**Official** New Zealand in Australia 2015

[Flem274*]

Hazlewood wasn't that bad in England. Merely below expectations given the hype and the conditions, particularly in the third and fourth Tests (not that he had any protection in terms of runs, mind you).

It was definitely a case of him getting carried away with the swing on offer and trying to bowl too many magic balls -- induced in no small measure by the fact that we needed magic balls -- and he was fine, or at least much better, on the two pitches which offered less swing.

I mean, as below-part as he was, he still took 15 wickets at 20 or something like that. Granted, he was bowling to the English top order, but still.

Maybe I was harsh but yesterday he was nailing 6 out of 6 more often than not, something he struggled with in England.

As you say, the magic ball attempts were needed then unlike now. I think we both agree he was disappointing and maybe we expected more because of all the "Age of Haze" and "England will suit him to a tee" hype. In 20/20 hindsight it was premature. Still, you take a kid who can bowl so well at home with open arms.

On the radio yesterday when I was driving home one of the Australian commentators (Rogers? Something tells me it was a bowler though) was talking about Hazlewood's Ashes and how fans and media often don't realise how different conditions are around the world beyond the generic aspects. For example most grounds in England slope all over the place and it's harder for Australian fast bowlers as newbies there to get used to the lack of grip when they hit the crease and in their follow throughs. It was quite interesting.

 

[SteveNZ]

Ye most likely, so you kiwis have limited faith in lets say Henry/Wagner coming in later in this series to support Boult?

Henry will take the new ball at Perth if required and probably do well, not falling into the trap of being too short as touring bowlers often do. And Wagner should probably play at Adelaide over Bracewell anyway.

But you're not very likely to win consecutive Tests to win the series 2-1 with that support cast + Craig. Only thing that would go a way to levelling the playing field would be a dirty green one like Hobart 2011 and that isn't happening.

 

[Midwinter]

Hazlewood wasn't that bad in England. Merely below expectations given the hype and the conditions, particularly in the third and fourth Tests (not that he had any protection in terms of runs, mind you).

It was definitely a case of him getting carried away with the swing on offer and trying to bowl too many magic balls -- induced in no small measure by the fact that we needed magic balls -- and he was fine, or at least much better, on the two pitches which offered less swing.

I mean, as below-part as he was, he still took 15 wickets at 20 or something like that. Granted, he was bowling to the English top order, but still.

The other reason he was trying to bowl magic balls was because of the utter tripe being bowled at the other end by Johnson and Starc for most of the series.

He did take 16 wickets in four tests.

 

[jonbrooks]

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. For those of you who have just joined us, I would like to advise that the Black Caps "regular service" has resumed. We were treated to some very good cricket by the Black Caps over the last year but it was always going to end.

For all Black Caps supporters, please make sure you wear your floppy hats, splash on lots of sunscreen and apply copious amounts of lubricant to your nether regions. It will ease the pain somewhat ...

 

[ImpatientLime]

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. For those of you who have just joined us, I would like to advise that the Black Caps "regular service" has resumed. We were treated to some very good cricket by the Black Caps over the last year but it was always going to end.

For all Black Caps supporters, please make sure you wear your floppy hats, splash on lots of sunscreen and apply copious amounts of lubricant to your nether regions. It will ease the pain somewhat ...

is this a banter?

 

[weldone]

...but if an opener isn't allowed to play and miss at a few balls on Day 1 of an overcast Test against a world-class swing bowler then idk what to say.

Yeah the fact that he got beaten a few times when Southee was bowling a good spell up front isn't the reason he doesn't look like an opener.

I said he was lucky to survive that spell. ..didn't say anything more

 

[Furball]

It's hardly a new look Australian side, Burns for Rogers and Khawaja for Clarke are the only 2 changes from the Ashes.

 

[Pothas]

Yeah It is just them playing at home. They are quite good at it.

 

[Flem274*]

It's hardly a new look Australian side, Burns for Rogers and Khawaja for Clarke are the only 2 changes from the Ashes.

Iiburns, khawaja, voges, marsh, nevill and hazlewood are all pretty inexperienced at this level. It looks very raw compared to when they had clarke, watson, haddin, harris etc

 

[straw man]

Probably going to be a pretty crap day but going along anyway. Cmon Kaneh and BJ.

 

[Pothas]

Iiburns, khawaja, voges, marsh, nevill and hazlewood are all pretty inexperienced at this level. It looks very raw compared to when they had clarke, watson, haddin, harris etc

Don't know how much you can call it a rebuilding from the ashes though, they have just done what Australia tend to do when they play at home. They would have done exactly the same if they had played England in Australia instead of England. I hope NZ still make a good series of it but I don't think we have seen anything particularly unusual.

 

[Flem274*]

Don't know how much you can call it a rebuilding from the ashes though, they have just done what Australia tend to do when they play at home. They would have done exactly the same if they had played England in Australia instead of England. I hope NZ still make a good series of it but I don't think we have seen anything particularly unusual.

i don't think anyone said it's a rebuilding from the ashes specifically, just that they are rebuilding.

 

[adub]

Burns actually got dropped from the Queensland side when he was batting in the middle order, and then was recalled as an opener because that's where the vacant spot was. That's when he scored all his runs, so he's forced his way in as a genuine opener, so to speak. To me it makes sense to give him a run as an opener given that history, but yeah technically he doesn't look like one at all.

Yeah. He burst onto the scene in his first season and a half but then suffered severe second year syndrome in 12/13 and was struggling at the beginning of 13/14 until he was tossed in as opener after getting dropped. Then he clicked again. Definitely deserves a shot as opener, but I'm not sure he complements Warner as well as Bancroft might over the longer term (unless the new 'Mature Dave' TM is a thing).

 

[adub]

I don't really like Burns' technique and I'm pretty sure I was on the record even during his debut Test as being worried about his open faced prods behind square, but if an opener isn't allowed to play and miss at a few balls on Day 1 of an overcast Test against a world-class swing bowler then idk what to say.

I liked that he didn't panic and then once Craig came on he said I'll have some of this and got going. Then was stuck on 34 for a while whilst Warner took off again, but again didn't panic. The dismissal was a classic get out shot, pretty lazy, but early on his plays and misses were playing the line and getting beaten by the swing - happens to the best of em against good bowlers. If he'd chased it he'd have nicked one.

 

[Pothas]

I don't think I've given credit to Australia yet in between my score checking and watching rants and what not so yeah top stuff. I don't know how Lehmann rallied a new look team after an Ashes defeat so quickly but he's done a brilliant job and it sounds like Adam Voges, Usman Khawaja in particular have raised their game considerably. Credit to Joe Burns for facing the new ball so well too.

i don't think anyone said it's a rebuilding from the ashes specifically, just that they are rebuilding.

That is how it read to me.

 

[Spark]

Any takers for comms w/ me?

 

[Flem274*]

That is how it read to me.

bugger

poor line from me. they've been changing the guard for a wee while now.

 

[hendrix]

I've reconciled that we've lost this match but hopefully we'll still get some decent time watching KW bat on a fast pitch against fast bowlers. Watling too can be good to watch. Latham was good too until he had a brain fade.

McCullum has some serious thinking to do for next test. Too much talk, not enough doing what the team did to get here in the first place, one thinks.

 

[adub]

Hazlewood wasn't that bad in England. Merely below expectations given the hype and the conditions, particularly in the third and fourth Tests (not that he had any protection in terms of runs, mind you).

It was definitely a case of him getting carried away with the swing on offer and trying to bowl too many magic balls -- induced in no small measure by the fact that we needed magic balls -- and he was fine, or at least much better, on the two pitches which offered less swing.

I mean, as below-part as he was, he still took 15 wickets at 20 or something like that. Granted, he was bowling to the English top order, but still.

Exactly. You know you've got a good un when he's bowling below his best and still taking 4 poles a test at low 20s. He'll have learnt heaps from England. If he isn't trying to defend 60 too often he'll mess up batting for a decade.

 

[Spark]

If that Viz thing is actually a Monte Carlo type model taking into account weather, records etc etc then that's actually really impressive.