Its Summer! - the Fever Cricket Thread. (Part 2)

Fudge gutted we lost but shark , you've got to give it to everyone in and around NZ Cricket turned a streaming pile of muck into a great team. Onwards and upwards!

Got up at 4am to watch the game, which I am now regretting - going to be a long afternoon.

Same old Aussies, always winning :(

So who's going to retire from ODI's?... Harry's off to brissy via Bangalore... B-Mac? N-Mac? The Hairy Jav? Wonky Donkey? Millsy (surely)? Possibly even Rosco?

Our ODI team that plays in England could be markedly different...

Guppy

Watling

Kane

Rosco

Latham

Neesham

Anderson

Sodhi/Craig

Milne/Henry

Southee

Boult

I'd like to title this little visual essay "how to congratulate an opponent on a big knock in the World Cup Final"...

In all honesty, Aus obviously were the better team, and I'm still stoked with what the Black Caps achieved, they've been awesome. I'm just so hacked off that we had to lose and let the arrogant c*cks in their team, commentary booth, and on Twitter (Matt Hayden anyone) soak in their smugness. I actually would have preferred South Africa to beat us in the semi if they had of gone on to win the final. At least they had some class. /rant

I've always thought this team has been overhyped and under delivered but they certainly started to show that the tag 'potential' is now more than that and started delivering on it. There are still some holes in the team and it will be interesting to see how/whom will fill them. Whats impressed me the most yesterday is the class with which McCullum handled himself, the defeat and the whole shebang. No tears, no deflecting - he called it as it was and has allowed Australia to bask in their deserved glory. If nothing else, McCullum will get a massive amount of kudos and he has certainly won me over permanently.

Should we really be surprised with the way in which Australia handled themselves? They were always going to win it once they got to the semis so I don't think any of this and their carry on should be really new to us. We've always known that the majority are imbred racist up themselves pricks but then to carry on like that as a Kiwi supporter doesn't do much for us so I'll just say well done Australia. You deserved it and were never going to be beaten at home.

FFS Taylor, involved in yet another substantial partnership in the middle overs and yet you didn't teach all the other players how to bat. At 150/3 we were far from out of the game.

#scapegoat

What is your obsession with going to England and winning?

2: Doing it against a nation that counts like England, South Africa and Australia. Those are the top teams in the world. England just happens to be the next team we play so there is no obsession.

Sri Lanka won there last year, they are below us. Australia lost there in 2013, 6 months later they were #1 in the world.

It doesn't define us as a team.

Dog. Bone.

Correct, but does winning in Melbourne and Brisbane define the Phoenix? No, but gives indication of being a very good side that can win away from home against noted good sides.

Stay classy Australia - Brad Haddin says Black Caps deserved to be sledged because they had been so nice to Australia in the earlier game

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/67551633/brad...

Most teams that don't bat out the 50 overs usually lose. Unfortunately the last few overs really cost us, plus Mac going out very cheaply.

Yeah, the three ducks from Baz, Ronchi and Anderson really cost us. 20 from each of them and we would have got 240+ which might have given the Aussies a bit more to think about. That Aussie bowling attacking is phenomenally good though.

At the end of the day, despite all the media hype and other bullshark, this team surpassed what a lot of people thought and well done to them. Classy in defeat and that to me gave the Black Caps the moral victory. I doubted them but WOW, some of the cricket was awesome. Well done lads, it was a magnificent effort.

What a shyte day. Seriously, that was w@nk.

Went to the game at the MCG (wearing my Nix shirt).

A day to forget (adding Warriors and Nix losses).

Auckland Blues lost to an Australian side and the 7's lost to Fiji. I wonder what the TAB would have offered for all those NZ sides to lose?

Aussie journo ripping into his team for being such shark cods:

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/coarse-tong...

I think they exceeded everyone's expectations but their own. This team in in a great position and I think we're looking at 4 or 5 years of dominance from AUS, RSA and NZ given the relative ages of their teams. I didn't see much from any other team to suggest they could regularly compete and this includes India. While other teams seems to have the 'odd' young talented player, the three teams mentioned above have a team of young talented players.

Vettori's just announced his retirement.

Saw his first ever match for NZ back in 97 against England in a Test at the Basin. What a servant he has been to NZ cricket. Absolute champion on and off the field. Will never forget the dark dark period from 06-10 when he single-handedly kept us above Bangladesh in the Test and ODI rankings.

I salute you Daniel Luca Vettori.

I think Vettori is the best limited overs cricketer NZ has ever produced. To have his economy rate in the modern game, with a significant chunk of those games played on kiwi grounds with pitches that don't suit spinners and those short boundaries is absolutely phenomenal. Obviously also our best ever spinner and a great test allrounder and fielder. Sad to see him go but can't wait for the day when he and Fleming are our coaching team.

Dan Vettori - deadset legend. Thanks for the memories.

Re Sunday - sad that we didn't really show up but in the end Australia are a bit better than us across the park at the moment. Frustrating that we pulled ourselves back into the game at 150/3 but credit to the Aussies, they were tremendous in the field. Looked like we got caught in a bit of a muddle in the field about how much to attack. 

Oh well, great campaign. Special team and special memories.

Now for England in May, not sure that JV is right in saying it's a definer of where this team is at. A two test series on pitches that could be nasty nasty green tops seem to me to be a pretty good leveler, especially for a team coming in cold. In saying that, we should be confident and it would be a disappointing result to come away with a series loss. 

What are your thoughts on the bowling attack? Do they stick with Bracewell or Wagner as the first change seamer or do they have a look at Henry? Is Milne's body up to test cricket? Craig keeps the spinners spot. I guess the other question is the second opener, do they give Rudds another chance or does McCullum open and Guptill or Brownlie bat 5? I saw some suggestion that they might look at Waitling to open with Ronchi coming into 7 and keeping. Not sure where I sit on that. Maybe for the Australian series at the end of the year, but England in May... maybe not.

Find where I said this tour is a definer of where this team is at. I said it gives a good indication of where the team is at but does not necessarily define them and used a Phoenix comparison for example.

I think they'll stick with the incumbents initially - they've been doing the job and deserve the opportunity to continue to do so. However; if  Guppy/Brownlie/Henry/Milne can put some red ball performances on the board then things can quickly change. The other factor for the bowlers is who can get the most out of the duke ball... yes, they swing but they can be difficult to control and for some can take some getting used to.

Playing Watling as an opener and bringing in Ronchs is unnecessary imo. BJ is 'keeping well and consistently contributing to a high level with the bat as he is... leave him there - it isn't broke so don't "fix" it.

Milne needs to play some (a lot) of cricket and get some miles on his clock - personally, I'd love to see him play a season (even 2nd XI or league) in England so he gets used to bowling 3/4/5 days a week, rather than be on the periphery of the NZ squad getting a few games/overs here and there. Notwithstanding if he's playing in England we can bring him in at short notice if required (though I'd prefer not to, we have Southee, Boult, Wagner and Braces - not to mention Henry who could benefit from some UK time too).

How good is it that we're talking about who to leave out? We're developing a pool of 15-20 players who have (or could) contribute at test level. Bluddy awesome!

I still think that Guptill should be used as a test opener and have always believed that. I know the common comment is that he is a short game player but I think he has the technical skills courtesy of Crowes refinement and should be the test opener. Then I guess you decide if Latham or Rutherford plays alongside him. Williamson, Taylor, McCullum and Watling pick themselves. Anderson, Southee, Wagner, Boult and I assume Craig is the spinner.
For me, I don't see many holes and there are a lot there that pick themselves so think the other positions are more form picks or course picks. Bracewell v Wagner (if he has grown up) Neesham v Anderson and the other spinner Craig v Sodhi.

I guess the only other name outside that is Brownlie but he has to be better than Taylor, Williamson and McCullum at 3, 4 and 5. He does not keep and can't bowl so he does not get in at 6 and 7 so don't see where he fits at all.

I honestly think that Watling has the goods as a test opener but would err on the side of keeping him where he is at the moment. He has opened before and is of course valuable at 7 but he has shown the ability to accumulate runs and has often been out there when a new ball has been taken. 

I don't like the thought of Bracewell anywhere near that team at the moment, the dynamic seems perfect at the moment without him.

My Test XI would be:

1. Latham
2. McCullum
3. Williamson
4. Taylor
5. Guptill
6. Neesham
7. Watling
8. Craig
9. Southee
10. Boult
11. Wagner

Wider Squad:

Brownlie, Sodhi, Milne

Any room in the test set-up for Elliot? I'd expect him to be around the NZ ODI and T20 setup for a while now. He's fit, hit a performance peak and keen to play on (and seems important as a leader in the squad).

He is 36. Would you? (Just asking the question)

Yes, I would. He's injury free, hasn't played a LOT of cricket in the scheme of things and seems to have a passion and drive with a big game temperament. He's signed a 2 year contract for County Cricket so as a late bloomer with a CWC Final now under his belt, T20 Champs League on the way and the desire, why wouldn't you want him around?

Then he needs to sort his mentality or technique to stop nicking out early. His test record is poor for a player of his obvious talent. It's better to have an opener with an average of 35 who plays to that every time than someone who has an average of 35 who gets out cheaply 9 times out of 10.

His technique has changed considerably since he was last playing tests (nearly two years ago remember). He tends to leave a lot better and play straight down the ground early in his innings before getting carried away with drives and cuts outside the off stump. He has shown an ability and desire to build an innings which i think we can now all see. People will say that you can't take ODI form into Tests but the way NZ play at the moment, the two aren't poles apart. 

The last test we played where Bracewell and Wagner were both fit, was our most recent test. Basin v Sri Lanka. I remember Smithy saying in commentary that the way he understood it they always saw Bracewell as first choice but were just waiting for him to sort his sharke out. If he's done that, maybe he will get the first chance in the UK.

It is brilliant that we are talking about who to leave out. Will be a great series.