NZ v Australia Test #2

mariner4life

well, so long cricket season. It was fun. We sort of found our place in the world. 
 
As a Black Cap fan, while it was disappointing to be put in our place, this team is still pretty awesome (for us i mean). Plenty of our teams over the last 20 years would have folded in this test, and lost it by an innings. 
 
It's a great time to be a cricket fan from NZ. 
 
 
 
Well done Australia, way too good all summer (in the whites anyway). It will be interesting to see how you go in India and England, but in familiar conditions this is a pretty formidable unit. A deserved win for a team playing good cricket in all facets.

kiwiinmelb

Without trying to sound like a stuck record , 
 
We needed to win the toss and bowl first in both tests to be any chance , 
 
Thats the way it goes , Aussies deserved to win , simply because they are better 
 
Ive had enough now, Bring on the rugby

KiwiPie

These 2 reports after the first day of this test capture the supreme madness of a McCullum innings
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/77105681/greg-baum-brendon-mccullums-ton-one-for-the-ages-one-for-the-road'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/77105681/greg-baum-brendon-mccullums-ton-one-for-the-ages-one-for-the-road</a>
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.espncricinfo.com/new-zealand-v-australia-2015-16/content/story/974601.html'>http://www.espncricinfo.com/new-zealand-v-australia-2015-16/content/story/974601.html</a>
 
After the madcap first day, the defeat was rather predictable and depressing. The difference in the quality of the pace bowling was large - in Australia you could say that the Mitchells had the extra pace to use the harder wickets but here the NZ bowlers were meant to compete. But while the Aussie quicks were probing and accurate, seaming the new ball and reverse swinging the old one, a wicket always looked imminent; the NZ quicks were respectable at best, the new ball did nothing and it was a major surprise when a wicket fell.
 
Finally there are similarities in the style of McCullum to the legendary Jessop <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketer/content/story/134791.html'>http://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketer/content/story/134791.html</a>
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">He went down the wicket even to bowlers of extreme pace with the intention of making them drop the ball short, and when they did so, he would cut or pull the ball savagely. No hitter has ever cut so well, and his footwork enabled him to cut balls even on his leg stump, or pull them to leg from outside his off stump. He had an enormous variety of strokes which meant that he recognised no such thing as a good-length ball, though he always said that he liked to bat against good bowlers; hence his remarkable success against the Yorkshire bowling, the greatest of which was the scoring of 104 and 139 at Bradford in 1900, where he struck Rhodes eight times right out of the ground for six, and also made another eight hits over the ropes which were worth only four.</blockquote>

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="560539" data-time="1456288098">
<div>
I'll just leave this here....
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11584294'>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11584294</a>
 
 
 :whistle:
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Somewhere, just out of Whangarei, a piercing shriek was heard.....and then silence.....deathly silence.
 
Haha, that article really is him at his most awesomely inept best.....since when has NZ been a fucken lions den for Australian cricketers ????
 
Who were our scary fast bowlers ?
 
How can a team with batsmen averaging about 50,close to 50, just under 50, north of 60 and 90 odd be "operating with thin resources?"

canefan

That aussie won was no surprise, it is the natural order of things. We lost two tosses on result pitches and this didn't help but wasn't the reason we lost. What is most concerning IMHO was how toothless our attack was. In the second game only Wagner showed the fight and grit that we need, and we lacked the plans and the discipline to execute them. In addition our two new ball bowlers were significantly down on pace, we just didn't look like scaring anyone

Donsteppa

Gutted, had thought we were a chance of pinching at least one of the tests this summer - and maybe two with some luck 
Well off the pace with ball and bat though. 
Back to the plotting lair for next time...

TeWaio

Sadly I can't agree with all this talk of a promising future. The time for these guys was now. Baz retiring, Taylor probably going soon, KW in his pomp. But our two strike bowlers have transformed into medium pacers who cant't move it. I can see us having already peaked as a test side ~12months ago and a few (relatively) leaner years ahead. Feeling even more deflated than after losing that test at Lords last year :negative:

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="TeWaio" data-cid="560587" data-time="1456305380">
<div>
Sadly I can't agree with all this talk of a promising future. The time for these guys was now. Baz retiring, Taylor probably going soon, KW in his pomp. But our two strike bowlers have transformed into medium pacers who cant't move it. I can see us having already peaked as a test side ~12months ago and a few (relatively) leaner years ahead. Feeling even more deflated than after losing that test at Lords last year :negative:
</div>
</blockquote>
 
I think we have upside from here, Latham, Watling, Kane, Satner, Anderson will all get better. Guptil can't really get worse. Taylor still has a few of years in him. He should be thinking a double of 20 test & ODI tons. No reason he can't hit that - tho' the lack of tests might not help. thety just need to manage him, if he wants to go play Big Bash & skip some shithouse series re the Bangles then let him if the alternative is we lose him altogether.
 
On the bowling front we just need a decent coach. We had an entirely predictable fall off by going Donald-Bond- Dimi. Seriously. Dimi.. WTF happened there. Thats like going Dravid-Crowe-Rod Latham in batting... A decent coach will get them back firing. And Henry looks solid.
 
Get Vetorri working a bit with Satner & Ish.

taniwharugby

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="560551" data-time="1456289382">Somewhere, just out of Whangarei, a piercing shriek was heard.....and then silence.....deathly silence. 
 
Haha, that article really is him at his most awesomely inept best.....since when has NZ been a fucken lions den for Australian cricketers ???? 
 
Who were our scary fast bowlers ? 
 
How can a team with batsmen averaging about 50,close to 50, just under 50, north of 60 and 90 odd be "operating with thin resources?"</blockquote>
 
Unlikely if that was written by your dad, cos I will never read it....plus wtf would he know about cricket? I suspect about as much as he does about rugby, and not being a fluffybunny!

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="560607" data-time="1456337342">
<div>
Unlikely if that was written by your dad, cos I will never read it....plus wtf would he know about cricket? I suspect about as much as he does about rugby, and not being a fluffybunny!
</div>
</blockquote>
 
It was a fucken good article, you should read it. It takes talent and skill to get everything 100% wrong in such an arrogant yet ignorant way but he nailed it. Surely he's up for sports writer of the year ?

gollum

Have we done Latham signing for Kent? Thats good news, a season of county will help him no end.
 
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2016/content/story/975615.html'>http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2016/content/story/975615.html</a>
 
Kiwis in England this summer -

	New Zealand internationals in county cricket
<p>Matt Henry and Mitchell Santner (Worcestershire), Brendon McCullum and Mitchell McClenaghan, Hamish Rutherford (Derbyshire), Jesse Ryder, Adam Milne (Essex), Ross Taylor (Sussex), Neil Wagner (Lancashire), Kane Williamson (Yorkshire), Tom Latham (Kent)</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Some of those are all formats (Kane, Jesse, Latham) some just for the T20's</p>

Siam

I've resisted till now because it's a forlorn thought
 
Imagine if Jessie was keen (properly keen) to play for us and had been for the last 2 years.
 
Middle order batting, a bit of bowling, christ I'd lap that up right now 
 
Still one of the more gifted players in the world IMO - that swipe he used to connect from off to square leg was made to look ludicrously easy
 
alas.........

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Siam" data-cid="560803" data-time="1456400732">
<div> 
Still one of the more gifted players in the world IMO - that swipe he used to connect from off to square leg was made to look ludicrously easy
 
alas.........
</div>
</blockquote>
 
His first class batting for Essex has been pretty poor for a couple of seasons, tho' Essex is a tricky pitch, but still its division 2.
 
But bowling wise he's been outstanding, he was their 2nd (I think) highest wicket taker last year - 50ish wickets at 25. If he didn't bowl he'd be nowhere near the Essex 1sts, but they'd probably play him as a specialist bowler if that was the only option. Its always been somewhere brisk medium pace dibble can be good - Napier & Bopara have done well there for years.
 
Weirdly his spot in the curent NZ test team would probably be batting 8 & bowling 1st change. So its sort of hard to see if he'd get into our test side, on the last few years I'd struggle to argue he's a better batsman than Anderson.
 
T20 he's been great for Essex, smashing very fast very big. He'd walk into our T20 side post Baz, and probably be a solid option in the ODI side as a pinch hitting opener who is good for 5-10 overs in the right conditions.
 
No chance of him playing for NZ ever again as Essex pay him a really good wack, love him & he plays in a low stress environment all based on him being a non international. Bit like Hamish Marshall I'm not sure he'd get a CC contract if he was an overseas pick, but as a "local" he's there as long as he wants. Whereas Jeetan Patel could play for NZ again & any county in England would pick him up as an overseas pro.

Catogrande

Warner has had a bit of a bitch about the Kiwi fans behaviour. Seems a bit rich to me. His "there's a line" and "takes it a bit too far" smacks of "well it's my line and I'll decide what's too far". Live by the sword, then don't get whiny if you get stabbed would be my take. <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket'>http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket</a>

taniwharugby

Kapparently one of the worst offenders abusing,both Aussie and Kiwis on the field was ejected and was actually an Aussie. 
This team of Aussies seem a bit soft, they can give shit (as thier home fans do - not that it makes our fans behaviour ok) but can't seem to take it. 
Happy to be big fluffybunnys but if they get given a bit of stick back they have a cry, most Aussie sides in the past talk the talk and walk the walk, but I don't recall so much whinging about getting it back by previous Aussie teams?

NTA

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="560827" data-time="1456423523">Kapparently one of the worst offenders abusing,both Aussie and Kiwis on the field was ejected and was actually an Aussie. </blockquote>
 
According to kiwis in the crowd. :think: 
I stand by my comments that the "Australian" in question was probably from the Auckland region (or, even worse, further north ) and the Cantabs standing nearby didn't recognise his accent as true Kiwi as a result. 
[emoji2]

SammyC

I was at the Christchurch test for 5 days and the crowd was really good natured. Definitely a whole lot better behaved than some of the test match crowds I've been in overseas.
 
there's a video on stuff that accompanies the article, it shows the 1 bloke they kicked out, I'm actually sitting in the back ground.
 
All he did was say a couple of swear words. There was defintitely no abuse of Wraners kids or family.
 
.... Obviously I can't speak for the other crowds around the country, but in Christchurch everything was very tame.

taniwharugby

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="560836" data-time="1456430669">
<div>

According to kiwis in the crowd. :think: 
I stand by my comments that the "Australian" in question was probably from the Auckland region (or, even worse, further north ) and the Cantabs standing nearby didn't recognise his accent as true Kiwi as a result. 
[emoji2]
</div>
</blockquote>
 
As I have said before, I have witnessed 2 Aussies almost get in fisticuffs over one being a twat about Kiwis and the other ashamed of his behavior at rugby, only reason I didn't get involved is I was with my at the time, new boss!
 
Twats will be twats, doesn't matter what colour they support, in fact there are always a small number who go to be just twats and have no interest in the sport.

hydro11

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="560837" data-time="1456431088">
<div>
I was at the Christchurch test for 5 days and the crowd was really good natured. Definitely a whole lot better behaved than some of the test match crowds I've been in overseas.
 
there's a video on stuff that accompanies the article, it shows the 1 bloke they kicked out, I'm actually sitting in the back ground.
 
All he did was say a couple of swear words. There was defintitely no abuse of Wraners kids or family.
 
.... Obviously I can't speak for the other crowds around the country, but in Christchurch everything was very tame.
</div>
</blockquote>
The Basin was pretty tame. A few chats with the men on the boundary but no abuse

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="560808" data-time="1456403227">
<div>
His first class batting for Essex has been pretty poor for a couple of seasons, tho' Essex is a tricky pitch, but still its division 2.
 
But bowling wise he's been outstanding, he was their 2nd (I think) highest wicket taker last year - 50ish wickets at 25. If he didn't bowl he'd be nowhere near the Essex 1sts, but they'd probably play him as a specialist bowler if that was the only option. Its always been somewhere brisk medium pace dibble can be good - Napier & Bopara have done well there for years.
 
Weirdly his spot in the curent NZ test team would probably be batting 8 & bowling 1st change. So its sort of hard to see if he'd get into our test side, on the last few years I'd struggle to argue he's a better batsman than Anderson.
 
T20 he's been great for Essex, smashing very fast very big. He'd walk into our T20 side post Baz, and probably be a solid option in the ODI side as a pinch hitting opener who is good for 5-10 overs in the right conditions.
 
No chance of him playing for NZ ever again as Essex pay him a really good wack, love him & he plays in a low stress environment all based on him being a non international. Bit like Hamish Marshall I'm not sure he'd get a CC contract if he was an overseas pick, but as a "local" he's there as long as he wants. Whereas Jeetan Patel could play for NZ again & any county in England would pick him up as an overseas pro.
</div>
</blockquote>
 
Still averages over 40 for NZ at test level, I went through a phase of thinking NZ needed him, to thinking naa fuck off ya drunk fluffybunny but now back to thinking he'd look great at 5 especially with the more than useful bowling record in his armoury now. The guy who snuck in 101 consecutive tests leaves a huge hole.

The Silver Fern

NZ v Australia Test #2