*Official* Australia in New Zealand

[Polo23]

TBH, too many teams are making the mistake of thinking downing Ponting is the key to beating OZ, only to get bashed around by Hussey and White, both of whom have been better than Ponting in the last year or so.

The whole point is Aus would have been 2/30 odd, that would have been big in the context of the game. White in early and Vettori about to come on who was all over Watson (and anyone else he was bowling to), it could have been a different story. Obviously it would have still been a tough task, but a much easier one without Ponting smacking a 50.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

So who's going to the match tomorrow?

Looks like it will be a cracker of a day weather wise. A shame it's a dead rubber, but looking forward to a packed Caketin.

 

[Bahnz]

So who's going to the match tomorrow?

Looks like it will be a cracker of a day weather wise. A shame it's a dead rubber, but looking forward to a packed Caketin.

Doubt it. We never get more than about 16/17,000 for ODI's, and when you throw in the following:

1) The series has already been decided
2) A T20 was played here only a fortnight ago.
3) The phoenix semi is on tomorrow evening as well.

I'd be surprised if the stadium even manages to struggle to being half full (I miss ODI's at the Basin, I really do...). The fact that I only bought my tickets today and had no difficulty getting front row seats around the halfway line doesn't give me much confidence that it'll be a massive turn out either. Should still be fun though, you only need about 10,000+ to get a cracking atmosphere going, and I have a sneaking suspicion that we'll sneak the dead rubber (either that or we'll get completely mauled).

 

[NUFAN]

Pretty sure that the Phoenix match is being played in Sydney isn't it?

Looking forward to seeing how Bailey performs if he plays, surely he will debut.

 

[Bahnz]

Pretty sure that the Phoenix match is being played in Sydney isn't it?

Looking forward to seeing how Bailey performs if he plays, surely he will debut.

Yeah, but I imagine quite a few people will be wanting to watch the game, either at home or down at a sports bar, and so might stay away from the cricket.

 

[Raghav]

Yeah, but I imagine quite a few people will be wanting to watch the game, either at home or down at a sports bar, and so might stay away from the cricket.

I will be watching the game and pitching for NZ win and make it 3-2. do not want to see 4-1 after the first match's win

 

[Sir Alex]

If you look at the Australian line-up, bar Ponting and possibly Hussey, I don't see many who are much older who have played very important knocks. Clarke's played some but I wouldn't bet much money on him if the occasion arose tomorrow, for example. There is something about White that just keeps shining through. He has made runs in moments where his wicket could essentially hand over the match or swing the momentum a lot.

As you can tell I'm a fan and exaggerating a bit. He hasn't done it in Tests but he just looks the part.

Nothing in his record suggests him to be a potential test class. I reckon he would become something like a Yuvraj Singh. Awesome in ODIs mediocre in tests.

 

[Top_Cat]

Nothing in his record suggests him to be a potential test class.

Well, for one, unlike Yuvraj, he wasn't a batter early in his FC career. He was a bowling all-rounder, good for some quick runs. Only in the last 4 years or so has he really been relied-upon for runs in Vic's top-order and he's averaged around 50. Really, the reasoning for why people reckon he's decent goes beyond mere numbers; he's been the captain and one of the stand-out batters in a team which has dominated other state teams for years in all forms of the game. Basically, he's a winner who has gotten better by heaps every year. He may not be the greatest batter going around but stick him in at 6 or so and I'd be surprised if he failed outright.

 

[Sir Alex]

Well, for one, unlike Yuvraj, he wasn't a batter early in his FC career. He was a bowling all-rounder, good for some quick runs. Only in the last 4 years or so has he really been relied-upon for runs in Vic's top-order and he's averaged around 50. Really, the reasoning for why people reckon he's decent goes beyond mere numbers; he's been the captain and one of the stand-out batters in a team which has dominated other state teams for years in all forms of the game. Basically, he's a winner who has gotten better by heaps every year. He may not be the greatest batter going around but stick him in at 6 or so and I'd be surprised if he failed outright.

I am pretty sure he was picked for the India tour when he was in terrific domestic form as well. But from what I saw in that tour, he looked very Yuvrajish while batting. He has just 3 hundreds since 2007-08 season which is not exactly earth shattering from 26 FC games. An average of 46 is okay but am not sure that merits the label of "test class".

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Crazy storm here in Wellington. Hopefully we get some sun early tomorrow morning.

 

[NZ Guy]

Ineffectual team-mates hurt McCullum's batting | Stuff.co.nz

Just

The article sucks and then the replies are almost funnier

 

[Spark]

Okedoke. Time for me to hop on the Smith@6 bandwagon. Most exciting young cricketer I've seen in god knows how long - not least because of his fielding which is quite simply astonishing. Best young fielder I've seen since Clarke first appeared (back when he could, y'know, aim) - don't think I'll forget the SCG outfield catch for a long, long, long time.

 

[Raghav]

Ineffectual team-mates hurt McCullum's batting | Stuff.co.nz

Just

The article sucks and then the replies are almost funnier

The article sucks, but there is some truth in it.

I have seen many a times, Brendon getting out after his partner unable to rotate strike for him or score at good pace for the team. May be, its brendon who needs to get over it and one cant find fault in others for this cause...

You may agree or not, a Ryder kind of a player at the non-striker for McCullum will do more good for Baz than some one like Guptill/How who are not natural strike rotators..

 

[Matt79]

Smith's prospects good after NSW down SA

Bizarrely biased and opinionated article for one masquerading as news rather than an opinion piece. An author isn't even listed...

Not saying that it's necessarily the worst idea ever, just a funny article.

 

[Days of Grace]

The article sucks, but there is some truth in it.

I have seen many a times, Brendon getting out after his partner unable to rotate strike for him or score at good pace for the team. May be, its brendon who needs to get over it and one cant find fault in others for this cause...

You may agree or not, a Ryder kind of a player at the non-striker for McCullum will do more good for Baz than some one like Guptill/How who are not natural strike rotators..

Which raises a good question:

Where does Ryder fit in once he comes back into the ODI team?

The Radiosport commentators were going on about how good Guptill is at opening in Game 4. Saying he doesn't need to build an innings and just play his shots. Don't know about the "don't have to build an innings" part, but it seems to Guptill is not good at coming in against spinners. But, then again, neither is Ryder.

So, what to do?

P.S. Once Ryder comes back in, that's the end of Jimmy Franklin for me. Hard to imagine how Ryder's bowling couldn't be less effective than Franklin's on current form.

DoG's Dream Team:
McCullum
Guptill
Ryder (honestly don't know which way to go between him and Guptill opening)
Taylor
Styris
Elliott
Oram
Vettori
Mills
Bond
Southee


EIGHT ****iing bowling options, compared to the current team's five or six.

 

[Prince EWS]

DoG's Dream Team:
McCullum
Guptill
Ryder (honestly don't know which way to go between him and Guptill opening)
Taylor
Styris
Elliott
Oram
Vettori
Mills
Bond
Southee

Yeah, agree with this team. I'd think about swapping Styris and Elliott though - not that I think Elliott is better, but just that he's a lot more suited to batting #5 than #6 and Styris is good in both roles. Tuffey/Southee's a bit of a toss-up too but Southee's definitely been a lot more impressive than his figures in his latest incarnation so I'd be inclined to agree I guess, even though I love Tuffeh.

 

[social]

Okedoke. Time for me to hop on the Smith@6 bandwagon. Most exciting young cricketer I've seen in god knows how long - not least because of his fielding which is quite simply astonishing. Best young fielder I've seen since Clarke first appeared (back when he could, y'know, aim) - don't think I'll forget the SCG outfield catch for a long, long, long time.

2 hundreds in his last 2 matches plus a 7-fer - if you're ever going to pick a young player, there'll never be a better time

 

[howardj]

2 hundreds in his last 2 matches plus a 7-fer - if you're ever going to pick a young player, there'll never be a better time

particularly when he would be replacing a hack.

 

[Spark]

I would agree that there's never a better time to introduce him. His legspin won't be under significant pressure because he won't be expected to play the primary's spinner's role, but he does give Ricky an extra option which is always welcome for a captain. He is an attacking batsman, haven't seen enough of him to know about his technique, but obviously is full of confidence and can hardly be worse than how North is going at the moment. And his fielding is quite electrifying.

In fact who does know something about his technique? Strengths, way he plays, likenesses to any in current lineup?

 

[howardj]

Looking forward to a lazy, drunken day in front of the set.