***Official*** West Indies in New Zealand

[Smudge]

Harbhajan Singh claimed he would never tour here again after being fined $200 by Biosecurity NZ/Customs for having dirt on his boots.

 

[sirjeremy11]

Australia it's because of the crowds - going by reports the teams themselves actually get along quite well... it's just the crowds the Aussies don't like, and I don't blame them. South Africa, well, we all know about the Fleming vs. Smith debacle... what's with India not liking coming here, though? Didn't know about that one.

India hate the fact that every time they come here, they have to play on rubbish pitches as we try to neutralise their batting line up.

I too, hate that fact. Be nice to beat them when the scores aren't 97, 99, 120, and 123/7 in a test match (or something like that)

 

[jadeey]

India aren't keen to come here after the 'pitch fixing' incident a couple of years ago. (I think it was 2 years ago, can't actually remember though). India blamed their bad results on doctored pitches. Can't remember details very well, just remember a lot of very low-scoring games.

 

[sirjeremy11]

India aren't keen to come here after the 'pitch fixing' incident a couple of years ago. (I think it was 2 years ago, can't actually remember though). India blamed their bad results on doctored pitches. Can't remember details very well, just remember a lot of very low-scoring games.

Nah, even before the tour in 99/00, I remember them talking about doctoring the pitches before India got here, and look what Doull did - India were 16/4 on the first morning and didn't come back from that. Mind you, that second test was almost lost until Cairns and Nash got together.

 

[jadeey]

Oh and hi everyone - I'm new! <waves to everyone>

Wish I could remember where I read this but I am sure I read something fairly recently where Smith was saying that, while it upset him at the time, his spats with Fleming when he was here have helped him grow as a captain and that now they get on really, really well.

Anyone else heard this? Of course that could just be PR at its best.

So MAYBE South Africa won't hate coming here. I hope so anyway. I don't like the prospect of having to play all our home games against Bangledesh if we make everyone else mad!

 

[Smudge]

Oh and hi everyone - I'm new! <waves to everyone>

Wish I could remember where I read this but I am sure I read something fairly recently where Smith was saying that, while it upset him at the time, his spats with Fleming when he was here have helped him grow as a captain and that now they get on really, really well.

Anyone else heard this? Of course that could just be PR at its best.

So MAYBE South Africa won't hate coming here. I hope so anyway. I don't like the prospect of having to play all our home games against Bangledesh if we make everyone else mad!

Yes, I recall hearing that, jadeey. Or was that Vaughan?

Anyway, welcome.

 

[sirjeremy11]

So MAYBE South Africa won't hate coming here. I hope so anyway. I don't like the prospect of having to play all our home games against Bangledesh if we make everyone else mad!

Well, we can have rotation where we play England, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. That would be exciting!

 

[Dick Rockett]

India hate the fact that every time they come here, they have to play on rubbish pitches as we try to neutralise their batting line up.

I too, hate that fact. Be nice to beat them when the scores aren't 97, 99, 120, and 123/7 in a test match (or something like that)

That's just sour grapes on the part of the Indians. At the time of that series, NZ cricket were experimenting with the pitches to try and get more pace and bounce into them. Unfortunately, at the time they hadn't gotten the expertise yet, and were hampered by an unusually wet November/December that produced the greentops, leading to disappointingly low totals.

It makes no sense for there to have been a "doctoring" conspiracy, for two reasons. The first being that we had a World Cup campaign on hard and fast South African wickets immediately following the home series. The second is that cricket in this country has a hard enough time drawing crowds without providing low scoring yawnfests for the few people who pay the dollars to be entertained. That point has been sorely hammered home in recent seasons, with much improved pitches and higher scoring matches, yet still no-one shows up.

The fact is, crappy pitches though they were, New Zealand still scored more runs in that series than India did, and deserved to win.

 

[sirjeremy11]

I remember very clearly in an article in the Sunday News in 1998 before the Indians arrived saying they were going to have green pitches to deal with the Indian batting line up. One game (in Auckland IIRC) on that tour, it backfired, and NZ were inserted and got about 207 and lost.I think the same thing happened in 2002/03.

 

[Dick Rockett]

I remember very clearly in an article in the Sunday News in 1998 before the Indians arrived saying they were going to have green pitches to deal with the Indian batting line up. One game (in Auckland IIRC) on that tour, it backfired, and NZ were inserted and got about 207 and lost.I think the same thing happened in 2002/03.

You're probably right about that series, however I was referring to the latest one. I know we've done the green wicket thing on purpose in the past, and that was stupid. The fact is though, that last time they were soundly beaten and blamed everything/one but themselves, which IMHO, they do with regularity no matter who the oppositon.

Despite all the anguish that series caused, it's gratifying to note that the plan worked - the pitches here are generally harder and faster and producing more runs than before, especially at Jade and the Cake Tin, although Eden Park remains as stodgy as ever.

 

[sirjeremy11]

Despite all the anguish that series caused, it's gratifying to note that the plan worked - the pitches here are generally harder and faster and producing more runs than before, especially at Jade and the Cake Tin, although Eden Park remains as stodgy as ever.

Yeah! What is with Eden Park? It is a portable pitch using, presumably, the same technology as Jade and the Cake Tin, so why can't it be just as good? Imagine if that pitch was good with those boundaries, some of the scores that would be made there! Now if only they could get a crowd to fill the 40000 seats...

 

[C_C]

That's just sour grapes on the part of the Indians. At the time of that series, NZ cricket were experimenting with the pitches to try and get more pace and bounce into them. Unfortunately, at the time they hadn't gotten the expertise yet, and were hampered by an unusually wet November/December that produced the greentops, leading to disappointingly low totals.

Did you forget the part where Kiwi groundsmen were caught watering the pitch late in the night BEFORE the Indian innings in one of the tests ? And no,it wasnt the 'first innings of the match' either.

 

[Zinzan]

Yahoo reckons the weathers looks good for the 2nd test starting tomorrow

 

[DanielFullard]

Is there any radio stations I can acess online which are covering this game?

 

[Blaze]

Yahoo reckons the weathers looks good for the 2nd test starting tomorrow

Yep fine all weekend. Going in today, should be good.

 

[DanielFullard]

9.30pm GMT for anyone wanting to keep up with the scores via the Internet

 

[Natman20]

Is there any radio stations I can acess online which are covering this game?

Sorry but there arn't any. Radio Sport has rights which does not allow any internet broadcasts. There may be a West Indies site covering it but I havn't found one. It's free to air on TV here so i'm happy.

I am geussing a drawn test but who knows.

 

[sirjeremy11]

Radio Sport has rights which does not allow any internet broadcasts. There may be a West Indies site covering it but I havn't found one.

Doesn't radiosport.co.nz have a 20 minute delayed feed on anything on their station? Or do they put on Newstalk during the cricket or something. 20 minute delay is not to far behind Cricinfo sometimes

 

[sirjeremy11]

Heard this morning that the line up is unchanged, but then I heard talk about Mills maybe in for Martin. Anyone else know anything?

 

[sirjeremy11]

Did you forget the part where Kiwi groundsmen were caught watering the pitch late in the night BEFORE the Indian innings in one of the tests ? And no,it wasnt the 'first innings of the match' either.

Sort of like those guys that got sprung burning "No Wa..." into the pitch during a test match in Wellington a couple of years ago.