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

[SteveNZ]

Nah, the Aussie side is far superior, as they always are, and will bury NZ as they always do.

Then, as they always do, Kiwi supporters will refuse to accept that their side is just objectively inferior and try to blame the loss on some Australia-specific psychological issue

Wouldn't it make you feel more macho if it was the latter?

I mean, you are somewhat right... Australia are a better side. Our batting might actually be better, just, but our batsmen have to face your bowlers (who are definitely better) and vice versa.

All I pray for is a couple of close matches and that Nigel Llong is not in the country

 

[SteveNZ]

There'll be zero swing, the decks will dry up faster than my old tinder matches after a couple lines of conversation

This made me giggle. Keep chipping away fella

 

[SteveNZ]

PS can we not talk about Brad Haddin please? The guy is a **** and long forgotten.

 

[NZTailender]

Then, as they always do, Kiwi supporters will refuse to accept that their side is just objectively inferior and try to blame the loss on some Australia-specific psychological issue

I don't believe in this at all.

On a completely unrelated subject, how are Australia going to win this without David Warner's finger sandpaper bandages?

 

[Flem274*]

Will Boult make himself available?

Going in with 3 right arm 135kph outswing bowlers is a bit England in Australia for my liking. I know one is absolutely massive but still, our conditions are closer to Aus than England's are.

Annoyingly all our best prospects are similar now that Lockie looks cooked bar Sears. O'Rourke hits the deck bloody hard but similar pace to the others.

 

[Qlder]

Calls for Xavier Bartlett to be added to to the Test squad. He needed resting after one ODI, hasn't played a shield game this season and last played red ball 10 months ago for Aus A vs NZ A. People have to be kidding?

Surely Scott Boland will be the only spare pacer? (Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris injured and Spencer Johnson red ball same as Bartlett)

 

[straw man]

Will Boult make himself available?

Going in with 3 right arm 135kph outswing bowlers is a bit England in Australia for my liking. I know one is absolutely massive but still, our conditions are closer to Aus than England's are.

Annoyingly all our best prospects are similar now that Lockie looks cooked bar Sears. O'Rourke hits the deck bloody hard but similar pace to the others.

When this series was announced I thought Boult might end up playing, but right now he's playing in that Dubai T20 series and I don't know when he last played a long-form match, so he's nigh-on unselectable imo. Even if he decided to suddenly make himself available, I'd have a hard time selecting him outside an injury crisis. It's a shame but he's made his choice.

Accept the right-arm-medium pace, it's destiny.

 

[Flem274*]

When this series was announced I thought Boult might end up playing, but right now he's playing in that Dubai T20 series and I don't know when he last played a long-form match, so he's nigh-on unselectable imo. Even if he decided to suddenly make himself available, I'd have a hard time selecting him outside an injury crisis. It's a shame but he's made his choice.

Accept the right-arm-medium pace, it's destiny.

Out, out, out, out, in x1000

 

[TheJediBrah]

Calls for Xavier Bartlett to be added to to the Test squad. He needed resting after one ODI, hasn't played a shield game this season and last played red ball 10 months ago for Aus A vs NZ A. People have to be kidding?

Surely Scott Boland will be the only spare pacer? (Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris injured and Spencer Johnson red ball same as Bartlett)

Since when do you go on a Test tour with only 1 spare seam bowler

 

[Immenso]

Since when do you go on a Test tour with only 1 spare seam bowler

It's closer than Perth, though.

 

[Gnske]

PS can we not talk about Brad Haddin please? The guy is a **** and long forgotten.

Hello Grant Elliott

 

[Qlder]

Since when do you go on a Test tour with only 1 spare seam bowler

Well it's only 2 Tests and it's a quick flight from Aus for a replacement.

If there was an unlikely last minute emergency that took out 2 pacers you could even go with Hardie batting #7 so you have 2 pacers & Lyon plus Green, Marsh, Hardie, Head

 

[SteveNZ]

Hello Grant Elliott

Or Daniel Vettori, or Ross Taylor, or any of the other guys with better careers than Mr 31-32 himself who got lip in the final.

I've said this elsewhere but Haddin said in his book that NZ players contacted Australian players before the World Cup to offer any help or assistance, which a player in the squad has said is absolute horse rubbish.

 

[Gnske]

Or Daniel Vettori, or Ross Taylor, or any of the other guys with better careers than Mr 31-32 himself who got lip in the final.

I've said this elsewhere but Haddin said in his book that NZ players contacted Australian players before the World Cup to offer any help or assistance, which a player in the squad has said is absolute horse rubbish.

Of course they'll deny being passive aggressive and inciting him. Victim mentality at its finest. Ohhh the MCG is too big its a cheat, ohhh boundaries don't matter, Lyon should have been out.

 

[Athlai]

Compelling stuff

 

[Gnske]

Also I've never seen Haddin's book so i'll just have to take Steve's word that he and the media aren't making it up.

 

[Hurricane2]

.I think the T20s are irrelevant but that is probably our best chance to get some blood if Finn Allen comes off.
All of New Zealand is really hoping Steve Smith with his rollicking SR of 125 isn't selected for Australia's T20 side as then we will have no hope.

 

[Nintendo]

Why is everyone so negative on stoinis and David all of a sudden lol? They both had one bad bbl (think stoinis was poor in the sa20 aswell, tbf) and everyone forgets how good they've been for AUS. Before we had these two and wade we had ashton agar at 7 with carey (ewww). Our batting ended after maxwell at 4 and we where dogshit. It was so bad at a point that johno wells for AUS was a semi serious suggestion.



The only other middle order bat in the bbl making runs is turner, and he's out injured. Since coming in for AUS, david is averaging 26 at a sr of 170 from memory. Stoinis is 30-35 at 160 in that same period. The reason we won in 2021 was warner, marsh, and david+stoinis being clutch. Stoinis was our best bat in the WC after that in AUS, and the reason we missed out on the semi's wasn't david, stoinis or wade's fault. Our bowling was dogshit, we dropped crucial catches vs ireland and AFG and let those games get too close, and marsh+warner at 1 and 3 had terrible tournaments.

 

[Gob]

Why is everyone so negative on stoinis and David all of a sudden lol? They both had one bad bbl (think stoinis was poor in the sa20 aswell, tbf) and everyone forgets how good they've been for AUS. Before we had these two and wade we had ashton agar at 7 with carey (ewww). Our batting ended after maxwell at 4 and we where dog****. It was so bad at a point that johno wells for AUS was a semi serious suggestion.



The only other middle order bat in the bbl making runs is turner, and he's out injured. Since coming in for AUS, david is averaging 26 at a sr of 170 from memory. Stoinis is 30-35 at 160 in that same period. The reason we won in 2021 was warner, marsh, and david+stoinis being clutch. Stoinis was our best bat in the WC after that in AUS, and the reason we missed out on the semi's wasn't david, stoinis or wade's fault. Our bowling was dog****, we dropped crucial catches vs ireland and AFG and let those games get too close, and marsh+warner at 1 and 3 had terrible tournaments.

David didn't play

 

[Nintendo]

David didn't play

Meant wade+stoinis, my bad on that.