*Official* Australia in New Zealand

[pasag]

Carn Sinclair.

 

[NasserFan207]

I have no interest in this match without Kane.

 

[_Ed_]

I think this is the least confidence I've ever had in a NZ bowling attack going into a Test (except maybe in that SA tour in 2000, when we called up Kerry Walmsley). We only took five wickets in the first game (of which one was a run out!), and now we've lost one of them through injury.

 

[NZTailender]

Should call up Ian Butler.

 

[NZTailender]

Sigh, really wish Cumming was selected. I'd say his Test days are over, which is annoying because he's in the form of his life right now. When he was first called up he hadn't averaged over 50 in a season, and still hadn't when he was recalled, but has absolutely raked it in in the last 2 seasons.

 

[S.P. Fleming]

Skippy to make a ton and TMac to make a gutsy 70 odd to give us some hope before Vettori and Patel put in hours of worthless "toil" before Ponting chooses when his team shall stop batting. NZ skittled for under 200 in the second innings as Nathan Hauritz flukes it again. NZ last 4 wickets go for under 10 in both innings...

 

[Days of Grace]

Fair prediction, I think.

Vettori said it will be a tough first session for batting. What if we have to bat first and are 4 wickets down at lunch. And Patel is coming in at no.8? Cringe-worthy stuff.

This is probably the most pessimistic I have ever been heading into any cricket match, regardless of the type of game.

 

[_Ed_]

This is probably the most pessimistic I have ever been heading into any cricket match, regardless of the type of game.

Me too. No matter how pessimistic I usually sound here on CW, when our boys run on to the field I'm always full of hope. But this time I just don't see how we can be competitive.

I'd love to be wrong, but I certainly won't be touching the $10 on offer at the TAB for a NZ win.

 

[Jambo]

You have to give Vettori credit for being positive. He said something like "we can worry about having a tail that starts at 8, or we can tell the top 7 to front up and do their job". If the top 7 pull finger and rack up 400 (unlikely, but that's their job), then 20-30 runs from the bottom 4 ain't so bad.

That's Dan's reckoning. The problem is that the top 3 are almost as unlikely to score runs as the bottom 4, which leaves only four batsmen (Taylor, Guptill, Vettori and McCullum) to do all the run-scoring. Of those, Vettori is a bowler who has over-achieved with the bat, McCullum is extremely hit-and-miss, and Guptill has one decent test innings behind him, against Bangladesh.

As for the bowlers, we have a has-been-who-never-was strike bowler in Martin, a wet bus ticket in Southee, a decidedly average 2nd spinner with a first-class average over 40 in Patel, and a one-cap medium pacer in Arnel. Frightening? Yes, but not for the opposing team.

This would be bad enough if we were fronting up against the West Indies or Pakistan, but against the Aussies? These lads will all need to play the game of their lives to even scratch out a draw ...

 

[Malleeboy]

Given the number of players that are migrating between nations maybe NZ should look to recruit more Australians. It isn't that far across the ditch and Australia seem to waste a lot of very good talent.

Imagine how many games Brad Hodge would have got for NZ, or Chris Rogers. Even Andrew McDonald would slot perfectly into 8 for NZ (his FC bowling av matches your 3rd seemer and he would almost be top 6 when compared to the FC averages of your batsman.

 

[Flem274*]

Given the number of players that are migrating between nations maybe NZ should look to recruit more Australians. It isn't that far across the ditch and Australia seem to waste a lot of very good talent.

Imagine how many games Brad Hodge would have got for NZ, or Chris Rogers. Even Andrew McDonald would slot perfectly into 8 for NZ (his FC bowling av matches your 3rd seemer and he would almost be top 6 when compared to the FC averages of your batsman.

No.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Skippy!!!

 

[Prince EWS]

I still can't believe he's back. Ian Smith with the knives out as the first order of business too; just like old times.

 

[Zinzan]

Damn....lost the toss again....is that 7 tosses in a row for Ponting ffs?

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Ponting, what a tosser.

 

[Zinzan]

Ponting, what a tosser.

Lol...yup almost nullifies playing two spinners bowling first. Why do I get the feeling it's going to be another long day where we'll be lucky if 3 wickets fall

 

[Zinzan]

I still can't believe he's back. Ian Smith with the knives out as the first order of business too; just like old times.

What did Smith say?

 

[Zinzan]

Way to waste the new ball Martin !!.....keep bowling wide of the off-stump so the batsmen can shoulder-arms & have a good look at the conditions

 

[Hurricane]

I was wondering if Martin is bowling with a plan to keep it outside off stump. We will see.

 

[Zinzan]

I was wondering if Martin is bowling with a plan to keep it outside off stump. We will see.

It can be a plan at times i.e If Ponting's smashing an attack all around the park....but never never when you have the new ball