NZ V Aus Third ODI

[Iafeta]

Please, Sullyfan. Gimme a break. Brett Lee is an absolute toss. He goes way overboard with his intimidation bowling.

Anyway, this series has shown why the current side is the greatest cricket team ever, imo. Whenever another country starts looking like they can challenge us we ruthlessly demolish them (England watch out). NZ can go on about their win percentage from last year all they want but they fact is the games we lost last year really meant nothing in the scheme of our continued domination of the sport, apart from that Champions Trophy loss, and we flogged the Black Caps in that tournament anyway. When we've finally come into a ODI series that's at least been hyped up as important we respond by cruising to a 3-0 lead. Hopefully we don't have to hear any more bleating about them being the best one day team in the world, at least for another few years. I don't even care if they win the last two games of this series, it won't change the fact this series has been a humbling experience for them.

Not just a humbling experience, but a humiliating experience. Australia are world class, the rest are clear also rans. Its like facing the 70's/80's Windies side all over again, except its more of a potent skill factor as opposed to out and out four pronged express pace intimidating the life out of you. Their bowling in the first 15 has been awesome, New Zealand's batting at the top has been woefully short but deadset, they've given nothing to hit.

Hopefully for New Zealand, for the long term, its not just a humbling and humiliating experience, but also a chance to learn and a bit of realisation that they're not all they thought they were. Certainly there have been improvements in their one day game, which I attribute a lot to McCullum and Marshall's exuberance in the park and between the sticks which has an retro 1988 style Australian feel about it.

And you're right on Bing, although I will give credit to Ricky Ponting for his show of sportsmanship and compassion to Michael Papps. Certainly wasn't a particularly nice incident (though I'm sure not intentional), but Ponting deserves a pat on the back for his show of sportsmanship.

 

[wittyfan]

Please, Sullyfan. Gimme a break. Brett Lee is an absolute toss. He goes way overboard with his intimidation bowling.

Pffft. It's not his fault these batsmen can't handle genuine pace.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

NZ are still 2nd best IMO....not that we were ever truly close to first.

I think even the Australian team acknowledged our good form. I found the Champions Trophy interesting. It seemed to me that Australia had focussed most of their energy on the NZ game.

 

[Matt23]

You've probably got a point there :shock:

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

:?

 

[lockyno1]

Pffft. It's not his fault these batsmen can't handle genuine pace.

Exactly! And the last 50 times I have seen the replay he was not watching the ball. So it is his fault he got hit not Brett's! Add to that you are allowed 1 bouncer an over so he was well within his rights to bowl it at his head- that is where every fast bowler aims a bouncer! :roll:

 

[Macca]

NZ are still 2nd best IMO....not that we were ever truly close to first.

I think even the Australian team acknowledged our good form. I found the Champions Trophy interesting. It seemed to me that Australia had focussed most of their energy on the NZ game.

As opposed to what? The were never considered the best were they?

 

[gregstar]

sri lanka is now the 2nd best
new zealand needed to win this series to remain second

 

[El Diablo]

sri lanka is now the 2nd best
new zealand needed to win this series to remain second

I think they stay second unless they lose all 5 games.

 

[gregstar]

sri lanka is now the 2nd best
new zealand needed to win this series to remain second

I think they stay second unless they lose all 5 games.

i heard on abc grandstand before that sri lanka had overtaken them

 

[El Diablo]

sri lanka is now the 2nd best
new zealand needed to win this series to remain second

I think they stay second unless they lose all 5 games.

i heard on abc grandstand before that sri lanka had overtaken them

from http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,12372281%5E11088,00.html

NZ will lose its world No. 2 ranking to Sri Lanka if it drops the next three matches, which would affect the Kiwis' pool placing in the 2007 World Cup.

That was before yesterdays game so they've dropped one.

 

[Iafeta]

They'll lose the #2 status unless they win a game.

Are Sri Lanka playing ODIs when they return in April? If they are, by then the decks will be a bit more greener, I'd say NZ will take them then.

 

[Twizzle]

do you guys still play in April

thats into the footy season, the decks will be very green and very long

 

[JTR]

We've got two tests against Sri Lanka on the 4th - 8th April & 11th - 15th April
The first will be in Napier, and the second in Wellington (Basin Reserve).
Both are non-rugby grounds, so should be ok for cricket.

No ODI's by the looks of it Iafeta

 

[ozbash]

dear oh dear!
the 2nd best is ripping itself apart!

wasnt that what the first best was doing after melbourne ?
we could hear the crying over here :lol:

the kiwis are,nt finished yet.

 

[gregstar]

the kiwis are,nt finished yet.

why, have they extended the series to a best of 7? ;-)
you are finished - deal with it

 

[Dr Crane]

sri lanka is now the 2nd best
new zealand needed to win this series to remain second

f**king stupid. We beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in the series. #-o

 

[gregstar]

sri lanka is now the 2nd best
new zealand needed to win this series to remain second

f***ing stupid. We beat Sri Lanka 1-0 in the series. #-o

i agree, but the ratings have always been suss

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

NZ are still 2nd best IMO....not that we were ever truly close to first.

I think even the Australian team acknowledged our good form. I found the Champions Trophy interesting. It seemed to me that Australia had focussed most of their energy on the NZ game.

As opposed to what? The were never considered the best were they?

What?

I said, Australia were always deservedly #1.

 

[JJ]

Please, Sullyfan. Gimme a break. Brett Lee is an absolute toss. He goes way overboard with his intimidation bowling.

Pffft. It's not his fault these batsmen can't handle genuine pace.

certainly that's the case with Papps - he showed poor technique. But McCullum didn't play the beamer poorly, did he?