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@windows97 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Well how good!

A tremendous day for NZ Cricket, a wonderful day for New Zealand.

For me personally there's a couple of reasons why I watch sport, of course there's the love of the game and the enjoyment of watching skilled people do something really well . But there's also a part of it which is just enjoying the triumph of the human spirit.

I watch sport for those moments of enjoyment when perhaps people/teams aren't as talented, or aren't as good but the people who just work a little bit harder, give a little bit more and succeed.

After the true heartbreak of the ODI final I wouldn't have blamed any of them for not being able to get out of bed or succumb to the thinking that "were just not meant to win one". I'm so glad that so many of those people that were there in 2019 on and off the field were there today share and enjoy the moment. Because it's a great story, it's a great moment of a team overcoming adversity and bad luck, of picking themselves up off the floor and succeeding.

It is a true story of the triumph of the human spirit.

I'm immensely proud of this team and the manner in which they won and the values of hard graft, humility and the simply dogged determination to keeping grinding out a result no matter how grim it is. It's just really nice to see the "good guys" win.

Admittedly I'm a new poster and must forewarn that future posts certainly wont be as poetic as this but dammit!! Today is a special day!!

Welcome aboard. More importantly, do you support the Crusaders?

@majorrage said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

In the cold light of the next day, it's perhaps worth a recap of yesterdays events.

There is a patch of carpet in my house, just to the right of coffee table which is now a little more worn. That was my spot. That's where I stood. It's right in front of the corner of our L shaped couch, which is my favourite spot to sit. However, between 4:30 and 7pm yesterday, the All Black forward pack couldn't have pushed me into the seat. If I stand there, we do ok.

It's amazing the superstitious bullshit that comes into one's head during a tense sporting match. Stand in the same spot, don't log off work, don't turn off the coverage, don't drink any water, don't change ANYTHING. We lost both wickets yesterday as I checked the score & Taylor was dropped when my family got home and they sat on the couch. I swear to god, if I'd sat down, Bumrah would have held the catch. Even as of this morning, I can't say I don't truly believe that.

I woke up yesterday with that nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. Timmy's couple of wickets the night before giving us a sniff. I'm always much better watching us bowl, than bat, but I couldn't do it yesterday. Went out for a 30 min bike ride at 10, which lasted nigh on 2 hours trying to keep my head off the cricket (sorry boss, not an overly effective day for me yesterday). By the time I got back, India were 5 down I still thought we had a sniff .... so I turned it on, put the laptop in front of me & settled in. And they walked off for lunch. Shit. 45 mins later, I settled in again, meeting coming up at 2pm, what could we do in that hour ... not much for a while. Head accepting the draw. BOOM, Wagner! Back in it. 2pm comes and goes, sit down. A few mins in, "so thats setup, Matt could you please ....FUCKING YESS!!!!!!" ... Oops. Supposed to be working. Trent in the wickets! Time for the inevitable slog from the tail enders. Come on guys, these runs are gold to India .... c'mon .....Timmy! Again, Timmy!

Breather. Shit. I promised the wife we'd go and get some clothes for her sisters 50th this weekend. I don't think I can watch it anyway. Resting heart rate is about 256 as it is. Off we go. 45 mins odd later. Gotta check. 19 without. Tea. Phew, negotiated that first session. At the picture framers now picking up the gift. "What do you think of it hon", she says "sorry, what, just checking the sco...FUCKKKKKKKKKK". Latham's out. Here we go. Phone away, pay attention. Drive home ... unpack car. TV on ... 44/1 .. awesome, under 100 to go. Big appeal and .... shit. Conway. Literally first ball of turning the TV on. What do I do?? Hit up the fern, and offer my predicament. Whilst doing this, an over passes with no drama. It's obvious now isn't it. Leave the TV on & we'll be fine. Hang on ... I've been watching the cricket from this spot, and then checking work / TSF in the over breaks. OK, thats what we do from here on in. Commentator is going on and on about run rates / dot balls. And it's working an absolute treat on me. Nervous shit needed. Can't do that, could cause a wicket. So stick with the plan. Getting fidgety. Drinks. What does that mean? Can I have a drink? Can I sit down? Not sure. Decide to change nothing. Wife leaves to get the kids. And suddenly the runs are flowing. Half way there. What the fuck is a mallet on the pitch for??? What does this mean? Can I drink some water now and have it offset by the mallet? Don't come back wife/kids, we are doing great. Oh, you're back. "Edged and ..... dropped". Jesus Christ. Do I need to kick the family out?? Not sure. Dot balls again. Dot ball commentator is back. Need a shit again ..... and we're scoring again. Under 50 to get. Surely our tail can get this now? Under 40 ... Under 30 .... ... Kane Dropped! It's in the stars, it's happening, nothing can stop us. 50 for Kane! only 7 or 8 to go. We're going to win! Can I have a drink now ... NO!!!!! Ross on strike, it's in the air ... it's 4! IT's over! We've won!! We've won!! We've won!!!

There is enough praise for the team above that there is little I can add honestly. It's a colossal moment in time for NZ cricket & it's so fitting that Ross & Kane had the unbroken partnership at the end. What a team. Perfect balance of youth, new players, legends, and team men. Although arguably they are all legends now.

Jamieson was officially MOTM and this arguably should be shared with Kane. Anchor in both of our innings. However, for me, its the players in the moments which really count, those who step up when the heat is on who should get this accolade. Think Carters drop goal / penalty in 2015 RWC, think Wilkinson for England in 03. Think Stokes for England. It's can be only person for me in this match. 3 times in the one test he had those moments. The value of his 30 runs in the the first innings cannot be underestimated. No lead, no psychological edge. India innings 2, both openers out lbw. No wickets, India without loss going into the last day with a handy lead. Different gravy. Remember I mentioned above India into he tail slog. Who cleaned up the last 2? Extra 20-30 runs on 4/5 less overs. Different gravy.

MajorRage MOTM of the WTC Final - Tim Southee.

What a day.

Chapeau! ?

Can’t compete with that. I thought I was doing my bit by aligning my feet with the wooden floorboards so I didn't
touch the cracks.

@majorrage Timmy came up with some big moments with both bat and ball. Had the odd “big” moment in the field that let us know our hearts were working too!

Really was a strange test but what a great result. The fact that the 4th innings was the best to bat in adds to the mystique of it. Whoever said it, low run tests tend to deliver the drama.

Also on Virat, I reckon he’s a class act. Think that we had to endure Ganguly and others. In fact it’s hard not to like this Indian side. They are a professional outfit with hard workers. Not unlike our beloved Blackcaps. Fitting final in my view.

@act-crusader said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Whoever said it, low run tests tend to deliver the drama.

A bit like the difference between the US golf open and the other American majors. There is something compelling about watching test level batsmen having to struggle to get 50s.

I watched the 1st session live and called it a night, hoping for some good news this morning. I then woke up in time to listen to the 6 am news on the radio and they played "We are the Champions" to start the sports bulletin. Good enough for me! Perfect timing to watch the presentation live. I've watched a replay of the rest of the day tonight.

I'm sure there have been plenty of praise for the players in this thread, so I'll make a special mention of Shane Jurgensen and Chris Donaldson. The latter seems to have done a great job with the S&C as one of the main attributes of this fast bowling attack is their fitness. We don't see the bowlers breaking down as much as previously and they don't fatigue during their spells.

@act-crusader said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@majorrage Timmy came up with some big moments with both bat and ball. Had the odd “big” moment in the field that let us know our hearts were working too!

Really was a strange test but what a great result. The fact that the 4th innings was the best to bat in adds to the mystique of it. Whoever said it, low run tests tend to deliver the drama.

Also on Virat, I reckon he’s a class act. Think that we had to endure Ganguly and others. In fact it’s hard not to like this Indian side. They are a professional outfit with hard workers. Not unlike our beloved Blackcaps. Fitting final in my view.

Absolutely. A lot of their team seem like bloody good guys so a shame they had to lose in one sense.

Of course this is tempered by the feral Bobs and Vagene crew having barely coherent meltdowns on line about how their previous team has somehow lost to a bunch of journeyman players, many of whom haven’t even played in the subcontinent.

Jesus, just read @majorrage post a moment ago just after i'd read this piece by Jarrod Kimber:

New Zealand in England

Not luck, not fluke - New Zealand deserve to be the World Test Champions

Cricket's second favourite team has fought hard and come a long way to become world No.1

I watched NZ win their first test against England in 1978, just scrape past the Windies in 1980,win with the Ilford Seconds in 1986, Marty & Andrew Jones bat for eons at the Basin, then the apocalypse that was 1995-2012 where we celebrated mediocrity and prostituted our test game for limited Overs - including match fixers.

Then after the nadir of South Africa, the captaincy change debacle, we saw the rise of McCullum (Captain's Knock Edition) - the glory that was the UAE no bumper test , McCullum making doubles and a triple, Southee, Boult, Wags, Rosco , Kane and Latham...s

and all I could think of while they were getting each single run was Bert Sutcliffe never playing ina test win, Martin Donnelly and Stewie Dempster having to make their money playing for County and invitation sides , the 49 tourists playing in England to force 4 day tests, the 73 tourists forcing 5 day tests, and finally thinking how Marty would have reacted to this one.

@MajorRage you said it far more eloquently than I ever could. This one means everything to people like me.

Thanks Black Caps,
Finally found an excuse to polish off the bottle of Daniel Le Brun which has been sitting in the fridge.

I think ICC rankings are updated each Wednesday so I would expect Kane to take back top spot from Smith. Should be some other big moves from Jamieson and Conway. Southee is 3 on the bowling list but don’t think he’ll overtake Ashwin (Cummins is streets ahead in the lead).

I had been sporadically watching the test. Every update was dour. Rain, light, no play. Only one game! They're going to find a way to fuck us again aren't they??!

Then the 6th day. I had lost touch with cricket living in Australia, because of the w@nk fest that is big bash and the complete lack of reporting other nations outside of who Australia is playing. I wasn't aware reserve days were now a thing. I went to work and said "6th fucking day!" to my poor unassuming but fairly interested boss. He said he was aware and he hoped NZ knocked it off.

I have found that a lot of Aussies think that the NZ team is magic and not in a big brother little brother way. They know our players and the rate them. Not so long ago if you asked a smart arse Aussie who our best current player was, they either didn't know or answered the guy with the moustache. Hadlee obviously. But now more and more people I talk sport with, here, respect them. It's not lip service to keep the kiwi guy happy either.

I am so proud of what they have done in the last few years. I think of the super over game as a triumph of sorts. Just the absolute class shown afterward in what was a incredibly difficult result to accept. Go further back to the embarrassment of the 2015 ODI final. The foundations were really starting to take shape around that period. We knew despite the result that we had players that could dictate their own terms. We didn't need to play like anyone else. We had a NZ style and I believe today was another occasion where we put it on show. The system they have now and the pathway to achieve is amazing. It highlights that if sports in NZ can get a system not unlike the one we have with rugby, that we can be great elsewhere. In other sports as well.

Great stuff Black Caps.

I was bouncing my 8 month old son on my knee when that LBW review from Kane was happening...I let out such a roar when ball tracking showed it missing the stumps that the poor little guy got a hell of a fright and burst into tears #parenting

Just in case any of you nodded off and missed the pivotal moment of Day 6.

@rotated I assumed the video was the catch by Nicholls ... but then watched it. And only then (in true Fern fashion) read the text.

FFS. That's incredible. Go ICC, you know who pays your bills

@rotated said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Just in case any of you nodded off and missed the pivotal moment of Day 6.

A guy in a team that got soundly beaten hitting a solitary four. Yeah fuck right off with that shit. Even Chris Martin managed a few of those from time to time.

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@rotated said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Just in case any of you nodded off and missed the pivotal moment of Day 6.

A guy in a team that got soundly beaten hitting a solitary four. Yeah fuck right off with that shit. Even Chris Martin managed a few of those from time to time.

Straight back down the ground to Harbijan Singh IIRC

Possibly mentioned on here already but anyone saying Test Cricket will die can get absolutely fucked. Low scoring and tough to bat on but this final was a fantastic advertisement for the game.

Great for bowlers and there’s nothing wrong with that. Massive scores can get boring after awhile.

@rotated said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Just in case any of you nodded off and missed the pivotal moment of Day 6.

India!

@rotated said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Just in case any of you nodded off and missed the pivotal moment of Day 6.

In context this was a phone in type poll, like the Vodafone man of the match going to David Warner in a losing team vs nz in Hobart that time.

And yes, both are an abomination on sport and all things decent.

@no-quarter said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Paddles with a Jamieson like average there…..no accident who is number one and two though. What a devastating pair they are.

@siam said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@rotated said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Just in case any of you nodded off and missed the pivotal moment of Day 6.

In context this was a phone in type poll, like the Vodafone man of the match going to David Warner in a losing team vs nz in Hobart that time.

And yes, both are an abomination on sport and all things decent.

It's from the ICC.

If the were truly a global organisation, it shoudn't have even been an option.

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@no-quarter said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Paddles with a Jamieson like average there…..

He was alright, that Paddles chap...

It's great that Blundell is ready to replace Watling, some good succession planning there.

Very happy that Taylor came through with the big innings when the chips were down and we desperately needed his experience. World Test Championship final, 2 down for 40 chasing 140 and it could all go horribly pear-shaped... And Taylor and Williamson just put together another big partnership to seal the game, cool as you like - just another day at the office.

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

Colin surely... But of the 4, agree it would be one of the openers, so Boult currently since Southee seems to be getting better with age.

@godder said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

Colin surely... But of the 4, agree it would be one of the openers, so Boult currently since Southee seems to be getting better with age.

I said Pacemen not placeholders

But yeah, he could bat seven at a pinch even though he’s universally regarded as a weak batsman for an all rounder.

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

Not a fair question. Different times.

We won not because of the 3 months before the final, because of the 5 years before the final. Impossible to suggest where Hadlee would have fit in to that.

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@godder said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

Colin surely... But of the 4, agree it would be one of the openers, so Boult currently since Southee seems to be getting better with age.

I said Pacemen not placeholders

But yeah, he could bat seven at a pinch

Having just said Boult, imagine batsmen trying to face Hadlee at one end, and then the lefty at the other. In terms of like for like, replacing Southee would also make sense.

@majorrage said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

Not a fair question. Different times.

We won not because of the 3 months before the final, because of the 5 years before the final. Impossible to suggest where Hadlee would have fit in to that.

Possibly, Paddles with all due respect to them had some real trundlers backing him up compared to the unit we have now.

@godder said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@godder said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

Colin surely... But of the 4, agree it would be one of the openers, so Boult currently since Southee seems to be getting better with age.

I said Pacemen not placeholders

But yeah, he could bat seven at a pinch

Having just said Boult, imagine batsmen trying to face Hadlee at one end, and then the lefty at the other. In terms of like for like, replacing Southee would also make sense.

Yeah but we have a good performing lefty in that angry blond South African guy.

Southees improvement over the last few years makes him impossible to leave out.

@tewaio said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

I was bouncing my 8 month old son on my knee when that LBW review from Kane was happening...I let out such a roar when ball tracking showed it missing the stumps that the poor little guy got a hell of a fright and burst into tears #parenting

tears of joy im assuming

@majorrage said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

Not a fair question. Different times.

We won not because of the 3 months before the final, because of the 5 years before the final. Impossible to suggest where Hadlee would have fit in to that.

Way to complicate a pretty simple fucking question… ?

My answer would be Boult.

@synicbast I was going to post that Kimber article - and written by an Aussie.

Says it all really and distills perfectly the essence of supporting NZ.

My memories of NZ test go back a bit further than yours. I can remember our seventh ever victory - fittingly against India away and recall that commentators saying we were fighting it out to avoid the wooden spoon. I remember Turners heroics in the drawn series in the Windies, the match in Nottingham in 73 which we should/coulda won and I listened on the radio at school (thanks to a cricketing tragic geography teacher who knew beating Oz for the first time was way more important than population studies) as Turner Collinge and the Hadlees took us to victory.

However it is ironic and incredibly apt for a Kiwi supporter that the match that really got me hooked on test cricket is just one in a long line of glorious battles to no affect. I sat glued to the TV and watched every ball as Collinge and Hastings set a world record 151 10th wicket stand. Glorious stuff but apart from the stat meaningless as we lost the series having been hammered in the earlier test.

Until yesterday that was pretty much summed it up for me and NZ cricket. Low expectations that too often were proven to nevertheless be unrealistically high. Favourite players like Burgess and Coney that were quirky grafters rather than stars. Magnificent guns blazing losing efforts like Astles double - summed up by 2019 at Lords. Don't hope coz like the last tour of Aussie it'll just break your heart. We're in the Boxing Day test - oh... Fuck!

Yesterday changed all that. I've always loved my cricket - more than any other sport TBH and Thursday morning paid me back in spades for over 50 years of suffering and torment. I watched till midnight and again from just before 4. I coudn't log on to the Fern as I couldn't tear my eyes away from the screen. Dare I hope. We'll get there in 5's boys. 50 to go - sti;ll time for a collapse 45 fuck my blood pressure. 20 Surely we've got this now. Then it changed to I want these two to be there at the end and then screaming my head off alone in a cold dark wintry house. Who gives a fuck WE WON.

It's not a story of redemption but it is the culmination of a journey that even in the bad times has been a delight but fuck winning feels so much better than gallant defeats. Thanks guys for everything.

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

Southee for me.

I don't think Boult or Southee even at their peaks would be good enough to warrant selection as an co-equal bowler with Hadlee in their own right like Walsh/Ambrose or Younis/Akram.

So the attack would still be built around Hadlee and Boult would be slotted in the Chatfield role. I just see him doing that much better than Southee - being a left arm option and having better control.

Boult for me also seems to get the big wickets, or wickets against the run of play moreso than Southee.

Wagner would probably be next on the list as Hadlee had excellent stamina himself (due to long county seasons) and had an underrated ability to pepper batsmen with the short ball.

@rotated said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

@mn5 said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

Here’s a question to ponder.

If Paddles got picked up by Marty McFly and transported into the future at his peak ( when he was in his 30s ) which of our four pacemen would he displace ?
I mean, he’s fucken Paddles, a better batsman than any of them, better bowler too so no way you don’t select him but which one of our four current champions misses out ?

Unpopular as it might seem I’m gonna have to pick Boult.

Southee for me.

**I don't think Boult or Southee even at their peaks would be good enough to warrant selection as an co-equal bowler with Hadlee in their own right like Walsh/Ambrose or Younis/Akram.
**
So the attack would still be built around Hadlee and Boult would be slotted in the Chatfield role. I just see him doing that much better than Southee - being a left arm option and having better control.

Boult for me also seems to get the big wickets, or wickets against the run of play moreso than Southee.

Wagner would probably be next on the list as Hadlee had excellent stamina himself (due to long county seasons) and had an underrated ability to pepper batsmen with the short ball.

Well no, as I mentioned before Hadlee never played alongside anyone even remotely close to his own ability. Southee, Boult and Wagner on the other hand are all much of a muchness, all excellent, but still not in Hadlees class.

Jury still out on Jamieson but fuck me it’s impressive stuff so far.

@synicbast said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

But tonight I'm sure that there's a smile on Hogan's face and he's at peace.

Jeez, your tugging at some heart strings there. I met him at his sister's place in between the illnesses, he was in remission (I guess that is the correct term) for a while and seemed healthy enough at the time. I had also met him in his playing days and he kind of aloof, almost arrogant, really driven and determined might be fairer (he had a right to be arrogant really) but the second time around he was just a lovely bloke. Humble, kind, happy to talk to anyone. I even asked him if he thought that his attitude during his playing days was a part of his success. His reply was that the softer more rounded person that he had become might have been even better. He attributed that change to Lorraine as well. Obviously a few of us feel that this was for him which pleases me.

@tewaio said in Cricket 2021: NZ in England and WTC Final:

I was bouncing my 8 month old son on my knee when that LBW review from Kane was happening...I let out such a roar when ball tracking showed it missing the stumps that the poor little guy got a hell of a fright and burst into tears #parenting

If babies could talk, " fuck dad, save that shit for when we're being stalked by a sabre tooth tiger! I'm only up to page 20 in my survival instincts training course. Fuck you, where's mum, I need a strong drink!"?

@dogmeat the research and capturing the tone in that kimber article was very very impressive. Even more so when he didn't grow up with all that folklore in close proximity.

He's very good.

The YouTube analysis of wags is also worth a search.

Good post too mate. Same here.?