5th Match - Australia v New Zealand (18th March)

[91Jmay]

Don't agree with Piscine. As long as it's not an underprepared wicket, all kinds of wickets are fine.

T20 is just about entertainment though, the endurance aspects of cricket are gone here so dead/slow pitches have very little entertainment value.

 

[Jono]

another one out in the deep.


****ing yawn. Rattle some stumps or something ffs

 

[91Jmay]

i don't like coulter-nile

then again i don't really like any of the australians

awta

 

[Moss]

Gotta love Smith giving the decision himself there. Would've been delicious if Santner had somehow made it.

 

[Scaly piscine]

T20 is just about entertainment though, the endurance aspects of cricket are gone here so dead/slow pitches have very little entertainment value.

Yes slow dead pitches kill the spectacle and also make medium pacers and sloggers more effective. A batsman gets minimal value for proper shots because timing the ball is so difficult. You have to bludgeon the ball to consistently hit boundaries. Quick bowlers just come onto the bat nicer. It's crap all-round.

 

[Scaly piscine]

There we go some stumps being rattled...

 

[NUFAN]

I can imagine exactly how Wade would have handled that last ball. He would have went for the hero throw at the non-strikers end and NZ would have scored an extra run or four from overthrows.

 

[Zinzan]

What's happened to the lap/scoop shot btw? Taylor used to be able to play it, particularly in the 2012 WC . Ideal against a death bowling like Faukner who bowls slower balls 2 out of every 3 deliveries, and playing it late. Coach McMillan must not be a fan.

 

[Pratters]

T20 is about skill as well. If all wickets are just wickets where one can hit through and make runs, strategic elements take a back seat. A wicket which makes you think a bit differently is important for the cricketing aspect.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Australia bowled and fielded really well aside from that Agar over I think. Definitely could still go either way though. Should be gettable but it's a perfect situation for a middle order collapse also.

 

[harsh.ag]

Tricky total. Looking forward to Warner at 4. ****'s gonna go down.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Then again I don't really like any of the Australians as death bowlers.

I just don't like Australians.

BCs paying $5.30 to defend this. I'm going to have some of that, based on that single delivery that Mitch Marsh bowled that turned about a foot. I think McClenaghan, Anderson and Milne could be expensive here. This is a perfect set-up for a strangle, Black Caps special style. 14-15 overs of spin. Shame we didn't have Nathan McCullum bowling for it.

 

[Moss]

Under par score for mine but who knows. Elliott possibly vital, need someone who can bowl those cutters. Might miss NMac actually.

Waste of a good start. Premature, but like Pratters I get thr feeling NZ's batting approach will do them no favours later in the tournament.

 

[Zinzan]

. I think McClenaghan, Anderson and Milne could be expensive here..

Can say I'm rapt seeing both McClenaghan and Anderson defending 140.

 

[Stapel]

Just got back. Left the game when NZ had scored 58 from the first 6.

How did the Aussies keep things below a run-a-ball from there?

 

[Scaly piscine]

T20 is about skill as well. If all wickets are just wickets where one can hit through and make runs, strategic elements take a back seat. A wicket which makes you think a bit differently is important for the cricketing aspect.

A garbage slow pitch like this doesn't really do that. Bowlers know to slow the pace, mix it up. Batsmen know they have to slog pretty often to make up for the lack of timing.

Ideally you want a consistent pitch with a bit of pace, bounce, spin and movement. But at least you still have a spectacle if there's not spin or a lot of movement. Even a bit of a minefield will produce drama and reward proper cricket skills. This is just turgid.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Grant Elliott - bowling av of 13 in T20s, strike rate of 10. This pitch is made for him.

 

[Pratters]

I agree it is less of a spectacle on a slower pitch. However, along with slogging, key would be to take 1s and 2s here. I guess I am a sucker for cricket, even on boring pitches..

 

[straw man]

Yuck. Saw the score at 63/1 and 90-something for 3 and thought 170 was on. Clearly couldn't score through the later middle overs, some combination of the pitch, slower bowling and some of our middle order not having the game to either accumulate or be destructive in these conditions.

Think Australia will start well and it will be easy from there.

 

[Pratters]

Most of domestic cricket wickets are like this, sadly. Slow and dreary. Makes really boring cricket and when it is the norm rather than the exception, it's dire, yeah.