Story The Dominators - Global Challenge

[MWaugh]

Media Match Report - Stumps Day 1

The International Season test match between rivals New Zealand and Australia was left delicatly poised at stumps of day 1 at Westpac Trust Stadium in Wellington. In a match many feel will be influenced by rain, play was left unaffected as New Zealand struggled to manage to score 10/232 on a low scoring day of cricket. The score is believed to be a solid score on a pitch predicted to be low scoring.
Captain Stephen Fleming provided the backbone for the home side, compiling a gritty 49. He was backed up in the lower order by allrounder Craig McMillan (42) and openers Matthew Richardson (23) and Lou Vincent (36). However the batsmen struggled to really get on top of the bowling and all were unable to maximise their promising starts.
The pick of the bowlers were Michael Clarke (2/16) and Brett Lee (2/29) in a bowling display concentrated on both pace and spin in which the spinners took 5 wickets. This may proved to be influencial come day 4 and 5 with Warne and Vettori to ply their trade.

The Australian top order again responded poorly with an hour left to play in the day. Matthew Hayden again continued his poor form at the top of the order in the 5 day version of the game. Hayden was caught trapped infront by Bond for 4. Captain Ricky Ponting struggled in his breif stint at the crease, bowled from a beautiful swinging delivery from Tuffy for 10. Langer and Martyn managing to see the days play out leaving Australia delicatly placed at 3/22, Langer unbeated on 10 and Martyn 9.

Below - Images from the first days play in Wellington
- Vincent and Richardson provided a solid start of 47 for the black caps
- Hayden trapped infront again this season. Out for 4
- Langer shows resistance late on day 1.

 

[MWaugh]

Scorecards at stumps on day 1 in Wellington

 

[The Champ]

Hayden is out thats a key wkt for kiwis

 

[m_vaughan]

Yup and they have got rid of Punter too....but all their players are match winners....so nothing can be said at the moment.

 

[MWaugh]

Now using sams new exe

Yup and they have got rid of Punter too....but all their players are match winners....so nothing can be said at the moment.

Yes i think Ponting was the bigger wicket. he has been playing so well in the test matches lately. Clarke has been playing very good cricket so has gilchrist so Australia is still along way from without hope.

Note - Please note guys that i am now using sams new exe patch so batting will become even more difficult. 232 does seem along way away at the moment. I started using the exe at the beginning of this match so the new zealand game is totally affected by the new exe. Thanks very much to sam.

Thanks for your responses

 

[faraz haider]

good to see you are using new sam exe, it makes game difficult as there is no cursor shwn but yu will realy able to play shot easily once you got your hand set on it like me.

 

[MWaugh]

New Zealand on top - Lunch Day 2

New Zealand look to be in control of the test match between New Zealand and Australia at the Westpac Trust Stadium, Wellington today. After the home side set a total of 232 in day 1 of the test match, Australia struggled to stumps on day 1 with the score at 2/33. The pressure mounted on the visitors early on day 2 when they lost number 4 Damian Martyn for 9 (unable to add to his overnight score). Langer and Clarke appeared to steady the ship slightly before Langer was trapped infront by McMillan for 25. Australia in real trouble at 4/53.

The middle order pairing of Michael Clarke and Simon Katich worked hard in very difficult conditions putting on 57 runs for the 5th wicket. Katich 29, showing positive signs before dragged one onto his own stumps of the bowling of Tuffey, bowled for 29 with only a number of balls left in the morning session. Clarke again showed his maturity and worth, remaining unbeaten on 33 while Gilchrist went into the rooms at 1 not out. Tuffey proved pick of the bowlers, taking two crucial wickets (Ponting and Katich) and bowling very well in conditions suited very much to bowling. In the end Australia went into the sheds with the score at 5/109 - still 123 runs behind.

Below - Images from the 1st session of play, day 2.
- Langer shows ominous signs of form before falling to McMillan for 25
- Clarke offers the full face of the bat, taking to Cairns early on
- Katich drags one on from Tuffey, and end to his fighting 29.

 

[m_vaughan]

With Gilchrist there, my money is still on the visitors!

 

[The Champ]

Yes with Gichrist around anything can happen

 

[MWaugh]

Match Update - Australia Innings Completed

New Zealand took control of the test match between Australia and New Zealand at the Westpac Trust Stadium in Wellington after 1 and a half days play. On a damp pitch, scoring has become the major challenge for both teams but it was the homeside which mastered the conditions better.

Set a total of 232, Australia were in trouble at lunch on day two on 5/109. Australias quest for runs was dampered shortly after resumption of play, loosing star hitter Adam Gilchrist for 2. This forced Michael Clarke to once again bat with the tail, a job he enjoyed in Zimbabwe recently. Clarke again showed maturity far behond his age, holding the total together while the likes of Warne (13) and Lee (2) crumbled. Clarke was eventually out bowled by a beautiful Daniel Vetorri delivery. The young sensation making an crucial 76 as he guided the visitors to a total of 10/196, their lowest of their campaign and also still trailing New Zealand by 36 runs.

Below - Images from the second session of play on day 2 in wellington.
- Daniel Vettori (3/26) celebrates the wicket of Gilchrist
- A diving Brendan McCullum disimisses Shane Warne
- Michael Clarke reaches yet another crucial milestone. This time 50 off 91 balls.

 

[m_vaughan]

Yes Clarke is a great find for Australia, and once again he shows why is rated as the next Steven Waugh. Good to see NZ do well against Aus, but the match is far from over.

The Fox Sports TV graphics is very similar to the Sky Sport one they have in NZ.

Are they the same??

 

[MWaugh]

Yes Clarke is a great find for Australia, and once again he shows why is rated as the next Steven Waugh. Good to see NZ do well against Aus, but the match is far from over.
The Fox Sports TV graphics is very similar to the Sky Sport one they have in NZ.
Are they the same??

yeh clarke did very well again. i dont know what it is about him in this season but he is just playing so well. the top order is proned to fail but he has only failed once, in the 2nd dig in zimbabwe, and that was after making the century.

as for the fox graphics. im not to sure. all i know is that from the news reports here in oz. when nz played aus recently they seemed to be fox sports and pay tv here for aussie home series is fox aswell. i just wanted a bit of a change to keep it relevent for each team. im planning on using the dd sports when australia play india in the next test in india. just little details which im hopeful people will appreiciate. but i am not sure if they are the same.

 

[MWaugh]

scorecards from australias 1st innings
- Australia 10/196 - still trailing by 36 runs
- New Zealand bowling, Vettori and McMillan bowled very well

 

[MWaugh]

New Zealand Innings - New Report

World Champions Australia require 228 runs for victory in the test match against New Zealand after a gutsy reply with the ball from pacemen Jason Gillespie (4/61) and Glenn McGrath (3/43) on days 2 and 3 in Wellington. Beginning the innings with a lead of 36 runs, openers Richardson (43) and Vincent (36) again got New Zealand off to a positive and strong start with a 79 run stand before McGrath picked up Vincent. As if a direct repeat of the first innings, the middle order crumbled loosing the next 4 wickets for only 40 runs, as McGrath and Gillespie brought the test match back to an even position.

Apart from positive starts from McMillan (28), Cairns (21) and McCullum (20) in the lower order, the New Zealand lineup stuggled against the opening bowlers. In the end the black caps were dismissed for 191 early on day 3. Leaving Australia almost 3 days to make 228 runs.

The star of the 2nd innings for both teams were obviously Richardson for his fighting 43 in difficult circumstances with the new ball and Jason Gillespie for his display in taking the wickets of McMilland, Cairns, McCullum and Vettori, at the point in which any could have made a big score and taken the match further from australia.

Below Scorecards of the New Zealand second innings from Wellington
- New Zealand scorecard - Richardson and Vincent showing fight and the bottom order showing potential
- Australian bowling stats, Gillespie and McGrath again doing damage.
- Matthew Richardson shows fight in his gritty nock of 43

 

[The Champ]

Excellent performance by NZ