NZ v Australia Test #2
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="tubbyj" data-cid="560427" data-time="1456265904">
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<p>Yeah in away this series will be good for us if we learn our lessons from it. Williamson as the new captain has to reign in some of the bust or broke tendencies while keeping some of the innovation and team dynamic of Brendon McCullums reign. NZ cricket would do well to get Stephen Fleming involved in some kind of mentoring role for him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We have learned that Wagner should be the one of the first names written down on the team sheet.</p>
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<p>We learned how important Williamson and Taylor are to us as a batting partnership instead of this he's better than him kind of stuff that have dominated discussions of the 2.</p>
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<p>We learned Latham and Anderson are capable of development in test cricket and deserve places moving forward. Martin Guptill maybe not so much</p>
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<p>We learned we need a spinner and should only play two of Boult Henry and Southee.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We learned Boult and Southee shouldn't be sacred cow selections either Henry is putting real pressure on Southee and they should get Wheeler involved to up the pressure on Boult.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We learned Mascheranas is really as poor as we all thought and thank god he is moving on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We also learned Australia is a better team than us but we are not as far behind that victory in the next series against them is beyond us.</p>
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<p>Martin Guptill shouldn't be in the test team. And yup, it is a real shame that we don't have (at this point) a world class spinning option. Craig and Sodhi both have their moments, but we need far better consistency than that, and on a variety of tracks. I feel dirty saying this, but Lyon showed us up big time and he's nowhere near a Warne or Murali or Vettori.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Boult has been below par since his injury break, seems to have lost a yard of pace, and that swing. Take those two things away, and suddenly he's a tidy medium pacer getting tonked by really good batsmen. Southee is bloody annoying, he'll bowl an absolute ripper, then a bunch of shit, letting the batsmen rotate strike or get a boundary, so pressure never stays on. And he should always bat 11, then if he does his six and out, who cares.</p>
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<p>Dmitri is no loss, oh boy do I hope for better things. After the Porsches Donald and Bond, getting a Nissan Sunny was not cool.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="tubbyj" data-cid="560431" data-time="1456266647">
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<p>getting drunk I imagine</p>
<p> </p>
<p>How do you become proven if you never get a chance</p>
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<p>It was said tongue in cheek.....or was it ? BMac leaves a gap as big as the fucken gobi desert with his departure.</p> -
<p>I'd like to see both Milne and Satner given a chance at some stage, and I'd slot in Munro for BMac in all forms.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="tubbyj" data-cid="560427" data-time="1456265904">
<div>
<p>Yeah in away this series will be good for us if we learn our lessons from it. Williamson as the new captain has to reign in some of the bust or broke tendencies while keeping some of the innovation and team dynamic of Brendon McCullums reign. NZ cricket would do well to get Stephen Fleming involved in some kind of mentoring role for him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We have learned that Wagner should be the one of the first names written down on the team sheet.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We learned how important Williamson and Taylor are to us as a batting partnership instead of this he's better than him kind of stuff that have dominated discussions of the 2.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We learned Latham and Anderson are capable of development in test cricket and deserve places moving forward. Martin Guptill maybe not so much</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We learned we need a spinner and should only play two of Boult Henry and Southee.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We learned Boult and Southee shouldn't be sacred cow selections either Henry is putting real pressure on Southee and they should get Wheeler involved to up the pressure on Boult.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We learned Mascheranas is really as poor as we all thought and thank god he is moving on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We also learned Australia is a better team than us but we are not as far behind that victory in the next series against them is beyond us.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>Not having a go at him but is Wagners six for at home in a losing effort better than Bracewells five for away in a winning effort ?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Great effort but one swallow doesn't make a summer.</p> -
I've advocated for Guppy to move to 5 once Baz retires and play his aggresive natural hame against an older ball. It was pointed out to me he would struggle against spin, but there aren't many world class spinners going around at the moment and it's not like he would just face 100% spin bowling.
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<p>Wagner has shown the value of knuckling down and being able to bowl to a plan. The others, not so much.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We took in the underdone Jackson Bird and the back-from-injury Pattinson and both delivered, when Hazlewood was having trouble finding the same performance he had in the First Test. Neither of your established opening bowlers really stamped their authority on things, even throwing away talk of statistics.</p>
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<p>Throw in Lyon to pin down an end and you're doing alright from an Australian point of view.</p>
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<p>And check this out:</p>
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<p><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:tahoma, arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Southee to Smith, </span><span style="font-family:tahoma, arial;font-weight:bold;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:13px;">FOUR</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:tahoma, arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">, that's rubbish against Smith. Short and wide, Smith shuffles across, and cuts this past point for four. Is he trying to get us close enough at lunch to be asking for that extra half hour?</span></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="560460" data-time="1456271292">
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<p>This is a bloody farce - 17 runs to go and they're coming in for lunch? </p>
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<p> </p>
<p>You're gonna win. Stop fucken whining. Smithy's probably starving.....</p> -
<p>he needs his cheerios and juice box</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="560460" data-time="1456271292">
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<p>This is a bloody farce - 17 runs to go and they're coming in for lunch? </p>
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<p>Suzie is serving up large helpings of her famous smoked chicken salad</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="560464" data-time="1456271547">
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<p>Ha. Ha ha.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So both of you are clearly eating dick for lunch? Again?</p>
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<p>Poached eggs on toast today from the good old home office. I'd take a photo but that is soooooooooooooooooooooooo 2015.....</p> -
<p>Well, that's that. #1 Test ranking again, and finally some consistent form across the team this summer. Warming up on the WIndies' reserve side definitely helped, but it was a thoroughly disciplined performance in that first session in Welly to put the brakes on any BC momentum.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now we need to start winning overseas more.</p>
