***Official*** New Zealand in Australia 2011

[Zinzan]

Yup, considering we normally get mauled in tour matches in Australia (even against side like the Manly u12's) it's a confidence-boosting first hit-out.

The key will be if our bowlers get wickets

 

[wellAlbidarned]

^ I have a bad feeling McCullum will be the Jamie How of the last tour, that is scores a big hundred in the warm-up game & then proceeds to fail in the Tests.

Key difference between McCullum and How is that Baz is already a decent test cricketer, don't think it'll be the same.

 

[uvelocity]

My picks for NZ top scorers this series:
Taylor
Vettori
Guptill

My picks for NZ top scorers this series:
Williamson
Brownlie
Ryder

My picks:

McCullum
Young
Bracewell

My pick;

Sundries

 

[BeeGee]

My pick;

Sundries

You don't think much of the Aussie bowling or keeping then? I don't blame you, they're pretty bad.

 

[BeeGee]

Yup, considering we normally get mauled in tour matches in Australia (even against side like the Manly u12's) it's a confidence-boosting first hit-out.

The key will be if our bowlers get wickets

Yep.

The weather is going to ensure there won't be a result, but I'd like to see them post a score of 400+, then see what the bowlers can do.

The two most disappointing wickets for me were Guptill and Ryder. They both got starts then threw their wickets away to soft dismissals. It's a bad habit that a lot of our batsmen seem to have.

 

[Ruckus]

So for Aus, Watson, Harris, Marsh, Johnson and perhaps now even Cummins have injury issues. Does anyone actually know, though, which out the the above are definately not going to play because of injuries?

 

[SteveNZ]

Cutting copping a bit from Guptill and Damien Wright on Twitter...obviously didn't live up to all the noises he was making in the media.

 

[Sylvester]

If we can get a good amount of overs in tomorrow then who knows as the last two days are sunny.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Aussie squad to be announced tonight is it?

 

[Sylvester]

Bit confusing what is going on, how I understand it is the selectors are getting together today to discuss it while the squad will be announced next week.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Bit confusing what is going on, how I understand it is the selectors are getting together today to discuss it while the squad will be announced next week.

Ta

 

[Ruckus]

Bit confusing what is going on, how I understand it is the selectors are getting together today to discuss it while the squad will be announced next week.

Saturday or Sunday I believe.

On another note, Cummins' injury status has now been updated to in "extreme doubt" for the first test.

So that's potentially Harris, Cummins, Johnson and Watson not available which could mean there will be some interesting selections. Copeland is probably a near certainty to play now, as would be Siddle, but who would be the third? Bollinger perhaps might get another chance!

Edit: Wait...Dougeh is injured isn't he? Hmm who could be next cab of the rank then?

 

[Sylvester]

Oh crap that sucks for Cummins, I really hope this isn't him going down the Watson/Harris road.
The last I read he mentioned his injury isn't too serious and mentioned he should be right to go. How much you trust in a player's judgement is another question.

As for the replacement I'm guessing Patterson giving he was last dropped. Hilfy would be the other contender unless Cutting has caught their eye.

 

[Ruckus]

Oh crap that sucks for Cummins, I really hope this isn't him going down the Watson/Harris road.
The last I read he mentioned his injury isn't too serious and mentioned he should be right to go. How much you trust in a player's judgement is another question.

As for the replacement I'm guessing Patterson giving he was last dropped. Hilfy would be the other contender unless Cutting has caught their eye.

Yeah but really recently cricinfo change it's initally tentative wording to "extreme doubt", so I'm assuming they're privy to some new information that's yet to be released. God damnit though I reaaaallly hope the Hilf doesn't get a recall. Would be so much happier if Pattinson, or even Cutting, gets the job. Was just reading a Cricket Aus article which also puts Johnson as in "extreme doubt". Not much info I can find on Harris, but a hip injury probably isn't a good sign and certaintly not something I'd want to mess with with the India series coming up. So it really looks our bowling attack will be Siddle, Copeland and 'X'.

 

[Spikey]

The phone hook up happened tonight - perhaps why Cummins is now in 'extreme doubt' - and the team will be named in due course. Why the phone hook up couldn't happen tomorrow or on Sat....who knows

 

[Ruckus]

'Phone hook up'?

 

[NUFAN]

Yeah, indeed. What I still don't understand though, is that if you are picking an A team based on players who have potential or whatever, why is someone like Hilf playing? Potential could explain the inclusion of Starc, Pattinson and Cutting, but you can't say Hilfenhaus has very much potential, or at least any more than the next bowler. He is nearing 29, and has basically shown he doesn't really have what it takes to be successful in test cricket, so why the perseverance? If their reason is he that has performed well in shield cricket this season, then that begs the question of why other players who have performed well (and in more than just for this season) aren't given preference.

Having an experienced guy helps the inexperienced ones. Hilf has bowled well in Test matches before so I wouldn't say he was unsuccessful. In fact, I would say he bowled well in 4 series in a row before the Ashes where he was poor. I can't remember how he bowled in the First series he played, but even in India where his average was high, he still bowled well and was considered unlucky.

As far as the game is concerned, well done NZ, I can't believe that Smith has the tightest bowling figures!

 

[SteveNZ]

As far as the game is concerned, well done NZ, I can't believe that Smith has the tightest bowling figures!

Put it down to the fact it would be too embarrassing getting out to him..remember when you were at school, and the really rubbish kid came onto bowl? You were scared to play a shot, lest you got out and copped it forever more? Yep.

 

[NUFAN]

Put it down to the fact it would be too embarrassing getting out to him..remember when you were at school, and the really rubbish kid came onto bowl? You were scared to play a shot, lest you got out and copped it forever more? Yep.

Haha yeah I guess. Maybe it's just due to him bowling only 5 overs.

Pretty poor from nein to not show the match, surely it's the perfect introduction to the summer having an A game before the Tests.

 

[Ruckus]

Having an experienced guy helps the inexperienced ones. Hilf has bowled well in Test matches before so I wouldn't say he was unsuccessful. In fact, I would say he bowled well in 4 series in a row before the Ashes where he was poor. I can't remember how he bowled in the First series he played, but even in India where his average was high, he still bowled well and was considered unlucky.

I think Hilfenhaus' time in the team was largely unsuccessful tbh. In 17 matches he never got a 5 wicket haul and only performed well against the lesser batting sides like Pak and WI. Hilf's main role wasn't to be a strike bowler, but even in just building pressure he disappointed - too much of the same bowling without attacking enough lines and with little variation. I don't buy the whole 'unlucky' thing either. If he was unlucky due to a lot of dropped catches I'd agree, but that isn't the reason he was considered unlucky. It was because he often 'beat the bat' without taking the edge. For Hilf, that is an illusion of being 'unlucky' though. His style of bowling, almost always outside off with quite early swing from the hand, makes it seem like batsmen are troubled - imo the reality is because of his predictable lines, batsmen find it relatively easy to draw their bat in negating the swing.