Perth Test: Day Two
Oh Mitchell Stark you rotter! Fair dues though, fine second spell.
A good thriller movie can seize your attention and jangle with your nerves, but nothing like being 2 fer 1 and watching your two greatest batsmen guts it out for national pride!
After tea was totally captivating viewing. You couldn't miss one ball as our two battled, ( no other word for it) against an Aussie team as cock a hoop as they can be. Wore them on the body, missed jaffas and pulled us out of a deep mire. A recovery mission if ever there was, if you'll excuse the topic of the week.
Rosscoe has a free pass from my churlish frowns and cheap put downs for erternity. Coped them on the arms and ribs, used the full face diligently in defence, and then decided he might as well harass the goat, (gobby. overthetop. arse. tickler.) while he was there. And he's still there! Fucken champion!
Kane was, (was) wonderful. His dismissal is a great tribute to pock marked Mitch. He drew Kane into a false shot with one that climbed a bit quicker and Kane missed his target gap by 5 metres. Well bowled more than poor shot. Good rescue though.
Criticism of Henry boy doesn't sit well. Easily the worst way to get out, worse than backing up run outs, and he looked good before that. The least culpable dismissal.
Raval got done for pace more than anything, and is about to have a career defining series, whichever way it goes for him. Lucky they've got Burns...
Tommy looked a bit unlucky. You want your leftys tucking leg stump balls away for one so you can't condemn the choice. Hopefully they've all talked about Rosscoes bat face on defence for 2 and a bit hours.
Couldn't help but picture 2 Aussie quicks after a few hours in 50 degrees. There'll be a lot of Marnus and Smudge tomorrow.
Obligated by common custom to say I feel for Hazelwood but thank fuck he went lame. Cricket gods chucked us an unlikely leveller there!
Our run rate was grouse after a bizarre lack of shots from the ockers. All very Langer like in their approach and they executed their plan to have us bat after tea perfectly. Much kudos for their patience and focus on their goal. Was weird to see those strike rates in a comfortable Aussie first innings though.
A great day's test cricket. Aus deservedly on top and an excellent example of a team trailing the game but also having played remarkably well. Australia just slightly more remarkable and a helping of extreme playing conditions deciding a lot of the progress thus far.
Great stuff both teams
So, today then. Just gotta keep the good balls out and be happy to leave the ball all day. Perfect BJ day. Ross will always score at a decent clip and Colin should never bat slowly, so the run rate will be fine. Hopefully slinky arrives to tired quicks, who'll bounce the shit out of him, and gets 10 overs of spin to find his feet. A bit unsure how Colin goes to spin, but if we get 2 hours of big Col in the middle we'll be fine (ish).
Aus need 2 good balls in 2 hours and they've probably saved the game.
It's still on a knife edge, oz obviously in the box seat, and us with the curious objective of batting time in 45 degrees in order that the sun wears away at the Aussie bodies, like the cnut did to us.
Night Test cricket, best sport with beer ever invented
@voodoo said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:
Cricket trash talk is so shit.
I really don't know why they bother. Compare MJ getting in someone's head all game and dominating them, to Paine spouting shit like " just get 1 and we'll get 3 lads" which adds no value or pressure
Note, Paine isn't a scapegoat here. All modern cricket keeper chat is average.
Was Sangakarra in the modern camp, because some of his chat was hilarious.
@KiwiMurph said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:
This is the Black Caps I remember. Like a comfy pair of slippers.
With a hole in the toes
Well that was a crap end to the day after a really good fight back.
Ross was brilliant. I can't really stress enough how good that innings is. Coming out 2 down against the world class Aussie quicks with their tails up and a pink ball under lights nipping around is as tough as it gets in test cricket. To score 66 from 86 is an incredible effort.
It's mentally draining for the batsmen when the ball is beating the bat often. It's why you often see them get out to a dumb shot like what Kane played in those conditions. I expect better from him though, he really threw his wicket away there and it opened the door for Starc.
Latham needs to play straighter and Jeet will be lucky to score a run this series.
Agree that there was no need to send Wags out there, BJ is tailor made for that situation. We just gave them another wicket to celebrate.
The only other real positive I can see is that we're 109/5 instead of 400/5 which means there's a much higher chance of BJ making runs tomorrow.
@NTA said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:
I know we're playing at home, but this plucky bunch of Aussies is really dishing it up to the 2nd ranked Test nation right now.
They're definitely punching well above their weight. And without cheating too which is nice to see.
@NTA said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:
I know we're playing at home, but this plucky bunch of Aussies is really dishing it up to the 2nd ranked Test nation right now.
I know you’re being somewhat facetious, but after a fairly major dip (by Australian standards) it’s plain to see that this team is at the start of a big upswing, with 3 top order batsmen and 3 fast bowlers who would be in the top 10 of world cricket talent wise. It’s just really annoying that we’re having to play them now rather than 6-12 months ago
Nice write-up, Siam.
Damn - I went to bed with Ross and Kane looking settled and was hoping to wake up still two down and a long way towards saving the test, with Australia unable to bowl rotation of quicks at us.
Five down was a nasty surprise.
About the only good thing to be said about that is that I wasn't expecting Jeet or Wags to make many more than they did. Losing Tom early was a big blow though - and they're now well into our batting line-up.
We really need Ross and BJ to dig in for at least a session.
@Siam great post and agree with most of it. Kane's wicket hurt because he and Ross and batted brilliantly to dig us out of a hole where the majority of other sides would have folded like a pack of cards. I don't think he should have been trying to run anything down to third man at that stage of the match - wait till the ball is older and the Aussie quicks are battling the heat for that.
@Mokey said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:
We are soooooo faaaarked now. Please, cricket gods, just let us avoid the follow on.
We wouldn't enforce it anyway
When the Black Caps were the Craps I painted the ceilings in my house wearing the Cap which looked like it had been attacked by seagulls with diarrhoea after the job and was promptly dispensed with!
This is a very different team !
I will be buying new merchandise!
There is a genuine spine throughout the squad where individuals just step up when others disappoint.
Shit!
Taylor is out!
The above is just the rambling of an old dude who saw ‘85/‘86 live...........
If anybody can ......
A Kiwi can!!!
@Xpat61 said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:
@No-Quarter
Total Ambush!!!
But I remain positive!!
Yeah, I'm certain the Black Caps arrived at the ground expecting to play Sri Lanka's military medium pacers as usual.
@No-Quarter said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:
@Xpat61 said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:
@No-Quarter
Total Ambush!!!
But I remain positive!!Yeah, I'm certain the Black Caps arrived at the ground expecting to play Sri Lanka's military medium pacers as usual.
I’m starting to wonder.
@No-Quarter said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:
Hold on I was only half watching that. I didn't see any hot-spot or snicko? Why was that out?
Hometown decision.
@Snowy said in Cricket: NZ vs Aus:
When did they change the rules so that caught off the helmet was out?
When Australia