NZ bowlers deserve plaudits
When the opposition make 476 batting in their first innings, it’s unusual for the bowling unit to garner praise.
But New Zealand’s frontline bowlers – Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner – have been amassive factor in the side’s glittering run of success in home tests in recent years, while the batsmen get most of the plaudits.
Despite going 64.4 overs at one stage without awicket, New
Zealand’s ‘attack’ was worthy of praise for their performance in the second test against England at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
On another Kiwi pitch treasured by batsmen, Southee, Matt Henry, Wagner, Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner pulled the reins as tight as they could to stop the visitors from galloping into a lead by the length of the straight.
Without first XI regulars Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme, the performances of Southee (2-90 off 37 overs) and Wagner (5-124 off 35.5) were highly recommendable.
Much was rightly made of the Black Caps having six batsmen with test averages of more than 40 following the first test win over England at Bay Oval in Mt Maunganui.
There’s notable factors in that which include the side playing the majority of their tests at home, and on flat, lifeless wickets.
Long past is New Zealand’s reputation for producing green seamers to give the hosts a better chance against superior batting units, making the test more of a coin toss. Why do that now when your side contains Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor – the country’s top two batsmen average-wise in their test history – along with Tom Latham (11 test tons), Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling and Colin de Grandhomme?
Yet despite those preferential batting conditions, Southee, Boult and Wagner have not only toiled but actually flourished, with all three improving on their overall test averages.
Since the start of the second test against Pakistan in Hamilton in November, 2016, that trio have collected a staggering 210 wickets in a combined 41 tests.
In 13 appearances, Southee has taken 65 wickets at 25.32 – well above his overall test average of 29.92. Boult, who has played one less home test in that time frame, captured 67 wickets at 23.49 (compared to his test average of 27.64) and Wagner, in his 16 tests, garnered a whopping 78 wickets at 24.44 apiece, while his test average is 27.36.
That’s all been achieved while the Black Caps made an average innings score of 378.
Among that were 11 declarations or innings where the team wasn’t bowled out, ensuring New Zealand batsmen averaged 51 runs apiece over those 15 tests prior to Hamilton.
No wonder New Zealand have won 10, drawn four and lost just once in that time span.
And clearly not simply because of their batsmen.