New Zealand tour of South Africa..All news here! Official Thread

[baggtara]

[baggtara]

O'Brien called into 15-man squad
Mills to miss South Africa tour with calf injury
Cricinfo staff
October 9, 2007

A calf strain has delayed Kyle Mills' comeback © Getty Images

Kyle Mills' long-awaited return from injury has been delayed again after he strained a calf during a pre-season tournament in Australia. Mills has been replaced in the Test squad to tour South Africa by Iain O'Brien, the Wellington fast bowler who played his only two Tests in 2005.
Mills has been out of international cricket since the CB Series in Australia in January as a serious knee injury kept him out of the World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20. He was warming up for the South Africa trip by touring with a New Zealand representative side playing practice matches against Australian states in Queensland last week when he hurt his calf.
"The selectors are not satisfied that Kyle will be fit enough to leave with Black Caps Test team next week and decided today to remove him from the Test section of the tour," the side's general manager Lindsay Crocker said. "It is hoped that when Kyle recovers from his injury and has some game time under his belt he will be considered for the one-day section of the tour."
O'Brien is the second late addition to the Test squad after Lou Vincent was called up last week to replace Peter Fulton, who requires knee surgery. The 15-man group departs on October 18 and has two warm-up matches before the two-Test series starts at Johannesburg on November 8. A Twenty20 international and three ODIs will follow the Tests.
© Cricinfo

[vish111]

How and Sinclair overlooked for South Africa tour
Papps returns to New Zealand Test team
Cricinfo staff
September 26, 2007

Ross Taylor is in line to make his Test debut in South Africa © Getty Images

Michael Papps will replace Jamie How at the top of New Zealand's order for their Test tour of South Africa in November. Kyle Mills has been named after recovering from his knee injury and Ross Taylor is in line for his Test debut but there was no space for Lou Vincent or Craig McMillan in the 15-man squad.
Mathew Sinclair was also overlooked despite playing New Zealand's last two Tests, against Sri Lanka in December. Combined with the retirement of Nathan Astle, the changes mean the line-up that faces South Africa will be a very different one to that which drew the Sri Lanka series.
James Franklin, the left-arm fast-medium bowler, was left out as he continues to recover from a knee injury, although the selectors hope he will be available for the one-day series that follows the two Tests. Mills has not played since the CB Series in Australia in January and will be thrilled with the call-up after resigning himself to a comeback through Auckland this coming season. Mark Gillespie has been recognised for his strong first year of ODI cricket and could make his Test debut.
Craig Cumming has retained his spot despite not earning a national contract this season, while Papps pushed in front of How after an outstanding domestic campaign for Canterbury in 2006-07 when he led the State Championship run tally with 1005 at 91.36.
"The selectors are looking to form a quality opening partnership," New Zealand's coach John Bracewell said. "Cumming is the incumbent and is acknowledged as a quality player of pace, while Papps is being rewarded after an excellent domestic season."
Daniel Vettori will be leading the side for the first time in Tests, while Stephen Fleming has been included in the unfamiliar role of batsman only.
The players depart on October 18 and have two warm-up matches before the two Tests at Johannesburg and Centurion, the first of which starts on November 8. A Twenty20 international and three ODIs follow but the limited-overs squad will not be announced until after New Zealand A's practice matches against Australian state sides in Queensland next week.
Squad Craig Cumming, Michael Papps, Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor, Peter Fulton, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum (wk), Daniel Vettori (capt), Kyle Mills, Shane Bond, Mark Gillespie, Jeetan Patel, Michael Mason, Chris Martin.


http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/newz...ry/312693.html

[vish111]

Former captain at ease in his new role
Fleming vows to let Vettori rule
Cricinfo staff
October 10, 2007

Stephen Fleming says he won't cramp Daniel Vettori's leadership style © Getty Images

Stephen Fleming has promised he will not be a de facto captain on New Zealand's Test tour of South Africa following his demotion from the leadership after a decade in charge. However, Fleming will try to relieve the pressure on his successor Daniel Vettori by giving him advice on when to bowl himself.
"It's more just giving him the confidence to come on and bowl because I think that's his biggest adjustment," Fleming told the Press. "It's up to Brendon [McCullum] and myself to give him the confidence or [suggest] maybe that a change is required. That's probably the only time I would look to influence his captaincy otherwise I would give him his space and let him work his magic."
Fleming is back with the national squad after a lengthy stint in county cricket during which there was constant speculation over his future and whether he would sign with the Indian Cricket League. He said he was slightly uneasy about returning to New Zealand but his concerns had quickly disappeared.
"It's been surprisingly relaxed," he said. "I wasn't nervous but I guess a little apprehensive about how I'd slide back in but it's a pretty good squad, a good group of guys. I've no axe to grind. I was disappointed I was not captain anymore but it was a small component of what I want to do and where I want to be."
Fleming will bat at No. 3 in South Africa and he sees the two-Test series as a good opportunity to lift his average, which sits at 39.64 after 104 matches. "My Test average should be up higher than 40 and that's something I want to achieve but I've never been a great goalsetter," he said. "I tend to put my energy into match situations rather than goals or achievements."
After the South Africa trip Fleming will settle into the Wellington first-class side to prepare for home Test series against Bangladesh and England.


http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/rsav...ry/314769.html

[vish111]

Batsman keen to break into middle order
Vincent fights for a Test comeback
Cricinfo staff
October 10, 2007

Lou Vincent is in good one-day form but needs to lift his output in the longer version of the game © Getty Images

Lou Vincent is determined to make the most of his late call-up into New Zealand's Test squad but he knows breaking into the middle order will be difficult. Vincent understood the selectors' decision to initially leave him out of the 15-man group to visit South Africa before adding him as a replacement for Peter Fulton, who requires knee surgery.
"I sat down with the selectors to say 'Hey, what are the reasons?'" Vincent told the Press. "What came out of it was the answers, where for the last 12 months I hadn't really done well for Auckland in the four-day stuff and that's pretty obvious. I hadn't actually deserved my spot in the Test team."
Vincent's four first-class outings for Auckland last summer brought him 142 runs at 23.66. However, the CB Series in Australia began a string of excellent one-day performances from Vincent, who has averaged 52.66 in his past ten ODIs.
He has two opportunities to regain his form in the longer version of the game with warm-up matches before the first Test starts at Johannesburg on November 8. "I'm looking forward to the practice games and if I get an opportunity to score runs then it's up to the selectors on where they want to bat me," he said.
Vincent's last exposure to Test cricket was as an opener in 2005 and since then he has been working on re-establishing his place in the middle order. However, he knows the competition for spots in the batting line-up will be intense.
"It's quite strong and I look at the depth of what we have with [Stephen] Fleming and [Scott] Styris, who have done well for so many years, and Fulton, who's shown he's consistent and quite a good player, and Ross Taylor, who's coming through as a pretty exciting future for New Zealand," Vincent said. "If I get an opportunity, I will do everything I can to try to take it."




http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/rsav...ry/314807.html

[abbba]

Will there be live links for this series here? If not does someone know where online I would be able to watch it?

Thanks.

[baggtara]

there probably will be live links... u can find them here http://www.lovelypk.com/live-cricket/

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by abbba

Will there be live links for this series here? If not does someone know where online I would be able to watch it?

Thanks.

read the rulez dun ask for links

[baggtara]

lol cyborg, i answered him. and u just very strictly told him to read the rules...

[abbba]

Sorry.

[baggtara]

New Zealand in South Africa, 2007-08
Vettori unfazed ahead of South Africa tour
Cricinfo staff
October 19, 2007

His biggest test yet: Vettori prepares to lead New Zealand for the first time in Tests © Getty Images

Not even Stephen Fleming, who was widely considered one of the modern game's most astute leaders, has led New Zealand to a series win in South Africa. But the recently installed captain, Daniel Vettori, has no qualms about taking over the reins ahead of his side's three-Test tour which gets underway in November.
"I have thought about the responsibilities and have planned how I want to do things," Vettori said at Sydney before flying out to South Africa. "I like to think I have always thought about the game. Really, it is not too much of a step up."
Vettori took over the one-day captaincy from Fleming after the World Cup and, in September, the selectors decided to install him as the Test captain too. But although he only has limited experience in captaining Northern Districts at first-class level, he isn't alien to the role and has substituted for Fleming on occasions.
"While I haven't done the job full time, I have done enough to take confidence from what I have done," he said. "But I'm not silly enough to see it [the captaincy] as a bed of roses. It is more of a progression. We know Stephen Fleming is going to retire at some stage and I'm pleased to have been given the opportunity to follow him."
One criticism levelled at his leadership in the past has been a tendency to underbowl himself, an accusation he stringently denies. "Anyone saying that has probably got it wrong," he said. "I think the thing I have done well is bowl at tough times. I have no problem managing my own bowling. I'm happy to bowl after 10 overs if the situation so demands, just as I'm happy to bowl at the death."
New Zealand will play two Tests, a Twenty20 international and three one-dayers on their South Africa tour. Preceding those are two warm-ups against South Africa A, the first of which is at Potchefstroom on October 25.
© Cricinfo