Its Summer! - the Fever Cricket Thread. (Part 1)

IPL. It's a bit sh*t.

141/2 at lunch. Lead of 108.

We really needed another wicket just before lunch i reckon. First half hour after lunch is important. If we don't take a wicket, i can see them pulling away from us and setting us a massive last innings chase. A few quick wickets though and we're right on top.

sh*t, can't believe we're in a proper test match with Oz.

We can usually go toe-to-toe with them for about 3 days or so. Done it a few times over the last 10-12 years. But they inevitably pull away from us in Days 4 and 5 (the test in Perth in 2001 is the major exception to this) and we end up being beaten quite badly, so in that respect this seems to be going according to that scenario.

Brisbane 2/3 years ago is the  obvious one. Gone to a pretty similar script as this one except I think we may have been 30 or 40 behind on first innings after rolling them for 220 odd

The Indian Mortein ad is absolute gold.

Loving the whiteboard at the ground. Wicket risk 

New Zealanders have really taken to the Whiteboard at ground phenomenon, some sensational stuff!

Get the sense this is starting to slip away. Really need a wicket or 2.

I must be drunk - is Sinclair bowling?

I'm not sure he even bowls for CD.

Was that the one when Oram got a hundred?

Nah that was the Brisbane test the tour before, that ended with Gillespie and McGrath scoring a 1000 and we got rolled for 100 odd in the second innings.

Sinclair's bowling better than he bats 

We need Guptill to step back up with his signature "rank long hop".

Well that is 2 of them!

Black Caps performing their usual party trick. Give the fans a glimmer of hope before snatching it away from them again.

 

He has an average of like 45 and a strike rate of 100

Bring back the Young Cu..Guns.

well that was a tough day, when we got the 2 wickets early i thought we would push on bit that katich/hussey partnership was just a pain. then the arnel double looked like we mite not be chasing that much. but now its guna b tough

that's probably got a lot to do with his lack of toes

I'm picking they'll cream 120 odd runs then declare 30 minutes before lunch, roll us for <200.

I just hope we take it into Day 5.

I didn't expect we'd take 18 wickets.  Hoping we can mop up the last two before a declaration.  Small victories.

Interesting article on Stuff today about Vettoris potency as a 4th innings bowler, been the case now for quite a while but almost the article no bugger was willing to write because you can't really criticise the guy given what he brings to the team.

Can't even mop up the tail right. f**king hell.

Nope.  There's the declaration.  Sigh.  Another painful afternoon awaits...

Sure, he's no Murali or Warne in terms of running through a line up but he's taken 6 wickets this match (I think).  Martin's taken none.  We put an enormous amount of pressure on Vettori to save us, rather than expecting some of the others to stump up from time to time.

Any criticism of Vettori should be punishable by hanging.

I'd prefer not to have to remember, but he took 9 wickets in an abysmal test against Bangladesh in 08/09.  (We were 100 odd for 7 when he came in with the bat and minimised some of the shame, but still a first innings deficit).

I disagree with you to an extent their, he is in the team primarily as a spinner (well probably as an all-rounder) and the spinners job is to get wickets. Unfortunately he does not do that when he needs to these days.

I sort of agree, but in his defense it is very difficult to take wickets (as a spin bowler especially) when there isn't any pressure being applied from the other end. This is incredibly apparent in One Day games, where teams will often 'sit' on Vetorri, and he will go for 20-30 off 10 overs but take 1 or even 0 wickets, and they will attack from the other end but it applies in tests aswell.aitkenmike2010-03-30 15:36:26

He never has done... he's not that type of bowler given he doesn't turn it much, and we're never going to get a finger spinner coming out of NZ who is that type of bowler (nor from most other parts of the world) because of the decks.

How many ortho spinners who aren't freaks (ie: not Murali) can you name that do regularly run thru sides over the last twenty years?... maybe the Turbanator a few years back... one or two others but not consistently over several years by any stretch; and not compared to a wristy or Murali as you simply don't get the turning tracks as often these days because pitches are better and runs are scored quicker (making spinners potentially expensive) and hence why Dan has been as successful as he has - he can bowl long spells, be economical and usually picks up a wicket or two... on the odd occasion a few more.

The man, in our time and in our team has done brilliantly - as a spinner, and bowler. Who else would we have picked over the last 12-13 years instead of him?...

It's also a lot easier for Shane Warne, for example, who had Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee at the other end.

We have Sinclair!!!!!