The End for Chris Cairns?

[Blaze]

6 runs from 6 balls only needs singles.

With the field up and a wicket in hand why would you put pressure on yourselves by banking on a single every ball and give the Aussies an opportunity to win the game by running you out.

Luckily we learnt our lesson at Christchurch and just continued playing our natural game.

 

[marc71178]

And if you attempt a swing and then miss, it becomes 6 off 5.

A second one is 6 off 4 and then the pressure starts to increase.

If you need 6 off an over with that many gaps, the sensible thing to do is play the singles and hope to pressure a fielding error to turn a 1 into a 2.

 

[Prince EWS]

And if you attempt a swing and then miss, it becomes 6 off 5.

A second one is 6 off 4 and then the pressure starts to increase.

If you need 6 off an over with that many gaps, the sensible thing to do is play the singles and hope to pressure a fielding error to turn a 1 into a 2.

The field was all up though. There were no gaps to hit into, really.

 

[Blaze]

And if you attempt a swing and then miss, it becomes 6 off 5.

A second one is 6 off 4 and then the pressure starts to increase.

If you need 6 off an over with that many gaps, the sensible thing to do is play the singles and hope to pressure a fielding error to turn a 1 into a 2.

Why would there be gaps when we needed 6 off 6. Australia were trying to restrict the singles. McCullum was seeing it like a beach ball, I doubt he would have swung and missed. He should have just kept playing how he had been playing all night. As I said earlier, they obviously knew that they made an error and rectified it in their run chase at Christchurch.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Sounds like good captaincy...

 

[thierry henry]

And if you attempt a swing and then miss, it becomes 6 off 5.

A second one is 6 off 4 and then the pressure starts to increase.

If you need 6 off an over with that many gaps, the sensible thing to do is play the singles and hope to pressure a fielding error to turn a 1 into a 2.

Yes, but it's not just big swings that bring dot balls. Sometimes you can be trying to get a single and still pick out the fielder. In the case we are discussing, the Black Caps seemed determined to score exactly one run off every ball, even if they hit it straight to a fielder.

With an in form batsman on strike, 6 off 5 or 6 off 4 should present few problems. I strongly believe the correct approach was simply to play each ball approximately on its merits, but in an attacking vein (i.e. always looking to hit boundaries first and foremost, but having a bail-out option when the ball isn't in the slot). When you need 6 off 6, or 12 off 12, the smart option is to try to win with a few balls in hand, but to not panic (and take suicide runs) if it doesn't occur.