Mark Richardson: Former Black Cap previews the days play in the third test against the West Indies

It's been an exciting match of test cricket so far at the Bay Oval between the Black Caps and the West Indies.

After going into bat first the Black Caps put a mammoth score on the table of 575/8 before declaring spare headed by a 323 opening run partnership between Devon Conway and Tom Latham that nearly lasted the entire first day. 

Conway top scored with 227, followed by Latham with 137 and finally Rachin Ravindra put on an unbeaten 72 to keep the score board pressure rolling. 

After being put into bat to end the second day the West Indies fought back with a good batting performance ending on 110/0 heading into day three later today. 

Mark Richardson is a former Black Cap and broadcaster with TVNZ commentating the game and he joined D'Arcy to look ahead to the days play. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB, and.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
It gives me great pleasure to welcome to the airwaves
my former colleague. We did two years of Breakfast together
on Radio Sport. I don't remember how long ago that was,
Riga Mark Richardson. Great to have you back on board again.
Great to hear you on the TV as well and
watch you commentating cricket yere and you're happy places You
can't keep awake, can't you?

Speaker 3 (00:33):
That morning? Darcy? And it was here. It was a
long long time ago that we worked together.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
There was when we both actually didn't have gray hair.
That's saying a lot. What's happened in this Test match?
What is going to happen? Is Patel actually going to
save the day and get a wicket at home with
that pitch actually take turn? Or is this going to
car around being a batting paradise to you?

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Then? Well, I hope I hope the pitch takes turn.
You know, this is one of those grounds where it's
nice to actually see spinbol and take a meaningful part
in Test match in New Zealand. But we just seem
to have major issues making our wiketcern or getting them
to turn this one started off dry. If they you know,
all the ingredients are there for it's actually takes mean.

(01:14):
Remember I've only played two days on it as well,
there's another three days of cricket to be played in
three days a dry and New Zealand had a lot
of bowling to do on it. But at the moment
it looks pretty flat.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
It does, and the West Indies are enjoying themselves. I
thought they would have checked out by now, but some
of them are actually sticking around, which is great. To
talk to us about the first couple of days though,
and what went on with the likes of like Devin
Komo fantastic innings from hem. Was that a case of
great batting or just average from the West Indians?

Speaker 3 (01:45):
I think it of both. I said the ten New
Zealanders really applied themselves well on that surface. But there
was the usual first day movement and there was some
life in the worknd the Western It just didn't get
the ball in the right areas for long enough. And
it's the numbers game. You're always going to go past
the outside edge, but you need to bowl a success

(02:06):
of deliveries and go pass the outside eage a few
times before you find it. Get that eage generally, you know,
it's how it's where. It's just a little bit of
numbers game to get the ball in the right area.
But I think they bowled about it. They thought about
fight Nathan's to the day. That's just not good enough.
It doesn't place enough pressure on on on the batter
and good players will prosper.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Well, let's look to what the New Zealanders can deliver
with the ball. Look their bowling line up, their attack
has been shredded over the last year. The amount of
guys that have turned up to start playing again out
of nowhere, I suppose it says something for the depth.
But if you're really picking apart is that depth. There

(02:44):
are these younger guys or older guys, younger in their
test careers coming through. Have they got what it takes?

Speaker 3 (02:51):
What takes time? You know, those those who begin to
go are shown that they and they can make the grade.
You know, there's a difference from making the grade and
then being very good at the grade. And I think
we you know, there is a real illustration that there
is debt there because players are actually you're doing okay,

(03:13):
But so it frustrates me because there's there's about a
two dozen or about a dozen bowlers that just could
be there and aren't you know, so the debts has
really been tested and then you think of that at
the next level downs. I'll tell you what, if you're
better and he's on a provincial cricket at the moment,

(03:34):
fill your boots because you know this a dozen bowlers
not bowling at you.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
Yeah, granted, and there's there's probably no rhyme nor reason
as to why most of these players are broken in
half like loading or T twenty. I don't know, can
you apply anything to that or is it just rotten
mold luck in the cricket God's hats?

Speaker 3 (03:55):
Huh? Yeah. I think that there is a bit of
signs behind it, and they do talk about these bowling
those but I can't help but feel that that teach
any cris and the diet of it by four overs
has has a bearing. It has to. And then and
then you can throw in a little bit of luck too.

(04:16):
And then when bold bowlers tend to have a history
and break you down, you know, I think that you
know a certain bowler, certain bowlers workhorses and clothe horse
and they never seem to get injured, and others, you know,
you get them right again and they're effectively ferraris and
they keep breaking down every time you take it out
the garage and drive it down the road. It's just
unfortunately how some people's bodies are made up. It's a difficult,

(04:37):
difficult task and puts a lot of stress on the body,
but it is I mean, I'll reiterate, it's frustrating when
I think about New Zealand's top bowl in attack and
you could have a Rourk out there. You could have
Jamison and Henry. I mean that is that is a
heck of a three prong quick bol attack and then
take your choice with who you want to actually bowl
as the fourth seamer. But I wouldn't it be great

(04:58):
to actually have those boys out on the park and
I think we would see how good this New Zealand's
side is.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
Well, we're not going to need it because this is
for teste for quite some time time now, which is
a crime. Shame.

Speaker 3 (05:07):
Am.

Speaker 2 (05:07):
I'm more thing nice and quick for you. Mark Richardson
there as always, thanks very much for joining us reading
articles around the age of the New Zealand's top order
and there's basically only one of them that's of an
age that's going to survive for a long time. Have
we got enough coming up behind the likes of the
Williamson's and the Mitchell's and the Blundles and the Lathans

(05:28):
and the Conways.

Speaker 3 (05:31):
Well, short answer that is, I probably can't answer it
for you because I don't see enough of it. But
you're right, we are about to go through a transition
phase of the batting. We've been through it or we're
going through it with the bowling, and I think there
are some depths in the bones, so that's great. Is
there the same depth of the batting? You know, you
have a look who's dominated, Heary Nichols, who they seem

(05:53):
to be pretty keen to walk away from at the moment,
absolutely dominating Provincial Creek at the moment. Yeah, so I'm
hoping that depth is there. I have heard some names,
and those names escape me of some youngsters coming through.
But you're right, we are about to go through a
real transitional phase with batting, and you just hope that
it doesn't cost us better. And I'm with you. It's
a shame. This is the love Test of the summer's

(06:16):
It's something that's annoyed me over the last three years
when New Zealand cricket the way we've been over backwards
because of certain things and obligations and we just haven't
had had international cricket and high quality cricket right to
the market part of a summer. But I'm not a politician, Darcy,
and I don't make those sort of statements any longer
as well.

Speaker 2 (06:33):
No, that's good, but it's nice to see that you
cannot change your spots because you did get a complaint
in right the way to the end of this interview,
Mark Richardson, always a pleasure, old mate. Enjoy the rest
of the test for how long it goes. Have a
wonderful Christmas and regards to you and yours, you and
your family. I hope Mary's going well, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (06:55):
You too, Darcy. Not to speak with you again.

Speaker 1 (06:56):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
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