**Official** New Zealand in Australia

[HeathDavisSpeed]

You called me what? You racist!

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

I clearly was speaking in a local dialect of te reo whereby the four stars are representing "top chap" rather than any expletive.

To complain about spam then post something like that is one of the most hypocritical things I've ever read.

 

[Precambrian]

It is a victimless crime mister.

And sorry, nothing home to write about NZ's performance today, save the McCullum 100 and Jeetan wickets. So I digress.

 

[Precambrian]

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

I clearly was speaking in a local dialect of te reo whereby the four stars are representing "top chap" rather than any expletive.

 

[Athlai]

Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
=:

 

[thierry henry]

271 is decent, albeit a little perplexing.

I hope we haven't entered a new Andy Moles era whereby we party like it's 1979, block for 40 overs and look to go mental in the last 10 "cos we have teh wicketz in hand".

As I said, 271 is decent, but if we made a habit of getting "decent" scores in ODI with 5 wickets still in hand, I'd start to get a little annoyed.

Q (self) FT

Also true that we go to **** when defending a good-ish score.

I'm starting to think that *gasp* we should play 2 spinners. Australian batsmen in general just seem to be so much better at playing pace than spin.

 

[Ernest]

Jesse Ryder

I am tipping Ryder to absolutely go to town against our weakened attack. Bit ridiculous that Johnson (whom I've always regarding as only a middling quick) is the sharp edge of our attack. McCullum must also be licking his chops.

 

[Athlai]

McCullum
Guptil (Ryder)
Fulton
Taylor
Elliot
Broom
Vettori
Mills
Patel
Southee
O'Brien

Vettori and patel must play they are an attacking option and by the way Aussies have played Botha and Duminy its not unrreasonable to think patel and Dan will do well.

And sorry, nothing home to write about NZ's performance today, save the McCullum 100 and Jeetan wickets. So I digress.

I'm starting to think that *gasp* we should play 2 spinners. Australian batsmen in general just seem to be so much better at playing pace than spin.

Athlai: "Everythings... going... to... plan."

 

[Polo23]

Lets bring in Nathan McCullum and play 3 spinners.

 

[thierry henry]

Roneel Hira could play a good containing role...

 

[S.P. Fleming]

Vettori at 7 just wont work. We must play Patel. Have any of you realised how gun the NZ full strength ODI team looks?

Ryder
McCullum
Guptill
Taylor
Styris
Oram
Broom/ Elliott
Vettori
Mills
Southee
Patel

 

[vic_orthdox]

Has a good balance, that side.

 

[Athlai]

Bats a bit low.

Mills at 7 Vettori at 8 anyone?

 

[Uppercut]

McCullum not out 31 (56)

Struggling to comprehend.

Probably looking to play a big innings, either that or he's still a bit injured.

On McCullum, would people really rather see a big innings from him? Because i don't want to see him change anything. Since June 2007 he averages 43.5 with a S/R of 104. Will he really score at a better average than that? I suspect his S/R would drop but he'd score the same amount of runs. He's a pinch-hitter, one of the best in world cricket.

That, and i think the value of double-time 50s and 60s in ODIs is underrated. In some circumstances those are much more match-winning knocks than hundreds. Look at McCullum's knock in the last match against the West Indies- the bowling went to pieces, the momentum shifted, the target was knocked down to something easily manageable and it let Ross Taylor license to take his time and see them home by D/L.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

On McCullum, would people really rather see a big innings from him? Because i don't want to see him change anything. Since June 2007 he averages 43.5 with a S/R of 104. Will he really score at a better average than that? I suspect his S/R would drop but he'd score the same amount of runs. He's a pinch-hitter, one of the best in world cricket.

That, and i think the value of double-time 50s and 60s in ODIs is underrated. In some circumstances those are much more match-winning knocks than hundreds. Look at McCullum's knock in the last match against the West Indies- the bowling went to pieces, the momentum shifted, the target was knocked down to something easily manageable and it let Ross Taylor license to take his time and see them home by D/L.

Yeah, agree with this.

There are others in the team who can play such an innings that he did today, but there aren't many who can play like McCullum does normally.

 

[Somerset]

On McCullum, would people really rather see a big innings from him? Because i don't want to see him change anything. Since June 2007 he averages 43.5 with a S/R of 104. Will he really score at a better average than that? I suspect his S/R would drop but he'd score the same amount of runs. He's a pinch-hitter, one of the best in world cricket.

That, and i think the value of double-time 50s and 60s in ODIs is underrated. In some circumstances those are much more match-winning knocks than hundreds. Look at McCullum's knock in the last match against the West Indies- the bowling went to pieces, the momentum shifted, the target was knocked down to something easily manageable and it let Ross Taylor license to take his time and see them home by D/L.

I think the saying "play your natural game" is more than applicable with McCullum - his instinct is to hit the ball, so continue to give him the license to. Its clearly worked since the World Cup when you consider the statistics you stated above (though both the average and strike rate would be a touch lower if you remove the Ireland ODI where he went crazy). If he doesn't play his natural game, I'd suspect that he'd be far less effective. Besides, when you have the likes of Vettori and Mills at eight and nine, theres plenty of depth in the side if a few wickets go down early playing in an aggressive manner.

Fair point regarding his innings in Napier. It essentially changed the state of the game, with New Zealand requiring five an over for the final 40 overs of the innings, rather than a sluggish start, then a wicket or two lost, and a required run rate closer to seven.

 

[Somerset]

Vettori at 7 just wont work. We must play Patel. Have any of you realised how gun the NZ full strength ODI team looks?

Ryder
McCullum
Guptill
Taylor
Styris
Oram
Broom/ Elliott
Vettori
Mills
Southee
Patel

If Oram, Elliott, Styris and Ryder all play in the same match, do we have too many options then? Would it be worth playing another batsman? Surely the four specialist bowlers should be expected to get through 35-40 overs, but 10-15 sounds a bit light for the other "all-round" players.

 

[Howsie]

On McCullum, would people really rather see a big innings from him? Because i don't want to see him change anything. Since June 2007 he averages 43.5 with a S/R of 104. Will he really score at a better average than that? I suspect his S/R would drop but he'd score the same amount of runs. He's a pinch-hitter, one of the best in world cricket.

That, and i think the value of double-time 50s and 60s in ODIs is underrated. In some circumstances those are much more match-winning knocks than hundreds. Look at McCullum's knock in the last match against the West Indies- the bowling went to pieces, the momentum shifted, the target was knocked down to something easily manageable and it let Ross Taylor license to take his time and see them home by D/L.

I would rather see McCullum play his natural game, although I would rather see Guptill opening with him and playing the sort of innings McCullum played today. With Ryder batting at five.

 

[Uppercut]

If Oram, Elliott, Styris and Ryder all play in the same match, do we have too many options then? Would it be worth playing another batsman? Surely the four specialist bowlers should be expected to get through 35-40 overs, but 10-15 sounds a bit light for the other "all-round" players.

Also Patel, Vettori, Styris, Ryder and Elliot won't bowl much in powerplays. And Oram might not bowl much at all.

 

[Athlai]

Also Patel, Vettori, Styris, Ryder and Elliot won't bowl much in powerplays. And Oram might not bowl much at all.

Patel always bowls in powerplays.

 

[Howsie]

If Oram, Elliott, Styris and Ryder all play in the same match, do we have too many options then? Would it be worth playing another batsman? Surely the four specialist bowlers should be expected to get through 35-40 overs, but 10-15 sounds a bit light for the other "all-round" players.

But how long untill Oram gives up bowling for good, New Zealand needs him for his batting, and although he is a pretty decent bowler his impact with the bat is too high for him to be injured all the time.