Story Oceania Premier League

[Left_Hander]

Haddin the only batsmen to contribute anything serious. The tail isn't doing that bad of a job either.

 

[Jaztheman]

Haddin and Symond's partnership was crucial to the Australian batting lineup but they must make 200 here to consider it an even decent score. Haddin was fantastic with the bat and only got out for trying to play clever, gave his wicket away.

Great presentation, the graphics are awesome.

 

[just_cricket]

I have a week-long cricket tournament from the 4th of January, but I will resume this story again as soon as I get back.

 

[timmy94]

this really is a great story..keep it up!

 

[just_cricket]

RB: Welcome back here to the Gabba for the resumption of play, following the Tea Break...
The New Zealanders have really put in a great effort here so far, restricting the Australians to just 187/9 at Tea. Admittedly this is not a particularly good batting surface, but at 187 having lost 9 wickets, the New Zealanders are on top here in Brisbane, where on this pitch 220 is about the par score.
Haddin played a lively knock of 78, but Symonds was the only one to offer slight support with an uncharacteristically slow 29. Bond and Southee have done the damage for New Zealand, with Vettori and Oram chipping in.
So it's all up to Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark now, as we join Bill Lawry and Ian Smith for the last session's play:

BL: Thanks very much, Richie, and yes well it's all up to Johnson and Clark now. Johnson's a good player, I'm convinced there's a test match century or two in him, and Clark, well sometimes he can be great, other times not so good. But he has played well so far.

IS: The Black Caps will be looking to finish off the job quickly, and in saying that the likes of Jamie How and Matthew Bell would have had a nervous Tea break. Generally as openers they know exactly when they're going to be in but they really don't have any idea when their turn will come.

BL: It could be this ball, or it could take the best part of this session, but Dan Vettori is coming into bowl the first ball of the evening session...

Johnson and Clark continue to annoy the New Zealanders, as Johnson pulls Vettori for 4 through square leg:

and then 'drop kicks' Oram for another four, reminiscent of the last shot before tea.

Johnson keeps going, cutting Oram for 4 more

This is an incredible turn around, after scoring 2 runs in 47 balls, Mitchell Johnson is now on fire. He tops his last shots by clobbering Oram for six over wide long on:

and plays a beautiful straight drive off Vettori, all the way along the ground for 4 runs.

Clark, so as not to be forgotten, hooks the returning Southee for 4...

The runs keep coming, with Johnson hooking another 4 off Southee

And Clark playing his best shot so far, a cover drive off Oram:

Clark tucks one off his hip for 4 off Oram...

And now Vettori is getting desperate. He turns to his strike bowler, Shane Bond, who he'd been seeming to not want to use too much because of his back, but he has now done so in desperation for a wicket. Bond strikes immediately, but not by taking a wicket- he hits Stuart Clark flush on the helmet, and Clark falls to the ground. A few minutes are spent clearing the little bit of blood off the pitch and checking on Clark. After a while, a shaken looking Stuart Clark gets up and says he'll keep going. Hawkeye shows another of its uses, demonstrating just how Clark would have seen the ball fly violently at his head:

Southee continues to leak runs, and Johnson smashes a straight six to bring up his fifty.

It's been a great fighting, Australian innings. However, the innings is wrapped up quickly by Bond, who gets Johnson playing away from his body, and he is caught at third slip by Bell for 57.

So Australia's innings comes to a close at 257 all out, with Clark not out on 25at the end of it all.

Bond took 4 valuable wickets, Southee had 3 to savour, Oram bagged 2, and Vettori took the other wicket- a good one though, Brad Haddin for 78.

MN: Well a great effort there from Clark and Johnson to see their side up over the 250 mark. Honours are about even at the moment, so the last passage of play will the be the deciding one in terms of who 'wins' this day. The news is that Stuart Clark is OK to bowl, but due to the time taken ensuring his wellbeing and clearing the blood that dripped from his forehead, we have lost a bit of time, meaning NZ will only have to face 10 or 11 overs in this final session's play. Please join us again in about 10 minutes for the beginning of New Zealand's first innings, and the opportunity to vote in a brand new competition for this summer...

RB: Welcome back here to the Gabba, with Australia having been dismissed for 257, now taking the field for the last hour of play. Jamie How and Matthew Bell are also out in the middle...

and it will be Brett Lee to bowl the first ball, to Jamie How...

How plays out a maiden first up, and Johnson welcomes Bell to the crease with a good bouncer:

He proceeds to hit Bell in the arm, rather painful looking:

Eventually Bell leg glances a single off Johnson to get the Black Caps' innings underway.

Lee bounced How:

But How gets himself off the mark with a leg glance for 4.

Bell is then bowled by Lee, a cracking, fast delivery that completely beat Bell:

But for the rest of the day, Fleming looks magical, taking singles off every bowler with ease. There are no real boundary shots, and the odd ball flies off a length, keeps low, or jags, but Fleming looks fantastic, and How is happy to graft away, get beaten a lot, but remain there. Lee, Johnson and Clark bowl well, but Ponting throws the ball to Casson for the 11th and last over of the day. The first boundary for 8 overs is hit by Fleming, a graceful back foot drive through the covers.

And so New Zealand get through the day without the loss of any further wickets with the score at 40/1.

MC: Well, surely that means that the Black Caps have won this day, Richie?

RB: I think so, Hogan. Fleming in particular has played with ease and really has batted in a fluent manner no one has managed yet in this test. Anything can happen tomorrow though, just one session of good cricket from either side will have a huge impact on how the match plays out. So we all hope you'll return tomorrow, as all eyes fall on tomorrow's morning session...

MC: Today's new competition, however, focuses on today, rather than tomorrow. I am happy to introduce a new competition for anyone out there to vote in, and it is "Solo Player of the Day".

Choose any of the following players you think deserves to be the inaugural Solo Player of the Day. The people who vote on the most voted on player will be drawn tomorrow, and the winner will receive:

• Their name in the Hall of Fame
• A Puma Ballistic 6000 McGrath Foundation bat for Cricket 2004
• And a chance to interview their chosen Solo Player of the Day!

a)

b)

c)

d)

Vote now, and then join us again tomorrow. From us at Channel 9 and Cricinfo, it's all over for today, and Good Night...

 

[Left_Hander]

Love the helmet view!

My vote on the solo player of the day would have to be Shane Bond. Despite my thoughts to go with Haddin or Johnson, Bond took four wickets and is deserving of the award.

 

[just_cricket]

Northern Knights 188/4 (Daniel Flynn 95no, Tillakaratne Dilshan 75) beat Otago Volts 131 (JP Duminy 49, Nathan McCullum 23, Neil Broom 22; Tim Southee 3/27, Daniel Vettori 2/18, Bradley Scott 2/21, Brent Arnel 2/21) by 57 runs, and gained bonus point​

 

[timmy94]

my vote Mitchell Johnson....
for a bowler to get a half century on this pitch is a great effort.
kutgw!!!!

 

[Jaztheman]

Helmet view is definitely something I haven't seen before, brilliant effort.

New Zealand are in control in my opinion and if they get a few good partnerships going then could have a nice lead very soon. My solo player of the day has got to be Shane Bond, easily. He got both the openers before they got going, he then got Michael Clarke who can bat tremendously at times and then got out Mitchell Johnson who was the last resistance. He deserves it.

Great presentation, just_cricket, some of the graphics are very very good, like the animation, with the scoreboard being a nice touch. The writing is also good, although personally I'd rather see more writing than pitcures. That's just me though, probably in the minority that I usually am.

Keep it going.