**Official** Pakistan v New Zealand in the UAE 2014

[Bahnz]

Fun fact: NZ drawing this series and India getting beat in Australia would result in NZ being ranked ahead of India for the first time ever

Surely we were ranked above India at some point after the greentop thrashing in 2003?

 

[Bahnz]

Interesting that Wags and Braces didn't get a ball, though maybe it's planned that they'll get a workout and Southee and Boult will get a rest on day 3.

 

[Blocky]

Interesting that Wags and Braces didn't get a ball, though maybe it's planned that they'll get a workout and Southee and Boult will get a rest on day 3.

The game allows them to use every single player in their side, so they'll probably just completely rest Southee and Boult in the second innings.

 

[Flem274*]

Fun fact: NZ drawing this series and India getting beat in Australia would result in NZ being ranked ahead of India for the first time ever

Surely we were ranked above India at some point after the greentop thrashing in 2003?

we were better in the 80s too, and after our drawn series in india in 2004 i reckon 2002 + 2004 made us better for a little bit.

 

[Howe_zat]

Surely we were ranked above India at some point after the greentop thrashing in 2003?

You are correct! Kiwis were ranked 3rd for six months while the laws of physics must have not been watching

 

[Blocky]

You are correct! Kiwis were ranked 3rd for six months while the laws of physics must have not been watching

We got as high as 2 in about 2002 with the old ranking system where you were awarded points for series - we had a tonne of draws away and a few wins at home.

 

[Kippax]

 

[Kippax]

 

[Bahnz]

Oh that Southee outswinger to clip off stump was a pearler. And despite Blocky's cynicism, 3 of Sodhi's 4 dismissals looked like good'uns. Gotta laugh at some of the dreck he served up in the boundaries vid though.

 

[Blocky]

Oh that Southee outswinger to clip off stump was a pearler. And despite Blocky's cynicism, 3 of Sodhi's 4 dismissals looked like good'uns. Gotta laugh at some of the dreck he served up in the boundaries vid though.

Cmon Bahnz.. be honest.

The first dismissal was the batsman making a big mistake, playing across the line with a sweep shot to a full delivery that should have been driven.
The second dismissal was the batsman plonking his foot down the line and not playing for the straight one, this was made even worse by how short the ball pitched - complete loss of concerntration by the batsman
The third dismissal was a short pie that turned into an absolute gift by good fielding/**** batting.
The last dismissal was a tail end batsman having a wog.

You can give him the second dismissal as being a wrong'un and deceiving the batsman but look at it again, look at how short it pitched and ask yourself if Azhar, Misbah or Younis would get out to that type of delivery.

A good thing was the pace/bounce that Southee and Boult seemed to be extracting.

 

[Bahnz]

Heh, knew that'd get a nibble before long.

On a more serious note, I'm liking the reverse that Boult was getting in a couple of those clips. If he can hit the right areas with that then he could be in business.

 

[Blocky]

Heh, knew that'd get a nibble before long.

Couldn't not... it was too juicy of a pie, almost like a half tracker on leg stump with all of your fielders on the off side.. :P

The video showed anyone why Sodhi shouldn't be playing at this level, and he ended up with four wickets.... sometimes **** gets wickets at any grade.

 

[hendrix]

yeah I thought only the LBW was a good delivery to Test standard batsmen...

 

[Blocky]

yeah I thought only the LBW was a good delivery to Test standard batsmen...

Yeah... although most would look to play that on the onside due to the length.

 

[hendrix]

Yeah... although most would look to play that on the onside due to the length.

It might've pitched outside leg too.

Still, Younis and Misbah wouldn't be out caught at first slip the way Craig got his wicket.

 

[Blocky]

It might've pitched outside leg too.

Still, Younis and Misbah wouldn't be out caught at first slip the way Craig got his wicket.

No, but it's a much more regulation style of test dismissal - batsman extending forward to defend, being beaten by flight and extra bounce - versus batsman having horrible swipe across the line, or depositing a half tracker straight to a fielder.

 

[hendrix]

It's a regulation dismissal to non-SC batsmen. Aside from the fact that none of the Test team will press forward like that, I think the actual test strips will have less bounce than this one. I think it's just as unrealistic a mode of dismissal as Sodhi's.

 

[Blocky]

It's a regulation dismissal to non-SC batsmen. Aside from the fact that none of the Test team will press forward like that, I think the actual test strips will have less bounce than this one. I think it's just as unrealistic a mode of dismissal as Sodhi's.

Bollocks - go look at Swann taking wickets in the SC - you'll find a lot of "Caught Prior, bowled Swann" and "Caught Anderson, bowled Swann"

 

[hendrix]

Weren't they more to LH batsmen?

Not sure but just from watching Lyon bowling it didn't seem like a dismissal that was likely to eventuate.

 

[Bahnz]

Bollocks - go look at Swann taking wickets in the SC - you'll find a lot of "Caught Prior, bowled Swann" and "Caught Anderson, bowled Swann"

Yeah, but Swann was the best classical offspinner that has emerged anywhere in the last 30 years. You might as well hope for Adam Milne to start bowling like Dale Steyn.