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

[Moss]

Congratulations Australia. Not easy to win so clinically when you haven’t toured a place in 8 years and with a flaky batting lineup. But they had by far the better (and more intelligent) attack, and always seemed to find someone to stand up with the bat - Green, Marnus, Marsh, Carey, even Cummins.

 

[GotSpin]

How much more does Starc have in the tank? He’s obviously the weak link in the attack and we have a ton of bowlers waiting to go

 

[Flem274*]

Matt Henry wins $1000 worth of Tegel product for Man of the Series?!?

omg lol summer saved

 

[social]

I was down at the local nets with Social Jr a few years ago when a guy turned up, did some laps& stretching and prepared to bowl

These nets are trash and generally used by kids & locals

The local village idiot asked him if he could bat against him but my friend knew who the guy was and told him to just watch

Was Matt Henry who was on GC seeing family and needed to bowl a quota every day

Came down most days for about a week

Very nice guy

 

[Moss]

I thought for a moment Sears was going to do a Doug Bracewell and turn the game completely NZ’s way, given how he bowled that over. Probably not the worst thing for his personal development it didn’t work out, he’s promising but has a long way to go. Bracewell had a good run in the side on the strength of the Hobart win but couldn’t really kick on, and was probably a victim of expectation.

 

[Bahnz]

Was trying to avoid play all day and watch the replay this evening. Got spoiled by some office conversation a few moments ago. Kinda glad tbh, that must've been a heart-rending watch.

Nz got what they deserved for repeatedly playing SP when there's probably a dozen better options for a 4th bowler around the country. At least it seems safe to say that given he only got 10 overs in the match he'll never play for NZ again.

Stead should be sacked for allowing the fielding standards to slip so far (among other things). Australia's catching has been a massive point of difference between the two teams all tour.

Congrats to Henry and Sears. Two lion hearts doing their best to do it on their own. Shades of Chris Cairns in his final test when Martin, Mills and Oram all broke down injured mid match. As then, they just didn't have enough as I feared.

And bigger congrats to Australia clearly the better side and fully deserving of the 2-0 scoreline. It's been a pleasure to see them on this side of the ditch these past few weeks.

 

[thierry henry]

Australia clearly the fair and rightful winners but 80/5 chasing 280 in the 4th innings means you've soundly lost the first 87.5% of the test. Do not undersell the extent of this NZ choke just because the gormless and cowardly capitulation was so predictable.

 

[Burgey]

How much more does Starc have in the tank? He’s obviously the weak link in the attack and we have a ton of bowlers waiting to go

Not sure we really do though.

 

[jcas0167]

If Carey tons up here it will be shades of Gilchrist at Hobart 1999

Was thinking of that as a reason not to dismiss Australia's chances after Head was out. Carey was possibly at last chance saloon too after a poor series with the bat and a dropped catch in the second innings. Good on him. Wish we had bowled Phillips and maybe Ravindra earlier.

 

[Spark]

Not sure we really do though.

There's certainly blokes who merit having a look at. Hell if Spencer Johnson takes poles in his next few Shield games I'd be happy to give him an opportunity

 

[Bahnz]

Nz got what they deserved for repeatedly playing SP when there's probably a dozen better options for a 4th bowler around the country.

Actually stopped to think about this for a second:

Duffy, Smith, Fisher, Santner, Sears in game 1, Tickner given their head to head efforts last season, Ajaz, Lockie, Boult (yes I know he was never going to be picked but he is available), Doug...maybe Clarke? That's about it. Any other names to throw into the hat to round out the dozen?

 

[ataraxia]

Actually stopped to think about this for a second:

Duffy, Smith, Fisher, Santner, Sears in game 1, Tickner given their head to head efforts last season, Ajaz, Lockie, Boult (yes I know he was never going to be picked but he is available), Doug...maybe Clarke? That's about it. Any other names to throw into the hat to round out the dozen?

Kuggs was a much worse selection last year tbf. He had a lot of good form coming into this series after all. Still would have preferred Solia.

 

[anonymouskefe]

Actually stopped to think about this for a second:

Duffy, Smith, Fisher, Santner, Sears in game 1, Tickner given their head to head efforts last season, Ajaz, Lockie, Boult (yes I know he was never going to be picked but he is available), Doug...maybe Clarke? That's about it. Any other names to throw into the hat to round out the dozen?

also believe Wagner made himself available game 1

 

[TheJediBrah]

There's certainly blokes who merit having a look at. Hell if Spencer Johnson takes poles in his next few Shield games I'd be happy to give him an opportunity

I think there's plenty of guys rearing to go, just waiting for the chance who could outperform Starc. Starc has let more games run away from us than he's won for us

 

[Zinzan]

Saw the result. Has Southee officially retired yet so NZ cricket can move on from his mediocrity or is the plan that he stinks up the joint as the undroppable Test captain specialist for another 3 years?

 

[Bahnz]

also believe Wagner made himself available game 1

Yeah, Wagner would've been a passenger in this game, but he couldn't have been any less effective than Kugz. Probably good for the same number of runs across 2 innings as well. And we wouldn't have had to spend the entire 4 days wrestling with the dilema of cheering for the baddies against Captain Planet.

 

[Bahnz]

Saw the result. Has Southee officially retired yet so NZ cricket can move on from his mediocrity or is the plan that he stinks up the joint as the undroppable Test captain specialist for another 3 years?

He'll play on, using the justification that he's got a good record in Asia (for now at least).

 

[social]

Starc isn’t getting dropped anytime soon

 

[Gob]

No one lost today

Test cricket is the real winner. Infact I'd say both teams are winners of our hearts

Australia are the actual winners though

 

[TheJediBrah]

No one lost today

Test cricket is the real winner. Infact I'd say both teams are winners of our hearts

Australia are the actual winners though

Everyone playing today is a winner.

Except you NZ, you're cut