county cricket is Hamish Marshall, who played over
ten years for Gloucestershire. He made one international appearance against
the West Indies. Hamoush joins on the front foot and
you were saying, hamous you also had the benefit of
(15:27):
playing there at a young age as young cricketer to
Lord's I forgot that when was.
Speaker 10 (15:33):
It nineteen ninety eight?
Speaker 11 (15:36):
Luckily enough to get the scholarship in New Zilla used
to send a young player over.
Speaker 10 (15:39):
I think marn Crow did it.
Speaker 11 (15:42):
Roger twos and then later in the piece the like
Sir Matthew Bell and even Ross Taylor was one of
the last. So it's one of those, you know, one
of those opportunities that were I was pretty ucky to
get and had a great time.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
What was your experience like at Lord's.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
I always remember my first appearance there, and that was
only in the broadcasting box. Was sort of one of
awe and trans tradition. You didn't want to do anything
that might not fit the Lord's experience because it is
a traditional venue, isn't it?
Speaker 10 (16:15):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 11 (16:15):
I mean my first experience I was when I was
a young cricketer and we were just playing a game.
I can't remember who it was. The games might have
been an Ireland a side or something like that. And
at nineteen things are a bit different, was a bit
older back then. It's got a few new stands now,
but that was, you know, that was a pretty special occasion.
You get a photo on the ground, get a terror
(16:37):
of the pavilion and so forth.
Speaker 10 (16:40):
It was awesome. It's probably every cricketer's dream is to
play there.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Was playing there.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Any different than say any other ground. I mean we
talk about the slope and the impact that that has.
Does it have an impact on batsman more than bowlers?
Do you have to think about that in your preparation
for batting at Lords.
Speaker 11 (16:59):
Yeah, there's all sorts. I mean, there is a slope,
that's one part of it. There's also just the aura
of being in the pavilion and looking all the paintings
and all the ex players that have been through there,
even training on the on the nursery ground at the back,
all those special sort of things that come with playing
at Lord's. But certainly the slope is one thing you
have to adjust to. And it's not just been a
batsm and it's been a bowler. You know, when you're
(17:21):
running in as a bowler, often the slope pushes you
away from the stumps when it's sloping away, or pushes
you into the stumps, and it's sort of understanding that,
and I guess that comes with experience or even having
an experienced coach or players in the side to let
players be aware of that. But when I batted, it's
certainly there and it probably affects you, but you don't
feel it massively, but it probably does push your weight
(17:42):
slightly that way, and it's just something you've got to
be conscious of.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Did the pitch surface change much over the period of
time that you'd have played there, because I mean you
were with Gloucester for ten years. Weren't you in two
thousand and six to about sixteen, so you would have
been there at odd times over that period of time.
Speaker 11 (18:00):
Yeah, not a lot. It was always been a good surface.
Certainly every time I played there it was a pretty
good wicket to bat on. Of course, it depends on
the time a year. If it's early May, it can
nip around a bit because it's still pretty cold in England.
But most of the time it's just a great surface.
And then you talk about the outfield's it's like a
it's like a green, you know, golf green. It's just flat,
(18:23):
beautiful role. You have no worries about diving and so forth. Here,
it's just it's a ground that's immaculate in every aspect.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
You played a One Day International there against the Westernis.
I think got forty odd in that game. Any memories
of that.
Speaker 11 (18:37):
Yeah, fond memories because it was the final for that
one day series and we had a whole whole one
day series. A few games reigned out, but we hadn't
lost a game. So it was a successful little tour
for us over there, and certainly a lot of fun,
but up against a pretty good outfit with the likes
of Lara and Gail and Sawan and so forth in
their side. So we had a good side and we
(18:58):
had a pretty good trip and it was it was
a good game, although it was rain affected and it
was an overcast ay normally when you play at Lords.
I had another final for Glocester there and it was
a beautiful day, blue sky, and it does make the
occasion that much better when there's when the sun's out.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
How did that final go?
Speaker 11 (19:17):
We won both of them, So I've had two finals
and both won, So haven't really got a bad memory.
Of course, lost games there, but in terms of the
ones you really want to win, have had two wins
and finals there. Although I was at the World Cup
final when New Zealand lost, I was sitting in the stand,
so I have effectively been at Lord's and that was
probably the most cutting sporting moment in my life.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Yeah, I think everybody who is a New Zealand fan
felt that way. I don't believe we lost that game.
I think we basically won it. We just lost the boundaries.
Speaker 10 (19:48):
Yeah. Yeah, it still hairs, isn't it. Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:52):
What about other innings that have been played there? Any
memories of innings either that you've played or seen in
particular played against players who've enjoyed conditions there.
Speaker 11 (20:06):
I remember watching Marvin Ada paddu Yet two hundred at
Lord's when I was a youngster.
Speaker 10 (20:12):
I remember sitting there thinking it'd.
Speaker 11 (20:13):
Be nice to be out there one day and watching
someone of his class and style.
Speaker 10 (20:18):
I remember that finally, that was pretty good.
Speaker 11 (20:20):
Actually one of my fond memories of Lords As I
played and there was a World eleven or Princess Diana
memorial game there and there's sort of an mcc versus
or World eleven and Chris Kens was involved in it
and I was asked to be twelve man, so I
managed to be involved in that with all the big
names like ten Dolka, and there was Akram, so there's
(20:40):
I mean, every team had a top international player. All
the players were into the top international players, so that
was a pretty special occasion and something won't I won't forget.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
From your point of view, of course, you chose Gloucestershire.
I think you opted out of a New Zealand contract
at some stage too, didn't you. So that probably had
an impact on playing international matches there is.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
Is that a fair point?
Speaker 10 (21:05):
Yeah? Absolutely.
Speaker 11 (21:06):
I remember the following year thousand and eight when I
went and watched New Zealand play there. James, my twin,
was batting in the Test at Lord, so although I
played it one day there, he's played a Test there,
which is probably Trump's my occasion, but it was nice
just to be there and watch him. I certainly went
and watched a lot of New Zealand games there once
I did move to the UK, and it was always
(21:27):
good to but you know, you've also got to be selected,
so it may not have may not have changed things
because I might not have been selected.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Yeah, I have a memory of.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
You scoring one hundred for Gloucestershore at Bristol on the
same day that he scored one hundred for New Zealand
at Essex? Is that my memory working in my favorite.
Speaker 10 (21:48):
Yeah, it's correct.
Speaker 11 (21:49):
I remember coming off and someone told me that on
the day it happened, said, oh, your brothers just scored
one hundred as well at Essex for New Zealand, so
that was a Yeah. I think it was a warm
up game before that series. I do remember that.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Yeah, you dn't have got a Test match the first
of the series there, and there will be players with
their first experience. I mean somebody like Rutch and Ravendra
has had little experience there, but he seems to be
a kind of player that over a period of time
has built his confidence that will probably to a certain extent,
(22:23):
negate some of the tradition and feelings of Lords.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
I imagine.
Speaker 11 (22:29):
Yeah, I don't think players are overawed by much anymore,
are they? When you watch the game and the way
it's played, the occasion doesn't tend to overwhelm them. And
at playing at Lords as special and if you haven't
played there, certainly it'll.
Speaker 10 (22:41):
Make a difference. It's excitement of it as much as anything.
Speaker 11 (22:45):
But if you know, if you can control that anxiety,
because everyone wants to score a hundred Lords, everyone wants
through well at Lord's it's a pretty special place and
you'll always remember your first game there. So if you
can control that anxiety about how you perform, I guess
it's not too bad. And someone like Ravender, he's that good.
He doesn't have to worry about his ability. That's certainly,
(23:06):
he's tick that box caplete, So it's just the occasion
and he'll be find I'm sure.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
We have a nervous at any time, and I suppose
every player gets a little nervous, But did you ever
find that it overtook you when you were preparing for
in THEX.
Speaker 11 (23:22):
Not towards the Endemacress soon when I was younger and
I was trying to find a way and felt a
bit more pressure. I think as you get older and
you establish yourself, you get it gets easier because you know,
I think when I had kids as well, and life
changed for me a bit, it wasn't the ball on
the end or when you're younger, you put a lot
more pressure on yourself, so later on life it actually
(23:42):
became a heap easier for me.
Speaker 10 (23:45):
So yeah, no, I mean everyone's different.
Speaker 11 (23:48):
You look at someone like Caine, it always looks like
he's under control every time he goes out in bat,
but not everyone has that has that ability.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
Yeah, I guess you've got to give an aura of confidence, don't.
You can't let an opposition side see that you're not comfortable.
You're not comfortable in a certain environment, whether it's a
domestic game, accounty game, or a test match at any ground.
Speaker 10 (24:08):
It No, I mean.
Speaker 11 (24:11):
It's easier obviously if you're informing things like that. When
you're out of form. You can certainly see in body
language and so forth if people are struggling a little bit.
And certainly the best players in the world, and even
the likes of Australia will know that Australia was one
team that used to really get in ols Africa most
international sizes, to be fair, if they saw a little
inkling of weakness, they would certainly tap into it. And
(24:33):
and one of that is the area. And they talk
about the great with Richards and the way he used
to straight out to bat and he probably wouldn't wouldn't
have known if he was in or out of form
because the way he went out there was just he
just ownes confidence from what I believe, And so that's
if you can have that way of doing things, and
I guess it makes a difference.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
You watch the game pretty closely, Homiss, and you keep
an eye on teams performing overseas. What have you made
firstly of the New Zealand side. They haven't played Test
matches since the home series against the West Indies, and
of course they've played a game against Ireland. But lords
(25:12):
is a World Test Championship.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
How do you write the chances?
Speaker 11 (25:18):
I think, actually I think it's it's probably going to
work in his Zild's favor a little bit in terms
of a lot of the players have come from the
IPL and although it's twenty twenty, they're still getting some
sort of cricket. I know that some of the players
have left early to go and play over in the
UK to get some extra cricket. But I think it's
(25:38):
pretty well because you've still remember England or under a
lot of pressure from what's been going on in there
offseason excuse me, after Australia. There's a lot of pressure
on them to perform and some are even saying even
if they do beat New Zealand, it doesn't negate what
happened over the winter. They need to consistently show good performances.
So they're under pressure and I think New Zealand can
probably use that to their advantage. But we've got a
(26:00):
good you know, some of our best bowlers are back now,
so we've got the squad that we need to go
to England. Our bowling attack looks very good. Cain back,
which is great. You know, it's always nice to have
one of the best patters in the world in your side.
And yeah, I actually feel pretty positive about it. Although
it is early season. Sometimes that suits us because we're
used to that. You know, with our bowlers they know
(26:22):
how to swing the ball and.
Speaker 10 (26:23):
Nip it around.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Even without Jacob Duffy, it's got an attack. It's an
exciting look about it. Hasn't it to have players who
can hit good numbers with pace. You've got a rour
who's tall and Jamison who's tall, and they get good
bounce on pictures in that part of the world, I
would imagine, plus the Duke's ball correct.
Speaker 11 (26:43):
Yeah, I mean quite often when you're in England, you
can get there and you look down and look screen,
but actually the best thing to do is look up
and if it's overcast, the ball will tend to do
a bit more and if it's blue sky it won't
do a lot. And so the wicket itself doesn't always
play a part. It's the looking up at the weather above.
And if we can get the toss right and our
bowlers get it in the right areas and England are
(27:05):
good side, let's you know, although go well in Australia
they're very good side. So we'll have to bet our
best and if we can get the right conditions I'm
sure we'll put them under heat of pressure.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
Yeah, if you had a look at their side, made
much an impression on you in terms of what England
are going to put out a.
Speaker 11 (27:23):
Little bit, but I think in general it's pretty much
the solid side that they've had with the players they've
got there with Roote and Stokes and the main fold.
But there's a couple of new openers probably coming in
with Room maybe and the Gay Medio Gay, so those
two will be interesting. And but the bowling attack you're
going back to Robinson. I think early early conditions he
(27:45):
will be quite tough. But they look a good side, yeah,
and they're always tough in their own conditions. O.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Nice to have a confident air of the pursuits for
the side. We hope that it works out that way.
You'll be watching through the knife or will you be
watching replays in the morning.
Speaker 11 (28:07):
Well, we do both. I think I'll try and watch
a bit of the first session and then i'll probably
hit the habit. Yeah, it probably depends on how they're
going in the test. If it's not looking too good,
I'll just at the hay. Then if it's going well,
I stood up and.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Watch interesting reflections Jerry from Hamos and thanks for your time,
Hamous for talking to on the front foot. One of
the points made earlier right at the outset was the
young player to Lords, and we had a few of
those and they had good careers, and he mentioned Ross
Taylor was one of them. I just wonder where that
would fit now within the scheme of things for New Zealand.
(28:41):
Is there time to send a young player to Lords?
I mean, your grandson's on the way up. Could you
see him or any of his ilk and his early
stages of first class career and enjoying a period of
time at Lord's.
Speaker 3 (28:56):
Does Jiven Cricket want to do that now?
Speaker 4 (28:59):
Well? I hope so.
Speaker 6 (29:00):
I mean it's a pretty good thing to get, isn't it.
Wads to send a young man over there to play
for a season and experience the Lords, you know, hold
the background and Hamish spoke about the nursery ground and
so on and just being at Lords and living in London.
Fantastic experience I think for a young man.
Speaker 4 (29:23):
Will it happen? Probably not.
Speaker 6 (29:25):
I think those times now are in our past and
unfortunately it's one of those things that are going to
be left behind. It's it's something that you would would
love to be able to do. But yeah, I'd forgotten
Hamish had had that opportunity. I knew that Crowley, you know,
Martin was certainly over there and he loved that time exactly.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
Yeah, yeah, there were there were a number of them,
and I mean we're talking for Hamish, you know, back
in the late nineteen nineties and sort of the developmental
phase of his career. But you know it did him
no harm quite clearly, and hopefully it does return or
that we get a chance to even pay for a
player to go over there, just for six months to
experience the lifestyle there.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Brian Waddell Jeremy Cooney on the front foot.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
Some extensive work needed by the White fans if they're
to feature in the finals of the World T twenty.
After the highs of a top class performance in the
second T twenty against England, they couldn't go close to
reproducing a similar performance in the final match at Hove.
They lost it to England, one of the sides they'll
meet in Paul play alongside Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland and
the West Indies. The inability to score consistently in the
(30:38):
top order was exposed despite the green divine partnership at Canterbury.
So how does coach Ben Sewyer prepare to approach the
issues that they have.
Speaker 12 (30:49):
Yeah, it's a concern, but yeah, obviously we got out
of it the other day with a pretty much a
record partnership because they don't have to be relying on
that every day. But yeah, something that we've got to
work on in the next couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
You tried three players in the opening spots Plumber Gaze
and in the final game Susie Bates. Is that likely
to continue with mate?
Speaker 12 (31:10):
No, not necessarily. I don't know, to be perfectly honest.
It's you know, we've looked at Georgia and Isy and
I think you know, in the past year they've they've
had some really good strike rates. We've had decent partnerships
up top. Obviously merely has been a part of that
as well. Yeah, we wanted to have a look at
Susie today. I think the pleasing part is hopefully the
last couple of years we build a little bit of depth.
Going to the last World Cup, we probably weren't able
(31:32):
to make changes much to the batting order, but now
you know, we're able to look at different combinations, so yeah,
we'll look at it again in probably the two practice games.
And then yeah, said along something for the first.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Match, captain Milly Kerk couldn't produce the scores she's capable of.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
Is den a concerned?
Speaker 12 (31:46):
Yeah, I'm sure she isn't overly happy with the series
that she's had. She's a real competitor, but again, it's
it's T twenty cricket. We're challenging our players to go
out there and make big scores against you know what
I probably think at the moment is one of the
one of the best attacks in the world, especially with
Lauren Bell opening up, and you know, we're pushing our
players to try to a big score and that's gonna
(32:10):
come with risks. So yeah, it's really hard to criticize
them when you are pushing them to do that and
we're gonna have days like this where we have a
low score. But as a coaching staff, we're okay with that.
F the intense good and yeah, I feel it throughout
the series.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
It has been the top order issue is one thing.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
The ability to account for the power play billers is
another key area of work. The Ferns found left arm
and Lindsay Smith a real handful and will be when
they meet in the World Cup.
Speaker 12 (32:37):
Yeah, she's she's been absolutely outstanding. And we sat there
as coaches and you know, we don't have a lot
of left arm orthodox even in New Zealand, and it's
a little bit of something that our girls haven't seen
a lot of and you know, trying to rely on
the likes of Sophie and Merely and Susie for that
little bit of intel, but look at something that we're
(32:58):
going to have to go away. We've got a camp
coming up. I'm sure left arm Morthoe facing the power
play is going to be a big part of that camp.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
Have been positives, of course, despite failures in the last game.
Maddie Green has produced some consistent form and newballers Bree Illing,
she's been effective with the left arm pace and Nierschi
Patel has been impressive.
Speaker 12 (33:20):
Yeah, she's been a real standout for us. You know,
I'd like to give the players a little bit of
I guess information before they get here, and probably didn't
think Nancy was gonna play a huge part in that
and express that to her, but she stood up at
practice and then in these matches she stood up and
proved to be really good. So she is really pushing
her case for World Cup selections. So all credit to
(33:41):
her for the work she's done.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
And a short break before preparation for the World Cup begins.
Speaker 12 (33:46):
Yeah, so we've given out girls. They got five days off,
I think, if you know, hopefully to make that fine
or where he nearly seventy days, So I feel it's
important that they get away a little bit. So they've
got the option of leaving for a few days and
I think a few of them have taken that up
and seeing different parts of the world.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
But we come back together in.
Speaker 12 (34:03):
Five days time, have a camp at Millfield School and
yet get back into the prep for the World Cup
and then yeah, two practice games in Lafra.
Speaker 2 (34:12):
So some fair and honest responses there from Ben Sawyer.
He has got a challenge, a hell of a challenge. Yes,
they've got some players capable of doing the big jobs
for them. Divine Er Green is starting to come forward.
Is he Sharp's another one. But they've got to get
(34:32):
that consistency. And we've talked about it week in week out,
haven't we, Jerry.
Speaker 6 (34:36):
Yeah, it was it was a bit disappointing watching it,
wasn't it for those of us who have followed the
White Ferns that the top order is clearly the main
issue for them at the moment. And they're having a
few days off, aren't they. So that's that's not a
bad thing if they come back, but I don't you know,
(34:57):
and then they work very hard in those two games
they have prior to the start of the tournament. That's
going to be very important to get some confidence. I
think back into those top order players. You can't be
four for eleven or six for thirty. That's just you
don't give your bawl as a chance, do you in
a match? So and most of them seems to me
(35:18):
trying to get out playing aggressively, and that's Sawyer's point
about they want them to play aggressively. But you've got
to get yourself inwards. Even though it's a T twenty match,
you've got to give yourself two or three deliveries. At
least you get information from those two or three deliveries.
What's the pitch up, what's the bounce like, is it
(35:39):
holding up slightly? You get that information. You're used to
it as a player and you pick those things up
naturally and instinctively once you are at the crease and
you've got to try and I think maybe get off strike,
you know, get a single if you can, or if
it's a bad ball, yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:58):
Put it away by all means.
Speaker 6 (35:59):
But you know they've been getting out very early, haven'tly
they And they're very I mean a player like Amelia
care is a top player, a top player in the world,
and so she doesn't need to me to be playing sweeps,
not really. She can play with a straight bat, and
I think for a left she's not really a turner
(36:20):
of the ball either. I didn't see her turn a ball.
She just brings it in with the arm. It's little
slow swingers, aren't they. They're an arm ball. And so
I think for a right hander, you want to be
hitting that with the full blade, not across the ball,
and you need to be hitting that to sort of
down the ground to mid off to just wide of
(36:41):
mid off, so you are getting inside the line of
the ball and playing it with the full blade. That
is your best chance of striking the ball, not sweeping,
not reverse sweeping. Where they've been getting out so I
think they're not quite going about it in the right way.
If they want to be aggressive, push push mid off
(37:03):
back because midoff is up inside the circle, aren't they
It's the long it's the mid.
Speaker 4 (37:07):
On that's back. You know, they're back at long on.
Speaker 6 (37:10):
That's what they're field for, Lindsey Smiths, and they need
to be hitting it over the top or along the
ground through mid off a lot more. I think that's
a better percentage shot to get away.
Speaker 2 (37:24):
Yes, And the ball is that they're facing and you
make the points. The ball is not turning, and we
look back at some of the other games that have
been played, it's not actually the turn that is doing it.
It's the ball through the air, the changes in action.
Lindsay Smith has a high delivery and then a round
arm delivery, and she's coming in with the arm and
using the air rather than.
Speaker 3 (37:42):
The pitch to deceive the players.
Speaker 4 (37:45):
That's correct. So she's really like a very slow seema
or swing bowler, do you know what I mean? That's
what she does.
Speaker 6 (37:53):
You should not get beaten outside your bat if you're
a right hander. The ball is always coming in if
she starts at a little bit straighter, you know, and
it swings down into your pads.
Speaker 4 (38:05):
Then you can play your sweet can't you?
Speaker 6 (38:07):
But is she she's always she's pretty accurate, and you
that's a good thing because you know where it's going
to be pitching. You know what the line of the
ball is going to be. So I think to get
inside the line slightly and hit towards mid off is
a good option.
Speaker 4 (38:22):
I think all.
Speaker 6 (38:23):
Top order players should be able to play that stroke.
But keep your shoulder to the ball. I mean, these
are more technical kind of things, so you get your
shoulder aiming at where you want to play the ball
and not to the leg side.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Yeah, I said there was an element of experimentation in
some of the shots that were played.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
Particularly Mealy Kerr.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
She played shots that you don't expect her to play
early in her inning. She's a person, she's a Caine
Williamson type players and a Quali player with technique, and
she looks to work the ball and then plays the
big strokes and you know here she is sort of
reverse sweeping and trying to slog sweeping.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
Early in the inning.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
So you know, they're the things that they will work on.
They're having a break and then they've got a camp
before they prepare for their first game, interesting results. The
first up game between England and India. England were want
by an Indian side that didn't have three of their
top or well had two of their top order batsmen
(39:23):
who didn't perform, and of course harm and PreK Coll
wasn't there, and yet they still demolished an England side
that will be looking forward to having Natsiver Brunt back
very shortly and very quickly in time for the World Cup.
Speaker 3 (39:36):
I would imagine.
Speaker 6 (39:37):
Yeah, India are a strong side, aren't they. They're getting
better and better and they have the confidence. They've been
to Australia, they've played there, they're coming back now, they're
playing in England as well, getting ready for the tournament.
Speaker 4 (39:50):
And look, England are beatable, Brian.
Speaker 6 (39:53):
If New Zealand can get one hundred and seventy one
hundred and seventy five against them, they are in the
game and they are that's not beyond them. We want
the player like Amelia cur to be batting for maybe
fourteen overs fifteen over, that's what we want from her,
not to be getting out first ball doing those things.
And you may well be right, she's trying things out,
(40:16):
but I think you want to get as you get
closer to the tournament, you want to get in.
Speaker 4 (40:19):
The groove, don't you.
Speaker 6 (40:21):
You want to be playing an innings that is going
to be similar to what you're going to be playing
in the World Cup itself.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Yeah, the fact is that position three and four are
your best batsman, aren't they and are the ones that
you don't want to be seeing and as you mentioned,
fourteen or fifteen overs from them as when you get
the big titles, and that's what we need.
Speaker 5 (40:38):
To rely on.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
So well, what that with interest. There's a lot of
cricket going on in England at the moment, with the
New Zealand series coming up and then of course the
World Cup starting mid June.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
We look forward to that and.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
England have got their own public just quickly towards the
end of this edition of On the Front Foot, former
England past ball of Darren Goff has questioned the appointment
of Marcus North as England's new select are, saying the
arrival of the Australian will further divide the national team
from the domestic game.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
Now I'm not sure about that.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
I mean, in the end result, he's a man who's
been in England feb at a time. He's got the credentials,
as I said, anyway, former player, former coach. I just
wonder whether it's more Darren Goff being peeved that he
didn't get the job that he applied and that Marcus
North did.
Speaker 6 (41:29):
Yeah, I think there's probably maybe more than a scratch
in there once that you've got you've identified. Look, Marcus
North has played for Lancashire, He's played for Derbyshire.
Speaker 4 (41:40):
He played at Gloucestershire and Hampshire and Glamorgan and then
he had.
Speaker 6 (41:43):
A whole year at Durham as a player, and then
he became the director of cricket for seven to eight
years and during that time Durham worked their way from
the Second Division up to the First Division. So he's
been around a while. He married an English girl. They
live in the Northeast in a place called Gateshead. They've
got two kids. They are English. He has been in England,
(42:06):
you know when he played at Durham, which was two
thousand and four, So he's been in England for at
least twenty six years, twenty seven years at least.
Speaker 4 (42:15):
So that's and he's only forty six. He's been half
his life in England.
Speaker 6 (42:19):
There, he lives there, he's got a family and married
an English girl, and he's got English children. I don't
think there's much in that, Frankly, I think he's played
for not many players played for that many Shires do
they they do in those county sides. So he is
really you know, I don't think there's much in it
that he's Australian and going to be making Australian decisions.
Speaker 4 (42:41):
You No, no, no, he's not. I'm sorry. That doesn't
wash with me quite so much.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
Yeah, I don't know how many selectors in New Zealand have.
I know that Gavin Larsen's a selector, and so too
is Rob Walter, and I presume well, I think that
Paul Wiseman from the New Zealand Cricket Center was basically
a part of the selection. I'm not sure, but the
English have got it. But he truck a lot of them.
I mean, they're going to have to hire a plane
to get them from place to place because they've got
(43:09):
high performance coaches and high performance this and certain spotters
doing their selection for them.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
It's a huge number.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
I wonder whether Das McCullum enjoys having all those selectors around.
Speaker 6 (43:22):
Well, I'm not sure so far he hasn't. So far
he's made the decision that he and Key and Stokes
are the main men. Really, I think, you know, there's
no doubt about that. Been the last four years he
has not only told people you know where to look
(43:42):
what sort of people he wants and what he wants,
you know, the.
Speaker 4 (43:46):
Attributes that those players have.
Speaker 6 (43:48):
And that's been part of an issue, really, hasn't it,
Because he's taken away the county championship, you know, that
relationship between the County Championship and the England cricket team itself.
There was a bit of tension developing between those. He
wasn't looking at people who have got good averages and
are bowling nicely and picking up wickets. Wanted tall bowlers.
(44:09):
He wanted bowlers who bowled at a certain speed and above.
He wanted bowlers who released the ball at a high
you know, release point for if you're going to be
a spinner. He wanted batsmen who were hyper aggressive, the Ducats,
the Crawleys, the Brooks, those kinds of players. So they
were becoming selectors, you know. So it wasn't like the
(44:32):
other you know, coaches of England who had selectors and
were given a team. They wanted these players, and they
made errors, didn't they They found that Shaabasha was unselectable
and that was a three or four year experiment.
Speaker 4 (44:46):
Actually yeah, and it wasn't used. Now he's back in
the team.
Speaker 6 (44:50):
I find that a confusion, you know, a confusing kind
of selection, to be honest, says a lot about spin
bowling in England, doesn't it. In fact, it's going to
be interesting that these two sides don't really have a spinner,
a frontline spinner, either of them.
Speaker 2 (45:04):
No, and I don't suppose we're going to see pitchers.
That will turn quite clear if we're going to be
dominated by seam bowlers.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
Something to watch throughout the series, Jerry.
Speaker 2 (45:13):
We'll finish on a note of a birthday of an
old mate of yours. I'm probably about six weeks late
in acknowledging it, because it's only just happened.
Speaker 3 (45:25):
He's turned eighty one.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Now do you know? Do you know who I'm talking to?
There's a lot of people turned and he went. But
you probably don't know, do you.
Speaker 4 (45:33):
I don't know who you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (45:34):
No, I I and I think you knew him.
Speaker 3 (45:37):
Too as Andy's.
Speaker 6 (45:39):
Andy's yeah, excuse me what this is?
Speaker 4 (45:45):
This is actually going this is the public podcast once.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Okay, well that's that's what we used to call Brian Andrews.
Speaker 4 (45:53):
Oh Andy, Andy's.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Oh you might have called him that, You might have
called him.
Speaker 6 (45:59):
A Yeah, well I remember I remember touring Australia with Brian.
Speaker 4 (46:06):
He was good and swing bowl Actually.
Speaker 3 (46:09):
Yeah, well he holds you.
Speaker 2 (46:10):
You you in memory fondly.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
Do you know what?
Speaker 4 (46:14):
Well I took his care I took a catch off him.
Speaker 3 (46:16):
He got two Test wickets and they were both caught
by you.
Speaker 4 (46:20):
They were she and Paul Shean.
Speaker 6 (46:22):
And then a couple of balls later I couldn't believe
it coming straight to me comfortably, Thank you very much,
Greg Chapel. And there and there was Undies skipping down
the pitch.
Speaker 4 (46:34):
You pee, you pee? What you pee? Undies? For heaven's sake, Yeah, yeah,
that was that was.
Speaker 6 (46:43):
That was the second Test match in that series. And
and oh the rain came and finished it. You know
they were chasing about four seventy two, yeah exactly.
Speaker 3 (46:54):
Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
Well, anyway, it's his birthday and of course he worked
with us in the commentary in christ for.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
A period of time.
Speaker 4 (47:02):
Right, Okay, we.
Speaker 2 (47:03):
Was Andy's happy birthday and one one of these days
will be the same age as he is. Get your
bags tied up, lockdown, make sure that they're all clean
and there's no deady shoes, and there's no problem with
getting into the country. Yeah, you've got to get off
the plane and go straight to Lord's.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
All right, I do, yeah, I do.
Speaker 6 (47:26):
Words looking forward to it. You know, I don't know
whether you'll be listening. I know that you like to
follow these things pretty closely, but you'll be watching it
on the Telly, I'm sure, and trying.
Speaker 2 (47:36):
To get them BBC. That's the problem. You can't get
BBC in New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (47:40):
So no.
Speaker 4 (47:41):
But but you'll get talk Sport.
Speaker 2 (47:44):
Yeah, but I don't.
Speaker 3 (47:46):
I don't listen to that.
Speaker 4 (47:49):
I knew what you were going to say.
Speaker 6 (47:50):
All right, it'll be but it will be good fun
and I hope we get a good teenly fort test series.
Speaker 2 (47:56):
Most definitely carefullen still in words, we'll do words.
Speaker 4 (48:02):
Cheers mate.
Speaker 1 (48:08):
Assuming for more from News Talks at b listen live
(48:33):
on air or online, and keep our shows with you
wherever you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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