**Official** New Zealand v Australia

[Top_Cat]

It's not that I've not seen him reverse swing the ball before, but I've never seen him consistently find unplayable reverse swing for a whole session before. He's never, in my experience, been the kind of reverse swing bowler who can keep it up consistently from the time the ball starts to reverse and decimate batting lineups in the process. I'm happy to admit that I haven't seen every delivery he's ever bowled of anything, but I've never thought of him much as a specialist reverse swing bowler.

Sorry man, didn't mean to make it seem as if I was having a dig.

Seriously, I've watched McGrath for many years now and he's always had that reverse swing happening (such as in his 6/17 against the WI at the 'Gabba in 2000). It's just not as exaggerated as Waqar/Wasim's is. Haven't seen the play today; was he moving it around a bit.

Actually, this brings up an interesting point; McGrath has only in the last couple of years started to consistently swing the ball. Maybe this why he's bowling so well. He keeps learning new skills. Most pace bowlers are well into their decline at his age but he keeps evolving. Batsmen were probably starting to feel that they were getting a hold of his seam-up bowling so he evolved a bit and now he's a different bowler. Again, the mark of a champion; never stops learning.

 

[Top_Cat]

New Zealand are doing a pretty good job with the ball without a lot of help from the pitch at the moment, but I have a bit of an ominous feeling about tomorrow morning. If Ponting and Martyn can make stumps they might tear apart this bowling lineup on the third day.

Looks like they've already started!

 

[Blaze]

I don't buy that for a second. You can't go out and play for a draw against Australia from here, that's the ultimate acceptance of inferiority.

We havent beaten them in a test for over a decade.. (12 years or something)

We have a dearth of bowling resources due to injury and the batting is weakened.

Even at full strength we would struggle to take Aussie to 5 days

The team itself will be thinking they can win but ultimatly they will be very happywith a draw

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Actually, this brings up an interesting point; McGrath has only in the last couple of years started to consistently swing the ball. Maybe this why he's bowling so well. He keeps learning new skills. Most pace bowlers are well into their decline at his age but he keeps evolving. Batsmen were probably starting to feel that they were getting a hold of his seam-up bowling so he evolved a bit and now he's a different bowler. Again, the mark of a champion; never stops learning.

Yep. If you saw his 8 wicket haul in Perth recently he was swinging the ball noticably the whole way through. I saw him talking about it afterwards, and he said he had tried coming in closer to the stumps rather than taking a wider run-up and leaping in towards the umpire in his delivery stride, and it had helped him with his swing. He's still letting it go from the same place, but he's changing his angle of approach. There's certainly a noticable difference in this regard between now and as recently as the Indian tour last year.

 

[Mister Wright]

Hmmm...I tend to agree, they've done it before and have the potential to do it again. Ponting was extremely lucky to survive a run out opportunity though while Vettori seems to be troubling him at times so we've still been creating chances.

It was Martyn who was almost run out.

 

[Somerset]

It was Martyn who was almost run out.

Really? I swear it looked like Ponting on the replay, then again I'm not really pay that much attention at the moment so I'll take your word for it.

 

[Mr Casson]

We havent beaten them in a test for over a decade.. (12 years or something)

We have a dearth of bowling resources due to injury and the batting is weakened.

Even at full strength we would struggle to take Aussie to 5 days

The team itself will be thinking they can win but ultimatly they will be very happywith a draw

NZ aren't at full strength at the moment are they?

Whether they are or aren't, they're an absolute disgrace to cricket if they can't take this game to the fifth day from here.

 

[Blaze]

NZ aren't at full strength at the moment are they?

Whether they are or aren't, they're an absolute disgrace to cricket if they can't take this game to the fifth day from here.

Ouch.. that's pretty harsh

 

[BlackCap_Fan]

Martyn gone!

Well bowled Vettori. It was only a matter of time.

 

[Somerset]

Martyn goes LBW to Vettori, huge wicket for New Zealand so late in the day. Replays indicate he probably edged the ball but at least we've got one go our way this time.

Gillespie in as night-watchman, interesting to see the Australians adopting that.

 

[Mister Wright]

Martyn goes LBW to Vettori, huge wicket for New Zealand so late in the day. Replays indicate he probably edged the ball but at least we've got one go our way this time.

Gillespie in as night-watchman, interesting to see the Australians adopting that.

Probably edged it!? It was all edge.

 

[Somerset]

NZ aren't at full strength at the moment are they?

Whether they are or aren't, they're an absolute disgrace to cricket if they can't take this game to the fifth day from here.

They should be able to take the game into the fifth day but even sides at full strength have sometimes struggled to take the game into day five in similar situations recently.

 

[Mr Casson]

Ouch.. that's pretty harsh

No it isn't. It shows more confidence in the NZ side than you have.

 

[BlackCap_Fan]

After seeing the replay, he clearly edged it.

But umpires are only human, and at normal speed I definately didn't pick up that edge.

 

[Blaze]

Probably edged it!? It was all edge.

Oh well as you aussies say it all evens out over time

 

[Mr Casson]

Oh well as you aussies say it all evens out over time

Absolutely.. I don't mind when things like this happen, because it's only good for Aussie fans to have some evidence that it doesn't all go our way.

The only shame was that it happened to Martyn.

Don't worry Linda, that count will get going... (next year)

 

[Somerset]

Probably edged it!? It was all edge.

Okay, I agree, it was a terrible decision but it's common knowledge that Australia always have a few go their way, so it'll certainly even out over this test match.

 

[Slow Love™]

I don't buy that for a second. You can't go out and play for a draw against Australia from here, that's the ultimate acceptance of inferiority.

But they are inferior.

Not sure I'd be playing for a draw this early, but if things start to go wrong for the Kiwis in their second dig, I won't blame them for trying to play it out from that point. People are too harsh on teams that are outclassed settling for a draw over a possible loss.

 

[Mister Wright]

Okay, I agree, it was a terrible decision but it's common knowledge that Australia always have a few go their way, so it'll certainly even out over this test match.

I wasn't disputing the fact that the Aussies get there fair share of gifts from the umpires (I agree they do), I was only debating the fact that you said it was 'probably' an edge.

 

[Hoggy31]

What the score?(cant be stuffed going to cricinfo, takes too long to load)