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*Official* Australia tour of New Zealand Feb-Mar 2024

Bahnz

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
Really goes to show just how badly NZ played yesterday. They bowl Australia out for ~300 and scrap their way to 230 and they're a big chance to win this.

What a few months of test cricket GP has had. First he near singlehandedly bails us out v Bangladesh and now he comes in to this game with the scoreline reading Aus 388 NZ 29/5 and after a day and a half of all round cricket has somehow managed to drag things back to the point where NZ aren't being totally embarrassed anymore. Was a crying shame he didn't bowl more in the first innings, he's pretty clearly a more accurate and dependable bowler than Rachin. Such a likeable character too, looking forward to his reign as captain when Southee retires.

Forecast looks alright for tomorrow. Just hoping they don't undo the day's good work and collapse to 150ao. If Rachin and Co can apply themselves and get the margin of defeat down to 100, then hopefully they can take a bit of momentum into the second test.

Also, our fielding has gone from being the most reliable in the world to a shambles in the past couple of years. Do we even have a fielding coach? If not, who's responsible, because this is appalling. I think this is the worst NZ team in the field that I've seen since Rixon professionalised our approach to fielding drills back in the 90's.
 
Jezroy

Jezroy

State Captain
This has been such a disappointing test. Unless, of course, we somehow manage to bring it around.

First morning, they bowl too short. How is there no one on the field, and no bowling coach sending out the message to pitch it up more. Because post lunch that’s what they do…? Why does it take a break for them to figure out that’s the plan they should go for? Their captain is a swing bowler who’s played test cricket for 1 years FFS. How does he not know this?

Then obviously second morning, same captain thinks he’s the best option to try and snuff out that last wicket by bowling himself. WRONG. He was not the best option. And they did the classic thing of not just performing the basics and sticking to a game plan - instead they kept searching for a way to get out the number 11. And they paid for it.

Batting in the NZ first innings… obviously not ideal, but somehow Henry and Phillips breathed a little life into it. But you know what? If we’d executed our bowling and fielding better, even that poor performance wouldn’t have been the end of the world.

Then the Australian second innings… the drop of Lyon. The drop(s) of Cummins. We could have been chasing closer to 300. Where 370 seems a mich harder target in my eyes.

So yeah - disappointing that these guys CAN do it, even without a Williamson century or two. But just so much dumb cricket, and so many mistakes. And you have to wonder, how much of that is because of this stupid hoodoo that the Aussies seem to have over us?

I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.

Latham’s cooked. Southee’s cooked. The coach doesn’t seem to have good plans (I think about that 2001/2 series in Australia… THAT was a series where they turned up with a plan!)… it’s just ****ed.
 
Flem274*

Flem274*

123/5
Love GP, but not sure I want him to be captain. He might lose the sparky energy he brings to the team. We need his exuberance.
 
Bahnz

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
Flem274* said:
Love GP, but not sure I want him to be captain. He might lose the sparky energy he brings to the team. We need his exuberance.
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Yeah I wasn't really being serious. Also strikes me as the kinda guy who the crustier regions of the dressing room would deride as a 'low-EQ' weirdo like they did to JimmyGS so not sure he'd be a great fit for them. Still he brings a positivity and enthusiasm that is so refreshing in the era of Gary "well we can't really expect to win" Stead. With a better coach I think he could do great things for the team environment. Could be like Baz but without the weird cultish tendencies.
 
Flem274*

Flem274*

123/5
Bahnz said:
Yeah I wasn't really being serious. Also strikes me as the kinda guy who the crustier regions of the dressing room would deride as a 'low-EQ' weirdo like they did to JimmyGS so not sure he'd be a great fit for them. Still he brings a positivity and enthusiasm that is so refreshing in the era of Gary "well we can't really expect to win" Stead. With a better coach I think he could do great things for the team environment. Could be like Baz but without the weird cultish tendencies.
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Yeah agreed, he's the sort of bloke to win games from nowhere with total bullshit but the more standard millennial sports bloke would not take orders from him. I can see his fellow Gen Z bois absolutely loving him as a senior player in future though.

Will always remember him smoking a six in some random T20 that hit someone in the crowd and he kept looking over while trying to win the game, then as soon as he did he didn't even celebrate he just sprinted right over. Quality man.

I think Daryl Mitchell is potential captaincy material but again I really like him batting with his Big Dog Energy and I'm concerned people around him (Stead) would get on his case to "value his wicket."

Conway strikes me as a guy who needs to be in his bubble on the field, and Blundell already has to keep wicket.

The obvious candidate for seniority and security of place is going back to KW, but remembering back to the switch, you could see the run from 2019 final to 2021 WTC final took a toll on him.

We could go the co-captain route. Rugby does it and I think it is a good idea. In the 3 format 12 month season era, placing all the weight on one man is a lot.
ashley bach said:
Yup GP is gun. Just the enthusiasm he brings to the team is worth it's weight in gold.
He's certainly just about the first name on the sheet for any tour of Asia.
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Hm, my one concern with him is he gives me heart attacks playing spin because he loves camping back on defence to full balls.
 
Athlai

Athlai

Not Terrible
Bahnz said:
BTW, anyone else think Phillips should really coming out to bat at 6 tomorrow (assuming he gets a bat that is ;)). He's riding a high at the moment, and Blundell might also benefit from shuffling down the order to take a bit of the pressure off.
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I think stay the course. Blundell is a guy who has played big innings before and deserves the belief imo. I don't think it'll impact GP at all to come in after, but I think it may affect Blundell.
 
Mike5181

Mike5181

International Captain
Bahnz said:
Also while we're celebrating not being complete crap, Henry's record since graduating to the new ball: 11 games, 55 wickets at 24. Apart from that afternoon at Trent Bridge were he made the ill-advised decision to try his hand at Wagnerball he's been brilliant.
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He's also averaged 26 with the bat.
 
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