Story Oceania Premier League

[just_cricket]

New Zealand haven't beaten Australia in a Test series away from home since 1985, when Richard Hadlee and Martin Crowe were at their best.
Ranked 7th in the ICC Test rankings, the Black Caps will have a tough time competing with the No. 1 ranked Australians, although the Aussies will not be on top of their game, having lost their last test series in India.
Having lost Gilchrist, Warne and McGrath, their line up isn't what it used to be, but considering New Zealand's shaky tour of Bangladesh the home side are red hot favourites against this struggling Black Caps unit.

The shock news is that Fleming has returned following coach John Bracewell's retirement, and Bond is allowed to play for his country again after the ICC lifted the ban on ICL players in early November. Opener Matthew Bell is recalled, and James Franklin has recovered from his back problems.

For Australia, Beau Casson is back in the squad, and Shaun Marsh makes the test squad for the first time. Andrew Symonds is back in the team after being left out for the Indian tour, and pace bowler Ben Hilfenhaus also has a chance to make his test debut.

Daniel Vettori will attend a press conference tomorrow, along with new coach John Wright as well as Stephen Fleming and Shane Bond. Stay tuned here for the latest updates on the tour brought to you by Cricinfo, in conjunction with ESPN Sports...

 

[gutterman]

good start mate. a few suggestions

1: When putting pics on. use photbucket or image shack.
2: add a bit more writing
3: use a variety of colours for text but make it readable.

for some ideas check out Surendar's India Story or Highlander999's three lions on the shirt story

 

[just_cricket]

NZ's Press Conference

The Black Caps have a three day match against the Prime Minister's XI scheduled for the 13th, 14th and 15th of December at Manuka Oval, Canberra.
Today, the 12th December, Daniel Vettori, as well as Stephen Fleming and Shane Bond, attended a cricket focussed press conference.

Malcom Conn from The Australian News: Thank you, I'd like to ask Stephen Fleming a question?
SF: Certainly...
MC: What sparked your sudden return to international cricket after retiring earlier this year?
SF: Well, I was always interested in playing for my province, Wellington, again, and I got into cricket again practising with them, and suddenly I decided for a number of reasons that I'd play again, and told the selectors I was available for tests again.
MC: Did the leave of coach John Bracewell sway your mind at all?
SF: I wasn't going to mention that, but yes, although I liked Braces as a guy, I was never comfortable with his style of coaching. I think I needed a change and I was interested in playing under John Wright (their newly appointed coach).
MC: How much longer do you think you'll go?
SF: It's difficult to answer that now, and it really depends on my form. If I don't score the runs then that's not going to be my decision!
MC: (nods). Thank you, Stephen.
Now Peter Badel from the Courier Times: Thanks. I was wondering If I could ask Shane Bond a few questions?
SB: Sure, ask away.
PB: Well, first things first, once the ICC allowed each country to lift the ban on ICL players, was it inevitable that you'd return to playing for New Zealand?
SB: No. I thought long and hard about it with my wife, and as money was now not a problem I doubted whether I would need to play again. But, I decided that cricket was my passion, and it was my duty to serve NZ Cricket again.
PB: So you returned out of duty, rather than a desire to play again?
SB: No, not really. That aspect of it helped me to decide, but mostly I wanted to play with Flem and Baz (McCullum) again, and get to know the newer guys.
PB: In terms of enjoyment, how did the ICL rank?
SB: It was really enjoyable, there were some neat guys, and unlike the IPL it wasn't played as hard out competition. It wasn't as satisfying as the international games I've played in, but I'll keep playing I think.
PB: So you don't wish you'd waited and played in the IPL?
SB: The IPL contract was unclear and the ICL one was more straightforward, so I guess I rushed into that decision. In some ways I wish I'd waited so I could've continued playing for New Zealand, but I don't really regret it that much.
PB: Thank you for your time, Mr. Bond.
Finally, Greg Hillford from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: I'd like to ask a few questions of Mr. Vetorri, please...
DV: Yep, I'm listening.
GH: How has your side responded to your new coach, John Wright?
DV: John's been great so far. He has plenty of knowledge but generally lets us get on and doesn't over-coach. I've enjoyed talking to him and I do think we'll see a change in our game.
GH: How do you compare him to John Bracewell?
DV: Well Braces is a totally different character, and I have a feeling John Wright could be even better for us, but it's far too early to try and judge him.
GH: Thanks. Despite Stephen Fleming returning, you have not relinquished the captaincy to him. Are there any reasons for this?
DV: Of course! I can never claim to be as good a leader as Flem, so there had to be some good reasons. John Wright had a bit if input in it, and we all agreed that we couldn't afford to stuff each other and the team around, so it would be better to use Flem to help me better my captaincy skills and look forward to the future.
GH: Lastly, how do you intend to play the match against the President's XI?
DV: (laughs) Well I can't afford to give too much away, but we'll be playing to win, and we'll field a pretty full strength side by enlarge. The team is finalised but we won't release it until tomorrow.
GH: Thank you very much for your time.

The teams for tomorrow's encounter between the New Zealanders and the Prime Minister's XI will be announced just prior to the toss, but we can tell you that Daniel Vettori will captain the Black Caps, while young Western Australian wicketkeeper batsman Luke Ronchi will be in charge of the PM's XI.
Channel 9 will be broadcasting the game live, as well as the two test matches to come.
We hope you'll join us for the three day match, with live score updates posted here as soon as possible.

 

[just_cricket]

NZ vs Prime Minister's XI Build Up

Welcome to New Zealand's first match of their tour, a first class three day game against the Prime Minister's XI, at the traditional venue of Manuka Oval, Canberra.
For the first time in almost 43 years, the match is a first class game rather than being a 50 over List A game.
To celebrate this event, we have former Australian President John Howard in the commentary box, along with former NZ wicketkeeper Ian Smith.

IS: Thank you very much, and a warm welcome to Australia's former Prime Minister, John Howard.
JH: Thank you very much, Smithy, it's great to be in here again, and boy I look forward to this game.
IS: Yes, it's certainly going to be interesting to see how the Black Caps approach this match, and to have a look at Australia's young talent.
How's life been treating you, Mr. Howard? And did you have any say in the PM's XI side?
JH: Life's been great- really relaxing, thanks Ian. And no I wasn't consulted at all in terms of picking the side. Although technically Kevin Rudd should pick it, there is a fair bit of input from Cricket Australia; they would let Mr. Rudd know who they'd like to see play, although if he particularly liked a certain young cricketer they would find room for him.
IS: Thanks for that, John, and now we'll cross to former Australian batsman Michael Veletta, who'll keep us up to date with the condition of the pitch and weather.
MV: Thanks very much Smithy, and it's a beautiful day here at the lovely Manuka Oval here in Canberra. This pitch looks like a very good cricket surface. There isn't a lot for the pace bowlers but if they bowl in the right areas there should be just enough for them to make life difficult for the batsmen. The batsmen should be able to trust the bounce although it will bounce quite a lot, and it's dry enough to give the spinners a bit of grip.
The cricketing public of both Australia and New Zealand have waited eagerly to see these teams announced, to see what approach the Black Caps might take with this game, and to find out which youngsters have done enough in the Pura Cup to warrant selection:

New Zealand

1 Jamie How
2 Matthew Bell
3 Stephen Fleming
4 Ross Taylor
5 Daniel Flynn
6 Jesse Ryder
7 Gareth Hopkins (wk)
8 Daniel Vettori (c)
9 James Franklin
10 Tim Southee
11 Shane Bond
12th man- Jeetan Patel

PM's XI

1 Callum Ferguson
2 Ed Cowan
3 Travis Birt
4 Dominic Thornely
5 Luke Pomersbach
6 Adam Voges
7 Luke Ronchi (c) (wk)
8 Moises Henriques
9 Ryan Harris
10 Cullen Bailey
11 Steve Magoffin
12th Man- Dane Anderson

MV: The New Zealand side sees Ryder and Hopkins in for Oram and McCullum, who have a rest, and there is no Mills or Mason.
The PM's XI side is, (as always), of great interest, but we'll let John Howard and Smithy talk you through their side later on, because the two captains have joined me here out in the centre, and we'll join them for the toss of the coin.
The home captain, Luke Ronchi will toss, while Daniel Vettori of New Zealand will call.
DV: Heads
MV: Heads is the call... but it's tails. So Luke Ronchi, you've won the toss, would will your side do?
LR: We'll have a bat thanks, mate.
MV: Any reasons for that decision?
LR: Yeah, it looks a half decent track and we'd like to play the game the typical Aussie way and put some runs up on the board. We're a reasonably attacking outfit, so we'd like to score them fairly quickly and give ourselves a real go at winning this match, where as if we bowl the Kiwis steer the course of the match unless we bowl exceptionally.
MV: Thanks, Luke, and now we'll have a chat to the Black Caps' captain Daniel Vettori. Would you have batted Daniel?
DV: Ah, yeah I think so. I'm quite happy to lose the toss though, because it looks a pretty fair surface and I don't mind giving Bondo a chance to have a go at some Aussies again. He's bowled really well for Canterbury in State cricket, so hopefully he continues that form. The same goes for James Franklin, and Tim Southee's always improving, so I'm hoping we can be a real handful for the batters. We haven't seen much of any of them, so there are no plans set, but we'll hopefully work them out pretty quickly.
MV: Thanks very much Dan, and now we'll return back up to Ian Smith and John Howard in the com box.
IS: Thanks for that Michael, so the news is that the Prime Minister's XI won the toss and elected to bat first. Play should be under way in about 10 minutes, and we'll talk you through the teams a bit more then.

 

[gutterman]

nice update mate cant wait for the opener kutgw

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Nice update and great start to the story just cricket... Loved the press conference and also the first post is great..KUTGW

 

[just_cricket]

NZ vs Prime Minister's XI- First Session

JH: Welcome back to Manuka Oval, where Luke Ronchi, the captain of the Prime Minister's XI, has won the toss and elected to bat. The umpires are making their way out to the middle, so it shouldn't be too long until we get underway.
IS: Yes indeed, the New Zealanders are led out onto the field by their captain, Daniel Vettori. With McCullum resting, Hopkins is wearing the gloves and I'd imagine Bond will take the new ball and open proceedings from the Pool End. He's been bowling exceptionally in State cricket back home, so I think he'll be a real handful for the PM's XI openers.
JH: Yes, speaking of which here come the openers- Callum Ferguson of South Australia, and Ed Cowan of New South Wales. Ferguson has been banging on the door of selection for some time, but until Hayden retires he probably won't get a chance, as he and Jaques are batting very confidently at the moment. Cowan has batted well for New South Wales and was tipped by Greg Matthews to score 5,000 Test runs, but hasn't quite lived up to that claim so far.
IS: It's Ferguson to take strike first. He takes his guard, and the umpire has called 'play'. We're underway!

Bond bowls with real fire and gets the ball to swing around. Ferguson is beaten by pace once, but then puts bat on ball comfortably a couple of times.
Next, though, Vettori and Bond's plan works a dream as Bond's slower ball is driven softly by Ferguson who spoons a catch to Jamie How and is caught at short cover for a duck.

Travis Birt comes in, and immediately survives a confident appeal for lbw off Southee. Slowly but surely, though, Cowan and Birt recover from their bad start. Bond continues to bowl quickly and reaches the 150km mark thrice, but is somewhat erratic. Cowan is struggling against Bond but stays in line and is rewarded with a few loose balls, which he dispatches through the leg side for boundaries.

Southee keeps up his consistent length and is now getting the ball to swing both ways. The two batsmen decide to keep him out while trying to score off Bond's loose balls.
Southee finishes his first spell with figures of 5-2-5-0. Franklin comes onto bowl and has Birt in trouble, narrowly surviving a cutter which misses his off stump by millimetres.
Meanwhile Cowan pulls Bond for another four, and the PM's XI reach 50/1 off 17 overs.
However, just as Cowan looks like taking command, he skies a good length ball from Franklin and is caught at Mid on by Tim Southee for 45.

Dominic Thornely, the new batsman comes to the crease and plays out the rest of Franklin's over.
Bond has finished his spell and to the surprise of many, Vettori throws the ball to Ryder rather than bowling himself.
Ryder bowls a tight line but while Birt and Thornely don't score very quickly, he doesn't look very penetrating.
Soon after, Franklin bowls a beautiful ball that swings away from Thornely, whereas preceding deliveries all swung in to the right hander. The ball takes the edge of Thornely's tentative prod and he is caught neatly at slip by Stephen Fleming, who takes his first test catch in around eight months.

In the last over before lunch Pomersbach strides out to the crease and plays out Ryder's first few balls with confidence. However, on the penultimate ball of the over Pomersbach pushes out too far with his defensive shot. The ball flies away to the left of Matthew Bell, who is standing at a second slip position. It seems like the ball will be too wide of him and drop short of How at third slip, but Bell takes the catch right in front of How's nose, via a great dive that saw him fly through the air from his original position.

Despite the over not being quite completed, the players and umpires agree to take lunch and in doing so, conclude the morning session.

IS: And so, the Black Caps definitely on top at this stage. Some good swing bowling from Franklin in particular, who has 2-12, but let's not forget the pressure that young Tim Southee put on the batsmen earlier on, with his economical spell. Ryder has bowled well and will probably continue further than finishing his over after lunch, as he often provides a chance or two despite his bowling seeming unthreatening.
JH: Yes an impressive performance from the New Zealanders, in particular James Franklin who has given little away, but I have also been impressed with Ed Cowan, the left handed opener who scored 45 before a lapse of concentration. He got on top of the short ball well and knew his limitations when batting against Bond. He seems to me a predominately back foot player, as he played the cut well and his hooking was sensational I thought. Having said that he was confident on the front foot and from the middle of his innings he drove nice and straight and scored a glorious boundary between the bowler and mid on, on the floor all the way, although it was in that region that he succumbed.
IS: Yes he looked a good player but if Birt can press on now he will be the key man, as he has batted responsibly and bar a couple of balls has looked very solid. Although the Black Caps are well on top, the afternoon and evening sessions will be key for the PM's XI. If Voges and Birt can put together a half decent partnership, their team shouldn't be in real trouble, as Ronchi is a really fine player- one of the few players in this team I've seen play- and I have heard and read that Moises Henriques is more than handy with the bat. A lot is up to those four- if they see the PM's XI up over 200, it won't be a total disaster.
JH: Mm, and now let's take a look at the scorecard so far:

Cowan's innings the only of slight substance but Birt is still there and is looking more and more comfortable the longer he bats.
We'll take a break for lunch, now, but we hope you'll join us again soon, as the PM's XI look to consolidate their innings, and get themselves to a defendable total.

 

[just_cricket]

JH: Welcome back to Manuka Oval in Canberra, where the PM's XI will resume play at 67/4 in the afternoon session. The pitch is still fair, but the original green tinge has gone so it should be slightly easier for the batsmen now, but it has always been a good batting surface, despite the PM's XI's efforts so far.
IS: The players and umpires have emerged from their changing rooms, and Jesse Ryder has the ball in his hand, preparing to bowl the final ball of his over, which was interrupted by the lunch break. The umpire has called 'play' and Ryder is running in to bowl...

Ryder's last ball is anything but uneventful- the new batsman Adam Voges plays an uncertain forward defensive shot, and the ball catches the edge once again. This time however, the ball flies through where 1st slip would be, and evades Matthew Bell's despairing dive, running away for four, getting Voges off the mark.

Franklin continues from the Mall End and continues to bowl tightly and give nothing away, but Birt keeps batting well and anchoring the innings, while Voges is starting to look more confident, particularly against Ryder, who isn't swinging it as much as Franklin.
The score is steadily rising, and Ryder takes a break, so Vettori takes the ball.
With the score at 83/4 Voges, who has played well so far, is beaten by a classic left arm orthodox delivery from Vettori- drifting towards the leg side, it suddenly dips and pitches just outside leg stump, before spinning fairly sharply to clip the off stump half way up. Voges acknowledges that he has been beaten by a beauty, and trudges off to the pavillion.

One of the PM's XI's key batsman- wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi- strides out to the middle to meet Vettori, who has one ball left, which is left alone outside off stump by Ronchi.
Southee replaces Franklin at the Mall End, and bowls a tight line, but is on driven beautifully between mid on and the bowler by Birt, the shot of the day.

An interesting phase begins with Ronchi and Birt playing Vettori, slightly unsure of how attackingly to play. Birt's tactics are mainly cross batted- he sweeps, cuts and pulls, while Ronchi forces the ball straight and uses his feet well.
Meanwhile Birt plays a stunning hook shot to a bouncer from Southee- he picks it right off his nose and smashes it beautifully into the crowd behind square for the first six of the match.

Vettori continues to bowl well but Birt is very solid and reahces his half century in the 41st over, off 118 balls. Ronchi scores uncharacteristically slowly, but plays Vettori exceptionally well.
Birt then unleashes some great shots, including an upper cut over backward point for four, and another glorious on drive, but eventually he is undone by Southee's patience who keeps pitching the ball up, tempting Birt to drive and is finally rewarded by claiming his wicket. Birt went for one too many cover drives and was caught behind by Gareth Hopkins.

Moises Henriques comes to the crease and for the first time in the game neither of the batsmen are left handed.
Ronchi continues to play well and Henriques looks comfortable, so the score is 166/6 at Tea, off 55 overs.

JH: The Black Caps maintaining their hold on the match so far, taking 2 more valuable wickets, particularly the wicket of Travis Birt, who played really well.
IS: Yes, Birt was very impressive. Unlike Cowan, who got a start, he played with responsibility and while he didn't reach three figures, his innings has been by far the best so far. He played some lovely shots, all around the ground from drives to hooks to cuts to sweeps, and at times looked impossible to get out. Full credit to young Tim Southee, though, consistently pitching it up, patiently waiting for the edge, which of course eventually came. It was a tired shot, not in the sense of shot execution, but shot selection. The shot wasn't on, but if he'd hit it well he'd probably still be batting and no one would have said anything about the poor shot. That's something I've learnt through my years of playing- you can't criticise very much in terms of players' risk taking, because that's what they are- risks- which may or may not come off. If they always came off they wouldn't be called risks.
JH: That's true, Smithy, very true, in any facet of life. Anyway, Birt's wicket was a big one for the New Zealanders, but so too was Voges'. Most of you won't have seen him play a lot, but he has good patience and I think could have made a big score today if he hadn't been beaten by a tremendous delivery from Daniel Vettori.
You talk about winning sessions, though, don't you Smithy, and to be fair to the Prime Minister's XI, they had an even if not better share of this session than the Black Caps.
Dan Vettori's men definitely won the first session restricting the PM's XI to 67/4, but 99/2 off this session is probably swaying the way of the PM's XI. Overall though, the Black Caps are in control of this match at 166/6, especially given the quality of the pitch, but if Ronchi and Henriques can put together a good partnership and see their team over 250, they'll have made a defendable total. Let's take a look at the scorecard:

IS: Yes we'll have to wait till after tea to see what happens, but unfortunately the Honorary John Howard and I will not be in the commentary box for the evening session, instead we'll be replaced by Ashley Ross- NZ's former High Performance man who is now involved in ACT Cricket, and Michael Veletta, the former Australian and West Australian batsman who coached the Canberra Comets for five years. They'll take you through that session, which will be a very important one for both teams.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

PM XI's are in some trouble at 166/6 . Kiwis have bowled really well. Good presentation and great writing mate..

By the way which game is this played on??

 

[just_cricket]

It's on EA Cricket 2004- old I know but I reckon its really good value- only cost $9 NZ money...

 

[Amiya]

PM XI in trouble there. They need to bat exceptionaly well.

 

[just_cricket]

NZ vs PM's XI- Evening Session

MV: Welcome back to Manuka Oval in Canberra, where at the Tea break the Prime Minister's XI are 166/6 with wicketkeeper captain Luke Ronchi at the crease, along with alrounder Moises Henriques.
AR: Ronchi has batted very well so far, particularly against Vettori, and Hernriques has begun well. It's Daniel Vettori to bowl the first over of the final session today, with Moises Henriques facing.

Henriques whips away Vettori's first ball of his legs and they run three down to long leg where Daniel Flynn does well to cut off the boundary, as the shot is well timed.
Ronchi pulls Vettori for four...

but is then lbw attempting a sweep shot. The decision could have gone either way, but Hawkeye said it would have clipped leg stump.

Ronchi batted very responsibly, but his score of 21 doesn't truly reflect how well he played. It's 173/7, and the new batsman is Ryan Harris, who is handy with a bat in hand.
He plays very defensively but doesn't look troubled by Bond, who bowls quickly and accurately but Harris is very committed to each shot he plays.
Henriques looks very accomplished through his elegant knock of 20, but Bond persists and draws Henriques into a back foot poke, which he edges and the catch is snaffled up by Jamie How at slip, who for the second time combines with Bond to take a wicket.

The score is 188/8, and NZ are into the tail now, as Cullen Bailey walks out to bat, but he is dropped on a golden duck by Hopkins, who ironically has kept very well till the drop.
Harris continues to deny the bowlers, keeping the strike and picking off runs as they come available to him.
He and Bailey are just starting to become annoying for the Black Caps when Bond bowls a reverse swinging yorker that is just too good for Harris, beating him for pace and flattening his off stump. It is 195/9 and a par total is now almost certainly out of reach.

However, Magoffin doesn't look totally out of his depth, and he and Bailey see their team up over the 200 mark, and up to 212 before a bouncer from Bond rises steeply and Bailey top edges a half hearted hook shot and is caught easily at mid wicket by How, who claims his third catch of the innings-all off Bond's bowling.

And so the Prime Minister's XI's first innings comes to an end- all out for 212 in 79 overs.

AR: What a fine performance from the New Zealanders so far. Bond is back with a veangance, and Souhee, Franklin and Vettori all bowled very well.
MV: The Black Caps have put together a fine first up bowling and fielding effort here today. Bond took 4/68 and bowled the ball of the season so far- the reverse swinging yorker to Ryan Harris. Some will say he only cleaned up the tail, but Harris is a more than useful batsman and that ball would have beaten anyone. Southee and Vettori also bowled tidily, but for me the pick of the bowlers was Franklin.
AR: Yes Franklin bowled patiently and got the ball to swing nicely. His patience when bowling to Cowan was very important because if Cowan had kept going his team would probably be just under 300 now, and still batting.
MV: Yeah Cowan was impressive, but Birt and Ronchi were the main men for me. Ronchi only made 21 but he played very maturely and controlled his aggression well. Birt of course top scored and batted with maturity. I thought he was going to get a century when he was on 60 odd, but Southee was just too persistent.
AR: So in the end the PM's XI have been bowled out for 212, which is a relatively meagre total on this surface, but given New Zealand's recent batting form there is a still a real chance of a first innings lead for the Prime Minister's XI if they bowl well.
We'll have a quick break for the turn around, but we'll be right back for New Zealand's first innings.

Scorecard of PM's XI First Innings:

 

[just_cricket]

NZ vs PM's XI- NZ's First Innings Begins

MV: Welcome back to the Manuka Oval in Canberra, where the New Zealanders will begin their first innings on Day One of their 3 day match against the Prime Minister's XI, having bowled their opposition out for 212 in 79 overs.
AR: We have about 25 minutes of playing time left today, so we should get five or six more overs in before the close of play, but the clouds are gathering overhead so light could be an issue.
MV: The openers are out in the middle, with Jamie How and Matthew Bell opening the batting, and New South Wales' Moises Henriques has the ball in hand for the Prime Minister's XI.

How plays out a maiden over from Henriques, as does Bell against Magoffin. How plays a beautiful straight drive off Henriques's next over...

But after missing the ball and being hit on the pads a couple of times, the umpires consult their light meters and offer the batsmen to go off for bad light. How and Bell willingly take the chance, so at Stumps the New Zealanders are 4/0 off 3 overs.

AR: So the New Zealanders have the upper hand at the close of play her on Day One at the beautiful Manuka Oval, but a good bowling performance from the PM's XI tomorrow could shift the balance of power. Trailing by 208 runs, the New Zealanders should look to up the ante tomorrow, and look to get a lead of over 100 and then bowl 10 or 15 overs at their opposition before stumps tomorrow. That would mean scoring a bit over 300 runs in about 75 overs, just over 4 runs an over, which is a reasonable target that's easily gettable if they bat well.
MV: Thank you to our viewers from all over the world for watching the touring New Zealanders take on the PM's XI. We hope you'll join us again tomorrow for the resumption of NZ's 1st innings. It promises to be an exciting game, so make sure you tune in here tomorrow, or better still if you're in the area come down to the beautiful Manuka Oval for an exciting and enjoyable day of cricket.

 

[age of the fall]

Fantastic story so far.

Some Advice, If I can. Simply put a space in between each persons speech in the commentary/Interviews. Would make it look a lot better

 

[Funknath]

increase the font size a little!!