• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

**Official** New Zealand in Australia

Athlai

Not Terrible
No mates. NZ played bloody good cricket to keep Australia to that score on a flat track as this (evidenced by just 9 wickets lost in 99 overs). It's just that Clarke was **** batting so slow and thinking they could choke NZ into a pressure run chase that did them in.

O'Brilliant must be one of the best death bowlers going around with such performances. Only if Taylor came out of his throwing his wicket away just before it!

ICC - Ranking Predictor

Hooray! SA are No.1 in ICC rankings. India No.2!, Australia slips to No.3.

In fact, if NZ whitewashes Aussies this series, they'll jump to No.2, India No.3 and Australia No.4.

Just WOW!
Clarke batted to the slow conditions and rebuilt on a pretty hefty collapse. Not giving him credit for decent knock.
 

alternative

Cricket Web Content Updater
Australia bowled as reasonably as they can, despite Hilfenhaus who was crap. But it was really the pathetic batting effort towards the end that did them in, A total of 250 was surely gettable, and defendable too. Anyways, looking forward to Sydney match, and the sooner Australia comes out of this dire Warneria, the better.
Thought it was poor effort from Pup, being a captain and senior player he needed to set the pace. Hussey didn't help the cause either, both of them lost the game for mine.

Definitely the bowling from Kiwi's was brilliant, but simply the batting from Australia is not up to it.
 

pup11

International Coach
Great win, can't believe we're 2-0 up!

Surely Cameron White is a better bowler than David Hussey?
Yes he is, but i don't think either are good enough to get away every game by sneaking in and bowling 3 or 4 overs.

I think as honest as Clarke was during the post match interview, he should have been more honest when question regarding spinners was asked.

Instead he dodged the bullet saying that there were enough spin options within the team, and only the execution has been the problem, if he or the team-management seriously think that the part-timers filling in as the fifth bowler in the middle overs isn't a problem, then they are in a serious need of reality check.
 

KiWiNiNjA

International Coach
Hindsight is wonderful, isn't it.

Clarke played a great innings, maybe he should have scored quicker, but he occupied one end and batted through a lot of others at a decent clip. People are being a bit harsh.
 

Precambrian

Banned
Clarke batted to the slow conditions and rebuilt on a pretty hefty collapse. Not giving him credit for decent knock.
No credit, Sorry no. I'd have taken a 60 ball 50 from him any day than this sorry 133 ball 90odd. Robbed Aussies of any momentum with his slowcoach batting esp in the death overs, regardless of how well NZ bowled. The fact that Aussies were only 5 down is testimony to that. Clarke never accelerated when the need came.

NZ's best chance to get to the top tier is NOW! They have a realistic chance of winning this 5-0 and leap to No.2. That will be a huge boost to cricket in NZ which they direly want atm. Not to mention the confidence a 5-0 trouncing of their biggest rivals.
 

Johnners

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Love the shout for Harwood. Desperate.
Meh, Harwood is in excellent ODD form, keeps it tight, and has been an excellent death bowler for Victoria over the past 2 seasons. He won't be picked because of his age, but in the interests of keeping the series alive, he'd be perfect for what the team needs IMO.
 

Precambrian

Banned
Hindsight is wonderful, isn't it.

Clarke played a great innings, maybe he should have scored quicker, but he occupied one end and batted through a lot of others at a decent clip. People are being a bit harsh.
Hmm.. no, please look back my posts, I was criticising Clarke for his slow batting during the Aussie innings itself, regardless of how the events might have unfolded later on. And I was spot on.
 

Johnners

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
No credit, Sorry no. I'd have taken a 60 ball 50 from him any day than this sorry 133 ball 90odd. Robbed Aussies of any momentum with his slowcoach batting esp in the death overs, regardless of how well NZ bowled. The fact that Aussies were only 5 down is testimony to that. Clarke never accelerated when the need came.

NZ's best chance to get to the top tier is NOW! They have a realistic chance of winning this 5-0 and leap to No.2. That will be a huge boost to cricket in NZ which they direly want atm. Not to mention the confidence a 5-0 trouncing of their biggest rivals.
You wouldn't have even made the team actually.
 

four_or_six

Cricketer Of The Year
Problem wasn't really Clarke batting slowly, it was that he and Hussey both batted fairly slowly and both got out without upping the rate. Anyway, NZ bowled well and batted very sensibly.
 

Precambrian

Banned
If Clarke didn't score his 130 odd 90 Australia wouldn't have made 200.
Disagree. The pitch was hardly unplayable, and yes, NZ bowled exceptionally well during the middle overs. But someone would have surely stepped up (White, Hopes) and Aussies might have scored 250+.

It's not to suggest Clarke should have been out for less than 10. No. As Pasag showed us earlier, many guys have bailed out their teams of such precarious positions, and yet ended up with significantly better SR in the end. Clarke did well to bail Aussies out of trouble, but lacked anything above 2nd gear, and finally it was a job half baked and added nothing for Australia.
 

Johnners

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Hmm.. no, please look back my posts, I was criticising Clarke for his slow batting during the Aussie innings itself, regardless of how the events might have unfolded later on. And I was spot on.
No you weren't spot on. If he went for his shots, and did manage to score 60 from 50 then get out... Australia would have been say 4/120 before the half-way point in the innings, exposing a weak/inexperienced lower order to some very good NZ bowling. But hey, you would've made the team, and played how you want to because no bowling is ever good enough to dictate the way you play, right?
 

Top