Its Summer! - the Fever Cricket Thread.

Sigh.  Why do I let them do this to me?

(To be fair, it was a fairly good performance, especially given the hiding we got in the first game.)

Always crushing isn't it?

Our batting in the second innings let us down. If we'd managed to set them more than 300, and that was eminently achievable, this could have been much, much tighter.

But a massive improvement on the first test, undoubtedly.

We finally got a tick in something other than the L column! Surely this rates as improvement??

New Zealand in India T20I Series - 1st T20I

India v New Zealand

Match abandoned without a ball bowled

Series win! Who would have thunk it? (Not me).

 Very surprised to see the result when I woke up, I had expected a right thrashing.

Especially surprising considering it starred three of our more maligned players, Franklin, McCullum, & Oram.

Shows how much of a lottery T20 is. That's all. 

Franky - Genuine all-rounder. 

Yeah, I suspect you're right. But at least that fact gives us some hope for the T20 World Cup...

Not really that surprising - we are a more than adequate limited overs side, and I don't think we have ever lost to India in a T20 game, and, as you say, T20 is a bit of a lottery in a one off game.  TAB were ludicrously paying $7 for the win, so I made a bit of cash out of it aswell.

Can't wait until the quarters or the semis where our opponents need 10 off the last over and we go with Franklin...... 2 balls later......

Really good article by Martin Crowe on Cricinfo:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/581892.html

I have said for a long time that the Academy system in the late 90's/early 2000's ruined a generation of bowling talent  (We don't have any bowlers in their late 20's/early 30's who should really be leading the charge right now), but I didn't realise that similar had been done to our batting.

All very fair points, but I think people need to talk more about our population. We have by far the smallest population of any major cricket playing nation (unsure of the total pop. of the West Indies), so of course it will be harder for us to produce players who make hundreds at the rate countries like India do, as they have about 300x more potential cricketers than us.

All NZF and regional program's are based on world cup cycles how many players drop out due to this. Footballers plan your family around this. Best way to develop football on NZ

NZ 75/1 after 10 overs against the Bangi's. Reasonable start, need to kick on and get a big score.

 Big hundred for McCullum.

Sure was. I don't really care much for t20 but when Baz gets going like that it sure is entertaining. Good win, should make the Super 8 now.

"Everything going wrong for New Zealand",

Why, if one opening batsman is out, do you change both opening batsmen?  Why bat your (2nd?) best batsman at 6?  Very weird.

Stupid want of a left-handed right-handed combo, I don't have the time to statistically justify this, but I'm pretty sure that it is ridiculously overrated. Surely an international bowler can face both stances....

Some interesting stuff coming out about the relationship between Hesson & Taylor. Any guesses as to how long it will be until he makes McCullum captain?

Jobs for mates?

 Mahamarakkala Kurukulasooriya Patabendige Akila Dananjaya Perera makes his debut for Sri Lanka vs NZ

What a great name.

Looks like Sri Lanka will do this in a canter.

T-20 might not be test cricket.  But it still craps over any other bat/ball sport.  Absolutely thrilling stuff that was.  But as usual,  NZ cricketing tears before bedtime.

Kinda shocked this morning when I saw the result. They started losing wickets when I turned on, and obviously bowled better when I went to bed. Maybe I should just stop watching them for the sake of the nation.

Yeah I went to bed when they were about 100-0 and cruising it. Surprised it went close but good on them I guess. If only we didn't bowl like a pack of cunts in the first 10 overs. 

Also surprised by the top order's effort.

3 things:

1) Franklin again performs, but I bet he will still be batting 6/7 against the Windies.  Was ridiculous v. SL that he came in after both Oram and N McCullum

2) McCullum should be opening and Taylor should be 3.  They are our two best batsman and in T20 cricket you need to have your best batsmen in as early as possible to give them the most opportunity to influence the game

3) When did the rule change so that knocking the bails off in your delivery stride = dead ball.  I have never heard of that in my life, and even as someone that occasionally clips the bails when bowling with my hand (the penalty is it bloody hurts!) is it something I have missed all my life or is it new?  Either way it is ludicrous.

This  is what I can find on it.  So it appears to be a special rule just for Finn because he does it so often.

Todd Astle called up to the test squad, maybe we should just admit we have no good spinners at all and just play 4 seamers every test.

For some reason Rob Nicol has been recalled to the test squad, why I have no idea, while Kruger keeps his spot ahead of Watling, who arguably should be ahead of both Nicol and Van Wyk. But never mind, I'd much rather have him available for ND.

Kruger>Watling.  Not sure what Nethula has done wrong.

Probably getting smacked around by India A while having precisely no control, like all New Zealand leggies. But I'm not sure Astle is that much of an upgrade apart from his batting