Somerset's ICC 2009 NZ Story

[Somerset]

Decided to start a new game with New Zealand on ICC 2009 and post my progress on the forum, so comments, opinions and criticism of the manager and storywriter is promoted and probably in the case of the last option, expected.

Starting with the Twenty20 World Cup in England in mid-2009, we selected a side consisting of:
Batsmen: P.Fulton, M.Sinclair, R.Taylor, G.Hay, N.Broom, D.Flynn, T.Weston
Wicket keeper: B.McCullum
Allrounders: J.Ryder, J.Oram, J.Franklin, D.Vettori, K.Mills
Bowlers: S.Bond, I.O'Brien

Daryl Tuffey and Warren McSkimming the unlucky bowlers to be omitted, with Dewayne Bowden given consideration as a bolter to cover the allrounders, and the likes of Lou Vincent, Jamie How and Aaron Redmond were initial batting options.

On his return to the side, Mathew Sinclair was named captain after being promised an extended run in the team.

Results of the T20 World Cup to follow...

 

[Somerset]

T20 World Cup Group Stage

New Zealand vs Scotland

The tournament started with a massive shock as England defeated the Netherlands by two wickets in a low scoring match dominated by Ryan ten Doeschate. That gave Scotland some hope in their opening encounter against New Zealand, who fielded a side of McCullum, Ryder, Sinclair, Taylor, Fulton, Flynn, Oram, Franklin, Vettori, Mills and Bond.

Scotland won the toss and batted but struggled to gain any momentum, and at 6/55 was in real danger of not even passing three figures. McCallum was then joined by Smith and the pair batted smartly to allow Scotland to at least give their bowlers a chance to replicate the Netherlands’ heroics. Mills, Bond and Franklin each picked up two wickets. In reply, McCullum and Ryder made a flying start and demolished the Scottish attack. The target was achieved in just 13.2 overs, with Ryder’s unbeaten 75 from 42 balls a major highlight for the crowd. At the other end, McCullum scored a comparatively sedate 47 not out from 39 balls as New Zealand cruised home for an easy first up victory.

New Zealand win by 10 wickets


New Zealand vs South Africa

With South Africa also defeating Scotland, the match was effectively a practice encounter with both sides already assured of reaching the second stage of the competition. New Zealand made one change with Vettori rested in favour of O’Brien.

New Zealand lost another toss but this time was made to pay in the field as Gibbs and Duminy raced away at the beginning of the innings. Through Franklin and O’Brien, who bowled well in tandem in the middle of the innings and took two wickets each, South Africa was pegged back until Boucher and Ontong hit quick cameos at the death. Bond also picked up a two wicket haul. Chasing South Africa’s target of 172, Steyn was sensational in damaging the New Zealand top order and he dismissed Ryder, McCullum and Taylor in quick succession. Flynn scored an unbeaten 55 from 41 deliveries, and Oram and Sinclair both made useful contributions, but after Steyn’s initial inroads into the New Zealand batting order, the target was always too much for the Black Caps.

South Africa win by 16 runs

 

[Flem274*]

decided to start a new game with new zealand on icc 2009 and post my progress on the forum, so comments, opinions and criticism of the manager and storywriter is promoted and probably in the case of the last option, expected.

Starting with the twenty20 world cup in england in mid-2009, we selected a side consisting of:
Batsmen: P.fulton, m.sinclair, r.taylor, g.hay, n.broom, d.flynn, t.weston
wicket keeper: B.mccullum
allrounders: J.ryder, j.oram, j.franklin, d.vettori, k.mills
bowlers: S.bond, i.o'brien

daryl tuffey and warren mcskimming the unlucky bowlers to be omitted, with dewayne bowden given consideration as a bolter to cover the allrounders, and the likes of lou vincent, jamie how and aaron redmond were initial batting options.

On his return to the side, mathew sinclair was named captain after being promised an extended run in the team.

Results of the t20 world cup to follow...

wag.

 

[Somerset]

T20 World Cup Super Eights

England and West Indies were the major casualties after neither tasted success in their two group matches. As a result, New Zealand had a relatively comfortable group with Sri Lanka, Netherlands and Bangladesh anything but the daunting combination in the second pool consisting of Australia, India, Pakistan and South Africa.


New Zealand vs Netherlands

Even with an easy group, it was essential that New Zealand began the Super Eight stage of the competition with a commanding victory over the Netherlands. The side was made up of McCullum, Ryder, Sinclair, Taylor, Flynn, Hay, Oram, Franklin, Vettori, Bond and O’Brien. Greg Hay made his international debut.

The New Zealanders batted first and although McCullum went early, Ryder’s 18 ball 36 gave them momentum to launch. Sinclair and Flynn took full advantage of that platform, with both scoring unbeaten half centuries against a wayward Dutch bowling line-up. For Flynn, it was his second unbeaten fifty of the tournament in as many innings. Franklin, who opened the bowling with Mills omitted from the side, and Bond, then tore through the Dutch top order to leave them in tatters. Bukhari consolidated with 40 before Oram guaranteed the victory by taking four cheap lower order wickets. Nannes scored 21 from nine balls batting at number eleven as the Netherlands never gave up trying.

New Zealand win by 57 runs


New Zealand vs Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka represented New Zealand’s toughest opposition of their Super Eight group and would also guarantee progression to the semi finals if they could win the match. Mills came back into the side for O’Brien in an otherwise unchanged line-up.

After winning the toss and batting first, New Zealand made a quick start but lost wickets regularly, and there was particular struggle against Muralitharan and Mendis, who were brought on early and took 4/52 from their combined eight overs. Maharoof was far more generous, giving up 43 runs from his four overs and going wicketless. Flynn scored his third fifty but was dismissed by Murali, while Oram smashed an unbeaten 43 at the death to see New Zealand to a competitive total of 159. Hay batted for the first time in an international match and scored just one run. Sangakkara was the key for the Sri Lankan side as the rest of the batsmen struggled. He scored 62 from just 35 deliveries and in the context of the match, his was a match winning innings. Vettori was particularly effective for New Zealand, taking 3/26 from four quality overs. New Zealand still had a real chance of winning, however, when Kulasekara joined de Saram with 39 needed from the final six overs and only four wickets in hand. Kulasekara then took hold of Franklin and belted 24 in quick time to ensure Sri Lanka’s progression in the tournament, and they reached the target with an over to spare.

Sri Lanka win by 3 wickets


New Zealand vs Bangladesh

Effectively New Zealand’s match against Bangladesh was a quarter final, with the winner set to join Sri Lanka in the semi finals of the tournament. No changes were made from the previous match.

Tamim Iqbal scored a quick 25 at the beginning of the Bangladeshi innings but New Zealand hit back to leave Bangladesh in trouble at 5/78 and then 6/93. Naeem Islam, who was dropped by Taylor early in the innings, made an important 44 to allow Bangladesh to post a modest total of 133. Bond, Franklin and Oram all picked up two wickets in a solid team performance from New Zealand. Bangladesh’s somewhat small target inspired them in the field as Mortaza and Rasel started brilliantly with the ball, and they were backed up by Shakib Al Hasan. At the halfway point, New Zealand had just 50 runs and had already lost four wickets, with the required run rate more than eight per over. Hay then signaled his talent with 29 from just 14 deliveries, and Oram and Franklin both smashed quick cameos. All the while Daniel Flynn anchored the innings with a composed and unbeaten 33 at just over a run-a-ball, as New Zealand won with ease in the end, having reached the target with 13 balls to spare.

New Zealand win by 4 wickets

 

[Somerset]

T20 World Cup Semi Final

Australia and Pakistan joined Sri Lanka and New Zealand to contest the two semi finals of the tournament. South Africa, somewhat typically, only missed out on a semi final spot after losing their last Super Eight game to Australia, even though they hadn’t lost a match in the competition until that point.


Semi Final – New Zealand vs Australia

The Pakistan vs Sri Lanka semi final was played before New Zealand’s encounter with Australia, and it was a low scoring affair with Sri Lanka’s 100 all out proving enough for a spot in the final when they bowled Pakistan out for just 80. Muralitharan and Mendis combined to produce figures of 6/19 from eight overs. New Zealand made no changes to their side for the final two Super Eight matches which was McCullum, Ryder, Sinclair, Taylor, Flynn, Hay, Oram, Franklin, Vettori, Mills and Bond. Flynn went into the match with an average of 202 for the tournament, having been dismissed just once prior (to Muralitharan against Sri Lanka).

Unlike the first semi final, New Zealand’s match was a high scoring encounter. Australia batted first and Bond cleaned up Warner and Ponting in successive overs, but Mike Hussey (46) and Clarke (84) then took complete control of the match. David Hussey smashed 35 not out from 15 balls at the death, as Australia posted an imposing 197 from their 20 overs. Bond was superb but the other bowlers were demolished. Oram was particularly taken to, conceding 47 from his four overs, the most in the tournament behind the Netherland’s Jonkman who went for 50 against New Zealand, and ten Doeschate who conceded 51 against Pakistan. New Zealand had no option but to attack from ball one but they continually lost wickets along the way. Not surprisingly Flynn top scored with 36 but the next highest was McCullum’s 14. All the Australian bowlers picked up wickets as New Zealand was well beaten.

Australia win by 79 runs


The final was actually a tie which Sri Lanka won by “losing less wickets” – lets say they won by a bowl out for more excitement. A somewhat disappointing finish to the tournament for New Zealand, but with a tour to Sri Lanka to follow, there’s enough positives from the T20 matches to suggest we’ll be competitive against the new T20 World Cup champions.

 

[Somerset]

wag.

Hay scored only 43 runs in his three innings but his 29 against Bangladesh was crucial. No place for Weston in the side yet, stayed tuned.

 

[Number 11]

Nice start, i'll keep reading and hopefully it will pick some more interest from others as well.

 

[Somerset]

Thanks. Have just played the Sri Lankan test series, will write the summaries up tomorrow but its fair to say we were soundly beaten.

 

[Flem274*]

I despise SL on ICC. Look me until 2015 to finally beat them in a test series.

From then on though I beat them in all our home series. Shame they return the favour when I tour there.

 

[Athlai]

Calling for Jeets inclusion , love reading this stuff Somerset.

 

[Somerset]

Sri Lankan Test Series

New Zealand could afford to take 18 players to tour Sri Lanka in a tough test and ODI series against the latest T20 champions. The same 15 players which competed in England in the T20 competition were selected, while Lou Vincent and Daryl Tuffey were recalled, and Warren McSkimming included as a back-up pace bowler. With no other spinners currently in the frame (sorry Athlai), Vettori was to play the side’s only spin bowling role for the series.


1st Test vs Sri Lanka

New Zealand’s side consisted of Fulton, Vincent, Sinclair, Taylor, Flynn, Ryder, McCullum, Oram, Franklin, Vettori and Bond for the first test. The decision was made to bat down to number ten with Sri Lanka’s leathal bowling unit, which meant Jesse Ryder would cover the fifth bowling option.

New Zealand batted first on a surprisingly sporting pitch for the bowlers and after a shaky start when they found themselves 5/117 at lunch, managed to score a respectable 262. McCullum (44), Oram (50) and Franklin (36), at numbers seven through to nine, provided the bulk of the contributions, while Sri Lankan spinners accounted for eight of the Kiwi wickets. Vettori, who was introduced at first change, then took two quick wickets before the close of play to leave Sri Lanka at 2/26 at stumps. Through Mathews (122), making his debut, and Samaraweera (70), Sri Lanka recovered well on day two but aside from Chaminda Vaas, who made a painstaking unbeaten 68 at number eight, Sri Lanka blew an opportunity to gain a massive lead as their players through away their wickets. Vettori’s long spell was rewarded with five wickets, while Franklin toiled hard for his three wickets.

In their second innings, New Zealand made a great start with Fulton (26) and Vincent (43) seeing the side to safety against the Sri Lankan pace attack. It was only when the spin twins entered the frame that New Zealand struggled, but even so Sinclair and T20 hero Flynn consolidated to see the side to a comfortable position at 3/217 before disaster struck. Sinclair fell five runs short of a deserved century resulting in seven wickets falling for just 61 runs as New Zealand’s so-called “depth” was again exposed by the Sri Lankan spinners. That left Sri Lanka needing only 178 to win, and plenty of time to do so. Kapugedera was dismissed early again, by Franklin, but Sangakkara anchored with Mahela Jayawardene to guide Sri Lanka close to victory. Bond and Vettori provided the hosts with a fright at the end of the match, with three quick wickets falling for 19 runs with victory in sight, but it only delayed the inevitable Sri Lanka win.

Sri Lanka win by 5 wickets and lead the series 1-0


2nd Test vs Sri Lanka

Though Sri Lanka was victorious in the opening test, New Zealand made no changes to a side they considered their best XI in testing conditions.

Sri Lanka won the toss on a road and after early inroads from the New Zealanders, made full use of the good batting conditions. From 2/72, the recalled Tharanga (103), new revelation Mathews (200) and experienced Samaraweera (77) saw Sri Lanka to an imposing 3/347 at stumps on day one. Mathews passed his double century before lunch on day two and then Warnapura added another 70, with Vaas and Kulasekera also contributing to see Sri Lanka through to a massive 608 all out at the end of day two. All four New Zealand main bowlers conceded a century, with Franklin’s three wickets almost costing him 200 runs. Just three runs were scored by New Zealand before the close of play on the second day. A sluggish third day gave New Zealand a chance of drawing the test, as although they scored only 236 runs, only six wickets were lost in the process. Sinclair’s 82 took 293 balls and Fulton (53) and Taylor (44) were also patient. Unfortunately New Zealand’s depth again couldn’t capitalize on a reasonable start from the top order as they were all out for 314, and 294 behind on aggregate. Spin bowlers took nine wickets, although New Zealand made the hosts fight for their breakthroughs.

Not surprisingly, New Zealand followed on and after a very strong start from Fulton (67) and Vincent (40), collapsed to be 4/142 at the close on day four. Flynn and Ryder scored 40s but wickets fell at regular intervals on a pitch taking extravagant spin. New Zealand batted bravely but Bond’s wicket was the last to fall with just 56 minutes left in the final session. Spinners took all ten wickets to fall for the hosts as they won by an innings and the series with a test to spare. Incredibly, Mendis bowled 104 overs, and Murali 95.2 overs, in the final three days of the match alone.

Sri Lanka win by an innings and 22 runs and lead the series 2-0


3rd Test vs Sri Lanka

With the series gone, New Zealand made several changes. Neil Broom made his test debut in place of Ross Taylor, who had been out of sorts against the home team’s spin attack for much of the series. He batted at number five with Daniel Flynn promoted to four. Tuffey and O’Brien also featured, replacing Ryder and Bond, allowing the tourists to play five bowlers and still maintain a strong batting line-up down to number nine.

As had become customary in the series, the side winning the toss batted first, and it proved to be Sri Lanka getting first use of a good batting track. New Zealand actually had the better of the first day in reality, and they limited the hosts to 6/274 at stumps. It was only Mathew’s third century of the series, and Vaas’ 80 that allowed Sri Lanka to reach 412 on day two. Franklin and Vettori were the pick of the bowlers with three wickets apiece, but O’Brien and Oram were consistent and deserved their two wickets each. New Zealand struggled to gain any momentum and was dismissed midway through the third day for 220, just avoiding the follow-on mark. Broom top scored with 41 on debut but only Fulton and Vettori assisted him by passing 30. Typically, eight wickets fell to spin bowlers.

Through O’Brien, New Zealand made a great start to the second innings as the hosts were pegged back at 2/11, and it could’ve been worse had O’Brien not had Tharanga dropped as well. As it turned out, the Bradman-like Mathews combined with Tharanga to put on another 142 runs for the third wicket. Both were dropped again as New Zealand’s effort in the field was terrible. Tharanga (79) was out to the second last ball of the day to a rejuvenated O’Brien but he received little support. On day four Sri Lanka pushed forward, and Angelo Mathews recorded his fourth century of the series. Dilshan, with 92 not out, was unlucky not to score a century, as Sri Lanka declared with him in full flight to leave New Zealand with 554 to win in just over four sessions. The tourists made a reasonable start but found themselves at 3/81 at stumps with a day to play for a draw. Broom went in the first over of day five and New Zealand crumbled from that point onwards. Embarrassingly, they were dismissed for 110 at the match was over before lunch. Fulton was last man out for 46 and only opening partner Vincent (20) scored more than 11. Sri Lankan spinners yet again did the damage, taking all ten wicket, for a total of 53 in the series.

Sri Lanka win by 443 runs and win the series 3-0


So, a very disappointing test series result with two huge Sri Lankan wins in the final two tests, but with their spinners so dominant in home conditions, it was always going to be a struggle. An ODI series now awaits.

 

[Athlai]

You did waaaay better than me in the T20 WC. My strong point in this game has usually been the longer format so I'll see if I can start to turn it around.

 

[Number 11]

Nice, can't wait to hear how the ODI's turn out.

 

[Somerset]

You did waaaay better than me in the T20 WC. My strong point in this game has usually been the longer format so I'll see if I can start to turn it around.

To be fair, I had an easy Super 8 group, with both the Netherlands and Bangladesh.

 

[Somerset]

Sri Lankan ODI Series

The New Zealand squad for the ODI series against Sri Lanka had to be reduced to 15 players, so Tuffey and McSkimming, additions for the test leg, were released, as was Greg Hay, rather than Vincent who had performed well in the test series, or Weston who offered a back-up wicket keeping option.


1st ODI vs Sri Lanka

New Zealand’s side for the first ODI was McCullum, Ryder, Sinclair, Taylor, Fulton, Flynn, Oram, Franklin, Vettori, Mills and Bond.

The hosts batted first and although Bond picked up two early wickets in Sangakkara and Jayawardene, they recovered strongly via Tharanga and Mathews, with both players passing fifty. Mills and Franklin also picked up two wickets, while Vettori was the most economical of the Kiwi bowlers with 1/44 from his ten overs. After late hitting from Samaraweera (40 from 23 deliveries) and Dilshan (36), Sri Lanka reached a healthy 278 from their 50 over allotment. To try and reduce the impact of the three Sri Lankan spinners (Muralitharan, Mendis and Samaraweera), the Black Cap batsmen hit out at the start of the innings in search of quick runs, but it back fired as the recalled Kariyawasam, and Kulasekara, reduced the tourists to 4/56. Fulton led the recovery with a well constructed 58 and Flynn and Oram both scored quick 40s to keep the required run rate realistic. However, Murali and Mendis both took two late wickets as the Kiwi tail folded, and New Zealand were bowled out 59 runs short, but with 67 balls still to be bowled.

Sri Lanka win by 59 runs and lead the series 1-0


2nd ODI vs Sri Lanka

Although a first up loss is never the way to start a series, New Zealand persisted with the same side as the opening ODI.

New Zealand were sent in on a more sporting pitch than expected, but this time the attempt at quick runs at the top of the order was successful as both McCullum (26) and Ryder (41) made full advantage of the fielding restrictions. As per the test series, it was the Sri Lankan spinners who slowed the New Zealand attack and of the remaining batsmen, only Oram (39) passed McCullum’s score. Taylor, Flynn, Franklin and Vettori all passed 20 but failed to carry on. The three Sri Lankan spinners combined for figures of 4/91 from 30 overs, while the two pacemen took 5/138 from only 20. Mills and Bond were hit around early, particularly by Tharanga, but the introduction of Franklin and Oram at third and fourth change, respectively, gave New Zealand the upper hand defending their average total of 230. From 0/42, Sri Lanka fell apart and found themselves 5/59. Mahela Jayawardene consolidated for 48 runs off 86 deliveries, and he found minor support in Kulasekara (27), but Sri Lanka never recovered from their mid-innings slump and was lucky the 56 run New Zealand victory wasn’t a more comprehensive margin. Oram returned the superb figures of 10-3-30-4, Franklin took 10-2-38-3, and Bond chipped in with two late wickets to seal the win.

New Zealand win by 56 runs. Series tied 1-1


3rd ODI vs Sri Lanka

After an excellent team effort to win the second ODI, no changes were made for the third ODI, though Mathew Sinclair was put on notice after scoring just five runs in two innings.

Oram was the bowling star for New Zealand again after Sri Lanka made a good start in the third ODI, as he dismissed three of the top four Sri Lankan batsmen in quick succession. Sangakkara then ran himself out to have the hosts in trouble. Dilshan (27) and Chamara Silva (39) provided some resistance, but it was Samaraweera’s unbeaten 93 from 97 balls that enabled Sri Lanka to post a competitive total of 268/8. Bond and Vettori took two wickets each and on a good batting pitch, New Zealand was relatively pleased to limit Sri Lanka to less than 270. The top order attack was again employed and successful, before Ryder (25 from 16 balls) and Sinclair fell to consecutive deliveries. Even so, New Zealand was 2/100 after just twelve overs. Fulton scored a quality 56, and McCullum, Taylor and Franklin all 30s, but Mendis was the real danger and he took four wickets for just 28 runs in his ten overs. When New Zealand lost their eighth wicket with 66 still needed for victory, the game looked over, but Vettori (31*) and Mills (33*) used the power play and accelerated towards the victory with the re-introduction of the Sri Lankan quicks. Needing only three from the final over bowled by Samaraweera, the two New Zealand allrounders calmly took their time and won the match with two balls to spare, and took New Zealand out to a 2-1 series lead. Kulasekara and Kariyawasam combined conceded 158 from their 20 overs and took just three wickets between them.

New Zealand win by 2 wickets and lead the series 2-1


4th ODI vs Sri Lanka

Sinclair was dropped for the fourth ODI after scoring just five runs in three innings and Lou Vincent took his place. Fulton captained the side in his absence.

Both bravely and bizarrely, Fulton inserted Sri Lanka on a road and Sri Lanka made the most of the good conditions by amassing 298 from their 50 overs. Tharanga (63 from 90) anchored the innings but it was Angelo Mathews who set the game alive with a sensational innings of 91, containing eight fours and five sixes. Samaraweera (41*), Silva (14) and Kulasekara (21*) hit out at more than a run-a-ball at the death to give Sri Lanka an imposing total. Bond, Oram and Franklin each took two wickets. Mills took the most punishment, conceding 84 from his ten overs. New Zealand then used their usual tactic of blasting at the start, and it worked to some extent as the required run rate was quickly reduced. McCullum (41) made an important contribution, and Ryder and Vincent both made 20s, but it was Oram, promoted to number four, who shaped the match with 77 from just 66 deliveries, and he never allowed the Sri Lanka spinners to take control. He received great support from stand-in captain Fulton (53), and that allowed Flynn and Franklin to see the side home with comparatively sedate 20s. In the end, New Zealand won with more than an over to spare. Kulasekara, Kariyawasam and Muralitharan all conceded more than 70 from their allotment as Sri Lanka were comprehensively beaten.

New Zealand win by 3 wickets and lead the series 3-1


5th ODI vs Sri Lanka

With the series already won, New Zealand made several changes with Broom, Weston (debut) and O’Brien coming into the side for Taylor, Flynn and Mills, who were all struggling for consistent form. Fulton retained the captaincy. New Zealand’s side was McCullum, Ryder, Vincent, Fulton, Broom, Weston, Oram, Franklin, Vettori, Bond and O’Brien.

Sri Lanka also made a change with Vaas coming into the side for the wayward Kariyawasam, but he made little impact after New Zealand won the toss and batted first on another superb batting track. McCullum (32) and Ryder (48) continued their good form with reasonable contributions but it was the recalled Neil Broom who made the most impact. He scored a majestic 101 from just 96 balls, hitting a boundary to bring up his century in the last over of the innings before being dismissed. Oram supported well with 46 from just 34 balls at the death and New Zealand was buoyant when they finished on 303/9 from their 50 overs. Tharanga then went to Bond in the second over of the innings to improve New Zealand spirits, but it brought about Mahela Jayawardene to the crease. The Sri Lankan maestro proceeded to make 134 from just 114 balls to give Sri Lanka the upper hand in the high scoring encounter, and he was ably supported by Sangakkara, Dilshan, Samaraweera and Silva, all of whom passed 30. O’Brien took three wickets and Bond two, but only Oram (0/49 from 10 overs) conceded less than 5.6 runs an over. Sri Lanka eventually won with seven balls remaining for a consolation victory.

Sri Lanka win by 3 wickets. New Zealand win the series 3-2

 

[Flem274*]

Congrats.

 

[Somerset]

Pakistan Test Series

After a short break, New Zealand travelled to play Pakistan in October and November 2009. The same 15 that completed the ODI series in Sri Lanka, plus Greg Hay, Brent Arnel, and Jeetan Patel were selected for the Test series against Pakistan. Arnel and Patel were particular bolters to the side, selected ahead of Tuffey and McSkimming.

1st Test vs Pakistan

New Zealand chose to omit Sinclair for the first test due to complete lack of form, and Fulton was announced captain of the national side indefinitely. Arnel debuted with Bond injured for at least the first two tests – no laughing matter that he was sidelined with a back injury. New Zealand’s full XI was Fulton, Vincent, Taylor, Flynn, Ryder, McCullum, Oram, Franklin, Vettori, Mills and Arnel.

Pakistan had three debutants in Alam, Jamshed and Sarfraz Ahmed, while Afridi was recalled, and after winning the toss and batting, made slow progress on day one. They finished on 235/4 at the close of play after a dull day of test cricket. Younis Khan (89) and Mohammad Yousuf (51) both passed 50. Fawad Alam took control of day two as he scored a brilliant century on debut and his 145 took 284 balls before Ryder, as sixth bowler, dismissed him. Oram finished with four wickets, while Ryder and the hard working Franklin took three each. Arnel failed to take a wicket on debut. Fulton and Vincent put on 86 for the opening wicket before Pakistan hit back to leave the tourists at 2/106 at the close of play. Taylor and McCullum both scored 50s on day three but New Zealand lost wickets at important times and gave away a 106 run deficit. As per the Sri Lankan series, spinners took the majority of the wickets for the home side.

Somewhat surprisingly, Pakistan batted just as slowly in their second innings, taking 108 overs for their 271 runs before declaring. Opener Manzoor compiled a slow 132 and Yousuf was in no hurry for his 53. Mills and Franklin picked up two wickets apiece, and Oram one, meaning Vettori and Arnel both went wicketless for the match. Chasing a relatively generous 378 in just over a day, New Zealand went into day five at 22/1, with Fulton dismissed before close on the fourth day. At lunch, they needed a further 273 with eight wickets in hand, and with Taylor and Flynn in good form, sensed the possibility of a rare away win. However, Pakistan hit back in the second session and New Zealand lost six wickets in the two hours. New Zealand found themselves eight down as Asif had three wickets, and the spinners two each, and Pakistan now smelt victory. With just two wickets in hand and 165 to win in the final session, New Zealand had no option but to play for a draw, and through sheer determination, Franklin (44*) and Mills (29*) survived Pakistan’s last ditch assault to keep the series level.

Match drawn. Series tied at 0-0


2nd Test vs Pakistan

Vettori and Arnel were dropped for the second test, replaced by Sinclair, who shuffled up the order to number three, and O’Brien. Fulton retained the captaincy. Interestingly, Pakistan dropped both spinners in Kaneria and Afridi for quick bowlers Yasir Arafat and Samiullah Khan, even though New Zealand had struggled against spin in tests over recent times.

New Zealand won the toss and batted on a pitch suiting the batsmen. Though Fulton was dismissed early, Vincent (73) batted until lunch with Sinclair, and although he and Taylor were dismissed before tea, New Zealand built a strong foundation. Flynn added 66 before he was out before just before the close of play. It was Sinclair, however, that was the key to New Zealand’s fortunes. Recalled to the side, he finished the day unbeaten on 124, and added a further 37 on day two before he was out for a brilliant 161. Ryder with 59 and Oram, who managed 69*, allowed New Zealand to reach 482. Pakistan found batting just as easy. Every batsman that New Zealand dismissed reached at least 25, with Yousuf (133) and Manzoor (99) the two Pakistanis that cashed in the most. Younis Khan, Alam, Jamshed also passed fifty, as the New Zealanders struggled. Oram took three wickets but had to bowl 47 overs to do so. Franklin went wicketless. Even fifth bowler Ryder was required to shoulder 21 overs worth of bowling. Pakistan eventually declared with a 78 run lead.

With chances of a victory basically zero, New Zealand batted defensively in their second innings, and like Pakistan, all the batsmen made starts. Flynn passed 50 for the second time in the match and third time in as many innings. Like the first innings, all the Pakistani bowlers picked up wickets. New Zealand declared with just over an hour in the final session for another outing for their bowlers, and O’Brien’s wicket of Taufeeq Umar was some justification for doing so.

Match drawn. Series tied at 0-0


3rd Test vs Pakistan

Bond had recovered from his injury and immediately returned to the side, as did Vettori. They replaced Mills and O’Brien, so the side was Fulton, Vincent, Sinclair, Taylor, Flynn, Ryder, McCullum, Oram, Franklin, Vettori and Bond. Incidentally, this was the same XI that played the first and second tests in Sri Lanka, with the exception of the captaincy role.

The tourists made a sensational start to the decider after losing Vincent early and found themselves 1/133 at lunch. Pakistan fought back strongly throughout the remainder of the day and by stumps, the Kiwis were 7/278. Fulton (82) and Sinclair (62) featured strongly before Pakistan’s fight back. Day two initially belonged to Jesse Ryder and he completed a classy century before becoming Fawad Alam’s first test wicket. Franklin supported him well with 54 and Vettori managed an unbeaten 34. Like the second test, Pakistan played no spinner and it again appeared to be a poor option. Bond made an immediate impact, dismissing both Pakistani openers to leave them 3/85 at stumps on day two. An even day three ensued, with Pakistan bowled out in the final 15 minutes for 350, giving up a 95 run deficit. Alam and Jamshed both scored 80s, but otherwise only Sarfraz Ahmed’s 46 was notable. Vettori, Oram and Bond bowled well for three wickets each.

Peter Fulton led front the front in New Zealand’s second innings with a marvelous innings of 140. Ryder and Oram made useful 40s but the innings belonged to the New Zealand captain. The New Zealand batsmen went on the offensive and were all out just before the close of play, setting Pakistan the near impossible task of scoring 437 to win in just over a day. Bond and Oram struck immediately on day five and Pakistan was in big trouble at 4/96 at lunch. Vettori then dismissed Taufeeq Umar, and Franklin accounted for Jamshed, both Pakistani top scorers, to leave them 7/179 at tea. Bond and Oram returned and, handed the new ball, were immediately effective. The Pakistani tail folded under the pressure and, fittingly given his impact, Bond took the last wicket, to complete a fantastic, rare away win for a New Zealand test match side.

New Zealand win by 231 runs and win the series 1-0

 

[Somerset]

Pakistan ODI Series

A five match ODI series followed the closely fought test series that resulted in a 1-0 win to New Zealand. Hay, Weston and Arnel were not required for the matches and were the only casualties in New Zealand’s 15 man ODI squad.

1st ODI vs Pakistan

New Zealand’s side for the first ODI against Pakistan was McCullum, Ryder, Sinclair, Fulton, Broom, Flynn, Oram, Franklin, Vettori, Bond and O’Brien. Broom’s last ODI yielded a century, while Sinclair’s three previous ODI innings this season produced five runs.

After batting first, New Zealand progressed well from 3/38 with a 90 run partnership between Fulton and Broom before the captain ran Broom out for a well constructed 47. Fulton continued on to make 80 but no other player passed 25 in a disappointing effort. Malik, Hafeez and Samiullah Khan were the pick of the bowlers for the home side. Bond took three early wickets to reduce Pakistan to 4/68 and the game was in the balance before Taufeeq Umar, traditionally an opening batsman, scored an unbeaten 71-ball 87 batting at number five. Wicket keeper Sarfraz Ahmed provided support with a patient 47 which allowed Pakistan to win with relative ease despite a fall of late wickets.

Pakistan win by 4 wickets and lead the series 1-0


2nd ODI vs Pakistan

Ross Taylor, who was unlucky to miss the first ODI, replaced Daniel Flynn, while Kyle Mills took O’Brien’s spot.

After an excellent start in which both Pakistani openers Jamshed and Manzoor scored 50s, New Zealand fought back well in the second ODI. Vettori picked up 3/40 bowling in tandem with Oram (2/39) throughout the middle of the innings, and at 5/167 Pakistan looked vulnerable. However, a blistering innings from Mohammad Hafeez, batting at number seven, of 74 from just 37 deliveries, propelled Pakistan towards 300 in the final few overs. Shoaib Malik, who came out at number nine, smashed 23 from 10 balls to add to the carnage. Kyle Mills’ eight overs (including a maiden) went for 76 as two of his final overs went for 25 and 21 runs respectively. Ryder hit out at the start of the innings and his 48 was classy, but he received no support as New Zealand slumped to 5/33. Broom, pushed down to number seven, added 38 and the Kiwi tail wagged, but they finished well short of Pakistan’s target. Samiullah Khan and Yasir Arafat were the chief destroyers with each finishing with four wicket bags.

Pakistan win by 131 runs and lead the series 2-0


3rd ODI vs Pakistan

Sinclair, who had improved his ODI average for the season to 3.40, was dropped in favour of Flynn, and Jeetan Patel finally made an appearance, taking Mills’ spot.

New Zealand fared much better with the bat after winning the toss. McCullum and Ryder (52) saw the side off to an excellent start, before Taylor took control. He amassed 114 from 108 deliveries, including 17 fours, and his partnership with Jacob Oram (59) was particularly crucial. Afridi, who was strangely dropped from the test series after featuring in the first encounter, grabbed five wickets, including four from LBWs, and Arafat secured another four wicket haul, of which three were LBWs – leading to some questioning about the officiating. It mattered little to New Zealand posting a competitive total of 289, however. Fawad Alam then replicated Taylor’s heroics with a gem of an innings of his own. He scored an unbeaten 112 which took only 89 deliveries, and stole the match from the Black Caps. Jamshed and Sarfraz Ahmed both scored 42 and the other Pakistani batsmen hit out as they won the match with five overs to spare. New Zealand’s best bowler, Bond, went for 77 from his ten overs, while the spinners combined bowled ten overs and conceded 71 runs. Ryder was the best of the lot with 2/34 from seven overs.

Pakistan win by 4 wickets and lead the series 3-0


4th ODI vs Pakistan

Vincent and O’Brien returned to the side for the fourth ODI as New Zealand fielded a team of McCullum, Ryder, Fulton, Taylor, Flynn, Vincent, Oram, Franklin, Vettori, Bond and O’Brien.

New Zealand produced their worst performance of the season, and the match was only respectable by Vincent’s 53 and Vettori’s 61 at number nine. No other batsman passed 20. Yasir Arafat was sensational for the home side, as he took 7/47 from nine demanding overs. From 5/43 New Zealand recovered well but on a good batting pitch their total of 199 was nowhere near enough. Manzoor anchored the Pakistani innings with a composed and unbeaten 78 and every other Pakistani played that batted reached double figures. Oram and Ryder again bowled well but Pakistan still won with ease to take a 4-0 series lead.

Pakistan win by 7 wickets and lead the series 4-0


5th ODI vs Pakistan

Sinclair returned to the side in an attempt to get New Zealand’s best test player into form for the series at home during the summer, in place of Flynn, for the final ODI.

Even though the pitch suited batting, New Zealand inserted Pakistan after winning the toss after the hosts had won all but one match chasing. Bond grabbed two early wickets but Pakistan consolidated through Jamshed (65) and Alam (78). Taufeeq Umar, Afridi and Yasir Arafat all scored 30s to see Pakistan through to 283 from their 50 overs. Vettori and Bond picked up two wickets apiece. McCullum (27) and Ryder (25) again got New Zealand off to a good start but failed to capitalize, summing up the ODI series. As the run rate increased, the Black Caps faltered badly and only Vincent, who top scored with 40, passed 15 of the remaining batsmen. Samiullah Khan (4/50), who had improved throughout the series, was the pick of the Pakistani bowlers and he was ably assisted by Gul, Arafat and Shoaib Malik, all of whom picked up two wickets.

Pakistan win by 128 runs and win the series 5-0


After the successful test series win, the 5-0 drubbing in the Pakistan ODI series was disappointing. We’ll be looking to rectify that form slump in home series against Bangladesh and Australia before the end of the season.

 

[Somerset]

Bangladesh Test Series

New Zealand had two months off from international cricket before recommencing in February 2010 against Bangladesh in two tests and three ODIs. Bangladesh lost every match in their recent series against India, and was even beaten by Central Districts in a practice match by 8 wickets.

1st Test vs Bangladesh

The squad selected for the first test was Fulton, Vincent, Sinclair, Taylor, Flynn, Ryder, McCullum, Oram, Franklin, Vettori, Bond and O’Brien. Taylor was omitted from the XI for the first test.

This was a match New Zealand should never have lost. Bangladesh was 6/66 at lunch on day one, and yet ended up victorious by 59 runs. On a good batting pitch, Bangladesh won the toss and collapsed to 6/64. Franklin had figures of 3/5 at one stage. Sajidul Islam top scored at number nine with his highest test score of 53 not out, and wicket keeper Mehrab Hossain, Mortaza and Jubair, at numbers eight, ten and eleven respectively, also scored valuable runs to allow Bangladesh to post 211. Franklin ended with rather average figures in the end, with O’Brien taking three, and Oram two, Bangladeshi scalps. New Zealand was 48/0 at the close of play and Fulton continued his good form on day two by reached another century. Vincent scored 42 before being dismissed but New Zealand somewhat wasted their platform and collapsed from 0/107 to 7/236. Vettori (46) and Bond (53*) rescued the side to secure a 160 run lead by day three.

Bangladesh faced an uphill task but they battled bravely. Nafees (54), Shakib Al Hasan (82), Nazimuddin (93), Saleh (54) and Tushar Imran (82*) all scored half centuries, and although no player reached three figures, Bangladesh made it to 513 before declaring. That left New Zealand needing 354 in two and a half sessions, and when Fulton (64) and Vincent (52) got the side off to another impressive start, the task seemed achievable. Sinclair carried on the momentum with 49 but wickets fell regularly. Shakib in particular was getting considerable turn, and Mortaza bowled well with the old ball. McCullum added 53 but a flurry of late wickets meant New Zealand had to play for the draw – and when Bangladesh immediately took the new ball with an hour to play Mortaza’s dismissal of McCullum spelt the end for New Zealand. It was Bangladesh’s first victory away from home and guaranteed they wouldn’t lose the series.

Bangladesh win by 59 runs and lead the series 1-0


2nd Test vs Bangladesh

A livid New Zealand public expected a win in the second and final test of the series but the selectors stuck with the same twelve players as for the opening test. However, Vettori dropped out of the XI, which allowed Taylor to slot in at number four, and for Ryder to play the fifth bowling role if required.

New Zealand batted first and made a promising start. At lunch they were 1/113 and 3/320 at stumps. Fulton (89) fell just short of a century, while Taylor (103) marked his return to the side with a ton. Flynn also contributed with 63. After three early wickets on day two, Oram then blasted the Bangladeshi attack with an early morning assault. He scored 84 runs from just 104 deliveries in the first session alone, and reached his century after lunch from only 125 balls. Incredibly, by the time he had reached 100, the aggressive Brendon McCullum was yet to pass 50. Oram eventually fell for 113 (in a partnership worth 164) and then McCullum, with assistance from Franklin and Bond, posted a century of his own. He was last man out for 116 as New Zealand rebounded from the first test defeat by scoring 620. Bangladesh lost Nafees to O’Brien before a run had been scored as things got worse for the tourists. They were bowled out for just 167 as O’Brien tore through their line-up, taking a career best 6/47. Only Nazimuddin (49) passed 25.

As Bangladesh found themselves 453 runs behind, the follow-on was enforced without hesitation though the Bangladeshi batsmen fared little better second time around. Shakib and Nazimuddin posted fifties but Oram, like O’Brien in the first innings, demolished the foundations. He took his best figures in test cricket of 7/56 as New Zealand completed the victory before lunch on day four. Incredibly, New Zealand had recorded their most comprehensive win in test cricket a week following their most embarrassing defeat.

New Zealand win by an innings and 277 runs. Series tied 1-1

 

[Somerset]

Bangladesh ODI Series

Bangladesh smashed Wellington by 204 runs in their warm-up one day game to signal that they could represent a threat in the ODI series against New Zealand. The Black Caps squad was Fulton, Vincent, Sinclair, Taylor, Flynn, Broom, Weston, McCullum, Ryder, Oram, Franklin, Vettori, Mills, Bond and O’Brien. Ryder and Sinclair were both in poor form and would only be used if the side hit trouble.


1st ODI vs Bangladesh

New Zealand’s side for the opening ODI was McCullum, Fulton, Vincent, Taylor, Broom, Weston, Oram, Franklin, Vettori, Bond and O’Brien.

The home side batted first and through quality contributions from Fulton (69) and Taylor (64), New Zealand looked set for a target of 280. However, Bangladesh hit back strongly via Enamul Haque and Shakib Al Hasan, taking five wickets between them, while Sajidul Islam grabbed a three wicket haul. No other New Zealand batsman passed 23 as they folded for 241. Bangladesh made slow progress early and were cautious in the opening overs, but it appeared to pay off when they found themselves 3/142. However, Bond and Oram bagged three wickets apiece to stop the tourists’ momentum, and Franklin and Vettori secured two each, as Bangladesh collapsed completely. They finished 44 runs short but still had 43 deliveries left when they were dismissed.

New Zealand win by 44 runs and lead the series 1-0


2nd ODI vs Bangladesh

Flynn replaced Weston, who had scored 18 runs in his two ODI performances in his career to date.

New Zealand again batted first, but similarly to the first ODI, failed to capitalize on a reasonable start. Broom and Flynn top scored with 33 and 32 runs each, and McCullum, Vincent, Taylor and Franklin all made 20s, but no player committed themselves to reaching a major score. As a result, they made 222 on a pitch that demanded a total closer to 250. Jubair, who missed the first ODI, grabbed four wickets in his 9.3 overs. Tamim Iqbal and Shahriar Nafees then got Bangladesh off to a superb start. When Oram dismissed Nafees for 48, Bangladesh had 98 on the board but a procession of wickets followed. Franklin and O’Brien were particularly devastating in their second spells, taking four wickets each. Bangladesh again failed to bat out their 50 overs and that proved criminal after such a great start from their opening batsmen.

New Zealand win by 25 runs and lead the series 2-0


3rd ODI vs Bangladesh

Mills took Vettori’s spot in an otherwise unchanged XI for the final match against Bangladesh.

Opting to bat again, New Zealand repeated their performance from the first two ODIs by failing to reach a target they felt comfortable with. McCullum top scored with 41 while five other players passed 20 but failed to score more than 31. Shakib did an excellent job of slowing the Kiwi charge with figures of 2/22 from his ten overs. Enamul Haque was also difficult to get away and took two wickets, while Rasel grabbed three, as New Zealand was all out for 235 with an over remaining. Tamim went for a duck to O’Brien and Shakib followed soon after, but Shahriar Nafees cashed in on what was a good wicket and made a superb century. Saleh (52) and Nazimuddin (26) gave him good assistance but the rest of the Bangladeshi side collapsed. Oram, Franklin and Mills all took wickets at crucial times and the pressure told as Bangladesh fell to 9/218. Rasel joined Enamul Haque and the game looked over with two of the worst international batsmen at the crease, but they scraped together 18 precious runs to allow Bangladesh to record a close consolation win.

Bangladesh win by 1 wicket. New Zealand win the series 2-1