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

[TheJediBrah]

Doesn’t it do the opposite? To say we just weren’t good enough absolves us of blame. To say we could have and should have done better but played like weak-willed idiots is, properly, blaming us.

Partly, but it's also mostly cope

Basically rationalisation to avoid accepting they're a better team, we just always lose to them because mental reasons

 

[TheJediBrah]

In all seriousness, I expect this nz side from 2014-ish to now to be good enough at winning away tests anywhere and also the world cups. They're definitely good enough. Just sense from their words and body language that the staff, players don't actually believe that themselves and are quite ok with being mid. Cricket at any given time only has 4 or 5 teams (sometimes less) who are actually competitive and there is a world cup every year. We are one of those 4 or 5 teams. No excuses on why we shouldn't be winning gold.

It ain't like football where there's legit 20 or 30 competitive teams hence reducing your chances of winning gold consistently.

I don't think there's anything wrong with being mid. Of course you should always aim as high as possible but NZ is a small country and cricket is not even close to the most popular sport. There are 4 subcontinental countries with bigger populations who basically only play cricket as a sport they're competitive in. Australia and England are bigger countries with more of s population to choose from. NZ being in the top 4 is a huge achievement

 

[thundaboult]

I don't think there's anything wrong with being mid. Of course you should always aim as high as possible but NZ is a small country and cricket is not even close to the most popular sport. There are 4 subcontinental countries with bigger populations who basically only play cricket as a sport they're competitive in. Australia and England are bigger countries with more of s population to choose from. NZ being in the top 4 is a huge achievement

 

[Owzat]

didn't end up saying it last night but thought the kiwis would win that one, at 80/5 they probably should have

 

[Bahnz]

Partly, but it's also mostly cope

Basically rationalisation to avoid accepting they're a better team, we just always lose to them because mental reasons

I think there's a mental element to a small extent. Compare how NZ rallied with Wagner in the team v England last year with this performance today. One of the things we'll miss the most about him, he was always the guy who picked the team up when things were looking dire.

But yeah, mostly it's that Australia are just a better team. Better bowlers certainly, better fielders by miles. Batting's a lot closer especially with Conway falling away in the last 6 months, but even there Australia probably have a slight edge thanks to their lower order.

For NZ fans the most frustrating aspect is the fact that there are guys out there who deserve a shot to prove that NZ can be better than this and they're just not getting it due to a combination of conservative selection and deference to guys who are past their best. Matt Fisher can bowl 140+ and averages sub-24 in FC cricket and I doubt we'll see him play for NZ any time in the next 18 months.

 

[Gob]

idk why everyone is so pissed about nz tbh

once sl, bdesh, scotland, netherlands, larp africa come back we're golden and all of this will be forgotten #blackthebackcaps #allgood #whocares #loseasemifinal #beatuptheminnows #125km #timsouthee

Don't they beat up India like regularly. At home I mean

 

[Howsie]

Had a great chat with him (from my perspective, I was about 8 beers deep, so maybe not from his). Definitely a good guy, I think getting the job came as a huge surprise to him so he's making the most of it!

He’s got an account on reddit where he’s replying to a lot of the “comments” about his gig. Just having fun with it, seems pretty down to earth and doesn’t take himself to seriously. Obviously he knows nothing about cricket but good on him

 

[Burgey]

I feel the need to say again how ****ing good that was from Carey today. Bloke looked mostly clueless for about 8 months, but to play that knock in those circs was the sort of thing even Gilly would be proud of. Just immense.



"I'm Just Ken Kez"

Pic courtesy AustralianWomensCricketWithVeryLittleContext via Twitter.

 

[Flem274*]

Partly, but it's also mostly cope

Basically rationalisation to avoid accepting they're a better team, we just always lose to them because mental reasons

I don't think there's anything wrong with being mid. Of course you should always aim as high as possible but NZ is a small country and cricket is not even close to the most popular sport. There are 4 subcontinental countries with bigger populations who basically only play cricket as a sport they're competitive in. Australia and England are bigger countries with more of s population to choose from. NZ being in the top 4 is a huge achievement

You're chirpier than you were this morning with the game in the balance. The posting equivalent of Mitch Starc only sledging Jeet Raval.

 

[Jarquis]

Not enough. Aus to get there 8 or 9 down. Southee's non runs the difference with Cummins 24*

Prophetic.

 

[ashley bach]

Flem = Messiah

 

[TheJediBrah]

You're chirpier than you were this morning with the game in the balance. The posting equivalent of Mitch Starc only sledging Jeet Raval.

Thanks captain obvious

 

[ashley bach]

I feel the need to say again how ****ing good that was from Carey today. Bloke looked mostly clueless for about 8 months, but to play that knock in those circs was the sort of thing even Gilly would be proud of. Just immense.

View attachment 39596

"I'm Just Ken Kez"

Pic courtesy AustralianWomensCricketWithVeryLittleContext via Twitter.

Another failure today and the same pic would apply with Carey's head in a noose. It's such a fine line between success and failure.
Anyway reckon he's good to keep his spot for at least 3 more years regardless how he performs.

 

[Spark]

Another failure today and the same pic would apply with Carey's head in a noose. It's such a fine line between success and failure.
Anyway reckon he's good to keep his spot for at least 3 more years regardless how he performs.

That's elite sport though no? In the end, it's simply a numbers game.

 

[Burgey]

That's elite sport though no? In the end, it's simply a numbers game.

Indeed, which is why the numb-skulled posts in the India-England tour thread about 4-1 being not a bad tour are laughable and stupid and worthy of perma-bans for the people who posted them.

 

[Bahnz]

Rating time

Latham 5/10 - played bloody well at Hagley actually. Got NZ off to a solid start on the morning of day 1, and then set them up beautifully on day 2. Still can't pass 80 to save his life, but honestly, who else is there who can make it to 30? Certainly not...
Young 2/10 - only scrapes to 2 by virtue of the fact that he manage to chew up a decent number of balls during his stays at the crease. Just not a test opener. Maybe a decent test 5, but with Daz in the side he's not getting a shot.
KW 4/10 - crushing series for those of us who insisted so ardently that he's not a minnow basher. You can probably give him a pass at the Basin, but at Hagley he finally had a guilt edged opportunity to leave his mark on an NZ v AUS test, and one moment of misjudgement was all Patman needed.
Rachin 7/10 - looks the goods. Still raw as a freshly gutted fish, but hopefully he'll learn. Needs to work on his fielding drills though.
Mitchell 6/10 - the numbers don't look that flash with a sub-30 average but played 2 really gritty 2nd innings knocks in extremely challenging circumstances. Probably the 2nd best bat in the side.
Blundell 2/10 - boy Blundell's had a **** 12 months since that epic series v England. Keeping looks a bit sloppy as well, even if he remains pretty sharp to any stumping opportunities.. Hopefully he can take some inspiration from Carey's innings today and turn things around.
Phillips 6/10 - very mixed bag for Glenn. After a great start he ended up with pretty disappointing returns with the bat for such a talented guy. His spin bowling was borderline batting all-rounder quality though, and he brings so much in the field to what is otherwise a dreadful set of catchers.
Henry 10/10 - couldn't realistically ask for more. I'm not surprise he gassed today, he'd been bowling 9-10 over spells 3 days in a row, can't blame him that the rest of the attack couldn't capitalise on the opportunities he created.
Southee 1/10 - thanks for the great career Tim!
Kugz 0/10 - **** off SP!
O'Rourke - 5/10, bowled with surprisingly good pace. I think he's actually a naturally quicker bowler than Sears, the ball seems to come out much more effortlessly, feels like he could bowl in that high-130's low-140's range with comparatively little effort. His lengths were all wrong for day 1 at the Basin, but he didn't leak too many runs and picked up a couple of important wickets.
Sears 7/10 - now that's more like it! Youth (well comparatively, he is 26), enthusiasm, aggression. Couldn't get the job done but showed a glimpse of the fast bowling potential he has, and the wider talent that's floating around in the Plunket Shield. Wayward admittedly, but a lot to like, hope he gets more opportunities.

 

[Days of Grace]

I think the game was really lost when we went from 270-3 to 370 all out. Another 50 runs and Australia need 100 with 3 wickets remaining.

 

[Molehill]

I feel the need to say again how ****ing good that was from Carey today. Bloke looked mostly clueless for about 8 months, but to play that knock in those circs was the sort of thing even Gilly would be proud of. Just immense.

View attachment 39596

"I'm Just Ken Kez"

Pic courtesy AustralianWomensCricketWithVeryLittleContext via Twitter.

I guess he might finally now be remembered for something other than the Lord's run out. Only took 8 months to get Broad's line out of his head.

I do seriously think that affected him. He seems a good bloke (was well liked at Sussex unlike that **** Head) with a lot of links to the English game, I'm not sure how comfortable he was in that scenario. I suspect Inglis would've had no qualms - traitor!

 

[Molehill]

I think the game was really lost when we went from 270-3 to 370 all out. Another 50 runs and Australia need 100 with 3 wickets remaining.

The key thing there was that the second new ball did the trick. The new ball caused issues all the way through. Could NZ have scored a bit quicker against the older ball?

 

[Bahnz]

I think the game was really lost when we went from 270-3 to 370 all out. Another 50 runs and Australia need 100 with 3 wickets remaining.

Probably still would've done it to be honest. Rachin dropping Marsh was the big moment, even if we can't know if it was genuinely match-losing.