It's hard with no commentary, but it seems like NZ A just had no heat after the new ball and I guess with 3 run outs, the batsmen were flattering them. The innings was fairly stable after that initial horror, with a run rate around 5 and only the wicket of Rohit Sharma fell between the 12th and 44th overs. Going by the partnerships, it seems like Yusuf Pathan wasn't in top gear until the end. The death bowlers were truly carted, the final partnership scored 75 in 6 overs.
NZ A really struggled to play a role in the game. They haven't had a dominant performance from an opener all series and while Guptill and Watling are young, Redmond really doesn't seem like a good choice for a limited overs team. The openers have between them scored 85 in 2 matches each; interestingly, Greg Hay is yet to get a game. Clearly finding openers is of great importance, but none of these guys appear to cut it right now and Plan B should definitely be on the table, not just for NZ A in the short term, but NZ in general.
Finding true positives isn't easy, with the international players doing most of the work. Mark Gillespie got the best of Aus A on a lively wicket, but doesn't quite hold his composure on flatter ones. James Marshall continues to be an incomplete package. As good as he is, Peter Fulton's struggle to get into the NZ side is amazing, but I'd also like to see more of Neil Broom. Getting something from just one new guy is probably enough, I guess. We'll just have to see how this one pans out for NZ A.
