CRICKET: Black Caps confusion costs series

Losing is about the only thing that seems consistent with our team at the moment.  Each game is a different lineup with batters in different positions, bowlers in different tandems.  Ad hoc at best, the benefits of the ongoing rotational philosophy are hard to realise when lost in a sea of 13 defeats from 14 games.

Backing up at his own peril... Ryder gone without facing

Another resounding defeat yesterday proved as much, as we demonstrated ineptness once more, chasing down a par Seddon Fields score of 268, to be dismissed for 227, with a stacked batting lineup having Oram batting at 9.  Nine!?!... Statement of fact: Oram will not bat at 9 at any point in the World Cup campaign.  He does not need practice batting in that position.  It's our senior players that will need to carry us in this tournament and if that's the message of faith we're sending to the likes of Oram... Not that that's my only issue.  We've too many top order batsmen.  Ryder, Guptill, How, Taylor, Styris.  They are all top 4 batsmen, yet they occupy 5 spots in the lineup.  The top 4 are your rocks.  With rocks you need time.  If a rock comes in at 5 they just weigh the ship down.  Styris came in at 6 yesterday, 30th over, innings half gone.  Perfect for an Oram, familiar in that batting scenario, but not a man whose bred batting goal is to get hundreds.

Just too good... Taylor gone, and so were we

The bowling is also a worry.  Bennett has been chosen as our spearhead, but around 135km-140km (in speeds I've witnessed), will not rattle those as it should.  Mills, (having inexplicably been dropped down the pecking order) showed his worth with a tight wicket-bearing opening spell, and has hopefully restored some sense of faith with the selectors.  The disappointment with me is that McKay was not persisted with.  Yes he struggled a bit in the last 2 tours, but his overall record still reads 19 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 26.94 econ 5.19... Southee has had 42 odi opportunities and averages 34.48... McKay's notch above in pace at 145km introduces a bit of haste and survival into the opposition batsmen's minds, plus there's the alternate line the left-armer brings in.  It might cost you a few runs, but Mills and Oram are there to make sure at least one end is tied up.  Bennett to me is just too similar in effect to what Southee & Mills represent.  That's not to say he's no good, but in that attack mix, its too one and the same.

Bennett... spear or spare?

Alas it is not to be.  At the moment, the world isn't watching and hopefully not noticing.  In a few weeks they will be and on current form, that's scary.