December 1, 2024 • 19 mins
On Sports Fix with Jason Pine for 2nd December 2024, The Black Caps have been humbled in their first test against England and questions have been raised about the batting form of wicketkeeper Tom Blundell. Piney chats with former test keeper Reece Young to discuss how important batting is to wicketkeepers and the difficulty of balancing focus on both batting and keeping.
Piney also give his thoughts on the potential team for the second test at the Basin Reserve.
Plus, Elijah Fa'afiu joins the chamber to discuss the continued perfect start for Auckland FC.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
This is Sportsfix. Howard by News Talk said, be.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello and welcome into a fresh week and into the
final month of twenty twenty four. This is the Sports
Fix podcast for Monday, December the second. I'm Jason Pine.
Good to have you listening in Well, all things being equal,
we'd still be watching Test cricket in christ Today was
the scheduled fifth day of the First Test between the
black Caps and England. Unfortunately, of course, it all wrapped
(00:42):
up on day four. England take a one meal lead
in the series. How can we turn things around in
the second Test at the basin starting this coming Friday?
And how important is it that the wicket keeper is
a specialist. There's been all sorts of talk about changing
Tom Blundele, maybe giving Tom Latham or Devin Conway the gloves.
I certainly don't subscribe to that. But how important is
(01:03):
the keeper in red ball cricket? Rash Young was one
of our best domestic and briefly Test wicket keeper batsman.
He's on the podcast today, Elijah. A few pops into
the chamber for a chat, and I've got some further
thoughts on how we turn this around in the second
test the basin this coming Friday, so let's get into it.
In other news, all right, let's kick things off as
(01:26):
always with a look at some of the big sports
stories floating around today. The Olympic champion Blackfurn seven's have
been tipped by Australia in the women's final at the
season opening World seven Series of Ents in Dubai. Australia
looking to close out a big match and we'll do it.
Australia champions in Devi. The winner sir An absolutely pulsating final.
(01:49):
Liverpool have opened up a nine point lead at the
top of the English Premier League ladder with a two
NIEL home win over Manchester City.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Chans to match in a sixth Premier Week Can in
the world.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
And four time world champion Max for staff And has
taken line on us for the ninth time this forma
one season.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
He had the motivation, he had the disaminations, he had
the acceleration Maxmas Stafford from second on the cred tonight
Paul but not tonight Vecci.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
For Stafford wins.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
The Cats are.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Romfrey dissecting the sporting agenda. It's Sportsfix with Jason Vine.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
On the Sports Fix podcast. Lots of chat after the
first Test lost by the black Caps to England at
Hagley Oval, the spotlight's fallen on a couple of players
in particular, one of who is Tom Blundel, and there
are suggestions perhaps that maybe a change needs to be
made at wicket keeper. Reyese Young was one of our
best domestic wicket keeper batsman across all formats for fifteen years,
(02:51):
mainly with Auckland, also a couple of summers in Christchurch
with Canterbury. He played five Test matches, debuting against Pakistan
and Hamilton in twenty eleven. His last Test was the
famous win over Australia in Hobart. At the back end
of twenty eleven, he joins us, Now, Reese, let's talk
about out how important a specialist is in Test matches.
(03:12):
As a wicket keeper. It's been suggested that it's a
role that could be performed by a part timer or
a specialist, you know, to beef up the batting, maybe
give the gloves to somebody who can do the job,
rather than as a specialist in the job would you
subscribe to that.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Well, I'd want to say that most of the keepers
coming through now are better. And so you know, you
look at someone like Tom Blundle at the moment, I mean,
his stats in his career is outstanding for a Wicke
keeper better, so you know, to throw who you're going
to throw in, like if you chucked an opener and
or Tommy Lason for example. He you know that the
(03:51):
network takes away from what their core specialty is, and
so I think it's too hard if you're going to
play your keeper up the order to be able to
do the job properly after you know, being in a
field for one hundred and fifty overs and then expecting
them to go out to bat in the top three
or four. So I just feel like it's unrealistic these days,
(04:12):
you know, And you might get your old guy like
your Abdavillia's or your Quintum the cocks and all that,
but I think over time to see that they end
up dropping down to your seven and eight, just to
give them that breathing space between emings. And like I said,
we've got plenty of talent floating around that more than
handy batters, you know, Tom Blundell for example of class act.
(04:34):
And you know, I think as records speaks for itself in.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Terms of the specialization of a wicket keeper, how much
more would you work on your wicket keeping than a
fieldsman would work on their field and compare to say
they're batting or their bowling.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Hard to quantify. I know kind of what I did,
And you know, like I always enjoyed training, and so
that that was wicket keeping, catching balls, taking throws from
the boundary, whatever it might be. You know, you just
I loved being I love training, and I love catch
and ball. So you know, first and foremost, I feel
like once you get to an elite level you're probably
(05:15):
doing that anyway. And I guess as a keeper, just
like all round us, you've got to train and balance
get batting with the keeping. But first and foremost, you
know you're there as a keeper. It's a specialist position.
And then you're to make sure that you're doing enough
with the bat as well and contributing, particularly at number
seven where you know you're expected to be scoring hundreds
(05:35):
and batting of the tail, and you know you might
have to list the tempo of the game in a
run that position or you might have to be grinding
it out depending on the situation of the game. So yeah,
really crucial for a risk keeper, particularly in Test cricket,
and I think we've seen that through the years with
some of the keepers that you know, New Zealand have had,
(05:57):
but also around the world.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
What about the position that you banned race, I remember,
you know, neither sort of the middle of the back
end of your career, you were batting sort of three
four five for Auckland. So after a long and a
in the field and all those squats that you talked about,
how challenging was it then to take off the wicket
keeping pads, put the batting pads on and be you know,
sometimes out there quite quickly.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Yeah, I guess. Yeah. First class cricket, you know you've
got you got four days as opposed to the five,
and I mean most of the keepers around the traps
will be probably one of the fittest guys in your team,
so you know, I mean everyone will, we'll put their
hand up to do it given the chance. But I
just think realistically, you know, it's probably more the mental
side of things that that sort of gifts can be
(06:41):
quite draining, Like any position in the team. But I
feel that, you know, with the keeper, you're on and
off everythingle ball, and you got to be able learned
to switch on and then and then be able to
switch off, otherwise you just get mentally drained throughout the day.
And yeah, I don't know like if I'm putting in
a great argument for this, but I just feel that,
(07:03):
you know, there'll be guys out there that really would
want to do that, but realistically, what's best for the team.
You know, personally, I feel that we've got to write
the right mix in the setup at the moment. And
you know, there's some great support staff around there, and
you know, you've got guys like Luke Wronki who obviously
being a keeper himself, you'll be able to offer some
(07:23):
insights to the play group at the moment, you know,
and I feel that that would be that's coming from
someone who's a keeper. They can offer those those those
intricacies that you know, perhaps someone who hasn't done it
or hasn't done it often won't have.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
You know, it does keeping also help with batting and
that you're behind the stumps for that whole you know.
Let's say let's say you're in the field first, so
you might get eighty one hundred overs watching the ball
come down the track towards you get a read on
the wicket. Is that an advantage when you go out
to bed.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Yeah, look, I enjoyed that, and that was particularly in
short form cricket. I enjoyed the fact that you know,
if you've got a chance to keep and then you've
got a chance to bet up the order that it
did help you get into the game sort of read
the wicket a little better. But yeah, definitely, I mean
that's for me as well, the wick keeper, because I
was in the game. You could see what was going
(08:17):
on and then it could flow over into your batting.
You get a bit of an idea of what what
the wicket was doing and things like that. But yeah,
I mean, I'm sure you know you're asking any any
player or any keeper if there in the game. It's
gonna you tend to sort of flow off each other.
If you if you're taking well, you know that can
(08:39):
come into your bed into and you can sort of
flow on from that vice versa when things aren't going
so well. It's having a mental strength to be able
to just park that and move on to your next
specialty and then sometimes you know, if things aren't going
too well, you can also it can get tied up.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
So yeah, thanks so much for your time. Races great
to get your insight and analysis. Let's reach on former
first class and Test wicket keeper batsman joining us on
the sports Fix podcast. Sports There are a couple of
selection issues for New Zealand head of the second cricketest
against England at the Basin starting on Friday. One is
(09:16):
where Tom Blundell should bat, not whether he plays. He plays.
He's the best red ball wicker keeper and is keeping
in christ Church apart from one drop catch was pretty
tidy and let's be honest, he wasn't the only one
who dropped a catch, was he? So he plays and
keeps wicket, but does he stay at number six? Garry
Stead has said today they won't look at swapping Glenn
(09:37):
Phillips and Tom Blundele around in the middle. Lowder the
leaf Blundle at six and Phillips at seven. I think
they should look at it. Tom Blundle's low on confidence
at the moment with the bat, Glenn Phillips is high
on confidence. Wensy not swap them around? What do you lose.
By doing that nothing, you get an informed guy in
earlier and give a bit more breathing space to a
(09:58):
guy who's struggling with the bat and may have just
spent one hundred overs or more crouching behind the stumps
in the field. The other issue is whether Mitchell Santner
will play in this one. I think think he will.
Force Seemas in christ Church makes sense a front line
spinner and Wellington makes sense, which means one of your
seemas drops out. We know it's not going to be
Matt Henry. He's our best bowler, and I think willow'
(10:20):
rourke's pace gets him in despite his relatively modest showing
in christ Church. So for me, it's then a straight
shootout between the side's most experienced bowler and its least
experienced bowler. Do you go with Tim Souey or Nathan Smith.
I'd be picking Nathan Smith. He's a nod to the future.
He bowled well early in christ Church just by taking
(10:43):
a bit of tap. Later on he's a better batter
and the basin is his home ground. That last one,
I know is a bit sentimental, and maybe that emotion
plays into Tim Southy's hands given this is his last
Test series. But we have to win this Test and
I think we have more chance of doing that with
Nathan Smith in the eleven and maybe at end. Say
to Tim Southy, your Swan song is in Hamilton in
(11:06):
the third Test, so I'd go Latham, Conway, Williamson, Ravendra, Mitchell,
Phillips at six, Blundle at seven, Satna Smith, Henry O'Rourke.
That's what I do. I've got no idea what they'll do.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfix.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
On the Sports Fix podcast. Let's kick around a few
issues inside the Chamber for Monday, of course. The People's
Chamber joined after a week's hiatus last Monday by Elarja.
A feel a bit to chat about, Elijah. How was
your weekend? First of all, A good one.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yeah, I'm not so bad as always, but I'm glad
to have you back from your awesome holiday and the
Gold Coast.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
I hear, yeah, I was on the Gold Coast. It's
always a pretty easy place to have a holiday. Actually,
I said to my wife over there, I don't know
how people live and work here. It just feels as
though everybody there is on holiday and wearing Jandles. But
anyway we digress. Let's get into some sporting topics. I
did manage to keep tabs on the first cricket Test
in christ Jutch while I was over there. Every time
(12:07):
I checked, though it seemed the witty dropped to catch
or lost a wicket. What has to change and we
can talk selection in a moment, but in general terms,
what has to change for us to be more competitive
and square this series of the basin starting on Friday.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Well, the obvious thing is we need to learn how
to catch. Yes, a drop catches is unacceptable. Five of
them coming off Harry Brook so he was let off
the hook so many times. A couple of quite a
few culprits in the squad. I think Tom Latham and
Glen Phillips had multiple drop catches. But it's uncharacteristic of them, Like,
it's not something that we expect from these players. Gary
(12:43):
Stead in this press is today, but I believe he
mentioned that they were uncharacteristic things, so he expects them
to get back to being those reliable fielders that we
know that they can be. For me, that's probably the
big obvious thing that needs to change.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Do you think that it's like being out of form
with the bat or not. I don't think it is.
I think if you drop a catch doesn't mean the
next one that comes along your likely to drop it
because you've already dropped one and you're in a poor
run of catching form. I don't think that's a thing.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Is that.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
I know guys go through ruts with the bat or
they can't get a wicket for a while, But it's
not the same in the field, is it.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
No, I don't think so. Well, especially if you're Glen
Phillips and you can pull out a screamer in the gully. Yes,
for every few drop catches that you have. So I
don't think it's a poor run of fielding or anything.
So I do think it's something that can be easily fixed.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Do you think also that we just need to and
I'm sure this is not rocket science, but do we
just need to go bigger with the bat? Even you
look at the guys who got runs Williamson ninety three
and sixty one. I'm sure he thought there were centuries
there in both innings for the taking. You know, Glenn
Phillips had to bat with the tail in the first
innings and got fifty eight not out. Similarly, Daryl Mitchell
(13:53):
eighty four and the second. They're good scores, but no centuries.
You've got. I feel as though you have to score
centuries to win test matches, don't you.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Yeah, for sure. And I think the question is where
does that come from? You mentioned Kean Williamson, I guess
another guy rushing in as well. I'm particularly looking at
the openers though, Tom Latham and Devin Conway. I think,
you know, for those two to sort of set the
tone for the batting order, that's probably the two guys
I'm sort of looking at. But they do have guys
like Williamson, Daryl Mitchell and Revenger there as well.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
So let's look at the Basin Reserve test then I
feel as though they'll play. Mitchell Santner I think he'll play.
He's coming to the squad. Jack of Duffy has dropped
out eat and feature of course in christ Church. I
kind of feel as though, if Mitchell Santner's in the squad,
he plays, What do you think?
Speaker 3 (14:40):
I think so as well. I think that Basin Reserve
has proven in the past that it can be a
spin friendly wicked and I think Saturner is the option there.
I think the question is who sort of makes way
then if Saturner comes into the side.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Well, I've already said on the pod today, I think
it's Tim Suley who drops out. Who would you be
omitting for the second test?
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yeah, lean towards Salvi as well, just because I think
for goal like Nathan Smith who made his test debut,
you want to give him a bit more reps. And
he proved in that first test that he he can
measure up on the international Test arena, So I think
giving him more experience would be valuable for a guy
like him.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
And the other thing that Gary Steed said today they
won't be doing is swapping Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips
in the batting order. Blunder will stay at six, Phillips
will stay at seven. I'd swap them. Would you swap them?
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Yeah, I'd probably lean towards swapping them. I think the pressure,
even though Blundle has the backing of his skipper and
his coach, that I think the pressure. There's a lot
more pressure on him, and I think the lenses sort
of sort of zeroed in on him now to perform
with the bat But he has shown that he can
perform against England. I think it's just unfortunately he's sort
of in this little ruts with the bat.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Do you know that he can see his old secondary
school from the Basin Wellington College. He looks up and
he can see his old school. I don't know if
that's a good omen or not. I think he was
pretty good at school, so maybe that's what he needs.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Maybe if he uses that for target practice then that
might help him help him out. That could be the key.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
I'd had it to result for form chemistry window or whatever. Right,
So lots of more to come on the test across
the week Friday, it starts at the Basin Reserve on
Saturday Eliga. It's the second derby involving Auckland f C
and Wellington Phoenix in the A League. We see we've
only just had one of these, but Darby two was
rolling around this coming Saturday. Auckland f C in the
(16:30):
last little while have opened up some extra tickets on
the North Bank, so they're pushing towards a twenty six
thousand plus crowd. Five from five What are you predicting
for Saturday?
Speaker 3 (16:43):
I mean, if you asked me if this team would
have started five from five. I would have thought you
were joking. I wouldn't have believed you if you had
told me that would be how they started. I imagine
there's a new club, there'd be some growing pains, but
I didn't expect them to come in and, you know,
come in and firing with this five and five from
five starts. My prediction is that I think Orklan FC wins,
(17:03):
but I do think the Knicks will be able to
crack Alex Paulson and Orkland will concede their fiscal of
the season, So I'm going to go to one to
Aukland FC.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I agree that the Phoenix will score a goal. I
think it'll be the only goal of the game. So
I'll flip the script from you for me. Auckland FC
have been so good defensively. I mean it doesn't take
a rocket scientist again to work that out. They haven't
considered in five games, but I'm not sure that they've
had had quite the cutting edge up top that they
would have liked. They haven't looked like they'll tear anybody apart.
(17:34):
Newcastle on a good team and it took a long
time for Auckland to break them open. So I'm not
sure that their attack is all that they hope it
might be. But I think they're very good defensively, as
are Wellington. These are the best two defensive teams in
the league, So that point still fairly cag encounter almost.
I think what happened in Wellington Eligi, you know, when
it was a goalkeeping mistake from Josh Olaway Emmy that
(17:56):
broke that game open. It's either going to be a
mistake or it's going to be a moment of brilliance.
And I guess it comes down to who provides that,
either happily or unhappily for their own team.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Yeah, And I was actually just going to point to
that as an example last Local derby year, was that
mistake from Oliwa yummy that broke things open, And yeah,
I wouldn't be surprised if it is another grind, you go,
it becomes the law and we see in the eightieth
plus minute the next sort of crack through or even
in stoppage time. So I'm expecting an absolute grind between
those two sides.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Yeah, but an exciting and thralling contest. Nonetheless, great to
be back in the chamber, the People's Chamber, with you, Elijah.
Let's do it again next Monday.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
We'll do Thanks Bony.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
This is Sportsfix, your daily dose of sports news how
in by News Talks EVV.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
And that blows the final whistle on another edition of
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(19:02):
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Speaker 1 (19:07):
For more from News Talks ed be listen live on
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB follow
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This is Sportsfix. Howard by News Talk said, be.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hello and welcome into a fresh week and into the
final month of twenty twenty four. This is the Sports
Fix podcast for Monday, December the second. I'm Jason Pine.
Good to have you listening in Well, all things being equal,
we'd still be watching Test cricket in christ Today was
the scheduled fifth day of the First Test between the
black Caps and England. Unfortunately, of course, it all wrapped
(00:42):
up on day four. England take a one meal lead
in the series. How can we turn things around in
the second Test at the basin starting this coming Friday?
And how important is it that the wicket keeper is
a specialist. There's been all sorts of talk about changing
Tom Blundele, maybe giving Tom Latham or Devin Conway the gloves.
I certainly don't subscribe to that. But how important is
(01:03):
the keeper in red ball cricket? Rash Young was one
of our best domestic and briefly Test wicket keeper batsman.
He's on the podcast today, Elijah. A few pops into
the chamber for a chat, and I've got some further
thoughts on how we turn this around in the second
test the basin this coming Friday, so let's get into it.
In other news, all right, let's kick things off as
(01:26):
always with a look at some of the big sports
stories floating around today. The Olympic champion Blackfurn seven's have
been tipped by Australia in the women's final at the
season opening World seven Series of Ents in Dubai. Australia
looking to close out a big match and we'll do it.
Australia champions in Devi. The winner sir An absolutely pulsating final.
(01:49):
Liverpool have opened up a nine point lead at the
top of the English Premier League ladder with a two
NIEL home win over Manchester City.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Chans to match in a sixth Premier Week Can in
the world.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
And four time world champion Max for staff And has
taken line on us for the ninth time this forma
one season.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
He had the motivation, he had the disaminations, he had
the acceleration Maxmas Stafford from second on the cred tonight
Paul but not tonight Vecci.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
For Stafford wins.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
The Cats are.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
Romfrey dissecting the sporting agenda. It's Sportsfix with Jason Vine.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
On the Sports Fix podcast. Lots of chat after the
first Test lost by the black Caps to England at
Hagley Oval, the spotlight's fallen on a couple of players
in particular, one of who is Tom Blundel, and there
are suggestions perhaps that maybe a change needs to be
made at wicket keeper. Reyese Young was one of our
best domestic wicket keeper batsman across all formats for fifteen years,
(02:51):
mainly with Auckland, also a couple of summers in Christchurch
with Canterbury. He played five Test matches, debuting against Pakistan
and Hamilton in twenty eleven. His last Test was the
famous win over Australia in Hobart. At the back end
of twenty eleven, he joins us, Now, Reese, let's talk
about out how important a specialist is in Test matches.
(03:12):
As a wicket keeper. It's been suggested that it's a
role that could be performed by a part timer or
a specialist, you know, to beef up the batting, maybe
give the gloves to somebody who can do the job,
rather than as a specialist in the job would you
subscribe to that.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Well, I'd want to say that most of the keepers
coming through now are better. And so you know, you
look at someone like Tom Blundle at the moment, I mean,
his stats in his career is outstanding for a Wicke
keeper better, so you know, to throw who you're going
to throw in, like if you chucked an opener and
or Tommy Lason for example. He you know that the
(03:51):
network takes away from what their core specialty is, and
so I think it's too hard if you're going to
play your keeper up the order to be able to
do the job properly after you know, being in a
field for one hundred and fifty overs and then expecting
them to go out to bat in the top three
or four. So I just feel like it's unrealistic these days,
(04:12):
you know, And you might get your old guy like
your Abdavillia's or your Quintum the cocks and all that,
but I think over time to see that they end
up dropping down to your seven and eight, just to
give them that breathing space between emings. And like I said,
we've got plenty of talent floating around that more than
handy batters, you know, Tom Blundell for example of class act.
(04:34):
And you know, I think as records speaks for itself in.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Terms of the specialization of a wicket keeper, how much
more would you work on your wicket keeping than a
fieldsman would work on their field and compare to say
they're batting or their bowling.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Hard to quantify. I know kind of what I did,
And you know, like I always enjoyed training, and so
that that was wicket keeping, catching balls, taking throws from
the boundary, whatever it might be. You know, you just
I loved being I love training, and I love catch
and ball. So you know, first and foremost, I feel
like once you get to an elite level you're probably
(05:15):
doing that anyway. And I guess as a keeper, just
like all round us, you've got to train and balance
get batting with the keeping. But first and foremost, you
know you're there as a keeper. It's a specialist position.
And then you're to make sure that you're doing enough
with the bat as well and contributing, particularly at number
seven where you know you're expected to be scoring hundreds
(05:35):
and batting of the tail, and you know you might
have to list the tempo of the game in a
run that position or you might have to be grinding
it out depending on the situation of the game. So yeah,
really crucial for a risk keeper, particularly in Test cricket,
and I think we've seen that through the years with
some of the keepers that you know, New Zealand have had,
(05:57):
but also around the world.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
What about the position that you banned race, I remember,
you know, neither sort of the middle of the back
end of your career, you were batting sort of three
four five for Auckland. So after a long and a
in the field and all those squats that you talked about,
how challenging was it then to take off the wicket
keeping pads, put the batting pads on and be you know,
sometimes out there quite quickly.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
Yeah, I guess. Yeah. First class cricket, you know you've
got you got four days as opposed to the five,
and I mean most of the keepers around the traps
will be probably one of the fittest guys in your team,
so you know, I mean everyone will, we'll put their
hand up to do it given the chance. But I
just think realistically, you know, it's probably more the mental
side of things that that sort of gifts can be
(06:41):
quite draining, Like any position in the team. But I
feel that, you know, with the keeper, you're on and
off everythingle ball, and you got to be able learned
to switch on and then and then be able to
switch off, otherwise you just get mentally drained throughout the day.
And yeah, I don't know like if I'm putting in
a great argument for this, but I just feel that,
(07:03):
you know, there'll be guys out there that really would
want to do that, but realistically, what's best for the team.
You know, personally, I feel that we've got to write
the right mix in the setup at the moment. And
you know, there's some great support staff around there, and
you know, you've got guys like Luke Wronki who obviously
being a keeper himself, you'll be able to offer some
(07:23):
insights to the play group at the moment, you know,
and I feel that that would be that's coming from
someone who's a keeper. They can offer those those those
intricacies that you know, perhaps someone who hasn't done it
or hasn't done it often won't have.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
You know, it does keeping also help with batting and
that you're behind the stumps for that whole you know.
Let's say let's say you're in the field first, so
you might get eighty one hundred overs watching the ball
come down the track towards you get a read on
the wicket. Is that an advantage when you go out
to bed.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Yeah, look, I enjoyed that, and that was particularly in
short form cricket. I enjoyed the fact that you know,
if you've got a chance to keep and then you've
got a chance to bet up the order that it
did help you get into the game sort of read
the wicket a little better. But yeah, definitely, I mean
that's for me as well, the wick keeper, because I
was in the game. You could see what was going
(08:17):
on and then it could flow over into your batting.
You get a bit of an idea of what what
the wicket was doing and things like that. But yeah,
I mean, I'm sure you know you're asking any any
player or any keeper if there in the game. It's
gonna you tend to sort of flow off each other.
If you if you're taking well, you know that can
(08:39):
come into your bed into and you can sort of
flow on from that vice versa when things aren't going
so well. It's having a mental strength to be able
to just park that and move on to your next
specialty and then sometimes you know, if things aren't going
too well, you can also it can get tied up.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
So yeah, thanks so much for your time. Races great
to get your insight and analysis. Let's reach on former
first class and Test wicket keeper batsman joining us on
the sports Fix podcast. Sports There are a couple of
selection issues for New Zealand head of the second cricketest
against England at the Basin starting on Friday. One is
(09:16):
where Tom Blundell should bat, not whether he plays. He plays.
He's the best red ball wicker keeper and is keeping
in christ Church apart from one drop catch was pretty
tidy and let's be honest, he wasn't the only one
who dropped a catch, was he? So he plays and
keeps wicket, but does he stay at number six? Garry
Stead has said today they won't look at swapping Glenn
(09:37):
Phillips and Tom Blundele around in the middle. Lowder the
leaf Blundle at six and Phillips at seven. I think
they should look at it. Tom Blundle's low on confidence
at the moment with the bat, Glenn Phillips is high
on confidence. Wensy not swap them around? What do you lose.
By doing that nothing, you get an informed guy in
earlier and give a bit more breathing space to a
(09:58):
guy who's struggling with the bat and may have just
spent one hundred overs or more crouching behind the stumps
in the field. The other issue is whether Mitchell Santner
will play in this one. I think think he will.
Force Seemas in christ Church makes sense a front line
spinner and Wellington makes sense, which means one of your
seemas drops out. We know it's not going to be
Matt Henry. He's our best bowler, and I think willow'
(10:20):
rourke's pace gets him in despite his relatively modest showing
in christ Church. So for me, it's then a straight
shootout between the side's most experienced bowler and its least
experienced bowler. Do you go with Tim Souey or Nathan Smith.
I'd be picking Nathan Smith. He's a nod to the future.
He bowled well early in christ Church just by taking
(10:43):
a bit of tap. Later on he's a better batter
and the basin is his home ground. That last one,
I know is a bit sentimental, and maybe that emotion
plays into Tim Southy's hands given this is his last
Test series. But we have to win this Test and
I think we have more chance of doing that with
Nathan Smith in the eleven and maybe at end. Say
to Tim Southy, your Swan song is in Hamilton in
(11:06):
the third Test, so I'd go Latham, Conway, Williamson, Ravendra, Mitchell,
Phillips at six, Blundle at seven, Satna Smith, Henry O'Rourke.
That's what I do. I've got no idea what they'll do.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
The Chamber is now in session on Sportsfix.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
On the Sports Fix podcast. Let's kick around a few
issues inside the Chamber for Monday, of course. The People's
Chamber joined after a week's hiatus last Monday by Elarja.
A feel a bit to chat about, Elijah. How was
your weekend? First of all, A good one.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yeah, I'm not so bad as always, but I'm glad
to have you back from your awesome holiday and the
Gold Coast.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
I hear, yeah, I was on the Gold Coast. It's
always a pretty easy place to have a holiday. Actually,
I said to my wife over there, I don't know
how people live and work here. It just feels as
though everybody there is on holiday and wearing Jandles. But
anyway we digress. Let's get into some sporting topics. I
did manage to keep tabs on the first cricket Test
in christ Jutch while I was over there. Every time
(12:07):
I checked, though it seemed the witty dropped to catch
or lost a wicket. What has to change and we
can talk selection in a moment, but in general terms,
what has to change for us to be more competitive
and square this series of the basin starting on Friday.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Well, the obvious thing is we need to learn how
to catch. Yes, a drop catches is unacceptable. Five of
them coming off Harry Brook so he was let off
the hook so many times. A couple of quite a
few culprits in the squad. I think Tom Latham and
Glen Phillips had multiple drop catches. But it's uncharacteristic of them, Like,
it's not something that we expect from these players. Gary
(12:43):
Stead in this press is today, but I believe he
mentioned that they were uncharacteristic things, so he expects them
to get back to being those reliable fielders that we
know that they can be. For me, that's probably the
big obvious thing that needs to change.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Do you think that it's like being out of form
with the bat or not. I don't think it is.
I think if you drop a catch doesn't mean the
next one that comes along your likely to drop it
because you've already dropped one and you're in a poor
run of catching form. I don't think that's a thing.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Is that.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
I know guys go through ruts with the bat or
they can't get a wicket for a while, But it's
not the same in the field, is it.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
No, I don't think so. Well, especially if you're Glen
Phillips and you can pull out a screamer in the gully. Yes,
for every few drop catches that you have. So I
don't think it's a poor run of fielding or anything.
So I do think it's something that can be easily fixed.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Do you think also that we just need to and
I'm sure this is not rocket science, but do we
just need to go bigger with the bat? Even you
look at the guys who got runs Williamson ninety three
and sixty one. I'm sure he thought there were centuries
there in both innings for the taking. You know, Glenn
Phillips had to bat with the tail in the first
innings and got fifty eight not out. Similarly, Daryl Mitchell
(13:53):
eighty four and the second. They're good scores, but no centuries.
You've got. I feel as though you have to score
centuries to win test matches, don't you.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Yeah, for sure. And I think the question is where
does that come from? You mentioned Kean Williamson, I guess
another guy rushing in as well. I'm particularly looking at
the openers though, Tom Latham and Devin Conway. I think,
you know, for those two to sort of set the
tone for the batting order, that's probably the two guys
I'm sort of looking at. But they do have guys
like Williamson, Daryl Mitchell and Revenger there as well.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
So let's look at the Basin Reserve test then I
feel as though they'll play. Mitchell Santner I think he'll play.
He's coming to the squad. Jack of Duffy has dropped
out eat and feature of course in christ Church. I
kind of feel as though, if Mitchell Santner's in the squad,
he plays, What do you think?
Speaker 3 (14:40):
I think so as well. I think that Basin Reserve
has proven in the past that it can be a
spin friendly wicked and I think Saturner is the option there.
I think the question is who sort of makes way
then if Saturner comes into the side.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Well, I've already said on the pod today, I think
it's Tim Suley who drops out. Who would you be
omitting for the second test?
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yeah, lean towards Salvi as well, just because I think
for goal like Nathan Smith who made his test debut,
you want to give him a bit more reps. And
he proved in that first test that he he can
measure up on the international Test arena, So I think
giving him more experience would be valuable for a guy
like him.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
And the other thing that Gary Steed said today they
won't be doing is swapping Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips
in the batting order. Blunder will stay at six, Phillips
will stay at seven. I'd swap them. Would you swap them?
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Yeah, I'd probably lean towards swapping them. I think the pressure,
even though Blundle has the backing of his skipper and
his coach, that I think the pressure. There's a lot
more pressure on him, and I think the lenses sort
of sort of zeroed in on him now to perform
with the bat But he has shown that he can
perform against England. I think it's just unfortunately he's sort
of in this little ruts with the bat.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Do you know that he can see his old secondary
school from the Basin Wellington College. He looks up and
he can see his old school. I don't know if
that's a good omen or not. I think he was
pretty good at school, so maybe that's what he needs.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Maybe if he uses that for target practice then that
might help him help him out. That could be the key.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
I'd had it to result for form chemistry window or whatever. Right,
So lots of more to come on the test across
the week Friday, it starts at the Basin Reserve on
Saturday Eliga. It's the second derby involving Auckland f C
and Wellington Phoenix in the A League. We see we've
only just had one of these, but Darby two was
rolling around this coming Saturday. Auckland f C in the
(16:30):
last little while have opened up some extra tickets on
the North Bank, so they're pushing towards a twenty six
thousand plus crowd. Five from five What are you predicting
for Saturday?
Speaker 3 (16:43):
I mean, if you asked me if this team would
have started five from five. I would have thought you
were joking. I wouldn't have believed you if you had
told me that would be how they started. I imagine
there's a new club, there'd be some growing pains, but
I didn't expect them to come in and, you know,
come in and firing with this five and five from
five starts. My prediction is that I think Orklan FC wins,
(17:03):
but I do think the Knicks will be able to
crack Alex Paulson and Orkland will concede their fiscal of
the season, So I'm going to go to one to
Aukland FC.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I agree that the Phoenix will score a goal. I
think it'll be the only goal of the game. So
I'll flip the script from you for me. Auckland FC
have been so good defensively. I mean it doesn't take
a rocket scientist again to work that out. They haven't
considered in five games, but I'm not sure that they've
had had quite the cutting edge up top that they
would have liked. They haven't looked like they'll tear anybody apart.
(17:34):
Newcastle on a good team and it took a long
time for Auckland to break them open. So I'm not
sure that their attack is all that they hope it
might be. But I think they're very good defensively, as
are Wellington. These are the best two defensive teams in
the league, So that point still fairly cag encounter almost.
I think what happened in Wellington Eligi, you know, when
it was a goalkeeping mistake from Josh Olaway Emmy that
(17:56):
broke that game open. It's either going to be a
mistake or it's going to be a moment of brilliance.
And I guess it comes down to who provides that,
either happily or unhappily for their own team.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Yeah, And I was actually just going to point to
that as an example last Local derby year, was that
mistake from Oliwa yummy that broke things open, And yeah,
I wouldn't be surprised if it is another grind, you go,
it becomes the law and we see in the eightieth
plus minute the next sort of crack through or even
in stoppage time. So I'm expecting an absolute grind between
those two sides.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Yeah, but an exciting and thralling contest. Nonetheless, great to
be back in the chamber, the People's Chamber, with you, Elijah.
Let's do it again next Monday.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
We'll do Thanks Bony.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
This is Sportsfix, your daily dose of sports news how
in by News Talks EVV.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
And that blows the final whistle on another edition of
the Sports Fixed podcast. Thank you for listening in. If
you like what you heard, please subscribe and that means
that a fresh episode of Sports Fix will drop into
your podcast feed at around about the same time tomorrow
and every weekday. And for more from News Talk ZEDB Sport,
listen to Sports Talk every weeknight between seven and eight
(19:02):
pm and Weekend Sport midday to three on Saturday and Sunday.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
For more from News Talks ed be listen live on
air or online and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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