The Silver Fern

@Damo
You live in the same lala land as me!
Cans of Bourbon and Coke grow off trees 🤓
Good debut by Phillips!!

@Gunner said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:

@Snowy @kev it has a very eeiry feeling about it doesn’t it.

Been living this for a while now......
It is what it is......

A bit like the NZ Cricket Team🤓

@Gunner
Watching him fielding at the ground on day 1 he was noticeably sharp in the field which is usually a good sign of how he might go with the bat......🤓

@canefan
O Ye of little faith!!!!
Given this is the last day of my holidays and I’ve done three hours work in the garden this morning I’m ready (and allowed justifiably so) to settle in and watch the BCs step up and bat out a solid day!!!!👍
Are we still only one down 🙏
🤓

I was out there today!
Expected a few more Kiwis but understand how underwhelmed the band wagon jumpers must be so it was only diehard supporters with scarred memories of days of yore!
The numbers and names on shirts (which I initially hated) were very helpful especially with the amount of changes to the team.
It was distressing enough when Henry opened the bowling but when CdG came rollicking in from the other end my only thought was where’s Southee?
FFS he’s taken the second most wickets in this series behind Wagner!
Guess we don’t know the whole story on that one.....
Raval looked really energised in the field early as did the rest of the side but it fell away noticeably as they day got longer.
As others have said everything else was déjà vu ......
Highlight of the day was Smith getting off the mark !!
I hadn’t been to a Test Match in ten years but used to go annually and had forgotten the two best things about real cricket live!

1. No commentary! Just watching the match unfold whilst having a full view of where players are being moved in the field and trying to guess the next delivery! So good for the cricket brain as on radio we only ever visualise and on the box we are totally limited to the vision we are presented with!
2. Hearing punters far more knowledgeable than you discuss the game. My two boys 21 & 23 were totally blown away by this! I follow cricket quite seriously and they are both keen but overhearing discussions on another level about cricket was very cool.
   The boys were hoping NZ batted first!

It’s not going to be pretty but it’s giving some fringe players an opportunity to do something special on a big stage and the older statesmen a last chance to make a statement at the SCG!!

And although they had 14 styles of Aussie Cap in Merchandising the only headwear available for Kiwis was a Bucket Hat!!! I shit you not!!!
I had to buy one as I didn’t take any headwear with me as I intended to buy a cap!

Wagner live was awesome 😎

Well this is not going to plan at all!
I’ve been ensconced in enemy territory since the last Boxing Day Test and have to say we have been very bloody average!
To beat Oz in Oz you need to have a couple of players at the top of their game! Can’t knock Wagner but can’t find anyone else who has played to their true potential so we’re getting our asses kicked....
Congratulations to Blundell on his well deserved ton but who decided his nude balls were the ultimate attacking weapon after lunch yesterday?
Weird shit ????
So no one gives The Craps a snowflakes chance in hell in the Sydney Test?
Time to double down and put the house on them because we all know they’ll get smashed 🤓

So we’re Day 2 Start of second session and we send out a wicketkeeper with one 1st class wicket to open our bowling attack???
This was their plan once the Aussies got to 350 with to set batsmen at the crease and only 5 down??

The best batting conditions will be tomorrow afternoon and Saturday when we should be at the crease!
I watched something on TV about drop in pitches today so I feel quite qualified to comment on this!
Restrict them to 330 score 480 then bowl them out for 300 and it’s on😎
I’m taking my sons to the first day in Sydney and I want a decider dammit!

@KiwiMurph
Bowling first seemed like the best option and hope for the best...
Missing runouts against Oz you will always get punished and a couple of pieces of luck went against us so I guess we just get up tomorrow with a relatively shiny nut and go like stink in the first session and hopefully playing on a road for the second half of the day.
Pitch looks like it could turn into anything so let’s just hope we get the best batting conditions, knock them over cheaply and score enough to take it to a decider in Sydney !
I am a positive supporter who has been hanging off the bandwagon for 50 years so indulge my fantasies 🤓

@Chris-B
Five down would be very handy!
Record crow too...

@No-Quarter
Total Ambush!!!
But I remain positive!!

When the Black Caps were the Craps I painted the ceilings in my house wearing the Cap which looked like it had been attacked by seagulls with diarrhoea after the job and was promptly dispensed with!
This is a very different team !
I will be buying new merchandise!
There is a genuine spine throughout the squad where individuals just step up when others disappoint.

Shit!
Taylor is out!
The above is just the rambling of an old dude who saw ‘85/‘86 live...........

If anybody can ......
A Kiwi can!!!

@Mokey
Ye of little faith !

Here we go again........
Just need to settle and play the game at our pace! If we can get through the first two sessions we’re over halfway through the test.....

Grinding arm wrestle with Oz getting the upper hand however they have to bowl us out twice and the clock is ticking...
More importantly we have a solid batting line up where five out of the top six have a big test ton under their belt!

@NTA said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:

@Xpat61 said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:

@NTA
No credit for it being a great delivery then Nick?

Before I go any further: How hard do I need to suck his dick to make you happy? 🤔

More impressive was the short ball setup and realisation that Labuschagne was shuffling across too far.

The delivery itself was a stock ball at the top of leg stump with a hint of swing.

EDIT: you changed your post

Us Kiwis can be sneaky....🤓

@NTA
No credit for it being a great set up and final delivery then Nick?

Over 40 degrees in the middle quick wickets are needed!
Cometh the hour
Cometh the man
Wags or CdG?

Interesting build up in Oz for this series.
Two big spreads in the Sunday Tele and multimedia is pumping out the message to the public they don’t realise how good this Kiwi team is unless you start crunching numbers.
Usually not many Aussies care about how the Black Caps are performing unless they play Australia so they are oblivious of some of the marvellous wins we have conjured up in the last three years and their circumstances.
It’s a very tough ask playing pink ball at Perth’s new stadium as the surface will be a bit of an unknown beast and especially with Oz having played their last test under lights and no warm up game for the Good Guys.
Not too concerned with injuries as they’ll only play Trent if they reckon he’s got enough overs in him and why not debut your most exciting new young bowler to Test Cricket in Perth in a very new stadium! Rossco and CdG will fine!!
Not making any predictions until after the first session once I’ve seen the pitch and got the vibe.
This is the big one guys beating Oz in Oz and we have a squad with genuine depth and three (3) tests to do it in.
And the betting odds are so much better than the AB’s 🤓

Warming up the MCG for the Kiwis......

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