**Official** New Zealand in Australia 2015

[Pratters]

In India we can subscribe to all sports channels in bulk deal with most DTH services at quite reasonable rates.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Again, I think the surprise isn't so much about the average fan as the Ch9 crew. A good many of us grew up on their world-class coverage which featured Benaud et al and, though it may not have been aimed at us overseas viewers, we came to expect certain standards of Ch9.

I suppose that Geoff Lemon piece on Ch9 destroying a legacy offers one possible explanation.

I'm not defending Ch9, just responding to previous post re expectations of the public being a bit exaggerated

Ch9 sux

 

[TheJediBrah]

kinda weird how Mark Nicholas was talking about Smith, Root, Kohli and ABDV being the elite batsman of the world right after Williamson scored that ton. Is it just CW that lumps him in with them?

here ya go

Border rates Williamson above the rest | cricket.com.au

 

[nevermind]

I didn't even know New Zealand played cricket until last Thursday. Luckily the brilliant team at CH9 brought me up to speed and I soon learnt that they are even starting to produce some world class players like Kane Richardson. Go NZ!

 

[Bahnz]

I'd convinced myself Henry was going to be bowling with a new or near-new ball at the WACA and was going to roar back into form there... at least to the right-handers. We know that like most RH outswing bowlers he's not as good against lefties and Boult is supposed to take care of them anyway. If Henry could return to bowling with the rhythm he had in the World Cup then he would be a handful for the likes of Burns.

However from all the talk it seems Henry will be the only seamer of five to miss out :/

Hesson is big on picking players that are in form. The only reason why he dumped Wagner last year was because he was looking slow and ineffective in the nets compared to Bracewell. It'll come down to who's actually bowling the best out of the two of them, so in that sense I'm pretty confident the right call will be made.

 

[Bahnz]

Haha, remember at one point on day 4 when Mark Taylor called him "Kane Richardson" about 4 times in a row without anybody bothering to correct him. Classic C9.

 

[SteveNZ]

Hesson is big on picking players that are in form. The only reason why he dumped Wagner last year was because he was looking slow and ineffective in the nets compared to Bracewell. It'll come down to who's actually bowling the best out of the two of them, so in that sense I'm pretty confident the right call will be made.

Hasn't Hesson always stated himself to be a horses for courses man? If so, there's no justification for Wagner playing apart from 'heart'.

 

[nevermind]

Haha, remember at one point on day 4 when Mark Taylor called him "Kane Richardson" about 4 times in a row without anybody bothering to correct him. Classic C9.

Fondly.

Actually, just so it's easier the whole New Zealand team should be forced change their names to their Australian equivalents during tours here. Can't wait to watch Tim Ludeman and Trent Copeland open the bowling for NZ tomorrow.

 

[SteveNZ]

Might surprise you to know that cricket just isn't that important to most people. 75% of the country probably don't even know what it is and less than 5% would really have any serious interest and even then the number of people who care enough to spend their time watching/following overseas cricket (which is not only time consuming, but also in the middle of the night pretty much everywhere else) is very low.

Why would anyone care if they're not interested? Why would you expect an average cricket fan to care? It's a bizarre expectation.

All I'm saying, and I was pretty implicit in it, is that the average Australian cricket fan is far less learned than any other nation in the world. Good luck to them if they're happy with it.

I don't watch overseas Tests either. But I read, I listen, I take in information. It seems to me, after living in Australia for 2+ years, that the public only knows what the CH9 team tells them. And that's SFA. Except that their team is awesome, the Marshes are really great and that Michael Slater likes to giggle a lot.

 

[hendrix]

Fondly.

Actually, just so it's easier the whole New Zealand team should be forced change their names to their Australian equivalents during tours here. Can't wait to watch Tim Ludeman and Trent Copeland open the bowling for NZ tomorrow.

Will be nice having Mitch Johnson and Mitch Johnson and Mitch Johnson in the attack.

Hopefully it's Mitch Johnson; wouldn't want Mitch Johnson in that attack.

 

[SteveNZ]

I want this whole Southee being good meme to die.

Haha, I can understand the logic behind this. We are a bit homer-ish about Tim, it'd be fair to admit. All I meant though is a guy who takes 5-for and scores 70 on debut isn't exactly an unknown.

 

[nevermind]

The moment after the mistakes* are the just glorious.

"Kane Richardson, what a player!" (for the 16th time during his time at the crease)

... silence ...

and you're sitting there at home going "someone's going to correct him surely..."

... silence ...

OMG.... they can't just ... can they?

They can.

All you can do is stand and applaud. Absolutely brilliant.

* 99% convinced CH9 team is one big troll on the whole country, but let's pretend otherwise

 

[Prince EWS]

However from all the talk it seems Henry will be the only seamer of five to miss out :/

Six. It's nice to forget that Mitch M is over here, I agree, but yeah...

 

[GotSpin]

SteveNZ on his never ending anti australian crusade. Yawn

 

[straw man]

Oh yeah Mitch MarshClenaghan

 

[GotSpin]

The ABC radio comms definitely rated Williamson very highly before he'd played that innings. And in fact Starc talked about Williamson as the key wicket before the first match too.

Can you please not get in the way of an anti australian rant

 

[Furball]

Where Tim Southee is labelled 'unheralded' in papers back in 08, after taking 5-for and scoring 70 on debut just over the pond.

He was labelled unheralded because that's exactly what he was. I can't think of many players, from any nation, who's been massively hyped prior to their international debuts. Ajantha Mendis is probably the closest I can think of.

edit: probably Phil Hughes as well.

 

[Kippax]

Hasn't Hesson always stated himself to be a horses for courses man? If so, there's no justification for Wagner playing apart from 'heart'.

Wagner's bowling spells above his normal fare atm. Swinging the new ball and getting lbws up front, reversing the old.

 

[hendrix]

Wagner's bowling spells above his normal fare atm. Swinging the new ball and getting lbws up front, reversing the old.

His swing is so floaty looking though

 

[Kippax]

I think Wagner takes a fivefer after he's been left out for a while. He's like a dog running up to the door after his owner's been away for the weekend.