Big picture
It has been exactly nine months since we last saw the New Zealand team in white. In March earlier this year, Kane Williamson’s team lifted the trophy in Christchurch after beating then-No. 1 Indians 2-0 in the test series. Now in December, as the cricket world adjusts to the new normal, test cricket is back in New Zealand after a round of T20I last week, against the West Indies.
The format change shouldn’t be a big deal for any of the teams playing tomorrow – only three of the New Zealand T20 group players are part of the Test team, while only two West Indies players appear on the sides. T20I and Test.
Only six events, in two series, involving three teams, have been played in the last eight months, and the West Indies have been part of three of them. That’s relatively good preparation under the circumstances, although several New Zealand players recently participated in four rounds of the national Plunket Shield and both New Zealand and the West Indies have played two warm-up games on the sidelines of the T20I series. The West Indies were exceptional at bat in both games – there were three half centuries, one century, and a double century against New Zealand’s second-row team.
In July, the West Indies went 1-0 up for the first time in England since 2000. In the last 25 years, since February 1995, they have not won a Test Match in New Zealand, losing eight and drawing four. Last time they were on tour in New Zealand, it was Trent Boult and Neil Wagner who wreaked havoc, and it may not be much different this time, at least in terms of pacing in command. The West Indies also have their enforcers: Shannon Gabriel, who cast a spell to win a match at Southampton, and Kemar Roach, who worked non-stop throughout the England series, as the leading men. They also have all the preparation they could have asked for – more time in between than their opponents, fit hitters, and a full bowling attack.
From a World Test Championship point of view, the series is important to New Zealand, which currently ranks fourth in terms of percentage points earned. A series win could see them displacing England in third place, while the West Indies, currently third from the bottom, could move up if the results go well.
Forms guide
Last five completed matches, most recent first
New Zealand: WWLLL
West Indies: LLWWL
In the spotlight
Will young, who has been the backup hitter for a while on the New Zealand side, is set for his Test debut. The 28-year-old was set to take part in the Christchurch Test against Bangladesh last year in place of the injured Williamson, but the match was canceled after the terror attack. He made 64 and 133 against the West Indies A-team in the two preparation games in Queenstown before scoring a century in the final round of the Plunket Shield for the Central Districts. It has been quite a long wait for him and he would be looking to make the most of this opportunity.
Internet searches of Jermaine blackwood it probably would have skyrocketed after his 95 in the first Test against England in July. He returned to the West Indies side last year under the weight of his top-notch performances, after losing favor in 2017, and might not have appeared in the England series if Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo had not opted out. . Before the pandemic curtailed the West Indies national season, he was the tournament’s top scorer with 768 runs in 15 innings for Jamaica. After playing for Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL, he switched to red ball mode in no time, closing out half a century in game two of the Queenstown tour.
Kraigg Brathwaite it has been unstoppable. Before the 246 and 47 he made in the two warm-ups, he was also good in the two Tests against England in June, reaching two-fifty in four innings. That follows a hot streak of form last year, where he also had 468 runs in eight innings for Barbados in the domestic first-class season.
Team news
Williamson has confirmed that Young would replace the injured BJ Watling in the New Zealand lineup. It will open with Tom Latham, while Tom Blundell will take the wicketkeeping gloves and advance the order. Daryl Mitchell, who was named Colin de Grandhomme’s replacement, could get a game here too. To work around the bowling quartet, New Zealand could bring in left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner – named cover for the injured Ajaz Patel – as head coach Gary Stead previously said it would be “unusual not to play a spinner at Hamilton.”
New Zealand (possible): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Will Young, 3 Kane Williamson (captain), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Tom Blundell (week), 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Trent Boult
The return of Bravo and Hetmyer, who had opted out of the England tour, would add some solidity to the West Indies batting order. The absence of Shai Hope, who was skipped after a losing streak in the format, could mean Blackwood could still be a part of the team after showing good form before this series.
West Indies (possible): 1 John Campbell, 2 Kraigg Brathwaite, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Shamarh Brooks, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jermaine Blackwood / Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Shane Dowrich (week), 8 Jason Holder (captain), 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shannon Gabriel
Field and conditions
The forecast is for a cloudy morning with occasional bouts of rain in Hamilton tomorrow.
Statistics and trivia
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New Zealand has a 4-0 win-loss record in their last six Hamilton events: they have beaten Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the West Indies and Bangladesh, and tied against South Africa and England. His last loss here was in 2012, against South Africa.
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Williamson needs 13 runs to become the second hitter, after Ross Taylor, to reach 1,000 test runs at Seddon Park. Williamson has an excellent record here: 987 runs at an average of 75.92. His last six test entries here have been: 176, 43, 54, 200 *, 4, 104 *.
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Tim Southee needs four wickets to become the fourth New Zealander to take 50 proving grounds in one venue; he is currently 46 at 10:47 in Hamilton. He will join an elite club that includes Richard Hadlee (over 50 sites in Christchurch and Wellington), Chris Martin and Daniel Vettori.
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Darren Bravo is one of three West Indies hitters to score a double-century test in New Zealand, but his form in this format has plummeted since that 218 at Dunedin seven years ago, a match that divides his career almost perfectly. in half. In 28 tests since that game, he has averaged 29.98; In 26 tests up to that Dunedin game, he averaged 46.67.
Quotes
“I think it’s a format that we haven’t done well in a long time and we’re trying to get back to the top ends of the table when it comes to test cricket and so we initially want to do it in the Test Championship but at the same time we want to be winners in the cricket test. “
West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons
“He’s been in the environment for some time without getting his first chance, so I think that’s really positive too. He’s an experienced player, he’s played a lot of first-class cricket at a very high level and he deserves that chance.” .
New Zealand captain Williamson talks about rookie Young
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