Blame Yourselves

New Zealand has just completed a slightly hollow two test series win over the West Indies with a couple of hammerings in three and a half days.

There were some good aspects to the series; the home side’s quick bowlers stuck to their task consistently.  Wagner’s feats have been documented, but Boult was back to his Kookabarra ball best, and the reintroduction of Southee for the last test added an extra edge.

The funny thing was the bowler was the best average for the series was … Mitchell Santner.

There was an encouraging debut for Tom Blundell, and Colin de Grandhomme achieved something that can never be taken away from him.

The batsmen did all that was aksed of them.  Raval is now an entrenched test opener, and the failure to notch up a test century probably troubles others more than it troubles him.

Taylor was Ross Taylor.  He may only have a couple more years of test cricket in him, and maybe it will only become then that we will realise just how good he has been for a decade now.

Williamson did not have his best series, but they tend to get saved for the series that matter.

And the debate with no answer about whether Henry Nicholls should be retained can rumble on.  He hasn’t grabbed his chances with both hands; probably with one hand and a finger or two.  Anyway, it provides the background to those clamouring for a Jesse Ryder recall.

The frustrating thing is that we get no more test cricket at home for over three months, and who knows where the players, or the England players for that matter, will be then.

In the meantime we will be host to 26 (or is it 27?) short form cricket matches across both varieties over the good part of the summer.

But look at the photo above.

At least the grass looked nice.  There were a couple of stag dos, some corporates and presumably Chris Kuggeleijn at this test match over the four days of this test.  And there is a good chance there will be a bigger attendance over one day next Wednesday at Whangerei.

You can blame whoever you like for the shortage of test cricket this summer.  David White, NZC, the ICC, BCCI, Jacinda Ardern, Channel 9, and probably Brendon McCullum could well be all in the gun for this.

But if you don’t turn up you can really only blame yourself.