**Official** New Zealand in Australia

[Raghav]

Well i hope Aussies come out with the same kind of determination they displayed after the 05 Ashes loss, this one should hurt even more because this is one of heaviest series defeat for Australia in some time, so i guess the team would be determined to bounce back, and i think NZ is the perfect team for Australia to play after such a series loss in order to get that winning habit going again, before facing the more serious challenge from the touring South Africans.

But Australia shouldn't take win for granted ... NZ can upset Aussies

 

[pup11]

But Australia shouldn't take win for granted ... NZ can upset Aussies

With all due respects to the Black caps and their fans, but seriously the kind of team NZ have atm they would get hammered by the Australian side even if Australia don't bring their "A" game...

 

[Smudge]

With all due respects to the Black caps and their fans, but seriously the kind of team NZ have atm they would get hammered by the Australian side even if Australia don't bring their "A" game...

Frankly that's no respect at all. But that's what I expect from you.

 

[GIMH]

I found NZ to be a decent Test outfit, capable of more than they produced in their two series V us earlier in the year. They generally put the best single-innings performance of the matches in and then would have a shocker in the other...not to be written off, and if the Aussies go into the series complacently on the back of a heavy defeat...could be closer than some people are expecting.

Australia had time to regroup after the Ashes. They don't have that at the minute.

 

[Polo23]

With all due respects to the Black caps and their fans, but seriously the kind of team NZ have atm they would get hammered by the Australian side even if Australia don't bring their "A" game...

Not that I think NZ will beat Australia, but you simply arent giving enough credit at all to the BlackCaps. If we play well, we have the players to easily take a game away from the opposition (Taylor, Ryder, McCullum, Vettori). Even Mills has shown himself to be a match winner. If Australia play poorly, they could well be in for a surprise.

 

[Burgey]

Australia couldn't get Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh out when it mattered. NZ's lower order is easily as good, if not better, than them.

Australia would be utterly foolish to take the Kiwis lightly. I'd be astonished if they do.

 

[Prince EWS]

Australia couldn't get Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh out when it mattered. NZ's lower order is easily as good, if not better, than them.

Their top order, however..

 

[Polo23]

Their top order, however..

Is looking better than it has done for a while.

 

[JimmyGS]

Is looking better than it has done for a while.

WHAT?!

 

[Prince EWS]

Is looking better than it has done for a while.

Haha, why? Because Ryder scored a run few runs against Bangladesh?

New Zealand's batting as a whole is terrible. As I said, even given the flat pitches in Australia, I'd be surprised if they managed to record anything over 300.

 

[GotSpin]

Australia couldn't get Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh out when it mattered. NZ's lower order is easily as good, if not better, than them.

Australia would be utterly foolish to take the Kiwis lightly. I'd be astonished if they do.

I expect punter to kick it off with a vengeance. After all, he seemed so keen to play NZ

 

[Polo23]

Haha, why? Because Ryder scored a run few runs against Bangladesh?

New Zealand's batting as a whole is terrible. As I said, even given the flat pitches in Australia, I'd be surprised if they managed to record anything over 300.

Because the players we have now, are better than the ones we have had in the recent past (bar Fleming obviously). But Ryder > Sinclair, Taylor > Fulton, Redmond > Bell and How is starting to look like a test match quality opener.

Our batting is definitely on the improve, we may well struggle against Australia, but we are heading in the right direction.

 

[inbox24]

I reckon New Zealand batting has got quite a bit of potential with players like Ryder, Taylor and McCullum, they've just gotta get that consistency, and what a better opportunity to do it against a top team. This is a golden opportunity to feast on some poor form by our bowlers and really draw, if not win this series. Secondly, they need to stop picking players who obviously have no talent or need to go back to the domestic circuit, namely Redmond, and Flynn.

Their bowling attack is generally pretty solid and I daresay may be better than ours depending on who we pick:

Vettori
Southee
Mills
Martin
O' Brien

At least they got a decent spinner and a boy wonder in Southee who can really make a dent against our unstable middle order.

 

[Polo23]

I reckon New Zealand batting has got quite a bit of potential with players like Ryder, Taylor and McCullum, they've just gotta get that consistency, and what a better opportunity to do it against a top team. This is a golden opportunity to feast on some poor form by our bowlers and really draw, if not win this series. Secondly, they need to stop picking players who obviously have no talent or need to go back to the domestic circuit, namely Redmond, and Flynn.

Their bowling attack is generally pretty solid and I daresay may be better than ours depending on who we pick:

Vettori
Southee
Mills
Martin
O' Brien

At least they got a decent spinner and a boy wonder in Southee who can really make a dent against our unstable middle order.

Agree with pretty much all of that bar what you said about Flynn. He has shown enough to retain his spot in the test side, he does need to get a big score or two soon though.

 

[pasag]

Yeah I like that attack especially with Oram out. Vettori can hold his own at 7 and coming to a spinners graveyard like Australia you have the other pace option there if he fails.

 

[Prince EWS]

Because the players we have now, are better than the ones we have had in the recent past (bar Fleming obviously). But Ryder > Sinclair, Taylor > Fulton, Redmond > Bell and How is starting to look like a test match quality opener.

Our batting is definitely on the improve, we may well struggle against Australia, but we are heading in the right direction.

Your top order is looking better than now than it did in England because Ryder is no longer injured. It's certainly not looking "better than it has done in a while" though because of the glaring absense of Fleming. I still remain skeptical that Redmond, Taylor and Flynn are actually better than Bell, Fulton and Sinclair, too, but that's quite debatable on many levels so I won't go into that.

If you compare it to the last time New Zealand played Australia, or even if you compare it to any of the top 6 teams, the current batting lineup is terrible.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah I like that attack especially with Oram out. Vettori can hold his own at 7 and coming to a spinners graveyard like Australia you have the other pace option there if he fails.

Yeah, not a lot wrong with the New Zealand bowling attack. I don't mind it at all. It's the batting they'll struggle with.

 

[Nate]

Would go

Hayden
Jaques (if not fit, Katich)
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke (on notice)
Watson
Haddin (on notice)
Noffke
Lee
Krejza
Clark


Reckon Krejza deserves his chance really. If he doesn't make the spot his own, I'd have Bracken (fitness permitting) and Bollinger in the wings.

Cameron White would be playing 2nd XI Cricket in Victoria.

 

[Polo23]

Your top order is looking better than now than it did in England because Ryder is no longer injured. It's certainly not looking "better than it has done in a while" though because of the glaring absense of Fleming. I still remain skeptical that Redmond, Taylor and Flynn are actually better than Bell, Fulton and Sinclair, too, but that's quite debatable on many levels so I won't go into that.

If you compare it to the last time New Zealand played Australia, or even if you compare it to any of the top 6 teams, the current batting lineup is terrible.

J Marshall at number 3 compared with Ryder makes a BIG difference. Our lineup was unsettled in England and even then, most of the time we didn't bat that badly in the first innings.

You can remain as skeptical as you like, Redmond, Taylor and Ryder (I never mentioned Flynn) ARE better than Bell, Fulton and Sinclair.

 

[sanga1337]

Would go

Hayden
Jaques (if not fit, Katich)
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke (on notice)
Watson
Haddin (on notice)
Noffke
Lee
Krejza
Clark


Reckon Krejza deserves his chance really. If he doesn't make the spot his own, I'd have Bracken (fitness permitting) and Bollinger in the wings.

Cameron White would be playing 2nd XI Cricket in Victoria.

Im assuming your refering to the standard of his bowling rather than his batting I hope...