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*Official* Australia tour of New Zealand Feb-Mar 2024

King Kane

International Debutant
Mocking another man for crying is just machismo crap.

Smith went up in my estimation with his genuine reaction, not down. People - men especially - giving him grief can **** right off.
Yeah he was genuinely upset with what happened with the sandpaper incident unlike Warner who just cried crocodile tears and was the real villain.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Ben Sears, Will o Rourke, Fraser Sheat, Nathan Smith. New Zealand's future fast bowling attack is pretty exciting.
I agree. Now we have a genuine world class opening bowler for the next 2-3 years (Henry), another who I think will be a very good new ball bowler in Smith, two guys in Sears and O'Rourke who have pace and bounce and can bowl 1st change, we have Matt Fisher with genuine speed, Foulkes who might be an all-rounder over time, GP as a spinning all-rounder option, Rachin if needed in the sub-continent, it's really looking promising. And that's without factoring in Jamieson ever being fit, and my man the Ship. That's also ignoring Duffy, who quietly probably is the most potent seamer who isn't Matt Henry running around at the moment.

Only caveats are lack of a left-arm seamer and the ongoing issues with a frontline spinner.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Ah man, I have this horrible feeling of expectation and optimism this morning. No Gambhiring here, we are ahead and should win. The problem being that relies on Henry and Sears only, with a bit of Phillips. Never mind - those two can put their feet up for the rest of the summer, they're both lion-hearts, bowl themselves into the ground once we've won the thing.

I honestly feel like it'll come down to catching chances and if we grab them, it's ours. Hasn't been a great tour for our catching, hope that changes today
 

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Ah man, I have this horrible feeling of expectation and optimism this morning. No Gambhiring here, we are ahead and should win. The problem being that relies on Henry and Sears only, with a bit of Phillips. Never mind - those two can put their feet up for the rest of the summer, they're both lion-hearts, bowl themselves into the ground once we've won the thing.

I honestly feel like it'll come down to catching chances and if we grab them, it's ours. Hasn't been a great tour for our catching, hope that changes today
I just hope we stay calm. Australia have 2 days to get the runs, so they don't need to sweat that. I can foresee the possibility of a rare win over Australia and being nearly halfway through the wickets see a captain lose his head a bit rather than be calm and stick to plans that have worked every innings bar the 10th wicket stand in game one.
 

Neil Young

State Vice-Captain
A ridiculous situation when we are carrying passengers among the bowling attack And it's not like it wasn't predicted by everyone bar Wells and BedheadStead. Sort it out, clowns.

As a NZ fan, a fair amount of fatalism leading into today. We should win. But it's us. And it's Australia.

Wish I was in Christchurch.

52 runs.
 

KungFu_Kallis

International 12th Man
I'm too nervous to watch tomorrow tbh. Was jazzed when we got the 4th but we're basically relying on Henry and Sears to do all the heavy lifting. Head and Marsh may sense that and just dead bat them until easier bowling arrives.
I hope they do because Head and Marsh don't have a very good defence. They rarely use it. No I think they will come out shooting from the hip and try to put the pressure back on NZ.
 

Immenso

International Vice-Captain
I'm 100% pessimism. Ever since Christchurch 1997 I've never expected NZ to win the 4th innings bowl-outs.

Probably have done it quite a few times (in the Wagner years, and the A Patel efforts), but it's the failures that stick in my mind of the theoretically 50/50 4th innings dud efforts.
 

Immenso

International Vice-Captain
BTW. When I said on this thread a few days ago that Southee's bowling average had crept up to 29.98 and it would click over to 30 this innings. I had dyslexically been reading his career ER of 2.98 rather than his average.

He has a bit more fat left than that.
 

Flem274*

123/5
I agree. Now we have a genuine world class opening bowler for the next 2-3 years (Henry), another who I think will be a very good new ball bowler in Smith, two guys in Sears and O'Rourke who have pace and bounce and can bowl 1st change, we have Matt Fisher with genuine speed, Foulkes who might be an all-rounder over time, GP as a spinning all-rounder option, Rachin if needed in the sub-continent, it's really looking promising. And that's without factoring in Jamieson ever being fit, and my man the Ship. That's also ignoring Duffy, who quietly probably is the most potent seamer who isn't Matt Henry running around at the moment.

Only caveats are lack of a left-arm seamer and the ongoing issues with a frontline spinner.
I know someone who is very familiar with Fisher. Put him at 135-140, but that was a few years ago now. I don't think he's going to be genuine speed 150kph (God I'll never hear the end of it if he is) but he looks to have gained a yard with a couple of seasons toning so is probs low 140s.
 

anonymouskefe

School Boy/Girl Captain
I know someone who is very familiar with Fisher. Put him at 135-140, but that was a few years ago now. I don't think he's going to be genuine speed 150kph (God I'll never hear the end of it if he is) but he looks to have gained a yard with a couple of seasons toning so is probs low 140s.
watching fishers under 19 wc highlights he was consistently around 139. So id also think hes low 140's now
 

thierry henry

International Coach
I'm 100% pessimism. Ever since Christchurch 1997 I've never expected NZ to win the 4th innings bowl-outs.

Probably have done it quite a few times (in the Wagner years, and the A Patel efforts), but it's the failures that stick in my mind of the theoretically 50/50 4th innings dud efforts.
Specifically, losing 3rd innings wickets cheaply and then failing to defend is historically really common for us (although I acknowledge it's probably also just a meme that's stuck in my head and not as common as it seems). I brought it up in England in 2022 but most of my points of reference were 15-20 years old and I knew I was being ridiculous - and then it went and happened 3 tests in a row.

It would be ridiculous, really, to have an opposition 30/4 and fail to defend 280, but my expectations are nil.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
I know someone who is very familiar with Fisher. Put him at 135-140, but that was a few years ago now. I don't think he's going to be genuine speed 150kph (God I'll never hear the end of it if he is) but he looks to have gained a yard with a couple of seasons toning so is probs low 140s.
It's the pace I like, but he seems to hurry up guys. There genuinely are guys who hurry people up at 140 clicks, and some people who don't. I really think Fisher is a 'does'. Sears doesn't necessarily hurry people up - they get a good look at the ball - but he has the bounce element, some swing and control, which are in his arsenal. Fisher has the skid, the bouncer that hurries you, some angle etc. That's cool to have a varied attack like that, and with Henry being a genuine string hitter and wobble seamer with swing at times, O'Rourke who bowls very well to LHers etc. Yes, they bowl with their right arm, but there's some variation to it.
 

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