**Official** New Zealand in Australia 2015

[Flem274*]

If Siddle plays (very unlikely I reckon) you might get too short crap. Pattinson though is gonna be full and swinging it at around 150 clicks. Starc obvs will be the same if he's got his head and ankle right. Haze might be the one to get his length a bit wrong, but if anything it was being a bit too full that hurt him in England rather than too short. I'm sure he'll bowl well in NZ.

Or bats will be susceptible to good swing bowling. No Australian doubts that. But if we have Patto, Haze and Starceh fit it probably won't matter. Like you said, Billy won't be asleep. He'll have em on the right length.

There is full, and then there is New Zealand full.

Starc is your only guy who is developing a natural length that is the perfect length for NZ. In England you want to be full, but Anderson struggled down here too in 2013.

It's caught everyone out this decade except for probably Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and one Zaheer spell, stupid day one green tops aside.

The decks are slower and bounce less than Australia/South Africa/England as well, which really helps batsmen. NZ is a deceptively tricky place to bowl now and if Australia do well (which they have the ability and coaching to) it will be more of a feather in the cap than some might realise.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

I'm actually quite happy for our lower order to just slog out. I'd rather they had a bit of circumspection though, as in Trent Boult should have blocked the ball that cleaned him up in the 3rd innings. But I don't care for Bracewell, Henry, Southee, Boult et al. to just prod around and score 5 (18). Have a go, I reckon, a couple of lucky overs could change the tide of the Test.

 

[Hurricane]

Haha, what? Catching is not about determination. Like anything else in cricket it's about drilling that **** until you don't have to think. If you think you drop the ball. If you're scared of dropping the ball you drop the ball. A 24 Y/O in his debut test under a catch which could decide a test win? Yeah I'm gonna cut him a bit of slack. He's human. He handled it well to come back and take a key wicket.

He wears the collar up because he likes wearing the collar up. He could wear his jocks on his head for all I care, it doesn't have any relation to how he plays cricket.

Thanks for reading my tone correctly, I mean no offence to the fellow or to stir up my fellow posters so thanks for responding with jest.

I am just highly frustrated with him probably dropping the match and had he taken the catch I wouldn't be picking on his antics.

However I do think it is worth noting that one of his priorities for the day when he made his to do list when he got up appeared to be adjusting his collar to look cool. Who has time for that.
Did Ross Taylor turn up his collar yesterday? No. Big Daddy didn't do anything like that on his test debut. No. He was too busy scoring a century in the sub continent.

His first inning dismissal was also pure ****iness with his batting.

The only other player I recall with similar antics was Latham - who I saw live at the basin and he was also acting like Joe cool and like he had test cricket all figured out. That attitude lasted for 7 deliveries then he got his comeuppances on his 8th ball and he has never looked ****y since and his results have improved markedly as a result.

The exception that proves the rule is Dean Jones. His ****iness was abundant. And he intimidated bowlers through the force of his personality. Technically he was a joke of a player. But he could muscle the ball, and had a fantastic knowledge of the game. He could have been better had he been a student of the game and respected opposition star bowlers. He belittled Hadlee prior to one series and the events that followed are legendary.

 

[hendrix]

The Numpties XI

1. Guptill
2. Latham
3. S Marsh
4. Voges
5. Baz
6. M Marsh
7. Watling
8. Craig
9. Bracewell
10. Henry
11. Siddle

Way harsh on Latham, and begrudgingly Bracewell too

 

[Skyliner]

Way harsh on Latham, and begrudgingly Bracewell too

I was trying to fill XI places, and not much thought went into the title.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Thanks for reading my tone correctly, I mean no offence to the fellow or to stir up my fellow posters so thanks for responding with jest.

I am just highly frustrated with him probably dropping the match and had he taken the catch I wouldn't be picking on his antics.

However I do think it is worth noting that one of his priorities for the day when he made his to do list when he got up appeared to be adjusting his collar to look cool. Who has time for that.
Did Ross Taylor turn up his collar yesterday? No. Big Daddy didn't do anything like that on his test debut. No. He was too busy scoring a century in the sub continent.

His first inning dismissal was also pure ****iness with his batting.

The only other player I recall with similar antics was Latham - who I saw live at the basin and he was also acting like Joe cool and like he had test cricket all figured out. That attitude lasted for 7 deliveries then he got his comeuppances on his 8th ball and he has never looked ****y since and his results have improved markedly as a result.

The exception that proves the rule is Dean Jones. His ****iness was abundant. And he intimidated bowlers through the force of his personality. Technically he was a joke of a player. But he could muscle the ball, and had a fantastic knowledge of the game. He could have been better had he been a student of the game and respected opposition star bowlers. He belittled Hadlee prior to one series and the events that followed are legendary.

Every player has different things which make them tick though, you can't force them all through the same "quiet, modest batting machine sent back in time to save NZ cricket" mould set by Kane. On the whole Santa's suave, slightly ****y attitude works for him.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Putting up your collar stopped being cool about 10 years ago right after you hit puberty.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Putting up your collar stopped being cool about 10 years ago right after you hit puberty.

Yeah the jocks on head is totally in atm

 

[Dan]

...maybe he just didn't want his neck to get burnt. That Adelaide sun was pretty brutal at times.

And under lights it might have kept his neck warm. Attention to detail and a focus on functionality aren't bad things for a player like Santner

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Looking forward to Mitchell "Cool" Santa's glitter beard.

 

[Skyliner]

I do hope there is a shake-up in the coaching once McCullum departs the scene. Hesson should jog on, and he'll probably want to; he must hardly see his young family. McMillan and Masceranas should look for other gigs and we just start with a clean slate and some fresh thinking.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

hendrix to lay down the fashion law in 3, 2, 1

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

...maybe he just didn't want his neck to get burnt. That Adelaide sun was pretty brutal at times.

And under lights it might have kept his neck warm. Attention to detail and a focus on functionality aren't bad things for a player like Santner

Wearing long sleeves in hot weather is also a good idea, I don't know how it got interpreted as some type of fashion statement.

 

[Dan]

I don't know that Williamson should be in the team at all. You don't know how to handle pressure when you're 25. Nobody is Vice President of a company at 25 for that reason (or if they are, they shouldn't be).

Someone like Stephen Fleming should really be batting at 3 for New Zealand, at age 42 he has the life experience to bat at #3 and handle the pressure in a way Williamson has proven he cannot. I mean, in two big-match situations in this game, he was dismissed by good balls. Someone older (and therefore wiser) with more experience would have kept out the Starc yorker, and not nicked off in the second innings.

 

[Dan]

Wearing long sleeves in hot weather is also a good idea, I don't know how it got interpreted as some type of fashion statement.

Yeah, indeed. I always field in long (or 3/4) sleeves these days. I find it far more comfortable when diving around, better for sun protection and, if you're keeping wicket, means you don't look like a rank amateur.

 

[Hurricane]

I do hope there is a shake-up in the coaching once McCullum departs the scene. Hesson should jog on, and he'll probably want to; he must hardly see his young family. McMillan and Masceranas should look for other gigs and we just start with a clean slate and some fresh thinking.

Fair dues.

But even though I have already told two stories today - I will go into the well for a third to make a point in favour of Hesson.

Marc Crawford was the coach of the Colorado Avalanche the year they won the Stanley cup. After losing a match in the opening round "in a move that looked highly theatrical and staged" according to reporters who were there at the open ice practice. He took apart his star player limb by limb and made him personally responsible for the loss the previous day and then announced he was benched for the next match.

The rest of the players knew it was really their fault they had lost so they felt so embarrassed that they all pulled up their socks and went on to win the whole thing.

The star player returned to the line up two games later and looked like his confidence was shaken and wasn't quite the same for the rest of the knockouts but it didn't seem to matter.

Hesson like or not like him - and I don't like him - pulled off a move that ignited the team. When he leaves we may not get someone as good as he has been at player selection alone. He always seemed to pick the right side for each match. It was the right move to stick with Craig even though Craig stunk.

I am personally looking forward to a change in captaincy because I think it is time for the torch to be passed on. You can argue that we have lost some games through captaincy, which not many other teams in the world would say. I realise that is a highly contestable comment so if you disagree all power to you - I won't be debating the point it is just my humble opinion.

As for McMillan - he doesn't seem to be either positively or negatively impacting Ross or Kane so that is a point in his favour. He could be and should be helping the openers a lot more.

Don't know much about Dimitri but from a distance he doesn't seem to meddle too much either.

 

[hendrix]

Putting up your collar stopped being cool about 10 years ago right after you hit puberty.

Wearing long sleeves in hot weather is also a good idea, I don't know how it got interpreted as some type of fashion statement.

Who cares if he was making a fashion statement anyway?
Taste is always questionable but why question the motives? Why is it arrogant or ****y to express yourself? (Oh **** now I sound like Baz...)

But seriously is it somehow pure and virginal to do things for function not cos you like the way it looks?

Kohli is a wanker and has bad taste but why is he arrogant for wearing clothes he likes? Same question could be asked re: Russell Westbrook. Hell, Kanye is the ultimate.

Such a pathetic, insecure train of logic.

 

[hendrix]

I'm not saying it's fine to be vain, but there's a difference between being vain and taking an interest in one's own appearance and/or taking an interest in fashion.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Not sure why you're quoting me.

 

[hendrix]

Not sure why you're quoting me.

nah not arguing with you at all, just using your quote as a launching pad. Probably directed at 'Cane's original post but also that pervasive attitude.