***Official*** New Zealand in the West Indies 2014

[Blocky]

Bollocks.

 

[Zinzan]

Jeez how frustrated are these guys with BJ?

BJ > Baz as a keeper/batsman

 

[Zinzan]

That's one of those howlers DRS was actually made for.

Provided you don't waste reviews on duds...

 

[Bahnz]

And if Taylor hadn't got out trying to increase the scoring rate we could be 326/4.

It's possible to be positive without throwing your wicket away. Taylor just played a ghastly shot.

Haha, I bet Watling would've sold his own mother for the ball to have pulled up a foot short of the rope there.

 

[Blocky]

Long, strong effort for nothing... because we tactically decided to try soak up overs with 230 of them left.

 

[Bahnz]

Yargh. Terrific knock from Watling anyway.

 

[BC_fan_abored]

Should definitely have taken more runs off Benn. He didn't look all that threatening when I saw him.

 

[Dan]

Long, strong effort for nothing... because we tactically decided to try soak up overs with 230 of them left.

Yeah, we got the point 10 pages ago.

Look, if they'd come out and tried to go at 3rpo through hell or highwater, they may have batted 150 overs and posted 450.

But they also might have made no more than 200 and lost by an innings-and-a-few by the end of Day 4.


It's basically the worst position you can be put in as a batting team -- big deficit and too much time to absorb for a guaranteed draw. Bat aggressively and set a 200-run target, and your RR means that there's still enough time in the game for them to chase it down -- with the risk of a collapse to lose by an innings anyway. Grind away at 2rpo and you risk the immense pressure brought by two quick wickets, for setting a more modest target in a more modest period of time.

Which every strategy you pick in this situation, chances are it goes wrong because you're 250 runs behind on the first innings. And chances are, even if it goes right, you still haven't avoided defeat entirely. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[Kippax]

 

[Cabinet96]

Did someone mention Dunedin?

 

[Zinzan]

From Cricinfo;

1.12 pm Bad news for West Indies, the covers are coming back on. It has started drizzling again.

Laura: "The weather denied New Zealand an almost certain victory against the West Indies at Dunedin in December. I wonder if the Cricket Gods are balancing things out?"

 

[Howsie]

Should definitely have taken more runs off Benn. He didn't look all that threatening when I saw him.

Yeah. Blocky is harping on but Benn could've easily been milked for a lot more runs then he went for. He really wasn't getting anything out of this track.

Nevermind though, come on the rain. In saying that I wouldn't mind seeing Boult and Southee with a brand nre nut in these conditions. Could cause some havoc with such a small chase.

 

[Howsie]

50 up for BJ, he's come a long way from his Blowjob Twatling days.

Haha. Most improved player in world cricket? I never thought he'd be good enough to make it as a batsman at this level, the fact that he's started keeping too and improved that much with the bat is remarkable.

 

[BeeGee]

In saying that I wouldn't mind seeing Boult and Southee with a brand nre nut in these conditions. Could cause some havoc with such a small chase.

Getting back on the park with only 20 overs possible in the day might make for an interesting finish.

 

[BeeGee]

Ha Ha, Gayle not taking any chances with the weather.

Sets up an exciting 3rd test. This is why 2 test series should be banned. 3 is the perfect number.

 

[BC_fan_abored]

Sodhi on. McCullum looking to end this quickly and head off for a drink.

 

[BeeGee]

Sodhi on. McCullum looking to end this quickly and head off for a drink.

Yep, still plenty of time in the day to grab a rum ****tail and hit the beach.

Gayle is so perfect for these situations. Just brutal.

Congrats to the Windies. Outplayed us in all departments.

 

[Kippax]

 

[Kippax]

Dean Brownlie poised for Northern Knights shift | Stuff.co.nz

The Canterbury Wizards 29-year-old, who has played 14 tests for New Zealand, is understood to have committed to the current domestic Twenty20 champions with a desire to open for the Knights and the national side.

Brownlie has played chiefly as a middle-order bat and has Black Caps openers Tom Latham and Peter Fulton ahead of him in the batting order at Canterbury.

"This hasn't just happened, opening has been something I've been thinking of for about 18 months," Brownlie told Fairfax Media. "I want to play for New Zealand and it looks like the Black Caps have positions three, four and five pretty well sewn up and I still think I have a lot to offer. It's not just the opening thing, though.

"I've spoken to a few people I trust and we worked out one of the things that I was missing was a home base. I've got a place in the Mount and that should be more stable for me."

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

A deciding Test! All in on this one, lads. Should be a belter.