OT: Cricket

[Philip_Smith007]

Well, how in the living hell are the Black Caps the 2nd best test team?
Seems they all wanted a day off both test finishing in 4 days.
Bowlers couldn't cut it and batsmen shit the bed. 3rd best Williamson should slip out the top 10 now!

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Rankings are based on results over a longer period. One bad series doesn't shift things too much.

TBH I've kept an eye on the score but watched maybe a session worth of cricket all up so can't comment much on specifics.

Doesn't sound like enjoyable viewing though.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Seems to me that test cricket is just too dependent on hometown pitches these days. How often does a home series by a top 5 side result in anything but a comfortable win?

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Seems to me that test cricket is just too dependent on hometown pitches these days. How often does a home series by a top 5 side result in anything but a comfortable win?

I barely watch Australian or Indian home series anymore. Only one team can win.

Other countries you feel like you have a genuine chance so at least they're watchable.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I barely watch Australian or Indian home series anymore. Only one team can win.

Other countries you feel like you have a genuine chance so at least they're watchable.

but even with us at home, you’d be pretty bloody brave to back anyone else to win a series, and downright foolhardy to back anyone who wasn’t Australia or a India.

 

[Big Marn]

Our bowlers v their bowlers.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Were we bowling faster at home?
Do we turn the bowling machines up to 140km plus?
Sure, not use to 40deg days.
But making some dumb decision with both bat and ball.

No expert in cricket by any means.
Mainly just disappointed with the poor performance.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I was supposed at our lack of express pace too. And heat wasn’t an excuse in Melbourne, it was pretty mild around Xmas.

 

[Rich102]

Can anyone see any positives?

 

[Big Marn]

The way i see it, this tour has been an ambush/disaster from start to finish. Starting in Perth in superhot weather in a daynight against express pace? They were down 1 test in the series before it even started.
Taking Raval on tour was a huge mistake but there was no one else they had confidence in. No one expected Blundell to go so well at the MCG.
Ferguson breaking down in the first test left us with no pace. Boult was underdone in the MCG test and now hes injured again.
Santner has been getting the spinners job on the back of his "allround ability" for too long. But our other spin specialists arent saying "Pick Me! ".
In terms of test nation standing, NZ is on the wane and Aussie are on the rise. Taylor is almost done. Wagner is our only effective bowler by using bodyline tactics.
Grandhomme is weaksauce. The way he threw his wicket away at the MCG summed him up for me.
This test series put us in our place well and truly. Any delusions of grandeur have been emphatically dispelled.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Batting showing their stupidity with shot selection, getting baited, not handling pace, just watched De Grandhomme run out in a test when 260 runs behind on day 3!

We have serious mental toughness issues in Cricket as well as League by the look of it.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Santner and DeGrandPlod need to go.

Aside from that things won't change too much and probably don't need to.

At least Blundell and Phillips showed a bit of ability. So no more Jeet.

Are there any spinners in the local comp who are even slightly talented?

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Only caught highlights of today, but basically can't bat, can't bowl, can't catch and you can play for Black Caps.
3 for 2 is a joke.

 

[BLN2]

To be fair, CDG was probably our second best bowler this series with his control and seam nibble, and despite throwing his wicket away again today, can hold his head higher than Nicholls, Watling, Williamson, Taylor, Latham and Raval this tour. They all did SFA. Our batting unit was massively found out, our bowling unit shown to be one paced and toothless in Australian conditions.

Shame. Guys like Henry, Santner and Raval need to be put back into domestic cricket and give opportunities to the likes of Jamieson, Neesham, Young, Ravindra, Seifert, Ferguson, Phillips. Otherwise in 2 years when Taylor, Southee, Watling, Wagner and CDG are no longer around they are over taken by performance, rather than losing form and slowly grinding out to retirement..

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Everyone gets found out in Australian conditions aside from South Africa. The team and pitches are built hand in hand to stack the deck.

Our own administration doesn't help matters. Agreeing to a day night test without a lead in game, right after Australia has played one against Pakistan. Asking for trouble from the start.

 

[Big Marn]

its all about the coffers. Administrators would have sold their children to get a boxing day test.

 

[Rich102]

So now we can't compete at home?
Is Gary Stead up to the job?

 

[Big Marn]

Wheres Blair with appropriate lyrics for the Black Caps predicament?

 

[JJ]

So now we can't compete at home?
Is Gary Stead up to the job?

The selections are poor (no Neesham in particular), and some players aren’t really good enough...

Boult Ferguson and Henry help a lot... plus T20 is a joke..

 

[Campion]

I don't rate De Grandhomme at all -- goes missing when needed. Surprised Neesham wasn't there instead purely for batting. Also think Southee is lucky to still be part of any limited overs outfit, let alone captain! He's fodder for most batsman, particularly on small NZ fields. Santner has had a tough 5 games, but I think it's hard for him to come in with 4 economical overs when the batsman are already splaying the ball everywhere because of the likes of Windmill, Tickler, Kullegeiniajsdfasdffjliasdf, and Southee.