NZ V SA First Test

[Twizzle]

I saw Wiseman today for the first time.

There is daylight between Vetori and the Kiwis No 2 spinner, similar to that of Warnie and the Stumiester.

 

[Anonymous]

What happened to Brooke Walker? From what I heard he's not bad. Surely he's better than Wiseman. Also Glenn Sulzberger. Then again I saw him playing in a tour match against SA on the Kiwis last tour here and he wasn't much either.

 

[ThrashViking]

Michael Mason would have been a much better option than Wiseman regardless of how the pitch is
And wasnt Martin from ND selected as the only spinner for the New Zealand A team?

 

[wittyz chick]

Jacques kallis fell 8 runs short of what would have been the 5th consecutive Test he got a century , which would have left him 1 behind Bradman. Oh well still another fine knock.

There is still the 2nd innings...but Kallis has said he thinks its only gonna get harder...but i still think he can do it

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not at all keen on Brooke Walker, he has a nice action and is accurate enough, but for some reason he just can't turn the ball. At test level he has looked embarrassingly innocuous in the past. Sulzberger will only ever get picked for ODIs as an all-rounder. He is a Michael Clarke or Andrew Symonds with the ball. Bruce Martin is surely IMO the second best spinner in the country, I can only imagine that Bracewell didn't like the idea of playing him and Vettori as they are too similar.

 

[Anonymous]

364/6 late in the first session on day 2.

 

[bayrep]

make that 369/7

 

[bayrep]

379/7 at lunch on the 2nd day. We are slowly getting the wickets but SA are getting the runs its almost getting to the point were it can only be a draw if NZ bats well or a win to SA if NZ has a disaster at bat.

 

[salivor]

I think we're already at the point where NZ can only get a draw out of this match. If Pollock had been given LBW first ball or Fleming had held the catch at first slip to make it 8 down going into lunch we'd be in a position to skittle them out quickly and go about chasing them down.

 

[bayrep]

SA 459 all out

Very very frustrating having to watch that. It is totaly out of NZ's hands now. I pretty much hope that NZ digs in for the next two and half days and frustrats the crap out of SA.

 

[fish eel]

Thats the spirit.

Dig in for the draw.

And its only day 2.

So much for this gun kiwi side we kept hearing about!

 

[bayrep]

:lol: I think if you read the previous post you will find not everyone thought the bowling attack was the right choice or having a sub continent pitch would be of much help. Ask the Aus team in SL at the moment. When was the last time Aus ever came back and won a game when the 1st innings total was 459 batting second. ?

 

[fish eel]

some people were calling for a draw before they'd even hit four hundred, as early as lunch on day two......what a friggin joke!

 

[bayrep]

So are you abusing the NZ team or the fans ?

 

[salivor]

some people were calling for a draw before they'd even hit four hundred, as early as lunch on day two......what a friggin joke!

Are you even watching the game or have seen the pitch? It's slow and low. Hard to score runs quickly and hard to take wickets, it doesn't look to be crumbling so it's not going to be too dodgy on the last couple of days. It's a draw pitch and South Africa setting 400+ really takes a New Zealand victory nearly out of the equation.

 

[weasel]

Wow NZ are none for 4 at tea off eight overs. What a positive start. Considering South Africa had completed their innings halfway through day two there's still plenty of time in this test for a result. India proved in Adelaide in December that the first innings total isn't as important as the time taken to score it. Having your mind on playing for a draw less than two days in with one innings already completed is pretty damn negative.

 

[fish eel]

ummm.....didnt know my two posts were abusive????

I just think its amazingly negative to be talking about going for a draw when there is still so much cricket to play. Particuarly in the context of so many kiwi fans really talking up their team as a top class test side (granted this has been done in other threads).

I would also like to draw your attention to the second test, australia v india, for a game where there was a result with two high scoring first innings.

 

[fish eel]

granted salivor I'm at work, dont have pay tv and, therefore am not watching the game.

In fact, if the pitch is as you say, should be interesting to bat on day 4 for South Africa second innings.

Plenty of time for new zealnd to play their way back into the match if they are good enough.

 

[fish eel]

Unless of course.....the talk of a draw comes from the realisation that an attack lead by Tuffey and Oram wont be good enough to skittle south africa late day 4 on a low keeping wicket?

 

[salivor]

Wow NZ are none for 4 at tea off eight overs. What a positive start. Considering South Africa had completed their innings halfway through day two there's still plenty of time in this test for a result. India proved in Adelaide in December that the first innings total isn't as important as the time taken to score it. Having your mind on playing for a draw less than two days in with one innings already completed is pretty damn negative.

Weasel, they only had a few overs before tea to play out. That situation you've got everything to lose and very little to gain.
Also this is not Adelaide where both Australia and India were able to score their runs quickly and easily. You won't see either of these sides going at over 4 runs and over on this Hamilton pitch. Anyway who said the players have their mind on a draw already? It's just pretty damn obvious that this is a draw pitch unless it really starts to play up on the last day and a half.