Official Cricket Thread Part 302

[Axver]

We're fielding a second string team? It doesn't help that's for sure.

[Vlad n U 2]

Yeah, I understand that, but Australia don't have Starc at their disposal either.

[Axver]

I'm a bit miffed with New Zealand not selecting Matt Henry. Sure Southee and Boult in their prime are two of the world's best bowlers, but they're coming off injuries and Henry is our form bowler at the moment. I'd drop literally any member of our bowling attack to get Henry in the side.

It's also a shame we don't have Santner for this game. Not only would his batting help stabilise the middle-to-bottom order, but his spin would mean we wouldn't need to select Mark Craig - who, it must be said, has done a decent job of responding to doubters like me, but I'll still take Santner.

[Axver]

Cricket's leading sexist fuckwit didn't learn his lesson (as if you're surprised):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nNK_q4PWgs

[Vlad n U 2]

That horrid laugh at the end ...

[Vlad n U 2]

Also, the Windies won the U19 WC over India. Sign of a good future?

[Axver]

Sign of a good future for the mankad.

[cobl04]

Woulda been good to watch. Scores more like the WCs of 25 years ago.

Nathan Lyon bowling well again the only good thing about a one-sided Test.


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[Vlad n U 2]

Wowee.

I’m A Celebrity: Shane Warne’s crazy views on evolution

[MadForIt]

Go Bazza go!
Pure entertainer
NZ will miss him so much

Saving nz's bacon here before lunch on day 1.
Need 300 plus here

[Axver]

Oh Brendon we're going to miss you so much. What a knock, the fastest Test century EVER, just 54 balls.

[Vlad n U 2]

What the hell did I miss ... that sounds incredible.

[Axver]

Came in with the team at 4/30, caught off a no ball on 39, and then just blazed away, simply extraordinary. The shot that just got him out (to a great catch by Lyon) was actually one of his more conventional and less risky shots of the day!

The Corey Hotline seems to be ringing loud and clear today as well. Hope he can go on to a century - this is only his fourth fifty ever, and we really need him to get good scores more consistently in the post-BMac era.

Though of course Brendon's got one innings still to go. Triple century time I say!

[Vlad n U 2]

What I'm baffled it is why KW hung around for 60-whatever balls to make 7 runs?

[Axver]

Took the shine off the ball at least?

But damnit now Corey's gone for 72. I'm a bit worried that despite the fireworks of this session we're not actually going to post that intimidating a total.

[Vlad n U 2]

Yeah, could be, but even then he tries to keep it ticking over in any circumstance. Everything I've heard suggests the pitches are wild for half a day and then it all goes flat?

[Axver]

And if it goes flat we're fucked because Australia won't have any trouble coasting past 300 - which, now that Southee has yet again fallen miles short of his potential with the bat, is looking like the best we can hope for.

[Axver]

Wow, and we somehow made it to 370 in the end. Not too bad a total, but we're going to need some early wickets.

[cobl04]

I overslept and missed the Baz show. Depressed as all hell.

[Axver]

Fucking hell New Zealand cricket makes you feel every goddamn emotion. Yesterday was Baz at his Bazziest, now today it's the old "oh we've somehow blown it again" sensation. Now, OK, as a New Zealand cricket fan your default position is that we're somehow losing (even when we need two to win with ten wickets in hand and three days to play), which has made the last couple of years all the more extraordinary, but that feeling has surged to the forefront today.

Can we conjure a mystery Australian collapse from somewhere? I'm just worried we lack the firepower to reply in kind even if the track's gone flat. Baz is unlikely to repeat the dose of the first innings unless his scriptwriter has taken the biggest knock to the head ever, the lack of Ross really weakens the middle order, and Kane's sudden form slump is not helping matters.