New CRICKETher Podcast

Raf Nicholson & I look back at 2014.

New Zealand Squad Speculation

Assuming everyone is fit... which they jolly ought to be, having (in most cases) had several months off... who will travel to New Zealand in February?

Against India last summer, England lined-up with just 3 specialist bowlers - Hazel, Shrubsole and Brunt/ Cross - with Knight, Gunn and Sciver combining to pick up the remaining overs with the ball.

Given our recent batting frailties, I'd expect a similar strategy against the White Ferns, which suggests an XI of:

1. Charlotte Edwards
2. Heather Knight
3. Sarah Taylor
4. Lydia Greenway
5. Loz Winfield
6. Tammy Beaumont
7. Nat Sciver
8. Jenny Gunn
9. Dani Hazel
10. Katherine Brunt
11. Anya Shrubsole

Two others all-but certain to make the squad are Amy Jones (backing up Taylor behind the stumps) and fast bowler Kate Cross, who you'd expect to play some games on rotation, even if Brunt and Shrubsole stay fit for the whole tour. (Which, as we all know, is officially the biggest "IF" since sliced IFs!)

This leaves one, or possibly two, seats on the plane, which is where it starts to get tricky for the selectors! Laura Marsh? Danni Wyatt? Tash Farrant? My guess is that they'll hope that the "core 12" (the XI above, plus Cross) holds together for the ODIs; and then look to Wyatt and Farrant to step up for the T20s.

So... the full squad would be:

1. Charlotte Edwards
2. Heather Knight
3. Sarah Taylor
4. Lydia Greenway
5. Loz Winfield
6. Tammy Beaumont
7. Nat Sciver
8. Jenny Gunn
9. Dani Hazel
10. Katherine Brunt
11. Anya Shrubsole
12. Kate Cross
13. Amy Jones
14. Danni Wyatt
15. Tash Farrant

Will the selectors agree with me? Will I still agree with me come January? Only time will tell!