**Official** New Zealand in Australia

[GGG]

Well I'd be picking him over Elliott, that's for sure!

To late now, he got pissed off and headed for the ICL.

 

[Johnners]

Even though I'm a staunch supporter of Australia, I do feel any team that has to play against the joke that is Mitchell Johnson deserves to be cut some slack. The key will just be Vettori defending and not scoring, and Taylor playing his natural game. This partnership has to be above 80 to put some pressure on us and make Ponting panic. From there anything can happen, especially if faith is continued to be placed in Johnson.

Worth noting he's taken 8 more wickets than any other Australian bowler in the last 5 test matches, and actually now has the best match figures of the current Australian pace attack.

Congratulations on being made a fool of though.

 

[Johnners]

I thought O'Brien > Martin overall in the match though Martin was the best yesterday. It's a tricky one and the fact its a liability to have both those guys at 10 and 11. We can have only one IMO.

Question is, can O'Brien produce balls like the one Martin got Hayden with? I saw very little of the first 2 days play, but I was under the impression that Martin certainly bowled the better spell of the 2. Also, would think that he has a bit more in the bank in terms of his overall test record that would keep him ahead of O'Brien.

 

[inbox24]

One day Johnson will be brutally taken apart and then we'll see who's talking, until then enjoy him taking tail ender wickets with bad deliveries.

 

[Matt52]

Martin should start getting front of the stumps entirely, facing down the pitch - remove the option of getting bowled. Sure, he'll get out LBW most of the time but there might be enough doubt in where the ball is pitching and height etc to get away with it, certainly more useful if he can hang around a few extra deliveries that way than trying to block a ball and completely missing it to get bowled. Helps no one.

Ive never seen anyone who looked so completely uncoordinated get to the top of any international sport like I see with Martin. Ofcourse he is not supposed to bat, but he seems to have no hand eye coordination at all, not even a little bit. I guess he should get some kind of praise for that......

Wow, our batting is worse than I have ever seen it, and thats saying something. Redmond must be replaced in the next series, And perhaps How will have his last chance to improve against the West Indies. I dont know if McCullum at 5 is such a great idea, as it always seems like we are a batsman short when I look at the lineup. If Fleming had hung on for another few tours, NZ might have had a better chance. He could have finished his career with a win over Aus which would have been memorable.

to me, our batting lineup consists of Ryder, Taylor, and Flynn. How and Redmond are not performing and McCullum is a very good keeper batsman but normally they bat at 7 in a test side to give it a bit more depth. There is nothing wrong with going back down to 7. Gilchrist played most of his career there. It makes the team more balanced and easier to pick.

Southee should be picked for the next game as well. That would seem obvious but they might play two spinners and leave out a paceman, and with Bracewell, we will almost certainly get the most ridiculous decision out of any possible range of options.

Martin, Southee, and Obrien all did well this test but I have a bad feeling about the Adelaide test. They all seem a bit too similar. When you add in Mills, we have four right arm medium pacers. Although they did well, I would like to see someone else brought into the group of pacemen they regularly pick. I hope Franklin recovers as soon as possible to give us a left armer, and perhaps take a punt on that young Sherlock, if his back has not completely given up yet. He is the only one I can think of with a bit of extra pace. Perhaps Trent Boult in a year or so. I dont think this pace attack ill be successful in the long term.

Batting wise, I hope Hay gets a chance against the West Indies. Just to see what he can offer. I havent seen him play but give him a go opening and you never know. Otherwise, lets hope Kane Williamson turns out to be what some suggest he might.

 

[_Ed_]

Otherwise, lets hope Kane Williamson turns out to be what some suggest he might.

Yeah, but he's probably still at least 5 years away from playing for NZ.

 

[GGG]

My Team for the 2nd test

Matthew Bell (I know I know)
Jamie How
Peter Fulton
Ross Taylor
Jesse Ryder
Daniel Flynn
Brendon McCullum
Dan Vettori
Tim Southee/Kyle Mills
Ian O'Brian
Chris Martin

 

[Johnners]

One day Johnson will be brutally taken apart and then we'll see who's talking, until then enjoy him taking tail ender wickets with bad deliveries.

 

[grapedo]

One day Johnson will be brutally taken apart and then we'll see who's talking, until then enjoy him taking tail ender wickets with bad deliveries.

Yeah well said. As soon as he has played every team they will work him out and he will be destroyed. I think Smith will love facing him this summer.

 

[Rant0r]

What the hell was that O'Brien?

number 11 in any other team in the world mate, but you know who is u believably worse

 

[Matt52]

I think this team would be more benficial
1. How
2. Flynn
3. Taylor
4. Oram
5. Mcullum
6. Ryder
7. Franklin
8. Vettori
9. Southee
10. O'brian
11. Martin

. People out of position IMO. Id go for this maybe

Hay
Guptill/Flynn
Fulton
Taylor
Ryder
Flynn
McCullum
Vettori
Southee
Franklin
Sherlock

Not the best either but I think it looks like a structured team,

openers opening(Hay was an opener--Flynn..well......as a backup)
Fulton a definite no3
Ryder and Taylor our most talented middle order players.
Flynn as a last line of defence
McCullum in a wicket keeper-batsman role at 7.

Then the bowlers.
A spinner- Vettori
A right arm swing bowler- Southee
A left are swing bowler-Franklin
A fast bowler- Sherlock

One or two of the players could change, perhaps Williamson could come into the team in a year or two, and you could choose a different fast bowler, say... bennett. although I havent seen much of him, but that seems like an attack that has different elements to it and a batting line up that has people in their normal position.(except perhaps Hay)

 

[Bahnz]

Sherlock's not playing for CD at the moment. Either injured again, or completely out of the running. For the upcoming season, our batting is so weak I'd almost be tempted to go with this lineup.

How
Cumming/Bell/Ingram/McIntosh/Guptill/someone roped in from the crowed/Redmond
Fulton
Ryder
Taylor
Flynn
Oram
McCullum
Vettori
Franklin
Martin/Southee

Bit light on bowling, I know, but in New Zealand conditions Oram is as useful as O'Brien. The last spot is tricky. Do you go with Southee, his talent and the extra bit of batting he provides? Or do you stick with Martin and his extra pace and experience?

 

[GGG]

Sherlock's not playing for CD at the moment. Either injured again, or completely out of the running. For the upcoming season, our batting is so weak I'd almost be tempted to go with this lineup.

How
Cumming/Bell/Ingram/McIntosh/Guptill/someone roped in from the crowed/Redmond
Fulton
Ryder
Taylor
Flynn
Oram
McCullum
Vettori
Franklin
Martin/Southee

Bit light on bowling, I know, but in New Zealand conditions Oram is as useful as O'Brien. The last spot is tricky. Do you go with Southee, his talent and the extra bit of batting he provides? Or do you stick with Martin and his extra pace and experience?

Not worth the risk with Oram these days.

 

[Rant0r]

Not worth the risk with Oram these days.

pity, he's such a huge talent, i love watching him play

book him in for a body transplant

 

[Bahnz]

Not worth the risk with Oram these days.

Oram's usually fit for a few matches after coming back from injury, so I think he'll be fine for the home season, which is really all I'm looking at with this side. Otherwise you'd have to dump one of the batsman, and I don't know who. Before this match I would have said Flynn, but he's been one of only two to emerge from this match with much credit. Maybe Ryder? But then you'd have Taylor batting at number 4, and I'm still not comfortable with him batting there so early in his career.

 

[aussie]

Who is this Sherlock bloke?

 

[Bahnz]

Who is this Sherlock bloke?

Kiwi fast bowler, and I do mean genuinely fast. Reported to have clocked 150 km/h on an A tour to South Africa 4 years ago. But his back is even weaker than Bond's and he's consequently only ever played a handful of first class matches. Not even sure if he's that fast any more. Real shame.

 

[Craig]

Who is this Sherlock bloke?

He could be:

 

[GotSpin]

Ive never seen anyone who looked so completely uncoordinated get to the top of any international sport like I see with Martin. Ofcourse he is not supposed to bat, but he seems to have no hand eye coordination at all, not even a little bit. I guess he should get some kind of praise for that......

 

[Easto241091]

What a dissapointing test match. It didnt even last 10 sessions. Now theres nothing to watch.