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

[straw man]

McCullum has come out in the media saying he's annoyed at his shot selection but still reckons we're set to post something good and we can skittle the buggers.

Australia v New Zealand, 1st Test: Brendon McCullum rues poor shot selection | Cricket News | Australia v New Zealand | ESPN Cricinfo

Is this the same McCullum who routinely backs us to save the match when we're chasing 500 and going into the final day 5 down?

Putting all my eggs in the Vettori-hundred basket personally.

 

[Redbacks]

Half hour early start tomorrow morning?

Nah, the farmers complained as cows can't get up that early.

 

[benchmark00]

Nah, the farmers complained as cows can't get up that early.

Faded curtains etc.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Bleugh. New Zealand and Australia trying their hardest to make picking Brownlie over a bowler make the right move, despite the guy batting like a glorified tailender.

 

[Flem274*]

He's still going to be the best Australian batsman in this match.

I missed his early work (including the drop), but what I saw wasn't terrible. Can play off the back foot nicely, but doesn't get forward enough at times when the ball is pitched up. That Hussey lbw shout is a case in point.

 

[Athlai]

I think SP is more alluding to Brownlie not being in the 6 best bats in the team.

 

[Flem274*]

Anyway, hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. I plan on heading down to the pub at lunch time and watching the entire days play. I have a really bad feeling that the sun will come out as soon as this partnership is broken, which will make life harder for our bowlers when Australia bat sometime tomorrow.

 

[Flem274*]

I think SP is more alluding to Brownlie not being in the 6 best bats in the team.

Haha true, and I can definitely agree there. Guptill might prove to be the lesser batsman in the long run, but since he is an opener it's not an issue for Guptill.

I can see Dougeh or Southee hitting a few over the fence to rub more salt into the top order's wounds.

 

[Spikey]

It will be a pity, based on yesterday's work, if Peter Siddle's seniority alone saves him when Cummins returns. As attack leader, Siddle emulated Johnson early by bowling dross and taking a wicket with a wide half-volley. In later spells, he settled down to a one-day length, short and unthreatening. He might curse Clarke for dropping Dean Brownlie, but the ball was a half-tracker and should have gone to the fence.

Kids come out to play

Malcom Knox throwing down some truth bombs

 

[Daemon]

When does Harris get back

 

[Spikey]

never


or boxing day. it's kinda up in the air

 

[social]

Kids come out to play

Malcom Knox throwing down some truth bombs

Except that he is speaking ****

Siddle went wide of the crease to Guptil and angled it in towards the stumps, pitched it up to draw him into the drive, and decked it away to catch the edge - excellent piece of bowling IMO

Siddle beat the bat a lot, was economical and, on another day, couldve had a bagful

The guy has been criticised a lot but he didnt do much wrong today

 

[Furball]

When does Harris get back

Does it really matter? He'll injure himself again pretty shortly anyway.

 

[howardj]

Although we were gifted quite a few wickets, that's often the case in cricket. Overall, I would say our bowling was serviceable, with the jury obviously well and truly still out on at least Starc, Lyon and Pattinson. Whether a bowler has a future in Test cricket really depends on whether their good balls are good enough to get wickets. I think we need more time to assess that with these guys.

 

[BeeGee]

Anyway, hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. I plan on heading down to the pub at lunch time and watching the entire days play. I have a really bad feeling that the sun will come out as soon as this partnership is broken, which will make life harder for our bowlers when Australia bat sometime tomorrow.

It will. I'll be surprised if Aus scores less than 500, tbh.

Always the risk in batting first is that you're giving the best bowling conditions of the match to the opposition. That's fine if your top order can tough it out, show patience and wait for the good batting conditions. Ours can't.

 

[adub]

Except that he is speaking ****

Siddle went wide of the crease to Guptil and angled it in towards the stumps, pitched it up to draw him into the drive, and decked it away to catch the edge - excellent piece of bowling IMO

Siddle beat the bat a lot, was economical and, on another day, couldve had a bagful

The guy has been criticised a lot but he didnt do much wrong today

Certainly agree on the wicket. The only one to fall to a genuine wicket worthy ball from the quicks. Didn't see his early spells, but looked a bit too short in the afternoon.

 

[SteveNZ]

Kids come out to play

Malcom Knox throwing down some truth bombs

I'm not aware who Malcolm Knox is, but he loses all credibility based on calling the ball that got Guptill a 'wide half volley'. Laughable. It was full of a length, drew him into the stroke and nicked him off. It was a fine piece of bowling.

And funny how he'd praised Pattinson for pitching the ball up and 'doing what he should do'. Now most of those were wide half volleys.

Someone doesn't like Siddle. Someone doesn't know too much about the game..either or

 

[howardj]

The weather is set fair, gentlemen.

Won't stop them going off for bad light at 2:30pm though lol

 

[howardj]

As a Test match lover, don't you just love Vettori. Scrapping away yesterday, patient as anything. Up to his elbows in gunk and bullets. He's the scrapper's scrapper.

 

[TumTum]

If the match was going to end now, i'd drop Pattinson.