**Official** New Zealand in Australia Thread

[Mr Casson]

NZ bowling really well at the moment. Batsmen are surviving at the moment though.

But Ponting is being made to look a bit foolish. He can't do anything but survive.

 

[odyssey]

c'mon New Zealand

Hey Nibbs you better check the MiniGolf champion rankings :P

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

But Ponting is being made to look a bit foolish. He can't do anything but survive.

He's looking a bit more comfortable now. If New Zealand don't break this partnership it's going to start looking bad for them in the final session.

 

[_Ed_]

Langer a bit lucky to still be there...looked a lot like he nicked that Oram ball through to McCullum, but the umpire thought otherwise and that's what matters I guess.

 

[Mr Casson]

Langer probably should have been out. It wasn't a big nick, but he certainly seemed out to myself and the Channel 9 commentary team. "Snicko" showed that it was a pretty close call, so I guess you can't please everyone...

 

[Top_Cat]

Two things;

Firstly, what a knock from Oram! Outstanding. It had everything; guts, brains and some brutal hitting. Awesome. One of the innings of the year considering the circumstances.

Secondly, as I type Ponting is on 25. I'm going on record as tipping him for 150+. Don't say you weren't warned.

 

[Slow Love™]

Hah! Dirty Langer strikes again!

Looking at his face, immediately after, he knew he was out. About the only person who didn't was Aleem Dar. Well, you can't accuse Langer of being a hypocrite.

I'm a little nervous about this test match. The pitch is a beauty, IMO - quite true, but with a fair bit of bounce, life isn't exactly comforable for the batsmen. And Oram's innings scared the crap out of the Aussies - thank god the break came when it did, and the momentum was lost.

BTW, I hate these two-test series. I can understand it when Zim or Bangladesh are involved, but there's no way two major test nations should be playing off over two. One bad day, and one of the teams can't win the series. Leave the mini-series to Sydney Sheldon or Lynda LaPlante, for chrissakes.

Good match so far, and I think 350 is a pretty decent score. We seem to have developed a bad habit of not being able to clean up the tail after running through the top order nice eand early. Happened in Sri Lanka, in India, and here again (even if the Kiwi tail has a tendency to do this).

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

BTW, I hate these two-test series. I can understand it when Zim or Bangladesh are involved, but there's no way two major test nations should be playing off over two.

Agreed. My two biggest pet peeves in modern cricket: flat wickets with nothing for the bowlers and two test series.

Secondly, as I type Ponting is on 25. I'm going on record as tipping him for 150+. Don't say you weren't warned.

If that was a bet I'm not sure I'd take it. Ponting is a master of playing himself into form after a poor start, and he has that feeling about him today. I'd tip him to be not out at stumps, at least.

 

[Mr Casson]

We seem to have developed a bad habit of not being able to clean up the tail after running through the top order nice eand early. Happened in Sri Lanka, in India, and here again (even if the Kiwi tail has a tendency to do this).

That's where I think Brett Lee would come in handy. The only problem is that there's no room at the moment, unless Australia drops a batsman.

 

[Slow Love™]

Well, you can't accuse Langer of being a hypocrite.

Actually you can, I forgot that Langer made some pledge about walking about a year ago and told Vaughan off for not walking back in '02 at Adelaide.

Perhaps I should have used the word inconsistent...

 

[Slow Love™]

That's where I think Brett Lee would come in handy. The only problem is that there's no room at the moment, unless Australia drops a batsman.

Possibly, although I think that Ponting could also be a little more flexible with the bowling when things aren't going so great. Not sure I'd risk Lee against top orders in tests for a while tho.

 

[Mr Casson]

Actually you can, I forgot that Langer made some pledge about walking about a year ago and told Vaughan off for not walking back in '02 at Adelaide.

Perhaps I should have used the word inconsistent...

Did he make a pledge to walk? I don't remember that.

Furthermore, words are one thing, but you can't call him inconsistent for it. He's never been a walker. Cast your mind back to Australia vs. Pakistan at Bellerive in 1999, facing Wasim Akram. Yeah.

 

[Mr Casson]

Possibly, although I think that Ponting could also be a little more flexible with the bowling when things aren't going so great. Not sure I'd risk Lee against top orders in tests for a while tho.

'Risk' him? He's being judged almost entirely on what happened at Sydney against India. That was almost a year ago now. He's back, he seems to be bowling well, he's fitter than ever. I think he deserves another go.

 

[Slow Love™]

1/84 at tea, not too bad, really, considering it's looked pretty tough out there.

 

[Top_Cat]

Cast your mind back to Australia vs. Pakistan at Bellerive in 1999, facing Wasim Akram. Yeah.

That one was a bit weird. Even the most stringent walker would have probably struggled to walk on that one. The nick was VERY fine and I doubt even the batsman would have heard it.

 

[Slow Love™]

Did he make a pledge to walk? I don't remember that.

Furthermore, words are one thing, but you can't call him inconsistent for it. He's never been a walker. Cast your mind back to Australia vs. Pakistan at Bellerive in 1999, facing Wasim Akram. Yeah.

Yeah, he made a big song and dance about it, late last year, saying it was about time that international players restored the spirit of the game...

I wasn't calling him inconsistent though, I meant the opposite - I just should have used the word "inconsistent" instead of "hypocrite" when I said, "Well, you can't accuse Langer of being a hypocrite".

 

[Mr Casson]

That one was a bit weird. Even the most stringent walker would have probably struggled to walk on that one. The nick was VERY fine and I doubt even the batsman would have heard it.

The Pakistanis all heard something, so Langer had no excuse! Mind you the Pakistani cricket team will appeal for anything.

 

[Slow Love™]

'Risk' him? He's being judged almost entirely on what happened at Sydney against India. That was almost a year ago now. He's back, he seems to be bowling well, he's fitter than ever. I think he deserves another go.

Watching him "do the lawnmower" after capturing the 5th wicket at 650 or so was probably Lee at his worst, but his figures in test cricket have been steadily declining since that first major injury, and it's hard to remember that many good days in that period. In terms of one-day cricket, I'd agree, but so long as Kasper's performing well at test level, I don't see the need for Lee (and I wouldn't displace a batsman to fit him in either - who would you ditch, Clarke???).

 

[Mr Casson]

Yeah, he made a big song and dance about it, late last year, saying it was about time that international players restored the spirit of the game...

I suppose you can call him what you like for that, then. However it's not team policy to walk, and it never has been. So there's no reason he should have walked today.

 

[Slow Love™]

Watching the game on TV, I was a little surprised at how condemning Ian Chappell was of the NZ gameplan (this idea of stretching the game out into the fifth day), 'cause I don't really think it's worked too badly up to this point. I realise there's a funny, stating the obvious aspect of "if we play really well and stretch Australia, we might actually be able to compete up to the end" about it, but I thought Chappelli was a little over-scathing about their slow tactics on the first day. Occupying the crease until lunch today was a reasonable enough objective, I'd have thought - and quite often they lost their wickets (and gave chances) when they deviated from that plan (MacMillan, I'm looking at you) more than when they stuck to it.

At this point, the Kiwis are well in the match - it's amazing, how we struggle to put them away, even with such a weakened lineup. If they manage to draw this series, I'll hang myself from the chandelier.