3rd test: NZ v Pakistan

[Hallatia]

Pakistan all out for 223, New Zealand batting really slowly, but should be able to build a nice first innings lead nonetheless...

 

[Meth]

Pakistan all out for 223, New Zealand batting really slowly, but should be able to build a nice first innings lead nonetheless...

Probably primarily concerned with starting today with a full compliment of wickets.

I am encouraged with McIntosh and Waitling's start- lets be honest, we thought we would be 1 or 2 down after 19 overs. They saw off Aamer and Asif and then started to open up a bit v Gul. I hope a couple of players score big in this innings. Hopefully we can finish today at around 350-400 and put the Pakistan back in tomorrow about 300 behind.

Good to see Tuffey mop up the tail

 

[African Monkey]

Watling was far too loose there after looking solid at the crease. NZ 60/1.

 

[JJ]

Is it just me, or are others overwhelmed with a sense of irony with Craig MacMillan raving on about patience, shot selection, discipline, and taking advantage of opportunities...

I actually don't mind him as a commentator of I ignore how he played, but he sounds like he should have batted like Geoff Boycott... Pretty hypocritical?

 

[African Monkey]

Is it just me, or are others overwhelmed with a sense of irony with Craig MacMillan raving on about patience, shot selection, discipline, and taking advantage of opportunities...

I actually don't mind him as a commentator of I ignore how he played, but he sounds like he should have batted like Geoff Boycott... Pretty hypocritical?

Yes I've noticed that as well. On Geoff Boycott, he commentates as if he was the most damaging batsman of all-time.

On the game itself, the pitch looks very good for batting and we should be looking at a big score.

 

[Meth]

Flynn was given out on referral. No hot spot. If Kamran was not out, Flynn couldn't be either.

 

[Iafeta]

Daniel Flynn... What a goose. Knicks it, given not out, they go for a referral, he starts walking off.. Vettori tells him to hold up. No evidence on hot spot at all, but because he's sold himself down the river without a paddle he basically has to be given out. Snicko later on tells us he was out, but they don't use that it in referrals. Not that this is an average innings for Flynn, he's only playing for his test career in the deciding test of a series.

Deadset, I've never seen a bloke rated so highly on the basis of having a couple of teeth knocked out by a poor shot to a short ball. He is the walking evidence of a walking wicket, biggest LB candidate ever.

The wicket though that has cost New Zealand is Ross Taylor's. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. Tries the cross bat heave-ho, straight up lolly pop to square leg. Just when you think that bloke has turned the corner, he goes and basically throws away all of New Zealand's momentum thinking he's out there playing for the Black Sticks.

 

[Iafeta]

The best of the lot of the commentators is Martin Crowe. That bloke should be consulting regularly with the New Zealand batsmen. Everything technically he talks about makes sense. I find the whole backlift thing very interesting, I remember coming through the junior rep grades 10 years ago and all the coaches wanted to talk about was 'loading up'. Moving your back foot across and raising your bat as the bowler got into stride. Listening to Crowe, in retrospect of what we were taught I don't mind the trigger foot movement because it gets you moving and balanced, but he seems to have a real point on keeping the bat down and going more naturally through the stroke.

 

[Meth]

Pakis are out of referrals now. 2 unsuccessful attempts at McCallum's wicket

 

[Meth]

Flynn needs to be dropped. The performance of the top 5 batsmen in this series has been disgraceful.

McIntosh's innings today has probably saved him for now. He and Guptill are hanging on by a thread.

Taylor needs to stop throwing his wicket away

 

[Meth]

NZ on top thanks to McCallum and Vettori. Vettori unbeaten on 100 at stumps

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

If McIntosh turns out to be the same sort of player at test level as he is at domestic level- fail, fail, fail, fail, fail, and then a big score made in excruciatingly boring and unconvincing but gutsy style, leaving him with an average around 30- is that good enough to keep him in the side long term?

 

[Meth]

It will keep him there, because who's better? We need two Test openers pretty urgently

 

[MKEB...]

The best of the lot of the commentators is Martin Crowe. That bloke should be consulting regularly with the New Zealand batsmen. Everything technically he talks about makes sense. I find the whole backlift thing very interesting, I remember coming through the junior rep grades 10 years ago and all the coaches wanted to talk about was 'loading up'. Moving your back foot across and raising your bat as the bowler got into stride. Listening to Crowe, in retrospect of what we were taught I don't mind the trigger foot movement because it gets you moving and balanced, but he seems to have a real point on keeping the bat down and going more naturally through the stroke.

Fair enough, and correct... but have a look at Hogans backlift from the 1990's.

 

[African Monkey]

If McIntosh turns out to be the same sort of player at test level as he is at domestic level- fail, fail, fail, fail, fail, and then a big score made in excruciatingly boring and unconvincing but gutsy style, leaving him with an average around 30- is that good enough to keep him in the side long term?

It probably is unfortunately. I hope that Josh Brodie can kick on with his early season form. He looked good when I saw him play last season and has scored runs so far this season.

 

[Blaze]

If McIntosh turns out to be the same sort of player at test level as he is at domestic level- fail, fail, fail, fail, fail, and then a big score made in excruciatingly boring and unconvincing but gutsy style, leaving him with an average around 30- is that good enough to keep him in the side long term?

My opinion on the opener dilemma is that Cumming, Papps, Bell, McIntosh, Redmond and How are all a much of a muchness. I haven't looked at their test averages but all of those guys are likely to average between 20-30 at test level if they were given a sustained run in the side imo. There is no standout player amongst them who has the potential to average more than that. McIntosh might as well be persevered with.

Daniel Flynn will surely be dropped after this test match however. He really needs to refine his technique. I hate that ridiculous wofting of his bat during his backlift. I don't know whether he uses it as a trigger movement, but it is just f**king stupid. I cannot remember whether Crowe mentioned this or whether I said it myself while he was batting, but the wofting limits his reaction time to the delivery. It means that he takes a split second longer to get in a set position and is always rushed as a result.

He is also struggling big time with his balance. I don't have a problem with batsmen playing around their front pad, but in Flynn's case he isn't getting his eyes over the ball. Instead he finds himself off balance and a prime candidate for LBW everytime he tries to play the ball around his front pad.

 

[Blaze]

superb partnership between Vettori and McCullum though. Was our best session of the series imo

 

[African Monkey]

Daniel Flynn will surely be dropped after this test match however. He really needs to refine his technique. I hate that ridiculous wofting of his bat during his backlift. I don't know whether he uses it as a trigger movement, but it is just f**king stupid. I cannot remember whether Crowe mentioned this or whether I said it myself while he was batting, but the wofting limits his reaction time to the delivery. It means that he takes a split second longer to get in a set position and is always rushed as a result.

He is also struggling big time with his balance. I don't have a problem with batsmen playing around their front pad, but in Flynn's case he isn't getting his eyes over the ball. Instead he finds himself off balance and a prime candidate for LBW everytime he tries to play the ball around his front pad.

Something else I hate with watching Daniel Flynn bat is his front foot which goes towards point instead of going down the wicket which would affect his balance at the crease. He's a very limited player who can only score his runs through the leg side due to his balance or through square of the wicket on the on side.

 

[lockyno1]

Why the hell did McCullum not refer his dismissal?

 

[Blaze]

How was he supposed to know that Gul bowled a front foot no ball?

I am looking forward to the first challenge of a clean dismissal (caught or bowled) in the hope of a front foot no ball. Really, if you have the challenges up your sleeve and are 8 down there is nothing to lose in challenging.