***Official*** Australia in New Zealand 2016

[Moss]

Hardly the end of the match, but this series has shown that it's probably a good time to move on from the BMac era before it gets really stale. It's been an excellent 3 years for the most part, but the apparently trademarked aggressive brand of cricket has now meant that the batsmen won't grind out a score whether or not the conditions are in their favour, and the bowling attack similarly has forgotten how to bowl dry when needed. Add in the meme fields and tactics (which, to be fair, worked once upon a time when they were used sparingly), you do feel it's time for a back-to-basics approach.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Australia haven't had to play on a bad batting wicket since ultimately the UAE, where they got beaten by Pakistan. Full credit to them if practically all of their middle order continue to average in the high seventies in those conditions.

3rd Test: Australia v New Zealand at Adelaide, Nov 27-29, 2015 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

I guess you'll find some way to be a pedant about the concept of a "bad batting wicket". But the pitches in the UAE were not bad for batting at all.

 

[Daemon]

Video highlights: Australia bowled out for 60, England dominate day one | Sport | Newshub

Less than six months ago.

uh

That's cricket. Hilarious of you to suggest Australia hasn't fallen apart on wickets which have something in them in recent times. They do it a lot. But if NZ wants to hang its hat on winning a toss on a greenish pitch in order to win a test match, they probably need to look at the quality of the cricket they're playing, rather than lamenting being on the wrong side of a 50:50 coin toss.

Australia was also two for SFA in Wellington day one and then NZ dropped Smith and had the Voges set back. That's not the pitch's fault, that's poor cricket with regards to the catch and bad luck re the no ball. But hen Voges made 200 plus runs without NZ creating another chance from him. NZ has bowled more poorly than Australia for the most part through the series. That's been the difference here so far.

 

[Jord]

Sure, it was moving more then, than it was now, but NZ were clearly spooked by being sent in. The psychological effect of McCullum's innings cannot be underestimated IMO.

Or the fact that the ball literally stopped moving a metre once it pitched in the afternoon but hey; sure, it's only psychological.

I've already agreed Australia have been the much better side here and have stuck to the task more; but the reality is they've been given huge advantages that are hard to overcome for the opposition. These games were basically lost before tea of each first day and it wasn't due to an amazingly good bowling performance by Aus either.

 

[Spark]

3rd Test: Australia v New Zealand at Adelaide, Nov 27-29, 2015 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

I guess you'll find some way to be a pedant about the concept of a "bad batting wicket". But the pitches in the UAE were not bad for batting at all.

Yeah they were great batting decks. Clarke sides just didn't quite know how to bat on slow pitches.

 

[Jord]

3rd Test: Australia v New Zealand at Adelaide, Nov 27-29, 2015 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

I guess you'll find some way to be a pedant about the concept of a "bad batting wicket". But the pitches in the UAE were not bad for batting at all.

"It could've come off anything" was the defining factor in that test.

 

[Daemon]

3rd Test: Australia v New Zealand at Adelaide, Nov 27-29, 2015 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

I guess you'll find some way to be a pedant about the concept of a "bad batting wicket". But the pitches in the UAE were not bad for batting at all.

I love how certain people keep crying about the Lyon decision, but then forget quite easily that Australia's best bowler was unfortunately only able to bowl 9 overs in the game.

 

[Burgey]

Video highlights: Australia bowled out for 60, England dominate day one | Sport | Newshub

Less than six months ago.

This is my point. If you want to prepare decks which offer a lot on day one of a test, and I don't really have a problem with that because it makes for a contest between bat and ball, where you know the toss of the coin will be an important factor then you can't complain if it goes against you. That's the game.

 

[Daemon]

This is my point. If you want to prepare decks which offer a lot on day one of a test, and I don't really have a problem with that because it makes for a contest between bat and ball, where you know the toss of the coin will be an important factor then you can't complain if it goes against you. That's the game.

It's a bit unfair of you to lump what the fans want with what was given tbf. I don't think any of the NZers wanted a pitch that would seam for a little bit then become flat for the rest of the game, although it's pretty much what most of them predicted.

Point is, the fans are free to complain if they didn't want this sort of wicket in the first place. It's a bit like how Indian fans are allowed to moan about bad decisions even though the BCCI hates the DRS.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

"It could've come off anything" was the defining factor in that test.

Huh? You said Australia hadn't played on a "bad batting wicket" since the UAE, and I was correcting you, and also saying that the wickets in the UAE weren't bad for batting. This is a bad reply and you should feel bad.

 

[Spark]

It's a bit unfair of you to lump what the fans want with what was given tbf. I don't think any of the NZers wanted a pitch that would seam for a little bit then become flat for the rest of the game, although it's pretty much what most of them predicted.

That's mostly dependent on the weather, though. When the first two days are fairly hot and dry (amongst a hot and dry season), that's what'll happen unless you leave ludicrous amounts of grass on the pitch.

 

[Spark]

Anyway, this debate is terrible and I'm tired of it already.

 

[Daemon]

Meanwhile Voges has crept past the 100 mark again

 

[CM Punk]

Are our bowlers that terrible that they can't even get Lyon out?...

He's already scored more runs than some of our specialists will get in the next innings.

 

[Spark]

That's surely pitched outside leg?

EDIT: Or missing off

 

[CM Punk]

Not out.

It was a desperate review.

 

[Meridio]

Well look what's happened, we bowled three good balls in a very similar spot and created a chance. Don't think it will be out though.

 

[Spark]

Well look what's happened, we bowled three good balls in a very similar spot and created a chance. Don't think it will be out though.

Yeah this is the thing. The pitch isn't doing much, OK, but I just don't think NZ have bowled that well. They haven't bowled badly, but they've just created no real pressure and been consistently too short.

 

[Zinzan]

I'm not buying this "the toss was vital" tripe. People need to stop acting as if this series would have ended differently had NZ won the tosses. Other than McCullum innings, Australia have dominated nearly every session of every match. Australia are just the better side, and that's without their best bowler.

Jord's whinge is way over the top clearly, however I can only assume you haven't been watching if you can't concede the coin toss in the series to date is more important and crucial than usual on these pitches that are green and spicy as hell for 5-6 hours and then dry out to be roads.

That said, there's no doubt Aust have been and are the far better side, and I don't think even the most one-eyed NZ fan (with the possibly exception of KV who seems to have disappeared off the planet) would suggest otherwise.

So you're right about the gap between the teams, but should have an element of sympathy for losing the toss on these stupid wickets that only play up for such a short time.

Many of us kiwi fans have been complaining about these wickets that make the toss so crucial for a long time now since we always seem to lose them on a greentop.

Bring back the Indian series pitches of 2002 IMO, yes, those ones India moaned about for about 5 years afterwards..but at least they did plenty throughout the whole 5 days, the type of wickets that gives NZ are better chance of actually winning against the better teams. That's what the home advantage should be all about.

 

[jcas0167]

urgh, was hoping to tune in and find that lack of 4th slip to Lyon last night wouldn't be too costly. I guess Australia are odds on for 600.