NZ under GrahamB (ICC3)

[Graham]

NZ v Bangladesh 2008 (2nd Test - Day Three)


New Zealand - 559/9 declared

R.Taylor - 237
L.Vincent - 130

Bangladesh - 324

F.Hossain - 123no
A.Sunny - 51
B.Martin - 4/58


Well we really should have done better on Day Three because we had Bangladesh reeling at 98/6!
But Faisal Hossain showed guts and determination to build two good partnerships with Arafat Sunny (51) and Mushfiqur Rahman (36).
Hossain went on to score his second test century and was unbeaten when we finally dismissed Bangladesh for 324.
Bruce Martin justified his selection as he finished with 4/58.

We turned down the option of enforcing the follow on and will hopefully set the visitors another huge total on a pitch already breaking up.

 

[Graham]

NZ v Bangladesh 2008 (2nd Test - Day Four)


New Zealand - 559/9 declared

R.Taylor - 237
L.Vincent - 130

Bangladesh - 324

F.Hossain - 123no
A.Sunny - 51
B.Martin - 4/58

New Zealand - 205/2 declared

R.Taylor - 104no
P.Fulton - 63

Bangladesh - 65/0

S.Nafees - 48no


It was difficult to score quickly against the Bangladeshi spinners, but we declared half an hour into the final session with a lead of 439 runs.
Ross Taylor completed an unbeaten century to go with his first innings double century!

Unfortunately Franklin and Gillespie were unable to make a breakthrough with the new ball, and so Bangladesh go into the final day with all ten wickets intact.
Surely they can't chase down 400+ again?!
Let's hope that Bruce Martin can weave some magic on Day Five, because the visiting spinners were turning the ball a mile.

 

[Graham]

NZ v Bangladesh 2008 (2nd Test - Bangladesh repeat the impossible!)


New Zealand - 559/9 declared

R.Taylor - 237
L.Vincent - 130

Bangladesh - 324

F.Hossain - 123no
A.Sunny - 51
B.Martin - 4/58

New Zealand - 205/2 declared

R.Taylor - 104no
P.Fulton - 63

Bangladesh - 441/4

M.Hossain - 148
K.Saleh - 100
S.Nafees - 96
Q.Islam - 41no
B.Martin - 3/129

Win to Bangladesh by 6 wickets

I've come to the conclusion that there are still problems with the international game that need to be addressed in a patch.
I've emailed Chris Childs as follows:

Some problems that need to be looked at are:

1. Whenever a the lower ranked batsman in a partnership overtakes the score
of the higher ranked batsman, a wicket falls shortly after. This also used
to happen in ICC 2005-06.

2. Left arm pacers bowl from the wrong side of the wicket by default and are
still slightly too expensive (also a problem in ICC 2005-06).

3. Batting totals are too high and consequently bowlers averages are too
high.

4. Bowling to a batsman's weaknesses should be more productive in the long
run.

5. 4th innings batting is too easy (as per ICC 2005-06. I've been beaten two
tests in a row at home by Bangladesh where they've scored 431/9 and 441/4
respectively on pitches with uneven bounce and sharp turn.

Please note that he's already aware that the LBW decisions need to be fixed and has said they would be addressed in the patch.

I'm probably going to give this story a rest now to try out the county game and see what I can discover there. I'll do it as a story also.
I could well come back to this story or run both - haven't decided for sure yet.

 

[Somerset]

Crazy results there, the ease with which Bangladesh secured the second test is terribly unrealistic! Good luck with the county game.

 

[Graham]

In case I do continue, next up are the ODIs against the Bangladeshis.

NZ Squad for ODIs v Bangladesh 2008

P.Fulton
R.Taylor
M.Papps

T.Weston (wk) (capt)
C.McMillan
M.Sinclair
N.Broom
C.Nevin (wk)

J.Ryder
J.Oram
K.Mills

W.McSkimming
S.Cunis
B.Hefford

B.Martin

 

[darko21]

Another issue that needs to be looked at is when playing a country and county game 9eg Australia and Warwickshire), I had a problem with a clash of matches that resulted in a shutdown.

Also, bowling average are way too high. After 3 seasons of half sim/half play, averages of youngsters is very bad and nothing to rely on.

 

[Graham]

NZ v Bangladesh 2008 (1st ODI)

New Zealand

P.Fulton
M.Papps
T.Weston (capt)
C.McMillan
M.Sinclair
C.Nevin (wk)
J.Ryder
J.Oram
W.McSkimming
S.Cunis
B.Hefford


Bangladesh

S.Nafees
M.Hossain
Q.Islam
K.Saleh
Q.Bashar (capt)
F.Hossain
M.Rahim (wk)
M.Rahman
K.Arafat
M.Sharif
N.Samad


Bangladesh - 209/8

S.Nafees - 53
Q.Islam - 44
J.Oram - 4/45
S.Cunis - 3/48

New Zealand - 210/7

C.McMillan - 71
M.Sinclair - 61
M.Rahman - 3/41


Bangladesh were going along comfortably at just over 4 runs per over throughout their innings, but lost wickets whenever they tried to accelerate.
Jacob Oram is very much Jekyl and Hyde with his bowling, but today he was superb, taking 4/45.
Stephen Cunis chimed in at the death to keep the visitors down to a smallish score.

We lost three quick wickets in the chase, but Craig McMillan and Mark Sinclair came to the rescue with a match winning partnership. Both scored very stylish half centuries.
Man of the match Jacob Oram steered us home after the Bangladeshis agian made it tough with some quick wickets at the end.

NZ go 1-0 up in the ODIs.

 

[Graham]

NZ v Bangladesh 2008 (2nd ODI)

No changes to either team for the second ODI.


Bangladesh - 190/9

K.Saleh - 76
J.Oram - 4/29
W.McSkimming - 3/43

New Zealand - 194/2

T.Weston - 97
P.Fulton - 73no


A superb bowling performance saw us restrict the Bangladeshis to 190/9 with only Saleh getting on top.
Jacob Oram again stepped up in the absence of the injured Shane Bond with the fine figures of 4/29 while Warren McSkimming had easily his best performance in NZ colours.

Michael Papps again fell early in our chase, but captain Tim Weston came in and was in sublime form as he built a partnership with a more solid Peter Fulton.
Weston was cruelly denied a century when he was caught in the deep on 97, but Fulton saw us through to an easy victory.

Revenge! We're 2-0 up in the ODIs.

 

[Graham]

NZ v Bangladesh 2008 (3rd ODI)

With the series decided already, both sides made changes.

We took the opportunity to give the rest of our squad a run with Ross Taylor, Neil Broom, Kyle Mills and Bruce Martin giving Peter Fulton, Craig McMillan, Jacob Oram and Stephen Cunis a rest.

The Bangladeshis brought in 20 year old batsman E.Bashire for his debut and Arafat Sunny also. They replaced F.Hossain and K.Arafat.


Bangladesh - 303/3

Q.Islam - 101
K.Saleh - 94no
Q.Bashar - 49no

New Zealand - 239

R.Taylor - 63
A.Sunny - 3/45
N.Samad - 3/50


The visitors had nothing to lose and came out with all guns blazing.
It was quickly apparent that we would be facing a big score as Islam raced to a century and Saleh almost completing one as well.
It was a disappointing bowling display to concede the biggest total since I took over.

We were managing to keep the required run rate to just over 6 runs an over, but the visiting bowlers kept chipping our batsmen out.
When the spinners started bowling from both ends through the middle stage of our innings, scoring became even more difficult and the required run rate rose to over 7.
When we tried to up the tempo, the innings fell apart. The total to chase was just too much for us.

A consolation win for the Bangladeshis who go home triumphant regardless because of their 2-0 win in the tests.

 

[IanBell]

I've always thought that ICC was unrealistic as regards the 4th innings scores..I lost the other day defending 470....but yeah, this version of ICC is still very enjoyable to play, even if I think the batting had become far too easy.