***Official*** India in New Zealand 2013/14

[_Ed_]

That I think is a huge factor a lot of guys at work said they thought about coming but looked at the price and said nah I will stay at home today, these are club cricketers and guys that love cricket, they are now all regretting not coming. Will be interested to see how the Basin goes with numbers.

I don't buy the public transport argument because with small crowds you can drive and park within 10min walk.
Also Auckland Cricket was still playing club cricket over the weekend which defied belief in my opinion.

Personally I think Eden park has a lot of things going for it
1) It has excellent viewing down the wicket
2) Will usually swing which suits NZ
3) Has excellent outer oval for kids.

Lastly I think NZC have lost sight of what they are selling, they are not selling the right to view a match, they have already sold those rights to Sky. They are selling the atmosphere at the ground, a day out with family and friends, and the ability to see it in the flesh. To me that is only worth $20 tops for adults and less than $5 for kids.

Yeah, good post.

I'm definitely gutted I didn't make it yesterday. Really wish I'd been there. Ended up at the beach instead (long story). But one thing I noticed is that HEAPS of people at the beach had little radios with the cricket commentary on, so there's no shortage of interest. Just need to find a way to draw them along to the ground.

 

[Blocky]

Awesome way to give no credit to the opposition.

And you constantly saying India isn't "great" away from home is like saying the sky is blue. No one is saying that.

I give full credit to Mohammed Shami and the Indian batsmen, but Ishant Sharma and a Zaheer Khan struggling to bowl above 120kmh? I'm not going to sing their praises. India fought back into this match because NZ choked in their third innings, got behind the game and struggled to get back out. It was their batsmanship in the fourth innings that even made it close. Offering 500 runs when the opposition was 30/3 on a pitch that gave plenty of opportunities isn't great cricket and is what cost India.

 

[straw man]

I heard some complaints about the ticket prices on the radio - someone saying they spent $300 taking their family to the cricket for the day. Not sure how they managed that tbh, even with extortionate food and drink prices. Walk-up ticket price for Wellington for an adult is still $43 for a day btw - it's only if you're organised in advance that you can get it (much) cheaper. They give reasonable concessions for familes though i.e. two kids essentially free with two adults, which were probably similar for the Auckland match. It strikes me that the ticketing prices are round the wrong way - the dedicated fan will organise in advance and pay very little to go and watch the game, while you sting the casual walk-up fan at the gate and make them regret going. The aim should just be to get as many people through the gate as possible and that means attracting the casual fan.

On Eden Park itself, I definitely never felt any affection for the stadium when I lived in Auckland and I loathed getting there and parking in the suburban streets surrounding the stadium (I think public transport may have improved a little since then, though I believe it's still not great). So I still support any plan to play international cricket somewhere better in the city, though frankly it's always going to be a struggle until Auckland has some sort of functional public transport system.

 

[Bahnz]

Lastly I think NZC have lost sight of what they are selling, they are not selling the right to view a match, they have already sold those rights to Sky. They are selling the atmosphere at the ground, a day out with family and friends, and the ability to see it in the flesh. To me that is only worth $20 tops for adults and less than $5 for kids.

Absolutely right. The NZC made about $135,000 from the ticket sales, compared to maybe about $2 million for yesterday's share of the $35 million broadcast deal.

I think the NZC were banking on a large Indian crowd turning up which is why they charged so much for the tickets. Reckon with a $20 price, and a $10 discount for the final session, they could've gotten at least twice as many people in.

 

[Athlai]

I had time off, I love the cricket and I live in Auckland.

But $45 was out of my price range since I have other expenses and it wasn't a pay week.

$20? You'd have had my money for a day.

 

[RxGM]

I heard some complaints about the ticket prices on the radio - someone saying they spent $300 taking their family to the cricket for the day. Not sure how they managed that tbh, even with extortionate food and drink prices. Walk-up ticket price for Wellington for an adult is still $43 for a day btw - it's only if you're organised in advance that you can get it (much) cheaper. They give reasonable concessions for familes though i.e. two kids essentially free with two adults, which were probably similar for the Auckland match. It strikes me that the ticketing prices are round the wrong way - the dedicated fan will organise in advance and pay very little to go and watch the game, while you sting the casual walk-up fan at the gate and make them regret going. The aim should just be to get as many people through the gate as possible and that means attracting the casual fan.

On Eden Park itself, I definitely never felt any affection for the stadium when I lived in Auckland and I loathed getting there and parking in the suburban streets surrounding the stadium (I think public transport may have improved a little since then, though I believe it's still not great). So I still support any plan to play international cricket somewhere better in the city, though frankly it's always going to be a struggle until Auckland has some sort of functional public transport system.

The parking around the ground is no better or worse than Hamilton, though I have always lived within 30min walk of eden park so it has never bothered me. But I imagine if you live out east it is quite a hike across.

Disappointing that Eden Park has reversed its decision to allow people onto the pitch at lunch time as well.

 

[_Ed_]

Disappointing that Eden Park has reversed its decision to allow people onto the pitch at lunch time as well.

Oh, has it? That's a shame. Enjoyed that during the England test last year.

 

[RxGM]

I had time off, I love the cricket and I live in Auckland.

But $45 was out of my price range since I have other expenses and it wasn't a pay week.

$20? You'd have had my money for a day.

Just to rub salt in your wound a bloke ran up radio sport during the test and said that ticket prices to RSA v Aus at Centurion equate to $3.80 NZ.

 

[RxGM]

Oh, has it? That's a shame. Enjoyed that during the England test last year.

Yea was really looking forward to seeing "the funny grass" at the southern end up close.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

The Basin will be packed on the Saturday and Sunday, methinks. 8000+ people gives an awesome atmosphere. Hopefully a lot of people have started coming up with excuses to get out of work on Friday too.

 

[Binkley]

There seems to be an assumption in the press that Latham is first cab off the batting rank, but the selectors seem to be big on consistency (see Sodhi) so I can't see how they will go past Aaron Redmond. He came in for the Dunedin test match against the Windies, and I don't think he has done too much wrong since. I am not saying he is the right choice, but he seems to be the logical choice assuming you follow current selectorial logic.

 

[hendrix]

Eden Park is situated between two arterial bus routes that each have buses coming every 10 mins, as well as being right across the road from a train station. There's also free parking all around the stadium. It's an incredibly easy ground to get to.

It's a lovely ground to watch cricket at as well.

The crowds I'd estimate were around 5000 each day. Which is probably what you'll see at the basin.

 

[Jono]

I genuinely believe Kohli needs a long net where he faces nothing but pies

Presumably he faces Ishant in the nets, so this really shouldn't be an issue.

 

[_Ed_]

It's a lovely ground to watch cricket at as well.

It really is. Gets a bad rap due to the dimensions of the playing field, but IMO there aren't many bad seats in the house as far as viewing's concerned.

 

[silentstriker]

Such **** umpiring in this whole inning. I am definitely rooting for the Kiwis in this series but India got robbed.

I don't know about robbed but yea, they very clearly might have won. But even as an Indian fan, I just have to shrug - it's of their own doing by opposing DRS. You want the human component? Well that's what it looks like.

Both teams played at a roughly even level, with NZ edging it out (perhaps partly due to the human errors) so I've no problem with this result whatsoever. It's not like India were clearly superior (which is when I'd use a term like 'robbed'). Both teams could have easily won, and one team did.

It's not like Sydney where I was seething mad. The whole DRS was introduced post Sydney to try to stop that **** show from happening and BCCI were initially the biggest supporters. The whinged after a series in SL where DRS decisions didn't go their way (partly cause they didn't use it correctly) and now they just need to deal with **** like this. No sympathy even from a fan who wants India to do well.

 

[silentstriker]

India didn't bowl NZ out for 100.

They got Rutherford for a duck, then you saw Fulton play a bad shot, Williamson play a bad shot, Taylor brain explode and run McCullum out. I take your point that the scoreboard read 100 all out but that was more due to NZ imploding than India being threatening with the ball. They're not a great side away from home and never really have been consistently, because they've never had a seam bowling unit. They've had one or two good seamers and a heavy reliance on spin.

Hadlee didn't actually take all those wickets. The batsmen he bowled to just didn't play the his pace and movement properly. NZ didn't score 500+ in the first innings, it was just more India bowling like ****.


This is a ridiculous argument.

 

[hendrix]

yeah you could say India were unlucky in their second innings with what looked like a no ball as well as Rahane's shocker, but other things occurred during the match:

1. The Anderson shocker
2. Watling bowled off a clear no ball.
3. Rahane not given LBW off Boult in the first innings (was absolutely plumb)
4. A few other LBWs not given which would've been umpires call.

Overall, I don't think India faired any worse with the umpires (read: Steve Davis) than NZ.

 

[Bahnz]

Yeah it really is. India came out, nipped out the openers early and then bowled magnificent lines and lengths, pressuring New Zealand into a number of mistakes. You can't say India didn't bowl well just because every wicket wasn't a 140kmh outswinger that pitched middle and hit off.

 

[jcas0167]

Yeah the more I think about it the less I like giving Latham a one-off test, especially in the middle order when he's eyeing up the opener's slot and is realistically only one test away from taking it.

Well, if he bats number 4 he will be coming in against the new ball anyway

I think it would almost be a bonus for him getting this game. I remember Fleming was placed on standby to debut against Pakistan in 94 and said later he would have liked to play as there would have been less pressure on him coming in as a replacement.

 

[straw man]

yeah you could say India were unlucky in their second innings with what looked like a no ball as well as Rahane's shocker, but other things occurred during the match:

1. The Anderson shocker
2. Watling bowled off a clear no ball.
3. Rahane not given LBW off Boult in the first innings (was absolutely plumb)
4. A few other LBWs not given which would've been umpires call.

Overall, I don't think India faired any worse with the umpires (read: Steve Davis) than NZ.

There was also Fulton not given plumb lbw in the first innings, though it didn't hurt India too much as he was out shortly afterwards... plumb lbw.