**Official** New Zealand in Australia 2015

[Hurricane]

When I think Kiwis in Perth I think about Mark Greatbatch in 89 batting forever.

Good call tangles. Martin sneddon at the other end. That inning destroyed greatbatch he was never able to concentrate again in such a determined fashion.

Channel 9 were bizarre while he was batting. Despite Us being 7 down and being the last recognised batsman they tore into him for not playing the occasional shot. Leave him alone already.

" I walked to square leg after each ball and imagined I was at the beach to give myself a chance to relax"

 

[adub]

Good call tangles. Martin sneddon at the other end. That inning destroyed greatbatch he was never able to concentrate again.

Channel 9 were bizarre while he was batting. Despite Us being 7 down and being the last recognised batsman they tore into him for not playing the occasional shot. Leave him alone already.

" I walked to square leg after each ball and imagined I was at the beach to give myself a chance to relax"

I was a great knock. Total denial.

 

[Tangles]

I was totally willing him out each ball to zero effect. Iirc he pinch hit at the WC a bit after that and I was massively surprised.

 

[SteveNZ]

Don't overrate the 2001 side that played at Perth. The batting was very solid but the bowling, apart from Vettori, had Cairns on the way down from his bowling peak, a fresh Martin who got whacked and a fresh Bond who got whacked.

Parore and Astle don't play the innings' of their careers and Australia wins comfortably IMO.

Nash and O'Connor went home after the first test.

Could you imagine us playing a 5-match series? We'd be down to the Naenae 2nd XI bowling attack by the time we rocked up to the SCG.

I've never understood this logic. Blocky used to use it to discredit Gup's average, like someone else scored the runs for him. I don't understand it for a second. They did score them, fairly and squarely.

Anyway, we're not anywhere near the best side in NZ history or even a near world class side now. We're a team that beats minor opposition, and competes well with mid-tier opposition. Seeing as we've got Australia at home SA/India away I believe as our next Test opponents, the sentiment might continue to be a bit bleak. I don't like to be, but I can't see us competing on any of those tours.

 

[SteveNZ]

the australians aren't all bad blokes individually necessarily but their team culture is based around "we'd rather be dicks and win" when there's no reason for those things to go hand in hand other than "cos that's how we do things in 'straya"

Yeah, probably exactly this.

Just out of interest, and there doesn't have to be any science behind it, why is Starc such a ****head? Is his feelings still hurt at Warne (quite rightly) telling him to stop being a soft arse? I mean, a CH9 commentator actually offered a un-sycophantic opinion about an Australian player, it should have been celebrated. Or is it his pock marks

 

[Flem274*]

Steve sorry but you're being knee jerk. Getting smashed by Australia in a test in their yard doesn't make NZ trash overnight. The same team went 1-1 in England and the UAE, which are incidentally two tours Australia didn't enjoy at all.

Everyone in the world is finding touring hard right now. It's probably because a lot of teams are close together so the home advantage plays a huge role.

 

[Tangles]

I dont know if it's teams being close in ability or a lack of adaptability to foreign conditions.

 

[Cabinet96]

Former IMO. There's not really a major reason why sides should be worse overseas now than they were in the past.

 

[SteveNZ]

Steve sorry but you're being knee jerk. Getting smashed by Australia in a test in their yard doesn't make NZ trash overnight. The same team went 1-1 in England and the UAE, which are incidentally two tours Australia didn't enjoy at all.

Everyone in the world is finding touring hard right now. It's probably because a lot of teams are close together so the home advantage plays a huge role.

I'm not for one second saying we're trash...and if we're being balanced, we know the UAE 3rd Test was a red herring. That England result was as disappointing as it was encouraging as well. The first Test still annoys the daylights out of me and I didn't play in it.

I said we're a middle of the road side. That's cool. All the pre-tour stuff was about us being possibly the best team to tour Australia in our history, and how we were now competing with anyone.

 

[Gnske]

Yeah, probably exactly this.

Just out of interest, and there doesn't have to be any science behind it, why is Starc such a ****head? Is his feelings still hurt at Warne (quite rightly) telling him to stop being a soft arse? I mean, a CH9 commentator actually offered a un-sycophantic opinion about an Australian player, it should have been celebrated. Or is it his pock marks

He just really doesn't like having to bowl at spuds all day, you should have seen him during the Matador Cup.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Ugh. We're going into the test with Mark Craig at 7. Williamson better score another big hundy.

Not any worse than Neesham at 6

 

[Athlai]

News says four pronged pace attack with Southee and Wagner.

 

[hendrix]

Not any worse than Neesham at 6

Honestly Watling should be coming in at 6 no matter who's in the batting lineup.

Actually, with Taylor the way he is Watling should be at 4.

 

[hendrix]

News says four pronged pace attack with Southee and Wagner.

Not sure it's going to help us win but happy for Wagner nonetheless.

 

[Flem274*]

Fan of wagner at adelaide. WACA could go really wellor a new level of pain

 

[BackFootPunch]

Side note: Wagner is starting to sound a bit Kiwi in this video. I started reading the article and had to scroll back up halfway through because it sounded as if Baz was talking.

 

[SteveNZ]

News says four pronged pace attack with Southee and Wagner.

The players haven't been told. So that's some real journalistic license.

Wagner at Perth, as Flem says, is really asking for trouble.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Don't overrate the 2001 side that played at Perth. The batting was very solid but the bowling, apart from Vettori, had Cairns on the way down from his bowling peak, a fresh Martin who got whacked and a fresh Bond who got whacked.

Parore and Astle don't play the innings' of their careers and Australia wins comfortably IMO.

Nash and O'Connor went home after the first test.

Could you imagine us playing a 5-match series? We'd be down to the Naenae 2nd XI bowling attack by the time we rocked up to the SCG.

Umm 222 ?

 

[Gob]

New Zealand, I believe.

Eat a frozen banana

 

[Hurricane]

Ugh. We're going into the test with Mark Craig at 7. Williamson better score another big hundy.

They can't rate Santner's bowling then.

The Craig experiment will work if he takes two wickets in the match. Right now that sounds like a stretch.