***Official*** Australia in New Zealand 2016

[hendrix]

Yeah I must admit I've cringed with embarrassment a lot recently at how much some of my fellow Kiwis have been overrating/stating our test side in the last year or two. It's no real surprise though considering we were so bad for so long & then improved a great deal - which can often lead to such an overreaction.

The fact remains we are about where the test rankings suggest, about the 5th best test side, certainly not in the top 3 vicinity IMHO. I'd say it's quite clear we're behind Aust, SA & England & I'm not sure we're definitively ahead of India and Pakistan either.

Some of the pre-series hype & predictions by the likes of KV and a few others prior to both the away and home series have well & truly seen us with our tails between our legs.

Ftr, not all of us see Southee as one of the top 2-3 seamers in the world anymore, 2012-13 is a long time ago now. How he's managed to remain that good for that long by some NZ'ders based on form 2-3 years ago is beyond me.

Still not ruling out a comeback in Christchurch and a drawn home series would be a successful result at home against Australia.

I disagree.

We were genuinely very good, and we've regressed quite significantly.

There's no way for me to know exactly how this occurred, but I think complacency combined with injuries are likely to have been the major factors, along with drinking our own koolaid in regards to our style of play.

The bowling is not where it was a year ago, and neither is the batting.

 

[Zinzan]

Before the series started we thought it was only Lyon who we had to get out twice. No-one knew Voges was also on the list.

Seriously stop it, if you had any sense of pride left, you'd just confess we've been totally & utterly outplayed and outclassed.

Quit playing the victim card, Burns was strangled down the leg-side in the first over, notice you didn't point that out as lucky for NZ, yet you're clinging to Voges' piece of luck. One bit of luck doesn't translate to an innings loss, it takes a lot more than that.

 

[Zinzan]

I disagree.

We were genuinely very good, and we've regressed quite significantly.

There's no way for me to know exactly how this occurred, but I think complacency combined with injuries are likely to have been the major factors, along with drinking our own koolaid in regards to our style of play.

The bowling is not where it was a year ago, and neither is the batting.

There's no doubt we've regressed in recent times that's true, perhaps we peaked as 3rd best side at the end of the English series last year, but certainly now we're about 5th. Either way, it didn't warrant some of the predictions we're seen from the likes of KV if we're honest.

 

[hendrix]

The bowling is not where it was a year ago, and neither is the batting.

This is quite a damning indictment on the coaching and captaincy, to be honest.

It's really frustrating to see headlines such as "McCullum is leaving behind a blueprint on how to captain" right next to the scorecard showing we're likely to lose by an innings at home to a team that doesn't travel well.

There have been good things about the leadership. Belief is certainly important. But once you get to a certain level of belief in spite of the circumstances it becomes denial. That first innings batting was really inexcusably rubbish; and that was with Hazelwood and Siddle being the only genuine threats. There was a huge opportunity to cash in on Bird bowling rubbish, and yet the batsmen showed no inclination to bat for any period of time. No amount of belief changes that.

 

[hendrix]

There's no doubt we've regressed in recent times that's true, perhaps we peaked as 3rd best side at the end of the English series last year, but certainly now we're about 5th. Either way, it didn't warrant some of the predictions we're seen from the likes of KV if we're honest.

I don't read KV posts

 

[Gob]

I don't read KV posts

why you dont like comedy?

 

[Meridio]

Something I think hasn't been mentioned at all in regards to our performances recently - we're really seeing how important an in-form BJ Watling is to the team. I think some of the holes in our team have been papered over a bit by how good Watling has been in the last two years, and with him being out of form since the tour of Australia started our batting is suddenly looking a lot more fragile.

 

[Meridio]

Bit of reverse for Hazlewood here.

 

[jcas0167]

The Aussie player that has impressed me the most on this tour has been Hazelwood. McGrath would have been proud of some of the overs he bowled to our openers yesterday. Metronomic accuracy, just doesn't have the nous or subtlety of McGrath yet.

He is also a dead ringer for Craig McDermott, no? Am I the only one who sees this?

 

[straw man]

pitched outside leg?

edit: that would be a No

 

[Athlai]

Wait who thinks Southee is in the top 2-3 in the world right now? Never heard anyone hint anything like that and I'm a huge mark for Southee. He's just top 2-3 in the country.

 

[burr]

Lovely bowling this morning from Marsh. He deserved that.

 

[burr]

Marsh's agonised reactions to any near miss (real or perceived) off his bowling are some of the best going round right now.

 

[Spark]

MMarsh: actually a serious bowler.

 

[Burgey]

MMarsh is causing a real headache for the selectors, in that his bowling has been more than just useful, but he's just not a test match number six (yet, anyway). Him stepping up like this when there's an injury is precisely why he needs to be in the side, but he probably needs to bat no higher than seven atm, and I dunno that Nev is good enough to bat six at test level either. If he batted lower it would mean he'd have to play as a proper third seamer, and the workload might see him be less effective.

 

[Burgey]

In other news, it's good to see the WPNCOS getting the kudos he deserves in this thread.

 

[jcas0167]

There's no doubt we've regressed in recent times that's true, perhaps we peaked as 3rd best side at the end of the English series last year, but certainly now we're about 5th. Either way, it didn't warrant some of the predictions we're seen from the likes of KV if we're honest.

It's hard to say as we didn't play Australia in a test series last summer. It seems that Williamson, Watling, Boult & McCullum have not been in their best form. Should they make changes for the final test? I'd love to see Wagner get a game against Australia.

 

[Burgey]

I don't get the Nicholls hate on here, but then again I don't get to see any NZ FC cricket. He looks pretty compact and is up for a scrap at least. Obviously he's no Ross Taylor but he's not the reason NZ has struggled with the bat this game.

 

[straw man]

Yeah Nicholls seems to have temperament, which counts for a lot.

 

[Gnske]

Nicholls will score a ton, mark my words

I still believe