New Zealand in Australia Nov-Dec 2008 Feb 2009

[aussie1st]

Bracken knew he had it as long as he didn't over step or bowl the wide one. Good way to end probably one of the most entertaining summers.

 

[Mr.Cricket]

What a catch from Voges , that won us the game in the end. Great way to finish a great summer of cricket. Bracken was simply outstanding tonight. Well done Aussies.

Irrotev will still find something to whinge about though

 

[Ari]

What a match! great stuff. For us I think we lost it when Fulton played out that maiden over also Elliot was way to slow, played and missed way to often. Franklin and N.McCullum also came in to late they should have been 3 and 4 with the way they have been playing in domestic cricket.

 

[irottev]

What's Irottev going to have to moan about here? Australia win fair and square, agonisingly close. 1 run, great game.

I'm going to moan about the coach and captain's tactics. We lose by 1 run with 5 wickets in hand. That's inexcusable. We restricted Australia to a very poor score which we would/could and should have chased easily with the right mindset. We should have tried to win with overs in hand. Leaving 14 needed off the last over was stupid. They left it too late. Elliot sadly let us down for the first time. He paniced. Props to Voges though, that catch was what won Australia the game. It was mainly his balance. He had an extra second to throw it in the air. Most players in that situation are badly off balance and have to get rid of it quick, he had the time to aim it high so he could get back.

Plus Fulton is bad. It's a shame Taylor was injured because he's our best batsman in all 3 forms of the game. His Twenty/20 record is one of the better ones in the world.

Over-all on the tour, we were given no show as usual to win the series and we drew it 2-2 and were easy favorites to win the final until the rain saved Australia so really, I feel we played the better cricket and deserve a lot of respect from India when they play us. We somewhat blew our chances in the other 2 games, both of which we should have won. Lack of experience cost us. But it's a bright future ahead. This tour we've found a LOT of new talent. So overall a big success.


Oh, and i'll just add. I'm glad I don't have to hear any of the biased commentary again for a while. Honestly, Nicolas, Slater, Healy, Taylor are the most biased commentators around. Phew

 

[Skater]

A really good game, it just about makes up for the farce in Brisbane on Friday. The only downer was that Australia won, Bracken is a magnificent death bowler and as has been said he will be a real threat here this summer. I thought they had lost it when Hopes was hit for 20 in a single over. Voges' catch will be replayed over and over again!

Not quite the end of the cricket from Australia, though, the Women's World Cup starts next month and I will have a keen eye on it considering England are the favourites.

 

[angryangy]

Bracken knew he had it as long as he didn't over step or bowl the wide one. Good way to end probably one of the most entertaining summers.

Yeah, the pressure was clearly off by the end, though he didn't bowl too much of a dolly, it didn't exactly look middled, just the hitting power of the batsman, I guess.

Fair enough that neither White nor Voges were utilised but Henriques, who was supposedly brought in for 'a look' was unseen with the ball. Actually, considering the turn in the pitch, perhaps it would have been a cracker for Voges and White. Although it was in the end a good win, I would ask whether it should have been at all close.

 

[Inbox24]

Portuguese's inclusion was all the difference. Forget is bowling (or lack thereof), without his 1 run, we would've only scored 149 and therefore the game would've been a tie.

Portuguese for MotM!

 

[irottev]

I've been informed that that catch was possibly not legal. There's been comments about 'Once a fielder leaves the field of play he can't take a catch'.

I'm not going to moan about it until it's proven though. I'm sure since it was referred it must have been legal.

If anyone knows, it'd be nice. (I don't believe it, but someone mentioned it so ??)

 

[Skater]

That probably is the rule, but Voges didn't leave the field completely.

 

[irottev]

I'd imagine that's for like, going off the field and being subbed or something?

I'm pretty sure it's legal because I remember it happening against us on some other occasion.

 

[karnog]

Hmmm either way NZ have a bright future with this kind of talent. All really young and have stepped up in pressure situations. A bit more experience from Oram and they missed Mills today in experience. NZ odis and twenty20s are looking good. Their test performances can drastically rise in the future as well with youth and talent. Good spinners, good bowling attack, good fielding, stable batsmen, X factor in Guptil and Mccullum, etc. Missing a world class batsman. If Taylor plays to the 50 average potential then the kiwi test stocks will rise. It wouldn't suprise me if they beat us comprehensively in New Zealand. Australia are a bit reliant on old hands and the younger guys aren't stepping up. Haddin has been the real step up. Other than that you could say maybe David Hussey and Ferguson.

 

[Howsie]

Get Ian Butler in the ODI team, he bowled with more pace then I thought he had. He really hasn't lost that much, maybe 10kph. Plus his lower-order batting could be handy. And Nathan McCullum has to play more too, should be the second ODI spinner.

My ODI Team

1.Martin Guptill
2.Jesse Ryder
3.Ross Taylor
4.Grant Elliot
5.Nathan McCullum
6.Jacob Oram
7.Brendon McCullum
8.Kyle Mills
9.Ian Butler
10.Tim Southee
11.Daniel Vettori

And we would have the likes of Broom, Franklin, and O'Brien on the sidelines.

 

[King Pietersen]

I agree with the selections, but the batting order is wrong I think. I'd go for:

1. Brendon McCullum
2. Jesse Ryder
3. Martin Guptill
4. Ross Taylor
5. Grant Elliot
6. Jacob Oram
7. Nathan McCullum
8. Daniel Vettori
9. Kyle Mills
10. Tim Southee
11. Ian Butler

Would be far more effective I think.

 

[Ari]

NZ cricket is finally getting some depth to it which is nice. For me Franklin has to play in all 3 formats his batting has come so far and his bowling is just a bonus.

So far this season.

T20: 173.00 @ 173.00
OD: 51.00 @ 80.73
FC: 143.33 @ 70.00

yes it is helped by some not outs but hes getting big not outs most the time.

1: McCullum
2: Ryder
3: Guptill
4: Taylor
5: Styris
6: Franklin
7: Oram
8: N McCullum
9: Mills
10: Vettori
11: Southee

Elliot, O'Brien, Broom and Patel in the squad. I forgot all about Styris coming back and Elliot was in the team before that. It is hard leaving him out and I am sure the selectors won't but the batsman listed in the team are all better Batsman than Elliot when they are in form. Just looking at the big picture and he doesn't fit in my ideal in form side.

 

[Mars Maximus]

Yep a great game and love the result, we just scraped by. And here in Melbourne rain is a thing of the past, and there is a 3/4 moon out at this moment. Yep cricket should be played all yea round in Melbourne, coz the friggin rain is on holiday away from here forever it seems!

*yes my dry frustration is showing lol

Yep great game indeed!