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2nd Test: New Zealand v Australia @ Hagley Oval Christchurch Mar 8-12, 2024

bazza

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30,056
I'd love to see it - but $$ will drive, and given recent capitulations the Aussie public doesn't rate us, understandably, but the best thing here is that O'Rourke and Sears look up to it, Jamieson is up to it, Henry is showing he's a very good test bowler- the three younger ones have the height and pace to go ok in Australia, potentially.
would give about the same number of games as now (maybe slightly less) - but would get a chance to see each other in each country every 4 years
 
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undertaker

Coach
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Here's a juicy stat:
Australia chasing 250 plus since 2008.
Losses 25
Draws 4
Wins 3.

Pat Cummins hit the winning runs (boundary) in all 3 of those victories.
Very interesting.

Besides today's win, the other two wins were at Edgbaston 2023 and Johannesburg 2011?
 

undertaker

Coach
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10,818
I'd love to see it - but $$ will drive, and given recent capitulations the Aussie public doesn't rate us, understandably, but the best thing here is that O'Rourke and Sears look up to it, Jamieson is up to it, Henry is showing he's a very good test bowler- the three younger ones have the height and pace to go ok in Australia, potentially.
Since the MCG redevelopment was completed in 2006, Boxing Day 2019 vs New Zealand remains the largest day 1 crowd for a non-Ashes test at the MCG (80473, which is higher than the Boxing Day crowds when India was playing).

I know that was the first time in 32 years that the Kiwis played test cricket at the MCG, but it goes to show that the potential and interest is there.
 

undertaker

Coach
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10,818
Still pretty empty that we lost that, but Aust were just a bit better again…. But f**k me, how good is test cricket, 4 days of enthralling competition
This.

When I first started following cricket in the mid '90s, I used to have a much stronger interest in ODIs than tests. It was during the Steve Waugh captaincy era (1999-2004) that my interest in test cricket dramatically increased.

As I've got older, I have a greater appreciation for test cricket and thoroughly believe it deserves it's status as the highest form of the game. I had minimal interest in the Australia vs West Indies ODI and T20 series after the Gabba test match. Most fans would've preferred to see those useless series ditched in favour of a 3rd and deciding test match.

On an unrelated note, good to see the pitches over the Australian summer that's just past were juiced up, giving the bowlers something to work with. It's been a very long time since that's occurred, especially at the venues that use drop-in pitches (Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne). 1st innings in Perth was the only time during the test summer that a team scored more than 400.

Whilst rule changes in white-ball formats over the years have been made to see more 4s and 6s and batsmen dominate the game, I've always been of the belief that test pitches need to be slightly in favour of the bowlers and offer the bowlers something to work with. There's nothing worse that the myriad of flat tracks that have been dished up (culminating in high-scoring draws) in recent years that perpetuate the stereotype that test cricket is boring.
 
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undertaker

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Also, nice to see decent sized boundaries compared to Eden Park. Although not as long as the MCG, those square boundaries at Hagley Oval were quite long by international standards. The issue of short boundaries is something that's really given me the shits for a long time, especially when the rope at certain venues is sometimes as far as 10metres or so in front of the LED advertising boards.

I think the commentators today mentioned something about 25 or 26 threes that were ran by the batsmen throughout the course of the test match. When was the last time that's happened in New Zealand, let alone in test matches held outside of Australia?
 
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undertaker

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Seriously, a bilateral Aust vs NZ 3 test series every 2nd year, alternating countries like the Ashes is really a minimum for CA and NZ to set up. And f**k the ICC if they don’t agree.
Well, there have been some NZ vs England test series over the past few years that weren't part of the WTC. So, I'd have to think that it was the cricket boards of those two countries negotiated that series, not the ICC.

More of that needs to happen.

Also, what's the point of giving Ireland and Afghanistan test status when they aren't being given the opportunities to improve? Same could be said about Zimbabwe. Apparently, the Zimbots wanted to play a test match when they toured Australia during the 2022 winter, but surprise surpise, CA knocked their request back and they had to settle for 3 ODIs instead.
 
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CA would be best placed making friends with everyone else so we can play tests when the inevitable BCCI f**k over comes along.
 

Twizzle

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Now that was a test match, well done Kiwis, fought it out till the end

Why the f**k wasn't this a 3 or more test match series ?
 

JJ

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Mitchell is a bit like his old man who spoke a lot about journeys and processes when he was All Blacks coach. Went down like a cup of cold sick with the NZ public, and he was sacked despite a decent record.

strange comment tbh, nobody has said they shouldn't be proud of how they played. Coney is brilliant, summed it in a nutshell, wish he was still commentating would be the best there is…
 
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King-Gutho94

Coach
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11,894
Mitchell is a bit like his old man who spoke a lot about journeys and processes when he was All Blacks coach. Went down like a cup of cold sick with the NZ public, and he was sacked despite a decent record.

strange comment tbh, nobody has said they shouldn't be proud of how they played. Coney is brilliant, summed it in a nutshell, wish he was still commentating would be the best there is…
Yeah i can imagine if an All-Black said that the the Kiwi public would go bananas accepting mediocrity.

Quite strange he said it though was he just still processing the loss so he went to a quick cliche the group would stick too.
 
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