***Official*** New Zealand tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa 2016

[Black_Warrior]

I wonder what the conditions would be like. Tests in August are a first and surely going to be different from the summer conditions in December?

 

[Kippax]

 

[Marius]

Can't wait to see kg & steyn bowling together properly in a test.

I will be interested to see the crowd numbers, hearing on social it might be even lower then the usual SA test numbers...

One thing I've learnt is that social media chatter is very very rarely a reflection of reality.

That said, the numbers are likely to be low because of the time of year of the Test matches, expect Kingsmead to be deserted - they can't even get people to go to a Test match in the middle of the December holidays. Centurion will get a decent crowd - it always does. I'm probably going to the first day of the Test match there.

My brother is one of the people who says he will boycott CSA until quotas are gone.

 

[Flem274*]

I have zero hopes and expectations for this series thanks to years of crushing tours to SA so someone doing something good would be nice. Steyn will be glorious to watch in action again.

I actually have more hope for NZs Indian tour, especially if they prepare the same decks they did for SA so we can spam Santa and glorious loopy side spin Guptill.

 

[hendrix]

Quite keen for Latham to develop, and it'd be nice if Boult and Southee regained some form against good teams.

 

[NZTailender]

Been asked to house-sit for Thurs/Fri at a place that has Sky. ****ing sorted m8.

I mean I could watch at my place on skygo (thanks dad) but they have a big screen hooked up to a sound system

 

[Hurricane]

Been asked to house-sit for Thurs/Fri at a place that has Sky. ****ing sorted m8.

I mean I could watch at my place on skygo (thanks dad) but they have a big screen hooked up to a sound system

I think I pay something like $50-60 a month for sky sports. I get my money's worth out of it by the end of the year between rugby and cricket. I also like the concept of some of the funds going back to the players in a circuitous fashion.

Word is though that Sky will soon feel pressure to stop being exhorbitant oligopolists who force you to buy 120 channels just so you can get sports

I basically watch channels 51-54 and fox news (for giggles).

 

[SteveNZ]

Quite keen for Latham to develop, and it'd be nice if Boult and Southee regained some form against good teams.

Yeah, Tom is my biggest interest in this series. Of course winning is up there as well, but a massive piece in our puzzle is Tom continuing to move towards world class and delivering on the starts he almost always makes.

 

[Marius]

I think I pay something like $50-60 a month for sky sports. I get my money's worth out of it by the end of the year between rugby and cricket. I also like the concept of some of the funds going back to the players in a circuitous fashion.

Word is though that Sky will soon feel pressure to stop being exhorbitant oligopolists who force you to buy 120 channels just so you can get sports

I basically watch channels 51-54 and fox news (for giggles).

It's the same in SA with DSTV - if you want to get the channels that show the rugby and cricket you have to buy the most expensive package with the most channels.

 

[hendrix]

Been asked to house-sit for Thurs/Fri at a place that has Sky. ****ing sorted m8.

I mean I could watch at my place on skygo (thanks dad) but they have a big screen hooked up to a sound system

sweet what's the address I wouldn't mind a weekend in Auckland

 

[Athlai]

I think I pay something like $50-60 a month for sky sports. I get my money's worth out of it by the end of the year between rugby and cricket. I also like the concept of some of the funds going back to the players in a circuitous fashion.

Word is though that Sky will soon feel pressure to stop being exhorbitant oligopolists who force you to buy 120 channels just so you can get sports

I basically watch channels 51-54 and fox news (for giggles).

You can already get Fan Pass

 

[Hurricane]

Yeah, Tom is my biggest interest in this series. Of course winning is up there as well, but a massive piece in our puzzle is Tom continuing to move towards world class and delivering on the starts he almost always makes.

ITSTL

I don't think I have any personal people I have singled out - I will be paying attention to everyone I suspect. The following are my pre-series predictions for each player to give you chaps something to read:

Latham - will hold his own and still not convert on his starts.
Guptil - will go as expected. Look for scores like 0, 45, 2, 65
Big Daddy - I really don't know - I keep expecting gravity to catch up with him. I mean he has averaged over 70 odd since making his turn around in form. Is averaging over 70 over a period that long even legal in some states?
The Boss - He will be in the office. I have more faith in him this series than Kane.
What's his name - I reckon I have about as much chance as scoring a 50 as he does against Phillander etc.
Watling - Will go great guns - will definitely be in our top two scorers for the series.
Santner - will drop some important catch due to ****ing around with his collar instead of paying attention to the game.
Bracewell - if selected he must make this series count. No more second chances. I hope he gets the nod ahead of Henry as their bowling is much of a muchness with Doug the way better batsman
6thee - Look for him to average 30 with the balll for the series. He isn't quite in full flow but he will be decent.
Wagner - Another sign that we could have another Fleming / Howarth on our hands willl be if Wagner actually bats ahead of Tim. Only in Baz's-earn-the-right-macho-man-come-watch-an-action-flick-with- me-even-though-our-aunt-died-today world did it ever make sense for Tim-Yahoo-Southee to be up the order with the bat. Let's see if Kane fixes that.
Boult - he will average benath 25 with the ball for the series. Operation find Trent Boult has been successful and sightings of the real deal were observed in Zimboland

Sodhi - has no business even being considered for a game in South Africa
Mark Craig - I think it is telling that his best bowling figures came in game after Phil Hughes died and he decided he didn't care where he bowled it and stopped thinking. Becuase when he thinks about where to bowl it he doesn't make good choices. That said in his defence, Brendon's fields for him were diabolical and set him up for failure. Hopefully he is only in the squad as injury cover and for nets practice.

 

[Hurricane]

You can already get Fan Pass

that's 55 a month

And I would probably go for a monthly package as I am a heavy sports viewer

 

[Athlai]

I only watch cricket tests so it works out pretty well for me.

 

[NZTailender]

ITSTL

I don't think I have any personal people I have singled out - I will be paying attention to everyone I suspect. The following are my pre-series predictions for each player to give you chaps something to read:

Latham - will hold his own and still not convert on his starts.
Guptil - will go as expected. Look for scores like 0, 45, 2, 65
Big Daddy - I really don't know - I keep expecting gravity to catch up with him. I mean he has averaged over 70 odd since making his turn around in form. Is averaging over 70 over a period that long even legal in some states?
The Boss - He will be in the office. I have more faith in him this series than Kane.
What's his name - I reckon I have about as much chance as scoring a 50 as he does against Phillander etc.
Watling - Will go great guns - will definitely be in our top two scorers for the series.
Santner - will drop some important catch due to ****ing around with his collar instead of paying attention to the game.
Bracewell - if selected he must make this series count. No more second chances. I hope he gets the nod ahead of Henry as their bowling is much of a muchness with Doug the way better batsman
6thee - Look for him to average 30 with the balll for the series. He isn't quite in full flow but he will be decent.
Wagner - Another sign that we could have another Fleming / Howarth on our hands willl be if Wagner actually bats ahead of Tim. Only in Baz's-earn-the-right-macho-man-come-watch-an-action-flick-with- me-even-though-our-aunt-died-today world did it ever make sense for Tim-Yahoo-Southee to be up the order with the bat. Let's see if Kane fixes that.
Boult - he will average benath 25 with the ball for the series. Operation find Trent Boult has been successful and sightings of the real deal were observed in Zimboland

Sodhi - has no business even being considered for a game in South Africa
Mark Craig - I think it is telling that his best bowling figures came in game after Phil Hughes died and he decided he didn't care where he bowled it and stopped thinking. Becuase when he thinks about where to bowl it he doesn't make good choices. That said in his defence, Brendon's fields for him were diabolical and set him up for failure. Hopefully he is only in the squad as injury cover and for nets practice.

I'm not going to even bother predicting. Honestly thought last time round the players who would do well were rubbish, with Watling and Brownlie flying under the radar to be the biggest 'successes'.

By that logic I guess Santner and Bracewell will be the 'success' this time round.

 

[SeamUp]

Only 3 games played between the BlackCaps & Proteas at Kingsmead before

First the good news: New Zealand have never beaten South Africa at Kingsmead.



Does that augur well for the first Test starting on Thursday? As always, the Devil is in the detail: Since the dawn of Test cricket, South Africa have played New Zealand only three times in Durban; the last being in 1994.

Given such flimsy evidence, it is hard to pick up a trend: South Africa were run mighty close in a low-scoring match in 1961, and it took six of the best by Peter Pollock when the Kiwis faced a target of 190 to win. They fell 30 runs short.

In the first meeting, in December ’53, it was much more of a stroll to a win by an innings and 58. It was a victory set up by spinners; Hugh Tayfield taking 6-62 with his off-spin, complemented by 3-69 from the leg-breaks of Clive van Ryneveld. The seamers only stepped up in New Zealand’s follow-on innings, but Tayfield still picked up three.

In more memorable times, it was all pace that brought about an eight-wicket win in 1994. Fanie de Villiers ended with eight wickets in the match, and Brian McMillan six.

That was it for Durban. In the subsequent four tours here, Durban has been ignored, but then again, they have been short tours of never more than three. The last two have been two-Test affairs.

Since readmission, the Proteas have won nine of 22 matches, and lost seven at Kingsmead. The Proteas will want to forget the last one, against England last December.

The Proteas thought they were well in it when Steyn and Morkel took four apiece to bowl England out for 303. But thereafter they were never up with the pace, bowled out for 214, with 167 of those coming from Dean Elgar (118) and AB de Villiers (49). They scraped together just 174 when chasing a target of 416.

A word of caution: On day one, it is expected to be cloudy. On Saturday, it will be even more cloudier. That could be good for swing bowling, something that the left-armer Trent Boult will relish.

The batsmen will need to dig in.
- See more at: Kingsmead: Proteas' sandcastle

 

[NZTailender]

It'll be interesting to see how South Africa approach this series. They have a whole air of a dejected team that's falling apart, but true champion players find these moments to regroup and show their class, like Steyn, Philander and Amla with some typical clutch performers like Duminy standing up.

Could be a perfect storm for us to get rekt tbh

 

[hendrix]

I don't understand the media surrounding SA at the moment. It's really weirdly defeatist. Even their coach has come out and said "we don't have objectives yet" or something such.

It's really weird. They had one or two bad series and suddenly they're not a good team? Steyn, Philander, Rabada, ABDV, Amla etc etc. These are top quality players.

 

[Athlai]

Ah good to see us getting pessimistic before a series again, always a good sign that we're interested.

 

[Moss]

I don't understand the media surrounding SA at the moment. It's really weirdly defeatist. Even their coach has come out and said "we don't have objectives yet" or something such.

It's really weird. They had one or two bad series and suddenly they're not a good team? Steyn, Philander, Rabada, ABDV, Amla etc etc. These are top quality players.

Firdose Moonda has done a series preview on CI where she all but anoints NZ as firm favourites. Amazing how the last couple of test series have shaken their faith.

TBH its not too dissimilar to dusting off the NZ doom and gloom thread after a couple of losses to Australia, but we're talking a side with several very good players plus a couple of all-time greats. I also think the feeling that ABdV might be getting burnt out is adding to this.