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Cricket: Summer 2018-19

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
Interesting day’s play with Aus 6-277. Pitch definitely got faster as the day went on. We still threw away a lot of wickets but it was a tough pitch to bat on even if you were in. Bumrah was amazing can’t believe he only has 1 wicket.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
That track is doing plenty and I think our guys have done well to get where they're at. Another 50 or so and it will be a very good total. With the state of the pitch I think our bowlers would be happy to bowl last on it. I'm just happy with the application the batsmen showed today.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
I thought Head and Marsh were particularly good in their near 100 run stand. I think Head showed you had to take the width on offer as it’d take a good catch behind the wicket to dismiss you if you nicked one and if you tried to bat time you could easily get an unplayable ball.

Marcus Harris is also a beautiful player to watch, early days but he looks like he should be around the team for a long time.
 

Lindommer

Steve Williams (59)
Staff member
Is Marsh the new F U Watson: just when his spot's in peril he puts together some sort of innings to save his arse. That 45 in the first innings was only so-so in my book, but, we desperately need a good score (WAY better than 45 fer starters) in the second dig to win this test. A pathetic total of 5 should be grounds for dismissal. At 35 years of age he, surely, can't be kept for his future potential.

What we see in this test is what he's always been, and always will be: inconsistent to the point of enfuriariting. F U Watson personified.
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Is Marsh the new F U Watson: just when his spot's in peril he puts together some sort of innings to save his arse. That 45 in the first innings was only so-so in my book, but, we desperately need a good score (WAY better than 45 fer starters) in the second dig to win this test. A pathetic total of 5 should be grounds for dismissal. At 35 years of age he, surely, can't be kept for his future potential.

What we see in this test is what he's always been, and always will be: inconsistent to the point of enfuriariting. F U Watson personified.

Handscombe 1st: 34 & 14 2nd: 7 & 13 Total: 67 Marsh 1st: 2 & 60 2nd: 45 & 5 Total: 112
Head 1st: 72 & 14 2nd: 58 & 11no Total: 155* Khawaja 1st: 28 & 8 2nd: 5 & 23no Total: 64*
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
This is a terrific test match (much like the last one) and it's balanced on a knife-edge here. I think we need around 100 more but it could be a lot less than that. Can I also just say that I'm enjoying the confrontation between Kohli and our guys, but can I also point out that if our blokes carried on like he did there would be repercussions? He's a great villain though and I hope he keeps doing and it our guys respond in kind.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
This is a terrific test match (much like the last one) and it's balanced on a knife-edge here. I think we need around 100 more but it could be a lot less than that. Can I also just say that I'm enjoying the confrontation between Kohli and our guys, but can I also point out that if our blokes carried on like he did there would be repercussions? He's a great villain though and I hope he keeps doing and it our guys respond in kind.
Best test series in Australia for a very long time. Such a great change after a shit year of Australian rugby and cricket.
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
This is a terrific test match (much like the last one) and it's balanced on a knife-edge here. I think we need around 100 more but it could be a lot less than that. Can I also just say that I'm enjoying the confrontation between Kohli and our guys, but can I also point out that if our blokes carried on like he did there would be repercussions? He's a great villain though and I hope he keeps doing and it our guys respond in kind.

Had every right to be pissed off with the Handscomb catch, for mine it should've gone upstairs as not out on the basis that it's not obviously a clean catch, but, yes, he's a twat with the way he carries on. Doesn't mean your blokes should go down to his level, tho.

On this side of the ditch Tom Latham had a pretty good day:

IMG_0842.PNG


Fifth 200+ score by a NZ batsman in six tests v SL at the Basin. Pretty sure Glenn Turner's 223* that Latham surpassed was the previous highest score by someone carrying their bat (v WI over there in 1971/72). Well done, young man, well done indeed.

EDIT: SL, 280-odd behind on first innings are 20/3 in their second dig so it's hardly a shirt front out there. Rain forecast for Wednesday so really need to take those last seven wickets pre-tea tomorrow.
 

Lindommer

Steve Williams (59)
Staff member
Your figures for four of our top six batsmen don't make for joyous reading, Nod. Handscomb will probably get one more test, in front of his home crowd in Melbourne, but surely his technique's left him on thin ice. Marsh, on the other hand, has fallen in a cracked ice-hole after this test. WTF's happening with our elite batsmen in Oz ATM?
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
Australia need 5 wickets to win and India need 176 runs. Feels like our first test win since Durban is right around the corner. Agree with Lindommer even if we do go on to win there will still be a lot of questions surrounding the middle order going into Melbourne.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Agreed on all counts.

What I really want to talk about, though, is how the chat went to another level out there today. TP says to one of the Indian players: "Mate I know he's your captain, but you can't seriously like him as a bloke". That's a top quality sledge. Keep it coming fellas.
 

Finsbury Girl

Trevor Allan (34)
great test, glad to see the whole bowling unit fire, not only with the ball but their batting has put some of the top and middle order to shame.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
1-1 bring on Melbourne. It wasn’t a 5th day thriller but it was the best first four days of cricket I’ve seen for some time.

The new curator (over from the WACA) has made it his mission to provide a more lively MCG pitch this year so we don’t have a repeat of last year’s Boxing Day test. With more grass on the pitch first class top order averages have fallen from 41 last season to 30 this season.I wouldn’t be surprised to see an all rounder added to the Australian side, probably at the expense of Handscomb, as they look to take the heat off the bowling unit who have had a mountain of work thus far. Mitch Marsh is probably in the box seat (not sure we can go through a series without a debate over M Marsh) but there have been some very vocal supporters of Stoinis (Warnie) although I think he’s currently injured. Maxwell would surely also be in the discussion. I expect India will play Hardik Pandya as an all rounder to bolster their lower order.

Edit: Unchanged squad for Melbourne and Sydney so no chance for Stoinis or Maxwell.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
EDIT: SL, 280-odd behind on first innings are 20/3 in their second dig so it's hardly a shirt front out there. Rain forecast for Wednesday so really need to take those last seven wickets pre-tea tomorrow.
Unfortunately a wicketless day for NZ with Matthews and Mendis putting on 250 odd. Sri Lanka might not even need the rain. The lack of a frontline spinner really hurt your blokes.
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
^ first full day of Test cricket in NZ without a wicket apparently. Not sure a spinner would've made that much difference tbf, just one of those days at the Basin.
 

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
1-1 bring on Melbourne. It wasn’t a 5th day thriller but it was the best first four days of cricket I’ve seen for some time.

The new curator (over from the WACA) has made it his mission to provide a more lively MCG pitch this year so we don’t have a repeat of last year’s Boxing Day test. With more grass on the pitch first class top order averages have fallen from 41 last season to 30 this season.I wouldn’t be surprised to see an all rounder added to the Australian side, probably at the expense of Handscomb, as they look to take the heat off the bowling unit who have had a mountain of work thus far. Mitch Marsh is probably in the box seat (not sure we can go through a series without a debate over M Marsh) but there have been some very vocal supporters of Stoinis (Warnie) although I think he’s currently injured. Maxwell would surely also be in the discussion. I expect India will play Hardik Pandya as an all rounder to bolster their lower order.

Edit: Unchanged squad for Melbourne and Sydney so no chance for Stoinis or Maxwell.
Problem i have with this test is that the Indian batting line-up is so clearly superior to ours, and their bowlers are just about on par. The difference between the two teams was the toss. That's it, we win because we won the toss. After lunch on the 4th day the wicket turned into a minefield and no team in the world would have been able to chase down more than 150.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
Problem i have with this test is that the Indian batting line-up is so clearly superior to ours, and their bowlers are just about on par. The difference between the two teams was the toss. That's it, we win because we won the toss. After lunch on the 4th day the wicket turned into a minefield and no team in the world would have been able to chase down more than 150.
I’m not sure the batting lineups are necessarily that mismatched with exception of Kohli and maybe Pujara. Our opening partnership put on a 160 this test and the Indians put on around 10. Our lower order is also clearly superior.

We out scored them in both innings by a good margin. If the difference between the two teams was solely the toss then I’d expect both teams to have scored fairly even first innings scores and the Indians to have collapsed due to deteriorating pitch conditions on day 5. This wasn’t really the case, the pitch was always up and down throughout the match. India blew it when they lost 6-60 in their first innings when they looked like having a first innings lead.

I think the real difference between the two teams was India’s failure to choose a spinner and their poor tail. Our 7-11 put on 146 runs this match and we won by 146.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
I'm with UTG on this. On paper India have the superior batting line up, but really it's their middle order that score all their runs. The tail is considerably worse than ours without Ashwin and their opening pair have had a poor series so far. I think our batting is straining at the edge of their capabilities right now, so if India ever get it together we're in trouble. That said, they don't look that flash either, Kohli and Pujara excepted.
 
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