I'm not going through the many pages - I can't be bothered, so I will just post my thoughts on the whole Test match here. I even went up to day 2 and got charged $41 to get in, if I lived in Brisbane I would have turned around and gone home, alas I don't. How much does it cost to get into the other Test venues in Australia and where you live in other parts of the world?
Personally as a Black Caps fan, would have to say this is pretty shocking cricket from the New Zealanders, and once again relying on the lower order to get the runs. With all due respect, it is great that people like Oram, McCullum, Vettori, and Mills can bat, but the fact is that they have to keep coming up with the goods all the time, is quite frankly entering crisis point IMO. If the batsmen did their job, these guys up the order and did their job, maybe they could come in and play a lot easier?
IMO I think it is time for continual inconsistent preformers like Astle and Styris get put on notice and be told to get the runs on the board, otherwise they will no longer be certainties in the team unless they have the runs. They are continuelly not getting the runs on the board, thinking that the tail will bail them out, and guess what, they won't always. Certainly I have every right to be annoyed at Astle in the first innings. I mean Australia's bowling was good, but I have seen better from then, and their (NZ) game plan on going slow obviously should be thrown into the waste paper bin, as it doesn't the game styles of Fleming, Styris, Astle, McMillan and the rest. Seeing McMillan leave a Shane Warne half-tracker outside leg stump and not trying to hit it into the stands, really was disappionting.
In saying that give credit where it is due, and I was impressed with Sinclair, Oram, Vettori, Martin (so much for Andre's theroy that he would be cannon fodder), Clarke, Gilchrist, Kasprowicz, Gillepsie, and McGrath's batting. It was fun to watch McGrath bat even though it was hurting my team.
But what is up with Hayden's and Lehmann's form at the moment? And another thing, maybe it is because you English lot listen to him a lot, but I don't see what the fuss about Mark Nicohlas is, I haven't had a problem with him at all in the times I have listened.
Anyway, here is some photos from day 2, courstsey from my camera (pic 5 is a large Mexican hat and it is Lehmann chasing over it, which he put it on when running back to give it to the cop). It's funny how many beach balls get collected my the cops and how many pretty young ladies get asked to take their top off when they are walking up and down the aisles to get to their seat?
