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

[stephen]

Australia, get a climate ffs.

This has been a beautiful QLD spring actually. We've only lost one or two Saturdays to rain this season so far.

Last November->February we had 5 consecutive days of sunshine once - for the 5 days of the Gabba test. If we lose a bit of time against NZ we still should have enough fine weather to complete the test. Don't forget that the drainage at the Gabba is second to none.

 

[NasserFan207]

101 pages?

How bored are you people

 

[Kylez]

In their test debuts both were in the low 130s. That is not quick enough unless you are a great like Glenn McGrath or Shaun Pollock.

What? Shane Watson bowls around the 130km/h mark in test matches and he has been our best bowler for the last 2 years. Watson certainly isn't a 'great' either, so it's pretty ridiculous to start ruling bowlers out who aren't the quickest. It's definitely not all about pace. Well, it is when you're an Australian selector.

 

[Athlai]

What? Shane Watson bowls around the 130km/h mark in test matches and he has been our best bowler for the last 2 years. Watson certainly isn't a 'great' either, so it's pretty ridiculous to start ruling bowlers out who aren't the quickest. It's definitely not all about pace. Well, it is when you're an Australian selector.

Watson is an allrounder though so is hardly comparable.

 

[Spikey]

Starc reality: Blue could be in for the long haul

MITCHELL STARC has the opportunity to establish himself as Mitchell Johnson's long-term replacement with a strong performance in his Test debut against New Zealand starting at the Gabba today.

Starc, 21, is expected to be named this morning in Michael Clarke's final XI for the first of two Tests against the Kiwis, with the captain also set to announce spinner Nathan Lyon in his new-look line-up, resisting the temptation to bowl four quicks. Queensland fast bowler Ben Cutting is likely to carry the drinks, handing Starc, James Pattinson and David Warner their first Test caps.

Starc reality: Blue could be in for the long haul

 

[ajdude]

Also Nathan Lyon gets nod for Gabba Test | Herald Sun sounds like four quicks definitely isn't happening

 

[Athlai]

Cutting realisation: Australia are ****ed

 

[Spikey]

Cutting realisation: Australia are ****ed

Wise choice not to pick Cutting just so that's the last pun we have to put up with

 

[Spikey]

New era begins today as debutants face first and toughest Test

Stuart Clark saying he'd pick Cutting and Starc, not Pattinson. ITSTL. No-one's really given the thought of leaving Pattinson out much thought.

 

[Athlai]

Bleak era begins today as debutants face thrashing

ITSTL

 

[benchmark00]

New era begins today as debutants face first and toughest Test

Stuart Clark saying he'd pick Cutting and Starc, not Pattinson. ITSTL. No-one's really given the thought of leaving Pattinson out much thought.

I would have definitely gone with Cutting and Starceh out of those three.

Cutting > Pattinson and then you have your left armer for variation.

 

[Spikey]

Was it you who said playing Pattinson and Siddle in the same attack was iffy? I know someone said they thought those two were fairly similar bowlers.


i guess if we were really picking based on variety...

 

[benchmark00]

Probs.

At the end of the day, having two Victorians in the same team is always a recipe for trouble.

Cutting is the form bowler and deserved to be rewarded.

 

[BeeGee]

Copeland spell sends out reminder to the selectors

Making the most of the overcast conditions, Copeland cut a swathe through WA's top order...

From what I've heard of him he's the kind of bowler who could do some damage on the first day of a Test match with overcast conditions. As a NZ supporter I'm really glad the Kiwi batsmen won't be facing him in this Test.

 

[Prince EWS]

Was it you who said playing Pattinson and Siddle in the same attack was iffy? I know someone said they thought those two were fairly similar bowlers.

I think that was me actually. My hatred for Cutting outweighs any other thoughtful analysis I've done on the balance of this attack though. Once he was in the 12, the other 11 all had to play.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Well, I must agree with Taylor in selecting 6 batsmen and three quicks.

After all the chest-beating on here saying that we must select four quicks, the reality is if we are four down at lunch on day one, I would like to have at least one more batsman coming in.

And if it really is green, three quicks should be sufficient.

Plus we have Brownlee to scathe through the middle-order if needed.

Only if you bowl Australia out in like 40-50 overs would it be sufficient, otherwise that is a totally nonsensical statement. If a pitch is green you really want seamers to bowl all the overs. Likewise if a pitch is hard and bouncy you don't want a finger spinner to bowl too much unless they're really high class.

Apart from that there's the huge swathe of reasons I gave earlier for 4 seamers in NZ's situation.

 

[Cruxdude]

Test matches in Australia suit my timezone best. Will be following this with a lot of interest. Expecting NZ to share the series.

 

[Sylvester]

Copeland spell sends out reminder to the selectors



From what I've heard of him he's the kind of bowler who could do some damage on the first day of a Test match with overcast conditions. As a NZ supporter I'm really glad the Kiwi batsmen won't be facing him in this Test.

I do feel we missed an opportunity to see if Copeland can be effective enough at this level. Had we give him the SA series and this one we would have a better idea of where he stands. Now all we have is him being solid in SL which is far from his ideal conditions.

 

[SteveNZ]

I (and I imagine Brownlie would too) find it hilarious that people give any sort of credence to his bowling. He has ONE first-class wicket (a long hop caught at gully).

Let's do this, New Zealand.

 

[Woodster]

Like the look of the probable NZ team, pleased they have gone with the six specialist batsmen with Vettori and Young at seven and eight. Should make them more competitive in terms of setting adequate totals and enabling them to put some sort of pressure on Australia. Let's hope we have a tight encounter ahead.