20th Match - New Zealand v Australia

[Burgey]

Never seen that from an Aussie fan before. I used to and occassionally still do get pretty heated up at the Australian cricket team. When I was a youth I wanted them disbarred from world cricket. Michael holding and company have some damning things to say about Australia during the Fire in Babylon documentary. But it is what it is. I have had it out with the Australian fans before on this message board about whether sledging should be a part of the game and it turns into me against 20 australians who all think that sledging makes the game more interesting and gives you more satisfaction when you succeed.
At the end of the day I don't think Aussie is as bad as the 1980s and as a result they don't really rankle me now.
I have a lasting memory of Craig McDermot ripping into Dipak Patel because Patel had the rudeness to play a forward defensive shot against his bowling.
I met Craig McDermott two years ago and he is a wonderful bloke who knows his reputation. He defuses the tension with Kiwis like me immediately and wins us over by saying "so you remember me I am the one who used to give your blokes a gobfull" and then you laugh and forgive him.

Remember two and this will upset the English but it wasn't Australia who brought the game into disrepute by unleashing bodyline on an opposition. And the fact that Australia suffered through that wins me some sympathy points.
But yes Warner is a gimp and punching someone because you thought they were wearing a beard should get you much longer than a two game suspension and I felt that the lack of severity in that punishment was an extremely poor reflection on Cricket Australia. Violence is unacceptable. I have made a long term bet that Warner will get "found out" in test cricket. I believe you can get him out quite easily by bowling at his off stump and frustrating him out rather than trying to nick him out by bowling outside off stump. The latter deliveries are money for jam to him as he is exceptionally strong through the off side.

Australia's aggression is here to stay I am just thankful it is somewhat manageable now compared to the days of Merv Hughes and company who were shocking ambassadors for the game.

I don't recall the likes of Jeremy Coney, Ian Smith and John Bracewell being shrinking violets on the cricket field mate.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Yeah, either way, that article was sensationalism at it's very worst...

Not only presuming that McCullum would have made the senior ABs team, but assuming he would have been better than arguably the best first 5 of all-time. Absurd.

I don't think you can assume he would've been one of our greatest ever, but McCullum definitely would've made the All-Blacks at some point had he chosen that route. He's ****ing talented.

 

[Zinzan]

Haha, maybe.

It's a business weasel word, intended to sound impressive and obscure the fact that the user is bull****ting. It can easily be substituted for something far simpler and that makes actual sense. You could've left 'proposition' out of your sentence entirely.

Other odious examples are 'key' used as an adjective, when 'important' would do, and (ugh) 'learnings' for 'lessons' or lessons learnt'.

I realise I'm ranting here, but I have to listen to this **** every day.

Anyway, NZ are gonna win. Weather's looking good and I can't wait to hear "Warner's a wanker!" C'mon Auckland, make yourself useful!

Haha, fair enough. Perhaps I've sat in board rooms too long now as terms like that have just become 2nd nature. BTW, I think I'm guilty of using 'learnings' on occasions too & a few others that you didn't mention.

 

[Zinzan]

I don't think you can assume he would've been one of our greatest ever, but McCullum definitely would've made the All-Blacks at some point had he chosen that route. He's ****ing talented.

Nah, I think that's a pretty fair & safe assumption & I'll stick by it, even not have seen him play. Greatest of all time is a ridiculous thing to speculate on about someone who's stopped playing rugby at about 20 years old.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Nah, I think that's a pretty fair & safe assumption & I'll stick by it, even not have seen him play. Greatest of all time is a ridiculous thing to speculate on about someone who's stopped playing rugby at about 20 years old.

Yeah I was agreeing with you on that front

 

[Zinzan]

Yeah I was agreeing with you on that front

Ah right you are. Read that as 'wouldn't' have...yeah.

Incidentally, Chris Cairns also made either NZ secondary schools or NZ U17 (or something like that) in the late 80s IIRC.

 

[_Ed_]

Interesting odds on the NZ TAB for this game:

Australia $1.70
NZ $2.05

 

[Burgey]

Yeah, I'd call it $1.90 each of two tbh. Maybe even a little in NZ's favour given it's at home and Australia hasn't had a game in a fortnight.

 

[Bahnz]

Which one was the All Black who Brett Lee said was an awesome fast bowling prospect during his teenage years? Was it Israel Dagg?

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Which one was the All Black who Brett Lee said was an awesome fast bowling prospect during his teenage years? Was it Israel Dagg?

was either Dagg or Cruden

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Which one was the All Black who Brett Lee said was an awesome fast bowling prospect during his teenage years? Was it Israel Dagg?

I think it was Kieran Read.

 

[Dick Rockett]

Haha, fair enough. Perhaps I've sat in board rooms too long now as terms like that have just become 2nd nature. BTW, I think I'm guilty of using 'learnings' on occasions too & a few others that you didn't mention.

Good thing you're a decent bloke then

Can't wait until this game starts so that this thread can stop being about rugger.

 

[Days of Grace]

So what do you think Australia do after they win the toss?

 

[Zinzan]

Which one was the All Black who Brett Lee said was an awesome fast bowling prospect during his teenage years? Was it Israel Dagg?

was either Dagg or Cruden

I think it was Kieran Read.

Not sure what Lee said, but I did hear Dagg was clocked at over 140 clicks a few years ago when they had a bowling machine traveling up and down the country.

Anyway..back to the main event...I know we're two days out, but the weather in Auckland is absolutely stunning today.

 

[Zinzan]

So what do you think Australia do after they win the toss?

Bowl IMO, even though it's almost a tradition for Aust to bat first. Think they'll want to see how much swing is around & how to approach batting with the benefit of hindsight, saying nothing of the short boundaries coming into play when chasing.

And..If by some miracle McCullum does win a toss, I can see him bowling first too.

 

[3703]

I'm really, really interested just to see how the two sides shape up. Australia has started to feel like there's an aura developing again, if they roll New Zealand here it says a lot imo.

 

[Zinzan]

I'm really, really interested just to see how the two sides shape up. Australia has started to feel like there's an aura developing again, if they roll New Zealand here it says a lot imo.

They have been playing well of late & are the no.1 ranked side...but let's not forget that like NZ, most of their recent games have been in their own backyard. I still think they're a fair way from the dominating era between '99 & '07.

 

[Bahnz]

Australia will bat. They'll back their top order to see off the initial Soult burst and look to bat New Zealand out of the game in the same way that teams have been doing all tournament.

 

[jonbrooks]

I think there is WAY too much hype over this game. As I've said before all that matters is whether you make the quarters. From there it's anyone's game.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

god forbid people get excited about a world cup game between two old rivals