***Official*** South Africa in New Zealand 2012

[KiWiNiNjA]

Will Martin Guptill ever be dismissed again?

 

[Zinzan]

McCullum needs to bat like McCullum & not like Kane Williamson. It's not the first time he's been overly conservative when we're chasing.

 

[_Ed_]

Only saw the second innings, but pretty happy with that NZ performance.

Guptill's 127m six was one of the biggest I've ever seen.

 

[_Ed_]

Guptill on the 127m six - "Yeah, I got that one alright, eh?"

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

McCullum needs to bat like McCullum & not like Kane Williamson. It's not the first time he's been overly conservative when we're chasing.

Nah, I like it. If someone in form like Guptill is at the end there is no need.

Take his ODI hundred against Zimbabwe for example. Didn't go beserk from the start, played himself in, then cashed in later.

 

[Howsie]

McCullum needs to bat like McCullum & not like Kane Williamson. It's not the first time he's been overly conservative when we're chasing.

Ha, come on fella, he is batting like McCullum. The guy just as no match awareness whatsoever. He should either open and bat like McCullum (slog) or come in down the order and bat like McCullum (slog), let the proper batsmen play in the middle order.

 

[irottev]

CDC is a terrible player. He's a domestic slogger. I dunno why he got selected. Latham has class and can hit them as big as he can but shows more maturity despite being muhc younger. Easy switch.

 

[James]

Only caught the 2nd Innings, but really enjoyed it and thought we batted superbly from start to finish. Thought Tsotsobe was was very ordinary and down on pace which surprised me. Anyone know why Steyn isn't in the T20 squad?

What was pleasing as well was the crowd turn-out. Hopefully a sign of things to come.

 

[Hurricane]

Guptill on the 127m six - "Yeah, I got that one alright, eh?"

Was that how long it was then? I was at the stadium and most of the crowd rose to give him a standing ovation for that hit. When it hit the top of the stadium roof - I thought - the tour has begun.

Other random comments
I enjoyed watching the SA batsman work Nathan around for singles - just watching their strokeplay it was very graceful.

We were very respectful as a crowd tonight towards the SA fielders on the boundary. 2 years ago we (the crowd not me) absolutely laid into Shaun Tait because he is an Aussie.

Guptil is simply in red hot form.

CDG must only have one more chance up his sleeve.

 

[Zinzan]

Anyone know why Steyn isn't in the T20 squad?

They're just resting him for the ODI's & Tests, nothing else.

 

[James]

They're just resting him for the ODI's & Tests, nothing else.

Ahh ok, thought that might have been it, but thought with the T20 World Cup later in the year they'd want as close to their top T20 11 playing as possible.

 

[Briony]

They're just resting him for the ODI's & Tests, nothing else.

T20's rubbish cricket so you would expect that they wouldn't want to risk injury for the tests ahead.

Pretty poor performance from SA but they're probably still acclimatising. Their batting will always struggle when they have Ingram who's not good enough to play international cricket at #3 they give Albie Morkel so few balls to face.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

CDC is a terrible player. He's a domestic slogger. I dunno why he got selected. Latham has class and can hit them as big as he can but shows more maturity despite being muhc younger. Easy switch.

Totally agree. Latham's looked pretty good in the international chances he's had so far. de Grandhomme can join the Marshall Twins in the 'Curly haired goon only fit to be a specialist fielder' team.

 

[Days of Grace]

Ha, come on fella, he is batting like McCullum. The guy just as no match awareness whatsoever. He should either open and bat like McCullum (slog) or come in down the order and bat like McCullum (slog), let the proper batsmen play in the middle order.

Oh, please.

Lest we forget his superb supporting role for when Macca was going ape**** at Hamilton against the Aussies before taking over the lead role one Macca got out.

Get the feeling you'd find something to criticise McCullum about no matter what he does.

 

[M0rphin3]

LOL CDC, hope thats the last of him we'll see for a while then. Soo dire.

Guppy's in epic form, that six was ****ing massive.

 

[Somerset]

Just to emphasise how good Guptill's been lately, since October hes made 276 T20 International runs in 4 matches and been dismissed once, 411 runs in 5 ODIs at 82.50, a century and a fifty in three tests along with wickets of an opening batsman and a wicketkeeper-batsman. Plus he was the best player in the HRV Cup (504 runs at 72) and scored 222 runs in his one Plunkett Shield appearance. Long may he maintain those Bradmanesque numbers!

 

[Zinzan]

Oh, please.

Lest we forget his superb supporting role for when Macca was going ape**** at Hamilton against the Aussies before taking over the lead role one Macca got out.

Get the feeling you'd find something to criticise McCullum about no matter what he does.

Steady on DOG. No-one is saying he's ****. Just the small point that when chasing in T20's you generally can't afford to bat too conservatively & block out too many dot balls, because if you do then get out it puts pressure on the remaining batsman, and it's especially unforgivable if you have wickets in the shed.

He did the same in the last T20 against Zim and was just lucky Kane saved us with that freakish innings of 20 off 5 balls.

Fair criticism tbh, in the same way we all praise him when he plays well.

 

[SteveNZ]

Steady on DOG. No-one is saying he's ****. Just the small point that when chasing in T20's you generally can't afford to bat too conservatively & block out too many dot balls, because if you do then get out it puts pressure on the remaining batsman, and it's especially unforgivable if you have wickets in the shed.

He did the same in the last T20 against Zim and was just lucky Kane saved us with that freakish innings of 20 off 5 balls.

Fair criticism tbh, in the same way we all praise him when he plays well.

When he got 38 off 24? Harsh....

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

I see nothing wrong with the way McCullum has been playing lately. In recent times he has been a little bit too aggressive, it's nice to see a little bit of early patience before he starts going after the bowler. There is no need to be uber-aggressive when you have someone set at the other end. Just take singles, get your eye in, and let the set bloke have the strike.

 

[Mike5181]

you generally can't afford to bat too conservatively & block out too many dot balls, because if you do then get out it puts pressure on the remaining batsman, and it's especially unforgivable if you have wickets in the shed.

Scott Styris used to do that in the first half of his ODI career. It used to piss me off so much.