***Official*** Top End Series

[Tim]

That NZ 'white' team is definately light on batting if you ask me. It seems they've stacked the black side with the batting and the white side with the bowling.

I mean, Gareth Hopkins at #4, you gotta be kidding me!?

 

[James]

Couldn't agree more with you Tim. I presume the selectors have some reason for doing that?

 

[Tim]

Well there has to be a reason. You think they would have tried to balance the sides otherwise, so it seems there was a plan there to pick the sides the way they have.

Personally, the side captained by Peter Fulton is definately the stronger of the two. They just need to throw in a quick like Chris Martin or Richard Sherlock and they'd be a good opponent for any 'A' side.

 

[James]

Perhaps it's that they want the best batters to bat together "as a unit" and the best bowlers to bowl together "as a unit"? As you say, it is very bizarre. It's weird also that we're the weakest cricketing country of the four, yet we get two A teams in the competition. Odd.

 

[Matt52]

Perhaps it's that they want the best batters to bat together "as a unit" and the best bowlers to bowl together "as a unit"? As you say, it is very bizarre. It's weird also that we're the weakest cricketing country of the four, yet we get two A teams in the competition. Odd.

Totally agree, Its great for NZ cricket to give our guys this sort of exposure, but you would think it would lower the level of the tournament somewhat.
Having said that both teams are competing pretty well. It does seem that we have more depth now in NZ cricket. Our top team is at the same level but it seems like the next tier of players are better than they have been in the past,

Guys like , Ryder, How, Taylor, Fulton, Sinclair, Vincent, McMillan, and Nicol are our next tier of Batsmen
while.. J Patel, B Martin, C Martin, M Mason, R Sherlock, T Davis, M Gillespie, are our next tier of Bowlers.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Four dayer between Australia and Pakistan has just started, with Australia batting first and Khalil getting Rogers early.

Australia have gone for two spinners in Cullen and Bailey, with Watson playing as an all-rounder and Johnson and Tait as the seamers. Should be an interesting match, and in theory would say a bit more about the quality of the bowlers than the one dayers did.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Khalil the left armer who played a couple of games last time Pakistan were out here?

What happened yesterday with that youth series?

And I think it's good that NZ have a couple of teams out here, and all credit to NZ Cricket for getting themselves into a position to do so.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Khalil the left armer who played a couple of games last time Pakistan were out here?

I believe he's the one, yeah. He and Wasim Khan opened the bowling, with Mohammad Irshad the first change. The other names I've seen around before are Bazid Khan, Hasan Raza, Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez. Rafatullah Mohammad made some runs against India the other day, too, and Mohammad Salman is evidently the A team keeper.

I don't know anything about Abdur Rehman, Fawad Alam, or Shahid Yousuf.

Score is currently 1/42, with Cosgrove and Jaques in.

 

[adharcric]

I believe he's the one, yeah. He and Wasim Khan opened the bowling, with Mohammad Irshad the first change. The other names I've seen around before are Bazid Khan, Hasan Raza, Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez. Rafatullah Mohammad made some runs against India the other day, too, and Mohammad Salman is evidently the A team keeper.

I don't know anything about Abdur Rehman, Fawad Alam, or Shahid Yousuf.

Score is currently 1/42, with Cosgrove and Jaques in.

Abdur Rehman is a left-arm spinner who can bat a bit; he got selected for Pakistan recently. Shahid Yousuf is a young batsman who hasn't done much of note yet for the A team. Don't know much about Fawad Alam.

 

[Hoggy]

Don't know much about Fawad Alam.

20 year old left handed all-rounder, averages 46 with the bat in FC cricket, and 26 with the ball with his orthodox spin.

Struggles to go on with it though, 7 50s, and only 1 century in his career.

Is from Karachi.

Score is 1/90, Cosgrove on 44, Jaques on 31.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Abdur Rehman is a left-arm spinner who can bat a bit; he got selected for Pakistan recently. Shahid Yousuf is a young batsman who hasn't done much of note yet for the A team. Don't know much about Fawad Alam.

I figured one of them would have been a specialist spinner. Abdur Rehman is on now anyway, as Mohammad Irshad was going for plenty, mainly thanks to Cosgrove.

Cosgrove is on 44 off 52, with Australia A at 1/90. Good to see he and Jaques batting well, as they'd consistently failed in all three one day games.

 

[Haddin]

Something funny happend today, the ball slipped from the bowlers hand and the ball roled away to Jaques, who could of hit it any where, but hit it right at the fielder.

 

[NZTailender]

And I think it's good that NZ have a couple of teams out here, and all credit to NZ Cricket for getting themselves into a position to do so.

Yup. Looks like someone's done something right here and not something wrong (or should I say Wright?) with the two teams. IMO the NZ A team, if it were just one team, would probably be full of 'the usual suspects' i.e. Harris, McMillan, Sinclair, Papps, J Marshall etc. The two teams allow the former international players a chance to show their worth to maybe get back in the team but also the younger guys have a chance to prove themselves on foreign turf.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Another batting collapse for Australia A, of sorts. Hafeez got Jaques and Cosgrove, and then Birt failed again with a duck.

4/153 at drinks in the middle session, with Hodge on 16 and Watson yet to score.

 

[Xuhaib]

This is a vey weak bowling attack and PCB should be executed for picking this team,why the two best young fast bowlers in the country (Jamshed Ahmed and Anwar Ali) were not picked for this series is a big big mystery.

Khalil, Irshad and Wasim Khan will never play more than 5 tests between them.

 

[Haddin]

Hodge out for 25. Australia A 5/186. Haddin ad Watson are at the crease.

 

[vic_orthdox]

This is a vey weak bowling attack and PCB should be executed for picking this team,why the two best young fast bowlers in the country (Jamshed Ahmed and Anwar Ali) were not picked for this series is a big big mystery.

Khalil, Irshad and Wasim Khan will never play more than 5 tests between them.

Anwar Ali is probably injured, having seen his action...

 

[Great Birtannia]

The countdown to the ashes has begun.

Langer^, Hayden, Ponting, #4 Batsman, Hussey, #6 Batsman/Allrounder, Gilchrist, Lee, Warne, # 3rd Seamer/MacGill, McGrath^^

^ Jaques if Langer not fit
^^ Clark if McGrath not fit

There's your spots up for grabs for the Ashes.

Jaques, Cosgrove, Hodge, Watson, Tait are the 5 playing with a realistic shot at the undecided spots.

Watson batting and bowling well gives the selectors the MacGill fallback position which is important if McGrath doesn't make it up in time.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Watson continues his good series so far, on 48 not out. Haddin on 28 not out, and Australia A recovering a bit at 5/240.

Hard to know what a good score is without knowing how the pitch is playing, but anything over 300 should be competitive at least.

 

[adharcric]

Anwar Ali is probably injured, having seen his action...

Ali and Ahmed were in the preliminary squad so I think it's simply a case of ******** selectors.