***Official*** Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series

[Gloucefan]

NZ are always on the improve... yet they still manage to lose virtually every meaningful contest against Australia. It has been happening for years. What NZ do during a defeat is irrelevant because they've been doing this for years, if they do anything in this tournament final then it'll really be worth something.

Here are some examples, Aus have won 19 of the last 21 ODIs against NZ - here are some of the margins:

2 wickets with 3 balls left
2 wickets with 1 ball left
17 runs
10 runs
2 runs
2 wickets with 8 balls left
8 runs (today)

NZ have won two close matches in that time, one was a dead rubber and the other against a significantly weakened side. The 3 Champions Trophy matches there NZ got thrashed by 164 runs, 7 wickets with 76 balls left and by 34 runs. In the World Cup NZ lost by 96 runs. When it's a bit less important Australia just lose a bit of intensity, when it's important Australia throttle NZ til the end.

Do you actually enjoy cricket?

You could suck the life out of barn door.

Take up Lawn bowls or something.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Do you actually enjoy cricket?

You could suck the life out of barn door.

Take up Lawn bowls or something.

That's ironic coming from a Gloucester fan, I'd sooner read your rubbish than watch them play during their pomp.

 

[pup11]

Prince neither am i saying white needs to be dropped or clarke needs to slog. All i am saying is white should be promoted up the order in the upcoming dead rubber games so he can get a hang of international cricket because presently he is just not getting enough time to bat neither getting any decent bowling. I think white is not going to gain anything the way he is being used, the man is captain of victoria groom his talent properly.

 

[Prince EWS]

Prince neither am i saying white needs to be dropped or clarke needs to slog. All i am saying is white should be promoted up the order in the upcoming dead rubber games so he can get a hang of international cricket because presently he is just not getting enough time to bat neither getting any decent bowling. I think white is not going to gain anything the way he is being used, the man is captain of victoria groom his talent properly.

As I said several pages ago though, it's not about developing players - it's about picking the best side. White is the best option for #7 and he is not the best option for any of the places #1-#6. Simple as.

 

[Isolator]

Yup, must agree with Piscine for once. We've all seen this before, valiant NZ comeback, almost beat Oz, (sometimes actually do beat them, but never in big matches)... and after that nothing. NZ have to kick on from here and raise their game, this isn't good enough.

 

[pup11]

Clarke is one of my favourite players and i never said he should slog but he should have some big shots that he can use when we are in need for quick runs. He is more than capable to do it bat since his comeback he has become much more subdued.

 

[TT Boy]

Seemed like an awesome knock from Oram, was watching him smack a few sixes but I left it indefinitely when the rain came. Didn’t think they had a chance in hell but to get it down to eight runs was some achievement I guess.

Can’t see us winning on Tuesday, looks like a great batting surface but with are ball wasters 250 would be stretching it and with Shane Bond coming back into the fold you can knock off a few more runs there.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

That's ironic coming from a Gloucester fan, I'd sooner read your rubbish than watch them play during their pomp.

Oh, an Englishman criticizing the standard of cricket played by someone else's team. Nice.

Please, a bit more maturity. That's directed at everyone.

 

[Gloucefan]

That's ironic coming from a Gloucester fan, I'd sooner read your rubbish than watch them play during their pomp.

Fair enough.

Although I get the feeling that you would find 'my rubbish' more bearable than any cricket match.

 

[pup11]

I am saying give white some more overs to bat in the upcoming 2 games, so that he gets some extended time in the middle. So that when he goes to bat at his normal no.7 that can hold him in good stead.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Oh, an Englishman criticizing the standard of cricket played by someone else's team. Nice.

Please, a bit more maturity. That's directed at everyone.

He started it.

Anyway I've said countless times how crap England's batting is. Also I didn't criticise NZ's standard of cricket, just when they produce it and how they tend to produce something in a game they've virtually lost and then there'll be yet another false dawn.

 

[silentstriker]

This is ridiculous. These guys need to lose from time to time. Even the WI weren't these far ahead of everyone else. They did lose 3-2 to SA, so I suppose thats something. But its not enough.....

 

[marc71178]

If New Zeaand get 300 I will bend over put my head through my legs and kiss my ass

Was the typo an intentional way of getting out of doing it?

 

[Jono]

He started it.

Anyway I've said countless times how crap England's batting is. Also I didn't criticise NZ's standard of cricket, just when they produce it and how they tend to produce something in a game they've virtually lost and then there'll be yet another false dawn.

Cricket is also a form of entertainment, and they gave the fans (watching on TV and in the crowd, both Australians and Kiwis) many things to cheer about. If people see this match (as a mate of mine said today to me) as some reason to see NZ as a smokey for the WC and possible winners, then maybe they're making a mistake in thinking that, but they played excellently today, bar some slip-ups in the field which were ridiculously costly. At least they gave us something to watch, whereas on Australia Day I couldn't watch that crap that was served up to me on the TV.

England on the other hand are about as entertaining as a plank of cardboard, and take Pietersen out of the team and I'd rather the cardboard then seeing them atm.

 

[marc71178]

yeah two innings after an injury lay off, isn't really consistent is it.

The fact is it is still only 2 innings - thay can't automatically over-ride the previous 60odd.

That said it is quite ironic that as soon as there was a huge debate about his effectiveness as an ODI batsman he goes out and gets 2 career bests in a row.

 

[Jono]

That said it is quite ironic that as soon as there was a huge debate about his effectiveness as an ODI batsman he goes out and gets 2 career bests in a row.

Haha that's for sure. Its almost the 'opposite' to the commentator's (or in our case, forum member posting) jinx.

I'm glad all I posted on the subject was that he was no 'replacement' for Cairns, nor was he fit to lace his boots yet. Mind you, his innings today rivalled many that Chris Cairns hit.

 

[Natman20]

Was the typo an intentional way of getting out of doing it?

Lucky I have a stuffed donkey

 

[Natman20]

There must be some statistic for New Zealand saying that we win much more chasing. NZ have the in-ability to set up a good run-rate in the first innings whereas when they have a target to chase they know exactly what they should be doing. Oram would have never whacked it like that consistently if we batted first.

First an 86 and now 101* off 72 balls. Oh where have the critics gone!

Awesome performance by Astralia with the bat. Does anyone know the record for most centuries in a single ODI match?

 

[Bahnz]

haha yea Vincent looks like a charactar... will be interesting to watch him bat in the future definately... hope Binger can get some in the rib cage

Heh... I remember after the second CH game last year, when we needed 320 to win and came within a whisker. NZ had been thrashed in the previous game (Lee had taken 4 wickets) and the media had kicked up a fuss about how the New Zealander's were afraid to bat against Lee.

After the game, when Vincent was interviewed, he said to Bryan Waddle

"After this, any of you lot he said we're afraid of Brett Lee can go shove it up your a*se"

A rather bemused Waddle replied

"Thanks for that Lou, we'll...ah...get the censors onto that one right away and put it on the evening news."

 

[MoxPearl]

Looks like a typical Aus v NZ game, NZ are virtually out of it most of the time and they end up getting close without looking like winning. If the game had been a bit more meaningless NZ might have won. If it had been in a World Cup or final NZ would have lost by 100+ runs. NZ are the masters of plucky, hopeful for the future losses against Australia. Unfortunately England are too crap to beat anyone at the moment, but NZ may as well be as bad as England for what hope they have of winning anything meaningful.