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

[Chubb]

Some terrible Gambhiring going on here from Kiwi supporters. Miles in front in the game ffs. Embrace it.

That is not the New Zealand way.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Can the rapist snag a couple of wickets?

No




Which means yes

 

[Bahnz]

@Bahnz taste it x2

Eh?

Oh, I get it. lulz

 

[Bahnz]

Went to see Dune with my mum around tea time, so only just got done watching the delayed footage. What an afternoon! Was fantastic viewing, so rarely see a big crowd at a test, and even rarer to see a finely balanced game where they really get into it. Reckon the Hagley patrons should be credited with an assist for that mini-collapse, was electric stuff.

Man, if Jamieson can get fit, NZ has some mean looking pace-bowling depth with Henry, O'Rourke, Sears, Smith, Fisher, Duffy etc.

Looking forward tomorrow, yes NZ should be massive favourites to wrap this up, especially as they'll have a second chance to have a crack at Marsh/Head while they're fresh in the morning. But man do the two of them give me the shits as an NZ fan. If things don't go according to plan, I wouldn't be surprised to see Australia closing in on 200 by lunch. The poverty of NZ's bowling options besides Henry and Sears has me nervous. It's a real shame Southee's bowling had to tank this season. Meanwhile, Duffy and Fisher are gunning it in the Plunket Shield. Anyway, fingers crossed.

Anyway, NZ have played close to their best cricket in this game. A couple of strangles in the first innings and Blundell's shocker in the second, but otherwise they made Australia really work for their wickets, and SP aside have bowled well as a unit. All you can ask for really.

 

[Bahnz]

That Labuschagne over last night was great

I was thinking earlier today, how ****ing dumb is that? Close match, you know you're going to be chasing a competitive total, why bowl a club standard bowler and gift NZ some easy runs before the second new ball. I know you wanna conserve the quicks, but **** bowl Marsh or Lyon or anyone.

 

[social]

I was thinking earlier today, how ****ing dumb is that? Close match, you know you're going to be chasing a competitive total, why bowl a club standard bowler and gift NZ some easy runs before the second new ball. I know you wanna conserve the quicks, but **** bowl Marsh or Lyon or anyone.

Cummins probably did it to stop him asking again for another year

 

[ashley bach]

NZ to win by 50+ and Sir Matthew Henry to overtake Green to be player of the series.

 

[Neil Young]

Bang.

Mitchell McClenaghan was on SENZ questioning the young bowlers talent in the aftermath of the first test.

Sears and O'Rourke are still in development but hopefully this shows Stead and Wells you can be braver.

I don't think Stead will adapt and Wells has had an ominous start where any team changes are forced ones only.

Depressing.

However, like you, I hope the success of O'Rourke and relative success of Sears shows them that talent under 32 does exist.

 

[anonymouskefe]

I don't think Stead will adapt and Wells has had an ominous start where any team changes are forced ones only.

Depressing.

However, like you, I hope the success of O'Rourke and relative success of Sears shows them that talent under 32 does exist.

Especially younger bowlers who are all bowling at a decent clip. Heard Julian saying nz should produce wickets that require bowlers to hit the pitch hard and at pace not the wickets that someone bowling 120k’s are suited to (obviously conditions do a play a part in preparation). Henry and sears have been successful doing just that.

 

[Flem274*]

I would say NZ haven't played the perfect game (day 1..) and win or lose should draw confidence from it. Hopefully.

Like let's be real, these quicks (maybe not Henry) are going to get tonked in a 6 test jaunt through Asia in the absence of KJ and true Southee, but it is nice to see some guys with raw assets show some flair against the best team in the world and a South African side who did not lack effort.

Especially younger bowlers who are all bowling at a decent clip. Heard Julian saying nz should produce wickets that require bowlers to hit the pitch hard and at pace not the wickets that someone bowling 120k’s are suited to (obviously conditions do a play a part in preparation). Henry and sears have been successful doing just that.

Julian is a bit behind tbh. NZ pitches haven't supported a small army of dobbers since the early 00s, almost to a fault at times (2008 - 2013). Same goes for domestic cricket, bar a little meme patch around the 2018 season (or whichever one it was Williams and Sheat were unstoppable).

 

[Flem274*]

Also I think I'm a bit heretical in that I think it is still worth Smith opening. IIRC you guys were saying Renshaw has next crack, and in a choice between Renshaw and Mitch Marsh I think I'm taking Marsh unless Renshaw has made big improvements.

The bowling is great and the junior bats are gun (Green, Head). Just need to get the most from Labu and stop losing early wickets. Smith and Labu probably your best bet for that. Still a strong chance to win tomorrow if you bring your A game too. We have two reliable quicks and Phillips. Gotta drive that weakness home. Force SP to put some overs into that foot.

 

[Nintendo]

Also I think I'm a bit heretical in that I think it is still worth Smith opening. IIRC you guys were saying Renshaw has next crack, and in a choice between Renshaw and Mitch Marsh I think I'm taking Marsh unless Renshaw has made big improvements.

The bowling is great and the junior bats are gun (Green, Head). Just need to get the most from Labu and stop losing early wickets. Smith and Labu probably your best bet for that. Still a strong chance to win tomorrow if you bring your A game too. We have two reliable quicks and Phillips. Gotta drive that weakness home. Force SP to put some overs into that foot.

Smith played one of the greatest innings of his test career two games ago opening. No reason to **** the experiment off unless Smith doesn't want to do it anymore. I'm also not convinced opening is the issue, ngl. That home series vs pak at 4 is the worst I've seen Smith in a while, even when he made that 60 in the first test he was struggling to time anything, and now he's walking way too far across his stumps. He just needs some time away from the game to work his trigger movement out.

 

[Flem274*]

Smith played one of the greatest innings of his test career two games ago opening. No reason to **** the experiment off unless Smith doesn't want to do it anymore. I'm also not convinced opening is the issue, ngl. That home series vs pak at 4 is the worst I've seen Smith in a while, even when he made that 60 in the first test he was struggling to time anything, and now he's walking way too far across his stumps. He just needs some time away from the game to work his trigger movement out.

Yeah he's falling into the classic trap of fiddling around and going looking for technique when out of nick, rather than just hitting the ball.

 

[Sunil1z]

 

[Flem274*]

View attachment 39583

Oh yeah lol not directed at you but..

Our casual fan obsession with this incident is cringe. Getting Haze to sign some sandpaper was funny, but the Steve Smith cry masks are so dire. It's really uncomfortable tbh especially since a lot of those people would insist mental health and safe spaces for men to show vulnerable emotions are important.

Like, we're the team with the rapist and the fans mocking an opposition player for crying. It's so ****. Make fun of Smith for literally everything else, like his ability to look incredibly offended at the smallest of things.

 

[Bahnz]

Nah, I think Smith looks awful as an opening bat. Didn't see any of day 1 test 1 when I heard he did OK, but otherwise he's looked Matthew Bell c 2000 levels of atrocious. He's clearly a declining force, but I think if he bats at 4 he can still be relied on to average low-mid 40's, especially if he can take the next 9 months to work on correcting that ridiculously exaggerated shuffle of his. Move Green down to 5 and that middle order looks a lot healthier. Agree that Marsh is worth a crack at the top.

 

[Bahnz]

Oh yeah lol not directed at you but..

Our casual fan obsession with this incident is cringe. Getting Haze to sign some sandpaper was funny, but the Steve Smith cry masks are so dire. It's really uncomfortable tbh especially since a lot of those people would insist mental health and safe spaces for men to show vulnerable emotions are important.

Give them a break, this is the first time a real Australia team has visited NZ since that happened. Having said that, I agree that this would make a way better cut out mask.

 

[Bahnz]

I would say NZ haven't played the perfect game (day 1..) and win or lose should draw confidence from it.

Day 1 wasn't great, but as subsequent events have shown NZ weren't that far off a par first innings score. Henry and Southee really bailed us out though. No Australian in this match besides Marnus has so far managed to pass Henry's first innings 29.

 

[King Kane]

Oh yeah lol not directed at you but..

Our casual fan obsession with this incident is cringe. Getting Haze to sign some sandpaper was funny, but the Steve Smith cry masks are so dire. It's really uncomfortable tbh especially since a lot of those people would insist mental health and safe spaces for men to show vulnerable emotions are important.

Like, we're the team with the rapist and the fans mocking an opposition player for crying. It's so ****. Make fun of Smith for literally everything else, like his ability to look incredibly offended at the smallest of things.

Disappointing that our fans aren't still sledging the Aussies for the underarm incident,.

'

 

[Neil Young]

Oh yeah lol not directed at you but..

Our casual fan obsession with this incident is cringe. Getting Haze to sign some sandpaper was funny, but the Steve Smith cry masks are so dire. It's really uncomfortable tbh especially since a lot of those people would insist mental health and safe spaces for men to show vulnerable emotions are important.

Like, we're the team with the rapist and the fans mocking an opposition player for crying. It's so ****. Make fun of Smith for literally everything else, like his ability to look incredibly offended at the smallest of things.

Mocking another man for crying is just machismo crap.

Smith went up in my estimation with his genuine reaction, not down. People - men especially - giving him grief can **** right off.