**Official** New Zealand in Australia

[NZTailender]

November 2008
Thu 13 - Sun 16, 11:00 local, 00:00 GMT, New South Wales v New Zealanders, Sydney Cricket Ground
Thu 20 - Mon 24, 10:00 local, 00:00 GMT, 1st Test - Australia v New Zealand, Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane
Fri 28 - Tue 2, 10:30 local, 00:00 GMT, 2nd Test - Australia v New Zealand, Adelaide Oval

January 2009
Thu 29, Prime Minister's XI v New Zealanders, Manuka Oval, Canberra

February 2009
Sun 1, 13:30 local, 04:30 GMT, 1st ODI - Australia v New Zealand, Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth
Fri 6, 14:15 local, 03:15 GMT, 2nd ODI - Australia v New Zealand, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sun 8, 14:15 local, 03:15 GMT, 3rd ODI - Australia v New Zealand, Sydney Cricket Ground
Tue 10, 13:45 local, 03:15 GMT, 4th ODI - Australia v New Zealand, Adelaide Oval
Fri 13, 13:15 local, 03:15 GMT, 5th ODI - Australia v New Zealand, Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane
Sun 15, 19:35 local, 08:35 GMT, Only Twenty20 International - Australia v New Zealand, Sydney Cricket Ground

 

[_Ed_]

I'm scared.

 

[NZTailender]

Haha, as am I.

We'll either:

Get an absolute flogging

or

Put in surprising batting efforts for one innings of each match, and still get a flogging.

 

[pasag]

Would have been a great contest if it was in NZ.

 

[morgieb]

Haha, Australia won't even turn up and they'll still win. NZ's that dire.

 

[Alysum]

With australia on the mend after their disastrous tour of India I think this will be an interesting series especially with Vettori form after the Bangladesh tour.

 

[GGG]

With australia on the mend after their disastrous tour of India I think this will be an interesting series especially with Vettori form after the Bangladesh tour.

Nah we are cannon fodder to Lee or anyone else who bowls express, he averages around 20 vs us.

 

[gettingbetter]

Can't see NZ doing too much. I'm just hoping for a good performance by Vettori.

 

[Athlai]

Hoping to see how the new boys go against Aussie. Ryder and Taylor could make their own mark on the game here. Vettori and McCullum to do well too. Need more than 2-4 players though.

 

[NZTailender]

Yeah it's a bit of a worry. Hopefully Martin will return from injury, as that'd give the attack a big experience boost.

Oram and McCullum (and Vettori I guess) are the really only established batsmen in the side. Flynn, Ryder and Redmond are only starting out, with Taylor only slightly further ahead of them.
How the most experienced of those established but he had a poor tour of Bangladesh after a promising one of England.

Am hoping Ryder in particular does well. Seems like the kind of guy that could face Australia and continually do well against them, Crowe-style.

 

[duffer]

Can't wait for the Symonds is our saviour headlines that'll appear when he's recalled for this series.

 

[S.P. Fleming]

I rate us a chance in Adelaide as it spins a bit there. We have the champ and Jeets, they have uh... Cameron White

I agree that Ryder will do quite well against them as his style of play may unsettle them a little aswell as his ego. probably our best chance to win there in years even though it is still a huge ask. The aussie attack is really unsettled and to have a chance we have to make the most of our spin advantage and the top four MUST contribute.

 

[S.P. Fleming]

I am a bit worried about how some of our mediocre quicks might go against top quality batsmen on flat decks.TIMOTHY SOUTHEE MUST PLAY!!!!!!

 

[masterblaster]

I'm scared.

 

[NUFAN]

I can't believe we've decided on just a 2 Test match series.

That's really not enough time for our players to get there averages looking healthier after the current Indian series.

ODIs should be fun and close.

 

[sportychic33]

**bump**

 

[sportychic33]

BLACKCAPS squad for first test against Australia in Brisbane starting on November 21 is:

* Daniel Vettori ( c )
* Aaron Redmond
* Jamie How
* Jesse Ryder
* Ross Taylor
* Peter Fulton
* Daniel Flynn
* Brendon McCullum
* Grant Elliott
* Gareth Hopkins
* Tim Southee
* Iain O’Brien
* Kyle Mills
* Mark Gillespie
* Chris Martin

Only 13 players will travel to Brisbane. Peter Fulton will remain in New Zealand and play domestic cricket and Gareth Hopkins will travel to Brisbane on the eve of the first test and remain until play starts to cover for Brendon McCullum. A new squad will be announced after the first test.

So really Fulton is just back up until someone gets injured, thus being first cab off the rank.
Not a bad squad, doubt anything better could be selected.

 

[Polo23]

What is the point in 'selecting' Fulton anyway? If someone gets injured they could just draft him into the side, perhaps they think putting his name on paper makes him feel better?

It pretty much means Elliott will definitely play, which is a poor decision for mine. Elliott's bowling will be useless in Australia and Fulton is the more proven FC batsman, and has faced the same Aussie bowlers previously.

I'm worried about the Australian's express pace. I don't think their bowling attack is great by any means, but our batsmen have had problems facing express pace for a while.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Ryder handles Lee and Johnson...I heard a rumour that on a A tour to Australia a few years ago he was facing Steyn in a One Dayer, apparently he purposely got out because he was ****ting himself at Steyn's pace.

 

[howardj]

Am going to the first three days of this thing - hoping against hope for some sort of contest (like 1st Test back in 2004/2005 when Oram went bananas). I'd imagine the Australians would be pretty fired up after losing the series in India.

Anyway, the decline of the NZ Test team is one of the sadder developments in world cricket.

 

[NZTailender]

What is the point in 'selecting' Fulton anyway? If someone gets injured they could just draft him into the side, perhaps they think putting his name on paper makes him feel better?

It pretty much means Elliott will definitely play, which is a poor decision for mine. Elliott's bowling will be useless in Australia and Fulton is the more proven FC batsman, and has faced the same Aussie bowlers previously.

I'm worried about the Australian's express pace. I don't think their bowling attack is great by any means, but our batsmen have had problems facing express pace for a while.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Ryder handles Lee and Johnson...I heard a rumour that on a A tour to Australia a few years ago he was facing Steyn in a One Dayer, apparently he purposely got out because he was ****ting himself at Steyn's pace.

I think Elliott is pretty much assured to play regardless since Oram is out for the series, so Fulton will be on stand-by for him and the current incumbents. IMO he should be there ahead of Elliott, not like Elliott's bowling will cause anyone any trouble in the test arena, outside of a ridiculous green top.

Main problems for us will indeed be the express bowlers, as they have often been in the past, and getting past the 'big 3' of Hayden-Ponting-Hussey. No Gilchrist anymore so Vettori should be confident.

Anyway, the decline of the NZ Test team is one of the sadder developments in world cricket.

Wouldn't say we've had a massive decline, but there was always going to be one with guys like Astle, Cairns and Fleming retiring within a few years of each other (plus Bond going). Not including the fringe players - Adams, Wiseman, Tuffey and Vincent.

The fact we've played more tests this year than recent memory means our weakened team has been exposed a lot more. We're going in the right track IMO with the selections of Ryder, Southee, Flynn and Taylor - effectively a youth brigade.

So really Fulton is just back up until someone gets injured, thus being first cab off the rank.
Not a bad squad, doubt anything better could be selected.

No Jeets Patel so I'd say Redmond will be filling in the role of second/part-time spinner. Mind you, not like the pitches we'll be playing on will be raging turners.

Will be interested if they'll go for the expected Mills-Martin-O'Brien pace trio or if they'll throw Southee in ahead of Martin returning from injury. Gillespies inclusion an interesting one, as theoretically his ability to put pace on a ball and hit the deck hard would be useful in Australia, but we could just as easily see a turgid display from him.