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

[OverratedSanity]

Yeah, Lyon will definitely be awesome the next time he visits India, especially if the pitches are as helpful to spin as they were in the SA series.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I live to see Smith scoring and Williamson failing but yeah both are quality and along with r00t its going to be a three horse race for years to come

Scary thing is that after around 18 months/2 years of brilliance they all seem to have improved again this last 4/5 months.

 

[Spark]

He was pants in India other than that spell, just like in the UAE.

He's too slow to be very effective on tracks with turn imo. He's best when batsmen feel a need to attack him and then deceive them in the air. Jord was sorta right in saying that, but I don't see why mode of dismissals should be considered when talking about the quality of a bowler. I've seen plenty of occassions where supposedly proper spinners have been attacked and have no answer. It's a different skill.

He's certainly bowling—or has developed the capability to bowl—with much more sidespin than he used to this summer, which in theory should stand him in good stead.

At any rate I don't see him averaging 170 or whatever it was against SL like he did against Pakistan, not least because the SL batting lineup is depressingly mediocre right now.

 

[SteveNZ]

Apologies if this has been covered off, which I presume it has. I can't believe I'm not reading more about it in the media.

Are we kidding ourselves about the whole helmet thing? We said a lesson had been learned on that awful day over a year ago, yet the Australian captain - a guy who was in Phil Hughes' side that day - isn't wearing any additional protection. If that ball from Wagner was 10cm lower, that's hitting him in exactly the same spot. I just don't get it. Do we need to learn again? Essentially, nothing has been learned at all. All we're doing a year on is expressing more sympathy to the batsman when they're hit - that's not a known antidote to a head injury, in any journals I've read. We aren't bowling less bouncers (I presume), most batsmen don't have the protection, presumably because it's uncomfortable (sigh).

We need to take the matter out of their hands and make them mandatory, do we not? I'm disappointed such an article wasn't written today.

 

[Burner]

I don't think helmets have to be made mandatory. Some batsmen are more comfortable without helmets and it should be upto them if they want to wear it.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Just as unfulfillingly, no real progress seems to have been made on making helmet technology better. I realise there's those little blocks of plastic on the back now, but I've seen those detach pretty readily at the first sign of impact (perhaps that's the design though - dissipate energy by detaching?). I just don't think it's much progress really. It looks to me like a sop to make people feel a bit better about themselves; to allow a pat on the back and say 'job well done'.

 

[Spark]

Just as unfulfillingly, no real progress seems to have been made on making helmet technology better. I realise there's those little blocks of plastic on the back now, but I've seen those detach pretty readily at the first sign of impact (perhaps that's the design though - dissipate energy by detaching?). I just don't think it's much progress really. It looks to me like a sop to make people feel a bit better about themselves; to allow a pat on the back and say 'job well done'.

I imagine that would be the case.

 

[Compton]

Lyon done a great job as night watchman as well. It sounds daft, and sort of is, but he farmed the strike at the end and actually protected Voges. In modern times bowlers seem to have forgotten that's what they're there for and start aiming for the ropes and taking singles halfway through an over.

 

[Jord]

I don't think I've ever seen a bowler so overrated in the last few pages.

 

[hendrix]

Apologies if this has been covered off, which I presume it has. I can't believe I'm not reading more about it in the media.

Are we kidding ourselves about the whole helmet thing? We said a lesson had been learned on that awful day over a year ago, yet the Australian captain - a guy who was in Phil Hughes' side that day - isn't wearing any additional protection. If that ball from Wagner was 10cm lower, that's hitting him in exactly the same spot. I just don't get it. Do we need to learn again? Essentially, nothing has been learned at all. All we're doing a year on is expressing more sympathy to the batsman when they're hit - that's not a known antidote to a head injury, in any journals I've read. We aren't bowling less bouncers (I presume), most batsmen don't have the protection, presumably because it's uncomfortable (sigh).

We need to take the matter out of their hands and make them mandatory, do we not? I'm disappointed such an article wasn't written today.

Just as unfulfillingly, no real progress seems to have been made on making helmet technology better. I realise there's those little blocks of plastic on the back now, but I've seen those detach pretty readily at the first sign of impact (perhaps that's the design though - dissipate energy by detaching?). I just don't think it's much progress really. It looks to me like a sop to make people feel a bit better about themselves; to allow a pat on the back and say 'job well done'.

it doesn't need to be particularly strong to divert the impact of the ball - and remember it's only designed to stop one impact.

McCullum is frankly the worst. The captain of the national cricket team standing at silly mid off with zero protection. There are children watching. Disgraceful.

 

[Burgey]

I don't think I've ever seen a bowler so overrated in the last few pages.

You should have been here to read all the posts about Trent Boult before the summer started.

 

[Jord]

You should have been here to read all the posts about Trent Boult before the summer started.

I did see someone on Facebook post something stating that Boult was better than Hadlee once so I'm sure I can imagine what some overzealous kiwis would write about the guy here.

 

[Jord]

McCullum is frankly the worst. The captain of the national cricket team standing at silly mid off with zero protection. There are children watching. Disgraceful.

Anything to take a swing at Baz. It doesn't matter that the match situation was the end of the day, with Australia doing nothing but defending and no real harm likely to occur; let's put the boot in because now a kid might stand at silly mid off without a helmet.

The Hughes incident was a massive tragedy and I think changed cricket and protection for the better but do keep in mind that it was an absolute freak accident. It's the same as people who bat without chest protectors or arm guards, broken arms and broken ribs happen but if you're not comfortable in the protection you're wearing then you won't wear it. Smith has probably worn that helmet type/shape his entire career.

Making it mandatory would be a good start; but do you then make arm guards and chest protectors mandatory too? And should a batsman be able to bat in a cap when spinners are on? Some of the worst injuries I've seen at club come from someone top edging a spinner into their own mug

 

[hendrix]

Anything to take a swing at Baz.

not really.

I've defended Baz' captaincy and batting throughout this series.

Whether you want to admit it or not, he's setting an example. Same with Jerome Kaino the other day. Or plenty of rugby players and coaches who attempt to continue playing after a concussion. These are respected people and their actions influence others. They need to be called on it.

 

[Spark]

Anything to take a swing at Baz. It doesn't matter that the match situation was the end of the day, with Australia doing nothing but defending and no real harm likely to occur; let's put the boot in because now a kid might stand at silly mid off without a helmet.

The Hughes incident was a massive tragedy and I think changed cricket and protection for the better but do keep in mind that it was an absolute freak accident. It's the same as people who bat without chest protectors or arm guards, broken arms and broken ribs happen but if you're not comfortable in the protection you're wearing then you won't wear it. Smith has probably worn that helmet type/shape his entire career.

Making it mandatory would be a good start; but do you then make arm guards and chest protectors mandatory too? And should a batsman be able to bat in a cap when spinners are on? Some of the worst injuries I've seen at club come from someone top edging a spinner into their own mug

There is a qualitative difference between helmets and arm guards/chest guards. The latter protects you from pain and injury, yes, but brain injuries can easily be permanent.

 

[hendrix]

I don't really come down on a cricketer for doing what hes done pretty much his entire career

Well I do.

 

[Jord]

not really.

I've defended Baz' captaincy and batting throughout this series.

Whether you want to admit it or not, he's setting an example.

After yesterday I can't defend his captaincy but I don't really come down on a cricketer for doing what hes done pretty much his entire career, even when he was keeping up to the stumps I struggle to recall Baz in a helmet. It obscures vision and in my limited experience of fielding in a helmet I found it really made catching quite a bit more difficult.

There is a qualitative difference between helmets and arm guards/chest guards. The latter protects you from pain and injury, yes, but brain injuries can easily be permanent.

There are a couple of incidents where a batsman collapsed and died having been struck on the chest/heart by a delivery too though.

 

[hendrix]

Also, while I won't completely disagree that the Hughes incident was a freak incident, plenty of people have been killed or severely injured by a cricket ball. It's rare, but it's not unheard of, and it's happened at all levels.

The fact that it's preventable is what we should be examining.

 

[Compton]

Not to completely change the subject or anything, but I think there's another day's play about to start...

 

[_Ed_]

I'll feel a lot better if we can pick up two wickets in the first hour or so.