Official Cricket Thread Part 302

[Axver]

Well this is straight up dire.

My father is convinced Baz is a betting cheat. I reckon we need to ask Chris Cairns.

 

[Axver]

What a rubbish innings. But getting Warner for 1 is a fair start with the ball.

 

[Axver]

I'm surprised nobody else has posted thoughts about the day-night Test yet, though it's getting unbearable hearing Channel 9 (the feed here in NZ as well, ugh) talk about it as if it's the most momentous development in cricket and we need to be reminded every two minutes that the game is under lights.

Seems this pitch really has something for the bowlers. Australia not looking flash. The runout of Smarsh was hilarious.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Didn't get an opportunity to watch because of events, but I caught the train around the time it finished and the city was (naturally) packed. Kind of pleased this seems to be a more bowler oriented pitch, we haven't seen the likes of 5/90 for a while it seems.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Smith edges Craig while going for a big hit with 10 minutes until lunch. That would hurt.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Craig gets Siddle in the same over. Oh god. Check on Ax.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Now Santner demolishes Hazelwood's stumps. That session went for 6/62. Wow.

 

[Axver]

This is amazing. Really didn't expect we would bowl so well. My father and I keep jumping up off the couch at each new wicket.

Makes up for the crap we served up last night. Could be back in by the night session!

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Winviz had NZ 50/50 with Australia after this session. Jimmy Neesham has something to say about that.

[TWEET]670462095062732800[/TWEET]

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Longest DRS in history - Nigel Llong is getting irritated, the crowd is booing.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Naturally Lyon starts fluking shots after he was supposed to be given out. What a joke.

 

[Axver]

Ugh hurry up and get a bloody wicket lads. This is silly.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Bloody sick of everything to do with Lyon. Would have to be close to my half dozen least favourite Australian cricketers.

 

[Axver]

With every run I get more filthy about Lyon not being dismissed.

 

[Axver]

I've never heard Warne get passionate about how an Aussie should've been out before!

Disappointed we've given up the lead.

 

[Axver]

Oh FINALLY. Conceded about fifty more runs than we should've.

 

[Axver]

I'm not sure Guppy is up for Test opening duties. His ODI average is 41.16, but in Tests just 29.12. Surely we can produce better than that?

 

[Axver]

Oh hell and there goes Latham too. Our openers fail us, infuriatingly not an unusual position to be in. Save us, Kane and Ross.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

NZ (and I guess that one decision) have messed up their chances of winning unfortunately. At least it looks so at this stage. NZ's inability to have two in form openers at test level is their achilles heel and has been for as long as I recall.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Siddle keeping the stache thing going after Johnson's departure I see.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

According to Slats the sub fielder is Australia's team massage therapist.

 

[Axver]

I've gone to bed. With Kane gone, so probably is the game, so what's the point?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

You know things are shit when Mitch Marsh is taking wickets.

 

[youarenotimmune]

Both Warner and Steve Smith gone now! NZ in with a serious chance here. Great game!

 

[Axver]

All I will say in the wake of this Test is that Nigel Llong is fucking lucky New Zealanders don't quite follow cricket with the same degree of religious fervour as they do rugby, or he would have to call Wayne Barnes to get some pointers.

(Though the key difference is that Llong is normally a good umpire, while Barnes is a shit referee even if you ignore that 2007 rugby quarter-final.)

 

[MadForIt]

NZ got robbed
2-0 is pretty harsh

If they had a proper warm up for the series they would have won

Hopefully 2-0 to NZ in NZ - i am off to the basin. The test in CHCH will be good too. CHCH is actually still a nice city despite the quakes. Better looking than Welly. Nice lush green parks and wide tree lined streets. A lot like Adelaide.

Sri Lanka up next for NZ... just like last year. They are here every 5 mins.

 

[Axver]

Wouldn't say that about Christchurch being better looking - and I say this as somebody who just got off the plane from there, and who spent a few days in Wellington over the weekend. It's flat as a fucking pancake, so for scenic value Wellington's hills and harbour win by a mile. Go up Mount Vic and you get treated to a much better looking city than if you go up the Port Hills and look back to Christchurch.

Christchurch certainly shits on everywhere else in New Zealand for great parkland though. The new ground at Hagley Park is possibly the best cricket venue in the country, maybe behind the Basin since the latter has all the tradition.

 

[MadForIt]

I had low expectations for ChCh when I went. The cbd is a mess but I do like the odd old building that has survived like Canterbury Museum and Christs college. Sumner and the posh suburbs like Merivale look great. Eastern suburbs are a state post quakes. A ghost town in places.

I like welly still but this wind here is just getting to me. Nearly blown into the road today. If it's like this for the test it'll be over in 2 days. Boult with a 10 wicket haul.

Hagley Oval does look nice. If I had some leave I'd go to that test too. Christchurch will be booming when rebuild is done. Wouldn't mind living there then. Great old villas around the place.

 

[Axver]

Hahaha, sign I'm a born and bred Wellingtonian: it's nice to come back to a decent breeze.

And here's a newsflash for everyone - people don't appear interested in attending an inevitably lopsided Test against a poorly organised minnow sending out what is effectively its B team: Future of Test cricket in Hobart on line with crowd of less than 10,000 projected

 

[cobl04]

Reckon there's a solid chance it will be the smallest Boxing Day crowd ever, too. I struggle to think of a harsh enough adjective for the West Indies' performance against the CAXI.