2nd Test: New Zealand vs Australia at Hamilton. 27-31 March

[JJ]

Agree with the questions over Guptill...

he's talented, but hase never done anything in first class cricket, nor in test cricket.

Makes the doddering over Williamson strange - IMO he has more talent, more potential and has achieved much more in first class cricket... but the about turn now is even stranger

yes Guptill got 180 against Bangers, imagine what Skippy would have done!

 

[big pat]

Heard on the radio Sunshine should be back for the 2nd test

I guess they will drop Hughes?

so his finger nail is better now, don't wish to be picky, but i thought the game started on saturday.

 

[TheParraboy]

Yes they will, despite batting well when the game was won, he batted poorly in the st dig when the pressure was on. Still has to work on his technique.

More net time with Justin Langer?

yes big pat, game starts on Saturday the 27th, not 26th as indicated by the thread starter

 

[big pat]

Yes they will, despite batting well when the game was won, he batted poorly in the st dig when the pressure was on. Still has to work on his technique.

still not a bad player to have waiting in the wings, ponting did say he had a couple of flaws he needs to work on, he and smith will be future stars for australia, and if hussey can't score in this test, than what use will he be for the ashes.

 

[lockyno1]

still not a bad player to have waiting in the wings, ponting did say he had a couple of flaws he needs to work on, he and smith will be future stars for australia, and if hussey can't score in this test, than what use will he be for the ashes.

Fact is Hussey being out will have zero relevance to Hughes, he is a middle order bat. Katich and Watson are our openers. I agree on Hussey, and frankly I don't care what he did against the nuffie Pakis, fact is he has been poor for 2 years. I would make the move but my preference is Calum Ferguson who is still injured.

 

[Timbo]

I haven't trotted this line out for a few years...

Time to give big Joe Yovich a run.

*ducks*

 

[blain]

haha yeah a 30+ yo medium pacer who can bat a bit is what we need... id take jimmy franklin over him easy lol. BTW the pitch is looking a bit green, so franklin has been drafted in the squad.

also the word is skippy will replace ingram which is a good move, and its gonna be either franko or williamson going for the number 6 spot, and it just depends on the pitch.

Hope they can dry the pitch out!!

 

[lockyno1]

Franklin a top 6 test batsman..now I have heard it all

 

[JJ]

I haven't trotted this line out for a few years...

Time to give big Joe Yovich a run.

*ducks*

he's in good form... few years too late now perhaps...

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Looks like the Kiwis are going into the test on a green pitch with 2 spinners, no Williamson and a long tail.

McIntosh, Watling, Sinclair, Taylor, Guptil, Vettori, McCullum, Patel, Southee, Arnel, Martin

Worst tail in international cricket? Must be pretty damn close.

Fact is unless the Aussies throw their wickets away there's no way that team will get close to taking 20 wickets. They'd be better off putting in Franklin and Williamson and just trying to bat our a draw. Hell, leave out Southee or Martin and stick Ingram in there. He could at least take up a dozen more balls than those two.

I'm hoping that Kiwis are just foxing a bit and don't play two spinners, but it's not looking good. Of course if they don't play 2 spinners then we probably get more of Franklin. Either way it's going to be painful.

 

[JoeD]

Radio guysthis morning were talking like batting first could be the right choice which means the pitch must have dried out quite a lot.

 

[blain]

ponting won toss again... man thats gotta be like the biggest run of wins in a series. is that 6-7?

yeah we have like the Sh*test tail you could get. i would have taken franklin over southee, he was useless in the last test.

i dont remember patel doing anything special, ever. his averages suck, i dont know why everyone loves him so much. if he cant do anything in this test, id be tempted to give up on him for a bit, and see if he can get wickets in domestic cricket before he gets another go.

 

[Meth]

Seriously, why isn't Williamson the 12th man at least? OK, so you don't pick him in the XI- but at least put him at 12th man so he gets some time on the field to get amongst it

 

[beads6]

Kiwis continue to pick blokes who just don't cut it... Why not give the young guys ago they can't be any worse than Martin or Guptil

 

[aussies1st]

Should have just played Williamson at 8 than Patel.

 

[Meth]

It's time for a bit of a clean out in the Test side really. We won't play any more Test cricket until later in the year and hopefully we won't carry some of these blokes like Martin, Tuffey, Franklin in our bowling attack then

 

[beads6]

The Kiwis may not have that much talent but they must have some young guys with potential who would be better options than Martin or Franklin

 

[beads6]

Watto out for 12 playing the pull shot. Southee got him.

 

[JoeD]

Watson gone to a mistimed pull shot. That ranks right up there with running yourself out as far as bowlers input goes.

 

[aussies1st]

Should have stuck with Hughes ;-)