Its Summer! - the Fever Cricket Thread.

If she loves a bit of mental disintegration, ie sledging of her parents or other kids - then yeah cricket will be her thing!

There is no other game in my view that challenges the mind like cricket. Practices patience. You can't hit every ball for a 6. You need some Kane Williamson just getting in the zone Zen like qualities.

If you are a batter, one mistake and your day is over, which can then really suck as a kid. Make a mistake in football, rugby or whatever you just keep on playing.

But yeah tell her to keep at it. The White Ferns are currently pretty awful, so could do with some promising new talent!

There is no other game in my view that challenges the mind like cricket.

Golf.

Buffon II

There is no other game in my view that challenges the mind like cricket.

Golf.

Yeah true. It's why I only hack around 9 holes, on the rare occasions I play. That's enough for the frustrations to reach boiling point.

But at least with golf it's just you, the club and ball. Cricket you have opposition (who maybe chirping you), the state of the game, the pitch, your form (or lack of), and just knowing with batting one mistake and your day is done. It's no wonder that at the top level so many cricketers have suffered from mental illness. Graham Thorpe (RIP) sadly the latest victim.


But all that's a mile off the littlest hooligan having fun with her mates, and trying to perfect a leg cutter at Cornwall Park no 8 on Saturday mornings.

There is certainly so much room at the top in women's cricket right now, although I'll be happy if she's a good club player and possibly gets into an Auckland age group team lol. I'm flicking through the rules and right up to the under-12s these days they have at least an over's grace period for batters, precisely to take that "make one mistake and it's all over" edge off

It's quite interesting because "mental disintegration" and resisting it is also a big part of goalkeeping, which I am familiar with.

Ha ha, well, since the club was having an open training, I thought I'd go down and give it a go myself after 20 years off. Rolled down a few decent medium pacers and I think I did my shoulder :D

Great win for the White Ferns this morning against India in their T20 World Cup opener!

I wasn't expecting much considering their 10 match T20 losing streak, but it was an impressive performance and an enjoyable watch.

Sophie Devine was impressive with the bat and she got a few good catches as well

On to Australia next...

The Littlest Hooligan says she wants to grow up to be Amelia Kerr

... could be, her wrists are pretty flexible

So the cricket has been interesting this evening.

What an unbelievable bowling performance!!! India all out for 46 at home. Now, can we bat?

Been a long time since I have only seen three NZ bowlers in an innings.

Great to see we have upped our fielding. Apart from the keeper some great catches there and all held.

Now let’s dig in and score 250. Would feel less nervous if Kane was there. Can see Bumrah being hideous to face on that pitch

I won't be confident until we are at least 500 in front.

India All out for 46 !!! There'll be riots in the streets for that.

Such an odd toss to win and decide to bat first, rained all day first day, and was clearly overcast when things kicked off - you had to know the ball was gonna move. Seems no matter where India play, they will struggle against a swinging ball. 
Good to see Conway fight back and get some runs. He looked uncertain for most of his 91.

Latham said he would have had a bat as well tbf.

Good toss to lose.

Meanwhile, all sorts of drama happening in the Women's T20
If we make the final there will be mass bankruptcy among bookies

White Ferns into the Final of the T20 World Cup!

Didn't see that coming before it all started.

How about that Dottin - hitting more sixes in the tournament than some full teams! Was a very important wicket to get otherwise she could've easily won that semi final for the Windies almost single handedly

Final vs South Africa on Monday morning - at least it's not against Australia

Seems like they had a plan and stuck to it, even after losing 10 in a row.

Buffon II

Latham said he would have had a bat as well tbf.

Good toss to lose.

99% of the time it's bat first in India. 
Nearly always a nightmare having to bat last against spin there.

Getting nervy about this Indian lead. A little more and yep, that is a tricky little 5th day chase.

31/1 chasing 107.

Still not confident.

Got it done! 

Can’t have that many wins in India?

Third ever. First since 1988.

There were two Germany's the last time we won a test there.

Buffon II

Third ever. First since 1988.

There were two Germany's the last time we won a test there.

Was the series Sir Richard Hadlee broke the world test wicket record. John Bracewell a key figure as the main spinner. Now his nephew is in the squad.

This a great win by the Black Caps, in what is now equal with Australia as the toughest country to tour. Southee great with the bat in the first innings, but Henry is now the better bowler, and they should have made Latham captain for the Sri Lanka tour.

coochiee

Buffon II

Third ever. First since 1988.

There were two Germany's the last time we won a test there.

Was the series Sir Richard Hadlee broke the world test wicket record. John Bracewell a key figure as the main spinner. Now his nephew is in the squad.

This a great win by the Black Caps, in what is now equal with Australia as the toughest country to tour. Southee great with the bat in the first innings, but Henry is now the better bowler, and they should have made Latham captain for the Sri Lanka tour.

I miss players, actually of any game, as bonkers as John Bracewell. Maybe it’s just off spinners. Pat Symcox and Harbhajan Singh were characters. Even Shane Thompson I remember, once he was bowling offies, tried to bounce Tendulkar. Might have even got him out doing it. 
But Braces was great value and enjoyed him as coach both domestic and national teams. 

Think that’s right up there with our test wins. In my life time only surpassed by:

1: the win over the great windies team at home in 1980

And

2: Against the Aussis at the Gabba in 1985.

Hobart 2011 is probably still my favourite.

This is right up there though. Alongside Southampton 2021 and Eden Park 2014.

We all know India will doctor the pitches like fudge now and prepare the most absurd raging turners possible but if we were to somehow nick another win and seal the series it would be our greatest achievement imo. Would trump the test championship win.

They may well create turning pitches, and hope that we struggle, but we do have the batters who play spin well and we do have the spin options in our lineup to make use of spinning decks.

Not only ... but also! Brilliant result White Ferns!

Well done White Ferns.  Remarkable really.  Great payday for the players too. Americas Cup 3peat, T20 world cup win, Black Caps win and Phoenix are back. 

martinb

coochiee

Buffon II

Third ever. First since 1988.

There were two Germany's the last time we won a test there.

Was the series Sir Richard Hadlee broke the world test wicket record. John Bracewell a key figure as the main spinner. Now his nephew is in the squad.

This a great win by the Black Caps, in what is now equal with Australia as the toughest country to tour. Southee great with the bat in the first innings, but Henry is now the better bowler, and they should have made Latham captain for the Sri Lanka tour.

I miss players, actually of any game, as bonkers as John Bracewell. Maybe it’s just off spinners. Pat Symcox and Harbhajan Singh were characters. Even Shane Thompson I remember, once he was bowling offies, tried to bounce Tendulkar. Might have even got him out doing it. 
But Braces was great value and enjoyed him as coach both domestic and national teams. 

Leg spinners are bonkers too. RIP Shane Warne.

Great sporting weekend, americas cup, AFC, men’s test team, woman’s World Cup and Liam Lawson going from 19th on the grid to 9th and pick up points.

Wish all weekends were like this!!

Buffon II

Hobart 2011 is probably still my favourite.

This is right up there though. Alongside Southampton 2021 and Eden Park 2014.

We all know India will doctor the pitches like fudge now and prepare the most absurd raging turners possible but if we were to somehow nick another win and seal the series it would be our greatest achievement imo. Would trump the test championship win.

Well done White Ferns. An incredible turn around really, from their form coming in.

On Black Caps test wins I was fortunate enough to be in the UK, when we won the test series there 2-1 in 1999. Got to both wins, one each at the London test venues.

Watched Matt Horne score a ton at Lords to set us up, and then Player X go ballistic smashing a very rapid (in those days) 80 odd at the Oval, when we were in danger in our 2nd innings of collasping. We ended up winning a low scoring test as Cairns, Nash & low profile left armer Shayne O'Connor rolled a weak English side cheaply.

But yeah as a young kid Hadlee's 9/52 at the Gabba. Poetry in motion. Gillete made that telly advert about it. 'he's gone through Phillips as well'. Coney & Chats at Carisbrook batting us to 1 wicket win over Pakistan with a scary Wasim Akram on debut (sconed Lance Cairns off to hospital) had the drama.

Southampton of course has to be up there. It's a minor miracle small ole NZ where the first Test Cricket Champions. We had a lot of luck to be honest to do it.

It will be very tough now in India. 100% they will make sure the next 2 venues are turning wickets. Ashwin, Jadeja & Yadav can be near unplayable when they get the right conditions. Same as we were for years with Boult & Southee at home on green tops.

The toss will be crucial. Win that bat first we are a chance. Lose the toss, bat 2nd & 4th agaionst their spinners who know the conditions inside out - it's already virtually game over. Also fingers crossed Williamson is fit. 

Matt Horne was a legend. 

Was that the test where we had a very green bowling attack and one of their administrator higher ups was talking about having a lead by tea on the second day? 

Nash also getting a fifty? Or that’s a different test? 

martinb

Matt Horne was a legend. 

Was that the test where we had a very green bowling attack and one of their administrator higher ups was talking about having a lead by tea on the second day? 

Nash also getting a fifty? Or that’s a different test? 

Different test I imagine. Nash got himself on the Lords honours board in 1994 very early in his career. First guy to get 10 wickets and a test fifty there.

On the White Ferns see they EACH get a $250K pay day. That's huge for women's cricketers. No more part time stuff for them.

On the subject, it annoys me that they're called the White Ferns when they don't play test cricket anymore. Women don't even play any red-ball cricket in this country, which is a huge shame.

Pretty sure only Australia, England and India play women's test cricket. No coincidence we are talking about easily the 3 wealthiest international cricket nations.

Even then it's usually one off red ball test matches. The women's Ashes between Australia and England is played as a mix of T20s, ODIs and one test on a sort of countback system.

I think NZC loses hundreds of thousands hosting a men's test match if it ain't India.

And bluntly the crowd and TV rights money revenue would be minimal with a women's test match, so the loss would be even greater.

Fact check - South Africa played a test in England in 2022, whilst Australia hosted SA for a women's test in Perth last summer. Big Saffa popn in WA. Australia won by an innings and 284 runs.

Last night's win should improve the chances of Aussie inviting the White Ferns over for a test. Or maybe India, the wealth of the BCCI these days is mind blowing.

That really is the sweetest thing ever (Melie Kerr's all-rounder status extends to guitar lol). Even sweeter was Indian cricket fans saying "congratulations Kiwibens*, what language is that?"

*"ben" from Hindi "bhen", sister

Doloras

That really is the sweetest thing ever (Melie Kerr's all-rounder status extends to guitar lol). Even sweeter was Indian cricket fans saying "congratulations Kiwibens*, what language is that?"

*"ben" from Hindi "bhen", sister

Great to see Four Tawa College Old Girls in the team. 

52/1 

Can we get something from this series?