***Official*** Pakistan in New Zealand 2016/17

[Zinzan]

I have always been reading his posts though and I genuinely like him as a poster.

Appreciate that mate, but to be fair I've always been pretty forthright in my posting I don't think today is any different in that respect.

 

[Dick Rockett]

Jeez, the poor guy can't win. Imagine if he'd put up a breezy 30 and chucked it away.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Smali's **** team showing it's true colours on this series

 

[Mike5181]

Jeez, the poor guy can't win. Imagine if he'd put up a breezy 30 and chucked it away.

He's winning on the scoreboard today, that's all that matters.

 

[SteveNZ]

Very good innings, but let's not pretend NZ weren't already kind of safe when he joined Latham 2 down with a lead over 160.

They weren't at all safe. 300 was still eminently chase able, and with a middle order that features Nicholls/de Grandhomme, the responsibility was squarely on his shoulders. In no way does that equate to anything like a downhill skiing innings. Doesn't come near Manchester in terms of his greatest tons but it's a goodie. Pakistan are a good side, pitch still doing a bit, eye problems, ongoing hype around his form...nothing about it says downhill.

 

[Zinzan]

They weren't at all safe. 300 was still eminently chase able, and with a middle order that features Nicholls/de Grandhomme, the responsibility was squarely on his shoulders. In no way does that equate to anything like a downhill skiing innings. Doesn't come near Manchester in terms of his greatest tons but it's a goodie. Pakistan are a good side, pitch still doing a bit, eye problems, ongoing hype around his form...nothing about it says downhill.

Look I really wasn't trying to take anything way from what was an excellent innings. I think it was fair to say coming in at (effectively) 160-2 is a touch easier than 20-2 would have, that's all a meant. Had he been dismissed cheaply, who knows NZ could have got rolled, but I doubt it at that point.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

How many instances that a team scored over 350 in 4th innings in 100 odd overs to win a test match? Younis pulled off a brilliant win against SL iirc but that took more than one and a half day (?)

 

[vcs]

Pakistan pulled off amazing chases against SL on two occasions, so they do have some previous. But these are alien conditions and you'd think NZ will find it much easier to control the scoring if a partnership develops for them at some stage.

 

[Zinzan]

Pakistan pulled off amazing chases against SL on two occasions, so they do have some previous. But these are alien conditions and you'd think NZ will find it much easier to control the scoring if a partnership develops for them at some stage.

Yeah, I think if nothing else NZ should be able to control the run-rate well enough to keep them under the 3.8-4 an over they'll need.

 

[Dick Rockett]

Pakistan are not going to get this total.

 

[SteveNZ]

Look I really wasn't trying to take anything way from what was an excellent innings. I think it was fair to say coming in at (effectively) 160-2 is a touch easier than 20-2 would have, that's all a meant. Had he been dismissed cheaply, who knows NZ could have got rolled, but I doubt it at that point.

Nah fair enough, I just wouldn't want anything to downplay what a fine innings that was. And a lot of people (me included) said before the Test that he might well be done for, which on the basis of today doesn't have to be the case.

 

[Black_Warrior]

How many instances that a team scored over 350 in 4th innings in 100 odd overs to win a test match? Younis pulled off a brilliant win against SL iirc but that took more than one and a half day (?)

And that was on a flat pitch against a minnow side and YK is a flat track bully so doesn't count.

 

[Blocky]

Jeez, the poor guy can't win. Imagine if he'd put up a breezy 30 and chucked it away.

De Grandhomme did that and it was superb for the situation he was in; the innings he played was fine, but we've seen too much of this **** from him to be too excited and think it's the turn around back to a guy who can help the team win series.

You've got two types of fans in NZ.

Objective: Those who aren't fairweather and don't let a single performance change their perception of the heading of a player and/or the side, i.e not being excited about De Grandhomme as NZ's best ever first change bowler, not being excited about "The return of Southee" on the evidence of one test.

Subjective: He's a good bloke and he's hit runs for us before/taken wickets for us before and it doesn't matter that he's not consistently done it against any serious opponent in a way that wins us test series, we like him when he does it.

All too often peak performance is all NZ fans and selectors look at. I'd rather Jeet Raval doing fifties and thirties every innings than someone who scores a century every 10.

 

[Blocky]

And that was on a flat pitch against a minnow side and YK is a flat track bully so doesn't count.

Conditions are quite perfect for you here though...

Southee despite first innings form hasn't taken wickets at less than 45 for two seasons, Henry despite helpful conditions in England and here hasn't taken wickets below 60, De Grandhomme while taking seven-fer in the last game isn't actually a soul destroying pace bowling demon and Santner is short on match practice and unproven.

All you really need to do is have good performances against Southee and hope Wagner doesn't bounce you out and you'll go closer than you expect.

Conversely for NZ - if Southee can find his best and Santner makes use of the conditions, this won't be close.

 

[Dick Rockett]

You've got two types of fans in NZ.

We're all subjective. But that's ok, it's what sports fandom is about. It was only my need to vent my outrage about the Williamson dismissal that lured me back here after god knows how long out of the fray.

 

[Zinzan]

Jeez, the poor guy can't win. Imagine if he'd put up a breezy 30 and chucked it away.

If you're talking about Cdg, I don't think it's fair to criticize him at all for his near run a ball 30 in that situation.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Pakistan pulled off amazing chases against SL on two occasions, so they do have some previous. But these are alien conditions and you'd think NZ will find it much easier to control the scoring if a partnership develops for them at some stage.

Yeah part of the reasons that I thought the declaration came at the right time.

 

[Dick Rockett]

If you're talking about Cdg, I don't think it's fair to criticize him at all for his near run a ball 30 in that situation.

I was only talking about Taylor.

 

[Zinzan]

I was only talking about Taylor.

Fair enough & I wouldn't have knocked Taylor much had he hit a breezy 30 off 40 balls in that context and was dismissed with NZ's lead over 220 with 5-6 wickets in hand.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Smali's **** team showing it's true colours on this series

If Pakistan manage a draw which is highly unlikely but not ruling out if Azhar sticks it out and Shafiq gives the support, they will take this full handedly before heading towards Australia. Something to take than nothing at all.