**Official** Semi Finals and Final

[Slow Love™]

Hussey pretty lucky there, methinks.

 

[Loony BoB]

Franklin is costing us almost as much as Bucknor is.

 

[alternative]

Ponting what a gun.. a fine 50!!

 

[oz_fan]

50 up for Ponting. Aus 111/3.

 

[_Ed_]

Really good innings.

 

[_Ed_]

The crowd are supporting NZ more passionately than any crowds in NZ.

Flags, painted faces and stuff, it's great.

 

[alternative]

Punter gone.. In love with Kiwi cricket!!

 

[pasag]

Ponting gonneeee. Really poor shot, just when he was looking dangerous.

 

[_Ed_]

I thought Hussey had a good record against us, so I looked it up...we've never got him out!

Mat Runs HS BatAv 100 50 W BB BowlAv 5w Ct St
7 207 88* - 0 2 0 - - 0 6 0

 

[Alysum]

How can Ponting play that silly shot after getting quite a few beautiful straight drive boundaries...

Watson should be dropped from #2 he keeps playing stupid shots, shocking...they should really bring back Hayden, he scored 2 50's in Malaysia...

I've always loved Martyn, a very classy player with a beautiful stylish cut shot but I have to admit he can't do anything really other than playing on the off side...

 

[NZTailender]

I thought Hussey had a good record against us, so I looked it up...we've never got him out!

Mat Runs HS BatAv 100 50 W BB BowlAv 5w Ct St
7 207 88* - 0 2 0 - - 0 6 0

Don't think we'll get him out today, either

 

[Loony BoB]

I thought Hussey had a good record against us, so I looked it up...we've never got him out!

Mat Runs HS BatAv 100 50 W BB BowlAv 5w Ct St
7 207 88* - 0 2 0 - - 0 6 0

We should have got him out, it just wasn't given.

 

[_Ed_]

Watson should be dropped from #2 he keeps playing stupid shots, shocking...

He batted well in the last game against India.

 

[Slow Love™]

Bit of a funny dismissal there - Ponting was giving some of the half-volley fodder being dished up the stick it deserved, then he appears completely surprised by one just short of a good length and plays a half-hearted slap in the air to Vettori.

Very good innings though. Looked like the Aussies were coasting nicely, but NZ are back in the hunt. I'd like to see Symmo unleash a bit, here, but there's only Clarke back in the shed before the tail (handy as Lee may be). So a steadier approach might still be the go for another five or six overs.

Bond back on.

 

[Loony BoB]

I am genuinely worried that Franklin still has six overs and Astle has not yet been used at all. Bond, Vettori, Oram and Mills can all bowl 10, but that leaves us with six overs to give up to James and Nathan and I'm finding it hard to pick who should get most of them. Astle surely needs to bowl a couple to see if he can do any better than Franklin though, as the latter has been smacked around a fair bit so far.

 

[_Ed_]

Another promising partnership here...some great fielding by Marshall with a direct hit, would have really helped NZ if that had been out but Hussey was just in. Oh well.

 

[Loony BoB]

Franklin back in. 3 runs off his first ball. Not promising. He better get a wicket soon, at the least a maiden, or I'm not gonna be happy with him staying on at all.

EDIT: AUGH. Get him off! Don't bring him back! Bowl Astle.

 

[_Ed_]

Another slightly harsh wide call by Bucknor won't have helped him.

 

[Slow Love™]

Symonds looking really good and batting very intelligently so far - picking the balls to punish, and not getting carried away. Hussey not quite at his best though, and struggling a bit to force the pace.

Dunno what Fleming's gonna do with these spare 5 overs.

 

[Loony BoB]

Dunno what Fleming's gonna do with these spare 5 overs.

I would rather Vincent bowl them than Franklin. But preferrably Astle, obviously.