New Zealand vs Australia | Feb 20-24, 2016 | 2nd Test | Christchurch | Match Thread

[Convict]

Well clearly we're not doing something the Aussies are doing. A massive difference in the two teams abilities to rough up the ball. Maybe we should be keeping bottle caps or nail clippers in our pockets.

Not really. Sometimes you genuinely get dud balls that don't do anything at all.

That's normally when you try and get the umpires to replace it.

But seriously you guys are doing the same thing we are.

 

[Aman]

You really just can't see the issue in what you're saying?

You devalue smiths unbelievably good numbers based on how he makes his runs but you ignore the way bmac makes his and focus only on the end result?

Surely you can see how biased that view is?

There are a dozen batsmen in world cricket who can play the innings Smith plays (surviving then feasting on the older ball).

How many are there in world cricket who would do what McCullum did on day 1 and actually succeed (giving the team momentum and scoring a big score in the process)?

 

[Convict]

If we are using that stuff or lollies on the ball then why throw it into the ground when we return it to the keeper?

That would be nuts.

Well the logic is you throw it to the ground to scuff it up and once you get it scuffed up you see if one ball is scuffed up more than the other and then shiny it up with your sugary spit.

We're not using bottle caps or anything this match though. No evidence of that

 

[Junaids]

I was going to look into this, then I saw the writer and stopped there. You just need to look back at his other articles to know the guy absolutely hates McCullum. Most of the stuff ihe writes is utter rubbish, I feel sorry that you wasted your time reading one of his pieces.

Here we must agree to disagree.

Mark Reason saw through McCullum long before I did.

He saw a mediocre slogger who made Test cricket look sexy by playing as if it was an ODI. And we now see that a really talented unit has horribly underachieved.

Ross Taylor remains bitter about his demise as captain. Henry Nichols and Martin Guptill somehow play Test cricket - where they are exposed as not good enough - but Jesse Ryder who has the ability to thrive against the best bowlers has been discarded. And not, ultimately, for his earlier drinking but for getting anxious on the eve of departure to the UAE.

NZ can field an eleven pretty much as strong as any other Test team. But McCullum has vetoed its second best batsman and his "leadership" has merely made them throw away strong positions (remember Lords?) with mindless slogging.

Even today, thirty behind and three wickets down. A 150 partnership with Williamson would have left them effectively 120 ahead with 7 wickets left. Yet he got out trying to slog consecutive sixes.

Mark Reason is right!

 

[Aman]

Scoring 140 should be key, regardless of it taking 70 balls or 170 balls. McCullum averages <40 for a reason, he plays like an idiot often such as today. 91/3 at stumps is better than 121/4.

Exactly, it was suicidal but you have to give him credit as it's not the type of innings you see very often.

 

[Convict]

There are a dozen batsmen in world cricket who can play the innings Smith plays (surviving then feasting on the older ball).

How many are there in world cricket who would do what McCullum did on day 1 and actually succeed (giving the team momentum and scoring a big score in the process)?

Do what McCullum did? Get carried away after saving his team and destroying all his effort?

And then throwing away his wicket in the second innings?

Quite a few actually.

 

[Aman]

Here we must agree to disagree.

Mark Reason saw through McCullum long before I did.

He saw a mediocre slogger who made Test cricket look sexy by playing as if it was an ODI. And we now see that a really talented unit has horribly underachieved.

Ross Taylor remains bitter about his demise as captain. Henry Nichols and Martin Guptill somehow play Test cricket - where they are exposed as not good enough - but Jesse Ryder who has the ability to thrive against the best bowlers has been discarded. And not, ultimately, for his earlier drinking but for getting anxious on the eve of departure to the UAE.

NZ can field an eleven pretty much as strong as any other Test team. But McCullum has vetoed its second best batsman and his "leadership" has merely made them throw away strong positions (remember Lords?) with mindless slogging.

Even today, thirty behind and three wickets down. A 150 partnership with Williamson would have left them effectively 120 ahead with 7 wickets left. Yet he got out trying to slog consecutive sixes.

Mark Reason is right!

Thanks Junaid, [MENTION=132373]Convict[/MENTION] [MENTION=100030]trogger[/MENTION] will now disregard anything Mark Reason has to say now.

 

[Adijazz1706]

You really just can't see the issue in what you're saying?

You devalue smiths unbelievably good numbers based on how he makes his runs but you ignore the way bmac makes his and focus only on the end result?

Surely you can see how biased that view is?

What is BMac's end result? At least the Aussies dominate at home, the Kiwis can't even manage that, nor do they win away. Personally he averages even less than who isn't exactly a world class Test bat.

 

[Aman]

Do what McCullum did? Get carried away after saving his team and destroying all his effort?

And then throwing away his wicket in the second innings?

Quite a few actually.

140 is throwing it away? Yes, it would have been nice if he reigned it in, but that's not McCullum. He got to 140 playing one way, why change it? For all we know he could have been bowled through the gate defending once.

 

[Aman]

What is BMac's end result? At least the Aussies dominate at home, the Kiwis can't even manage that, nor do they win away. Personally he averages even less than who isn't exactly a world class Test bat.

McCullum is a NZ great, there's no doubt about that.

If you want to talk him as a cricket that's up to fans and experts, not him.

Some act as if he asked for guard of honor or recognition as a great of the game

Clearly the Aussies thought he deserved a guard of honor as they gave him one in the ODI's (?) and Tests.

 

[Adijazz1706]

Exactly, it was suicidal but you have to give him credit as it's not the type of innings you see very often.

'You don't see it very often' isn't even a defense, it just deflects from the fact that 200 off 300 balls is better than 140 off 70. The amount of runs matters in tests even if the SR is about 50.

 

[Adijazz1706]

McCullum is a NZ great, there's no doubt about that.

If you want to talk him as a cricket that's up to fans and experts, not him.

Some act as if he asked for guard of honor or recognition as a great of the game

Clearly the Aussies thought he deserved a guard of honor as they gave him one in the ODI's (?) and Tests.

Being a NZ great sure seems easy if he is one. Averaging 38 in Tests isn't something too special.

 

[Aman]

'You don't see it very often' isn't even a defense, it just deflects from the fact that 200 off 300 balls is better than 140 off 70. The amount of runs matters in tests even if the SR is about 50.

A century has been scored in less than 60 balls only 4 times in the history of Test cricket. To do it when your side is 3 down for 30 and on a wicket doing plenty against an attack of Hazlewood, Pattinson, Bird and Lyon is a fair effort, no? How many times will you see someone have the balls to do what he did again? Probably never, instead you're more likely to see the safe approach of surviving then feasting which we've seen time and time again.

 

[Aman]

Being a NZ great sure seems easy if he is one. Averaging 38 in Tests isn't something too special.

Again, McCullum didn't claim to be a great of the game, nor has any Kiwi (here). So I don't understand why you're getting so fired up about a matter that doesn't concern you. Most Kiwi's who know their cricket recognize him as Kiwi great and that's it. Whether he is more is up to the individual. The way you're banging on is like McCullum came out and declared himself to be a great of the game who deserved a guard of honor.

 

[Aman]

A century has been scored in less than 60 balls only 4 times in the history of Test cricket. To do it when your side is 3 down for 30 and on a wicket doing plenty against an attack of Hazlewood, Pattinson, Bird and Lyon is a fair effort, no? How many times will you see someone have the balls to do what he did again? Probably never, instead you're more likely to see the safe approach of surviving then feasting which we've seen time and time again.

This is why it was so special to me, we'll likely never see such an innings again as such approaches are frowned upon. To do it in his very last Test, put it over the line. A WR in your very last match.

 

[Adijazz1706]

Again, McCullum didn't claim to be a great of the game, nor has any Kiwi (here). So I don't understand why you're getting so fired up about a matter that doesn't concern you. Most Kiwi's who know their cricket recognize him as Kiwi great and that's it. Whether he is more is up to the individual. The way you're banging on is like McCullum came out and declared himself to be a great of the game who deserved a guard of honor.

I never said that. Scoring quick centuries is useful when you need quick runs or are trying to force a result. On a day 1 pitch with movement, playing out overs is better than slogging and relying on no-balls to stay out there. It gives the next batsmen a chance to play against the old ball. It's 1 of the basics of Test cricket.

 

[Aman]

I never said that. Scoring quick centuries is useful when you need quick runs or are trying to force a result. On a day 1 pitch with movement, playing out overs is better than slogging and relying on no-balls to stay out there. It gives the next batsmen a chance to play against the old ball. It's 1 of the basics of Test cricket.

The reason I rate it highly was because it was against the conventional thought. Anyway that's my opinion, you can choose to rate innings however you like, but that innings was special to me for those reasons I mentioned above. It wasn't his most fluent innings, but it's easily better than all his previous innings for mine.

 

[hur rizvi]

Looking at NZ's performance, I certainly feel we will be competitive against them later this year. If YK, Azhar and Shafiq can perform decently may be we can win the series

 

[Aman]

Looking at NZ's performance, I certainly feel we will be competitive against them later this year. If YK, Azhar and Shafiq can perform decently may be we can win the series

If Amir is back to his best you should start as favorites, if Asif is firing too you should be disappointed with anything less than a clean sweep. Boult and Southee have completely lost it with the ball.

 

[hur rizvi]

If Amir is back to his best you should start as favorites, if Asif is firing too you should be disappointed with anything less than a clean sweep. Boult and Southee have completely lost it with the ball.

Dont think Asif will be back, Amir should be back to his best, he has already shown good signs.

Attack would be: Wahab, Amir, IK jr, Yasir shah

It will be a decent attack. result of the series will be determined by performance of our batters

 

[Junaids]

Thanks Junaid, [MENTION=132373]Convict[/MENTION] [MENTION=100030]trogger[/MENTION] will now disregard anything Mark Reason has to say now.

Woe is me. Nobody recognises my mana!

It's funny how when you wind people up they fail to see what you got right. I said near the start of this thread that NZ would score 350 and Australia would reply with 500.

I was only a total of 15 runs out!

 

[Junaids]

A century has been scored in less than 60 balls only 4 times in the history of Test cricket. To do it when your side is 3 down for 30 and on a wicket doing plenty against an attack of Hazlewood, Pattinson, Bird and Lyon is a fair effort, no? How many times will you see someone have the balls to do what he did again? Probably never, instead you're more likely to see the safe approach of surviving then feasting which we've seen time and time again.

I completely disagree.

Batting was hard on Day 1 for an hour, until the new ball was 20 overs old. But the second new ball would have been much easier - the pitch had gone brown and the bowlers would have been tired.

A responsible number 5 batsman would have tried to have NZ 90-2 at lunch, 200-3 at Tea and 300-5 at the close, with the second new ball already 10 overs old. Then 400-7 at lunch on Day 2 and 500 all out - just like Australia.

The scoring rate was sexy, but the problem, was that wickets kept tumbling.

He might have scored 145 and 25, but the problem is that the NZ skipper was batting at number 5, and got out in BOTH innings slogging.

And that's just not good enough, but it's the story of 12 months of New Zealand Test underachievement.

I repeat - and I said it at the time - McCullum's dismissal slogging in the First Test at Lords cost NZ the match.

But he never learned from his mistakes - he just kept repeating them.

 

[Gilly]

So Aman whats your excuse for this match, have we got past the flat tracks, the cheating umpires, losing the toss. You have come up with another excuse and its...............................wait for it...............................................here it comes......................................BALL TAMPERING BY THE AUSSIES

 

[Gilly]

Woe is me. Nobody recognises my mana!

It's funny how when you wind people up they fail to see what you got right. I said near the start of this thread that NZ would score 350 and Australia would reply with 500.

I was only a total of 15 runs out!

Its because you never said it.

 

[Aman]

So Aman whats your excuse for this match, have we got past the flat tracks, the cheating umpires, losing the toss. You have come up with another excuse and its...............................wait for it...............................................here it comes......................................BALL TAMPERING BY THE AUSSIES

No excuses, just beaten by a much better side.

Ball tampering isn't an excuse, I was saying we should do (more of) it as you need to do it on these tracks.

 

[Gilly]

No excuses, just beaten by a much better side.

Disrespecting the opposition when you lose, there is no excuse for that.

Man up boy.

 

[Aman]

Disrespecting the opposition when you lose, there is no excuse for that.

Man up boy.

Have a look at this.

Those $2 odds were around when Aus were 2 down, I think.

Regret not getting more in at the end of day 2 as we were favorites at that stage (lol).

 

[Aman]

Didn't bet much as I lost $60 on my last bet.

I thought an Indian win was a sure thing in the WT20 Final, but of course India had to slip up then

I blame Yuvi.

 

[JilaWatan]

i dont get these aussie players. why do they always gang up on the ump when the decisions dont go their way. used to see it in the days ponting. and just now. given not out lbw they review it. hot spot showed an inside edge to the pad, they give it not out, then all the assuie players start harrassing the ump cuz the decision didnt go their way. unsportsmanlike, very unprofessional. but totally expect it from aussies.

 

[Aman]

Smiths reaction wasn't surprising, it's for that very reason many consider him to be the biggest cry baby in world cricket.

It's one thing for fans to go on about decisions, entirely another for an international captain.

 

[HitWicket]

Hazlewood shouting "What...Who the third umpire" at the onfield umpire quite clearly into the stump mic probably won't do his match fee very good...

Did the hotspot they showed afterwoods show a short bright flash on the bat from the offside though?

 

[trogger]

Smiths reaction wasn't surprising, it's for that very reason many consider him to be the biggest cry baby in world cricket.

It's one thing for fans to go on about decisions, entirely another for an international captain.

bmac did the exact same thing after the burns one.

 

[ChachaCricket]

Outstanding from Williamson.

 

[carrom_ball]

Smiths reaction wasn't surprising, it's for that very reason many consider him to be the biggest cry baby in world cricket.

It's one thing for fans to go on about decisions, entirely another for an international captain.

It's going to be fun to watch smith's face once his purple patch is over

 

[Aman]

bmac did the exact same thing after the burns one.

There's a world of difference between how McCullum and other captains approach umpires and how Smith confronts them. Honestly, I'll be surprised if Smith and Hazlewood get away without fines, it didn't seem like they were showing much respect to the umpires at all.

 

[Gilly]

There's a world of difference between how McCullum and other captains approach umpires and how Smith confronts them. Honestly, I'll be surprised if Smith and Hazlewood get away without fines, it didn't seem like they were showing much respect to the umpires at all.

Knowing how much you love the Aussies it must have been hard for you to say this Jord.

 

[trogger]

There's a world of difference between how McCullum and other captains approach umpires and how Smith confronts them. Honestly, I'll be surprised if Smith and Hazlewood get away without fines, it didn't seem like they were showing much respect to the umpires at all.

bmac was very aggressive in his body language when he went up to the umpire, you just didn't care neither did your comms.

 

[Aman]

Knowing how much you love the Aussies it must have been hard for you to say this Jord.

You think I'm Jord? LOL way off.

 

[Aman]

Apparently the ball was actually caught, anyone have a clip to confirm?

bmac was very aggressive in his body language when he went up to the umpire, you just didn't care neither did your comms.

Post the clip.

 

[Aman]

Even if it was caught, it's about time we got a DRS howler to go our way.

 

[trogger]

Post the clip.

Tell me what smith said to the umpire.

 

[Aman]

Tell me what smith said to the umpire.

Well, he was a lot more animated and aggressive than most captains are when a decision is made.

 

[trogger]

OH yeah the ball was caught, so if it wasn't plumb lbw surely it's was a catch?

 

[Aman]

OH yeah the ball was caught, so if it wasn't plumb lbw surely it's was a catch?

Yep.

 

[trogger]

Well, he was a lot more animated and aggressive than most captains are when a decision is made.

Bmac was actually likely more verbally abusive than smith but the umpire was intimidated by the hype over his retirement and the home crowd and didn't report him.

See i can speculate with zero proof as well.

 

[Aman]

Bmac was actually likely more verbally abusive than smith but the umpire was intimidated by the hype over his retirement and the home crowd and didn't report him.

See i can speculate with zero proof as well.

"Some hints to the 'language heard on the stump mic'? Not Verbatim ofcourse,just hints?" Solo, think I heard a four-letter word with regards to the third umpire

^

 

[Aman]

I don't blame the umpires, the Aussies have been appealing strongly for everything for the chance of getting umpires call.

Instead, they've chosen not to give them any BOD. Total backfire

 

[Aman]

Nvm, it WASN'T actually caught. [MENTION=100030]trogger[/MENTION]

Kind of disappointed =\

 

[Aman]

[MENTION=100030]trogger[/MENTION] Aussie headline - "Foul mouthed Aussies unload on umpire"

http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket...m/news-story/b49e140263b3d40729dea86c90dd23da

 

[trogger]

yeah hazlewood swore everybody heard that loud and clear and he deserves a fine, but you're saying you know what smith said based on nothing more than well nothing really.

Both skippers aggressively walked up to the umpire when a drs went against them and we have no idea who said what but you condemn smith but not bmac.

 

[Convict]

Josh was just giving Kiwi fans some moral victory they crave so much.

 

[ChachaCricket]

Aussies expose Williamson again. Was surviving solely on mental strength. He's got to come outside the crease to upset the length.

 

[trogger]

I thought it was a pretty tough innings for somebody clearly not in his top form and you have to respect that.

 

[trogger]

As for the game i guess if southee henry and boult go nuts kiwis could get it up to around 200 and make a game of it.

We have had major trouble with the last 3-4 wicket for most of the season.

 

[carrom_ball]

NZ I had such high hopes from your side, I thought you guys were going to fight for India's no. 1 test ranking but alas you are not good enough, there goes our no. 1 rank

 

[trogger]

200+ on the cards if these two stay together a while longer, henry has been ridiculously lucky but still another hour or so and it's game on.

 

[Junaids]

They are effectively 155-7.

Now we can all see that if McCullum hadn't got out slogging like a drunken sailor yet again they would be effectively something like 155-4, and game on.

It's incredible how big an advantage the Aussies have given themselves this summer just by playing sensibly!

 

[Belawal2014]

Smiths reaction wasn't surprising, it's for that very reason many consider him to be the biggest cry baby in world cricket.

It's one thing for fans to go on about decisions, entirely another for an international captain.

Steve Smith just has that cry baby face doesn't he?

 

[ChachaCricket]

Lmao

 

[ChachaCricket]

Get Warner and it's game on. Overcast tomorrow as well.

 

[trogger]

watling batted really really well that session, henry like most kiwi tailenders must have a bit of irish in him with the luck he had but they get this lead over 250 and they are a real shot here.

 

[Gilly]

Another 50 runs and Aman will come back.

 

[carrom_ball]

Another 50 runs and Aman will come back.

And gilly will be gone

 

[Aman]

Another 50 runs and Aman will come back.

Watching Raw and lurking offline on here.

 

[Aman]

watling batted really really well that session, henry like most kiwi tailenders must have a bit of irish in him with the luck he had but they get this lead over 250 and they are a real shot here.

250 won't be enough unless we rough up the ball and get it really going. I hope they do whatever they can to get it reversing early like the Aussies have.

 

[Muhammad10]

watling batted really really well that session, henry like most kiwi tailenders must have a bit of irish in him with the luck he had but they get this lead over 250 and they are a real shot here.

Henry is a street fighter, while Southee is like .

 

[trogger]

250 won't be enough unless we rough up the ball and get it really going. I hope they do whatever they can to get it reversing early like the Aussies have.

If we play like we did first dig to wagner then 200 is enough.

 

[vandokkum]

I love how some people talk about Warner like he is some brainless slogger.. this guy has 16 test hundreds while opening the batting, averaging over 50.. and regularly scores at a strike rate of over 100...

 

[Belawal2014]

I love how some people talk about Warner like he is some brainless slogger.. this guy has 16 test hundreds while opening the batting, averaging over 50.. and regularly scores at a strike rate of over 100...

Best opener in the world.

 

[trogger]

Feel better now aman with your boys throwing it into the dirt?

First time a nz team has tried to get the ball to reverse in a cricket match as well which is remarkable, still at least that burden of being so flawless can be lifted of your teams shoulders for a wee while.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Best opener in the world.

Comfortably. He is a match winner with the bat when he scores tons.

 

[vandokkum]

If we play like we did first dig to wagner then 200 is enough.

Exaggerate much ? Australia scored 500 in that first innings.... This series and the previous one in Australia has shown atleast one thing, Australia's bowling attack is far superior to NZ.

 

[Suleiman]

McCullum cost his team big team. Left after a selfish knock of 25 just to please viewers, pathetic. No better than Afridi this guy, Late 90s Afridi beats him as batsman as does 2004-2006 Afridi.

Had he controlled his childish behaviors and played a normal innings to build a partnership with Williamson, who knows what coulda happened.

 

[trogger]

Exaggerate much ?

well Obviously, we all do it in these sorts of circumstances downplay our teams chances a bit to negate the nerves.

 

[trogger]

jeez do these kiwi comms ever stop trolling and crying? almost making me miss the awful nine crew.

 

[Aman]

What a fibber Warner is.

He should have walked off the moment McCullum reviewed.

 

[Aman]

Exaggerate much ? Australia scored 500 in that first innings.... This series and the previous one in Australia has shown atleast one thing, Australia's bowling attack is far superior to NZ.

Yep.

Shows Southee shouldn't be our first choice pick bowler either, surely there have to be better players in domestic cricket than him...

 

[Aman]

jeez do these kiwi comms ever stop trolling and crying? almost making me miss the awful nine crew.

It's mostly Ian Smith who's terrible, he's probably worse than Ian Healy...

 

[Aman]

Feel better now aman with your boys throwing it into the dirt?

First time a nz team has tried to get the ball to reverse in a cricket match as well which is remarkable, still at least that burden of being so flawless can be lifted of your teams shoulders for a wee while.

Nothing wrong with it.

I actually want us to do more.

 

[Suleiman]

lol @ Warner bro pulling a Cory Anderson shaking his head like "huh? what? catch? where? "