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

[KungFu_Kallis]

This game really is on a knife edge. An hour of MM and the target will be in double figures. If he goes before then it's hard to see them getting up.

Maybe he scores a brilliant hundred, then pulls a muscle celebrating wildly and we win by 7 runs.

 

[SteveNZ]

Reckon Rachin is pretty draught horse-y tbh. Quite a comical running style.

I don't give batsmen any slack. They have eyes that can see a ball, they can run, they should be able to catch a ball that comes straight at them. Especially someone who is an all-rounder.

Chris Martin once dropped a catch because he couldn't eat a banana and keep an eye on the play at the same time, so I give him a pass.

 

[King Kane]

Marsh riding his luck.

 

[Flem274*]

God loves Mitch Marsh today

 

[Burgey]

I just don't get how there can be any justification for the fielding. It's literally their job, they've been playing since they were babies, you have all the time in the world to practice. The muscle memory on that Rachin catch, he should catch that in his sleep. He's a batsman, his eyes are good, he can clearly move OK, there's no excuse. The real draught horses like Ish, Chris Martin etc, I kinda get it...but when guys are dropping catches in the prime of their lives, it's just horse rubbish.

Also the one part of the game you can improve in spades through hard work at practice. Seen guys go from gumbies to solid fielders through sheer hard work. It's different to bating or bowling in that regard.

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

Henryyyy my boyyyy

 

[Burgey]

That's a poor shot, working across the line like that. Might be going down or ump's call.

Ducked in very late on the replay actually. Good ball.

 

[straw man]

hooo missing leg?

 

[Skyliner]

Bugger.

 

[Burgey]

Jeez, Carey didn't even look like he wanted to review that but it really dipped in late.

I see these teams seem to be getting on well. To my mind it's no coincidence Australia has started to under perform this summer since they've been nice to their opponents. Pakistan they were middling and it was all smiles. We lost a test to the WI and everyone got on well, now Marsh and Southee having a nice chat and a laugh on the field.

**** this ****. Obviously not every opponent is as odious and hateful as England and India, but we need to get back to what works best for us, and that's being complete and utter ****s to the opposition at every opportunity. Never miss a chance - if you see them stick their head up for a chat, kick it. If they go to pick the ball up when they're batting to toss it to you, appeal. No fraternizing until a series is won. None. Give them nothing. Then when they don't want to have a drink with you because you've been ****s to them, complain to the media and play the victim.

Get back to what makes Australian cricket great ffs.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I thought that was plumb live tbh

 

[King Kane]

Thought that at least would have been umpire's call.

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

hooo missing leg?

Must be an Aussie agent in the DRS truck

 

[Jezroy]

Apart from everything else… what the f is Scotty K doing there? I assumed he was injured and not on the field.

 

[thierry henry]

‘Not our day’

 

[Flem274*]

This is a good mini knock from someone so obviously battling. Players out of nick who pick up those contributions are valuable.

 

[TheJediBrah]

That's a poor shot, working across the line like that. Might be going down or ump's call.

Ducked in very late on the replay actually. Good ball.

Henry's consistently getting some really late movement, even in the air after pitching. There's no way he's controlling it but he must be doing something the other bowlers aren't

 

[SteveNZ]

Also the one part of the game you can improve in spades through hard work at practice. Seen guys go from gumbies to solid fielders through sheer hard work. It's different to bating or bowling in that regard.

100%. It feels symptomatic of our side, at the moment. No one will ever tell me you can't become a better fielder by taking huge volumes in training, so it becomes muscle memory.

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

Hmm which Carey are we going to get today. Hopefully not the ass kicking one.

 

[SteveNZ]

Henry's consistently getting some really late movement, even in the air after pitching. There's no way he's controlling it but he must be doing something the other bowlers aren't

Yeah he just has that scramble seam ball down an absolute beauty. Sometimes it decks, sometimes it decks and swings, sometimes it goes straight on. It's quite insanely good. Unfortunately that one swung in after pitching too much, whereas the Smith one was like a perfectly designed heat-seaking missile