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33rd Match - New Zealand v Pakistan

Who will win the match?


  • Total voters
    13

Moss

International Captain
Well played Pakistan, lost what looked like a crucial toss given how the conditions played. Dashed any NZ hopes of a big score with their bowling in the first 30 overs, and then played unusually sensibly to seal the chase.

NZ outclassed today really and possibly paying the price for persisting with 1 or 2 non-performers. That'll be discussed in detail later on by NZ contingent here so not saying much for now.

And a big LOL at the quality of translation that's being done for Babar's post match interview.
 

trundler

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Balls to spare would increase your run rate.

Wickets in hand matter because in case of all out, your team is considered to have batted all 50 overs.
 

Jezroy

State Captain
NZ outclassed today really and possibly paying the price for persisting with 1 or 2 non-performers.
One or two we may be able to handle, but we’re talking really 3 of our top 5. When you add into that the odd off day by Henry (especially when the poor **** gets used at the death), were really getting carried by just over half a team.

Hate to say it, but the head in the sand “we’ll be okay” mentality is still going on. Just heard Stead on Radio Sport. Along the lines of this.

Q: Do you think you can keep playing the same XI and win the World Cup?

A: Yes. We may not have the best or most talented team here, but that doesn’t matter. It’s how you play as a team.

ie. yes there are massive cracks in this team, but we have two NZ ATG ODI bats, and our bowling is generally good enough to not make it look terri-bad. So why try for better when what we’ve got is good enough?

You know what, if they’d picked Nicholls a few games ago and he’d failed, fair play. At least they tried. If Blundell wasn’t up to it, no drama.

But we don’t freaking know! And I suspect we’re not going to. Unless there is some miraculous form turn around, or Kane and the bowlers somehow keep us afloat against the better sides, we’re going to a semi final again. And that’s it. It’ll be similar to today. Make them fight but still outplayed.
 

Moss

International Captain
Yeah frustrating. Today surely was the time to bite the bullet and test out the bench (never mind that the non selection of Sodhi was probably the biggest error of the lot). I fear it'll be asking too much of Nicholls and Blundell to hit the ground running against Australia.
 

Jezroy

State Captain
(never mind that the non selection of Sodhi was probably the biggest error of the lot). I fear it'll be asking too much of Nicholls and Blundell to hit the ground running against Australia.
Re Sodhi - Stead said in aforementioned interview that the intel they’d had was wrong. Um... what? Hasn’t Jeets been telling them it was a good pitch for spinners?

I wonder if Southee will get a go vs Australia? Lot of chat about how well he does at Lords. It’s almost like they’ll just keep picking the same side till the end of time.
 

The Hutt Rec

International Vice-Captain
At the very minimum Nicholls has to come in for Munro, but I’d put Blundell in for Latham as well. He’s faced Australia in the warm ups and done very well.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
Good to see Neesham and CDG doing well. If we bring Nicholls in for Munro we will have a pretty well rounded batting lineup.
 

GotSpin

Hall of Fame Member
Pakistan looking good to even win the WC the way now they are playing and also their support in the stadiums is similarly good to India and Bangladesh's. It's the other teams such as England which have choked, allowing Pakistan to suddenly matter this WC.

But what's the point? They were bad all 4 years around except in the ICC champions trophy. They win the WC and and they will go into mediocrity again. That's not good for cricket as it makes ODIs meaningless.

The ODI ranking also becomes meaningless and should the bilateral series just be cancelled?
Yes
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Good to see Neesham and CDG doing well. If we bring Nicholls in for Munro we will have a pretty well rounded batting lineup.
I'd make the change, but it's set Nicholls up on a hiding to nothing to come in without having a proper bat for weeks, if not months to then front up opening the batting v Starc and co, then Archer, Wood etc.

I hate to say it, because I love him and I've seen his progression from his FC debut at No.11 to being a T20 gun for fire opening the batting. But Manu should have been dropped for this game and he just cannot continue to be picked on the off chance he might contribute something at a quick pace. Someone said in another thread he might be putting pressure on Gup, and certainly is on Kane's SR, and I agree.
 

Flem274*

123/5
yea this is probs a world cup too early for kugglejuggle. i think i've said previously his er for nd and nz a is dubious and you'd think it would only escalate at odi level. has pace and fire tho when he's angry so he's a guy to keep an eye on.

our batting lost this game. kane and ross have done most of the work until today, and good on both allrounders for their partnership. munro we knew was ****, but guptill is a world class player dropping the ball like he has all summer and latham's progress into a decent odi bat has fallen off a cliff. we couldn't expect kane and ross to keep doing all the heavy lifting, they were going to get some good balls eventually.

i was thinking earlier in the week about henry's first two golden years in the odi team and how he was usually first change. it was probably a mutually beneficial arrangement. he got the protection of the middle overs and nz got a dangerous bowler during the accumulation period.

i think we should be a bit more flexible than we are with who bowls when, and i was disappointed to see neesham followed up his clutch over last game and 97 this game with another expensive bowling run.

i wanted us to play the 4 reserves against afghanistan for precisely this situation - you need them with a game or two under the belt if someone is injured or terrible. anyway it's time for nicholls and maybe blundell.

anyway on saturday we learn the gap between our current 3/4/5 standard team and the top 3 of india/aus/eng. i suspect it's rather large.
 

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