I watched a lot of the Australia vs West Indies test. Watching yesterday was one of the most joyous few hours of any sport I’ve watched in a long time (and not because Australia lost, this iteration doesn’t bother me at all, however I may change my mind by the middle of March). When Shamar Joseph took his fifth wicket in the second innings, my husband happened to walk past me - “is your hayfever back?” “No, that extraordinary bowler just took his fifth wicket and he’s overcome with emotion and I may be a little bit misty eyed”. When Hazelwood’s stump went, I punched the air. What a story. What a match.
I attempted to watch both the domestic T20 finals. I watched the women’s game - impressive to defend such a small total (had a slight meltdown with Devine’s last over but never mind). Lost interest in the men’s game after an over or two so turned it off. Soulless is right, Dylan. I get the idea (or what I think the idea was) but it didn’t work. Wellington women should have been playing at the Basin and the Auckland men should have been playing on Number Two, or somewhere other than the main ground of Eden Park.
Great work again Dylan, especially conjuring up the energy and grey matter on a public holiday!
West Indies result was brilliant. As you say the challenge will be keeping the team together. One imagines Joseph will be hot property now and hard to see test cricket for WI being more attractive to him than the riches of white ball contracts, whatever he chooses good luck to him, what a performance. Despite the woes of the team itself the WI have continued to produce world class talent throughout....
Fair play to England too, despite them quickly becoming insufferable as they win more games, made even worse by the Bazball kool-aid drinking going on. Perhaps I’ve lost perspective but I can’t see them winning another test, yes there was turn on that wicket, but it was very slow turn. Future wickets should have more fizz and suit the more accurate Jadeja & Ashwin.
Re: super smash, a bit of a fizzing finish. The women struggled on the wicket at Eden Park and 90 plays 90 wasn’t a great finish despite it being close - the lack of batting firepower in both sides was the main contributor to that. How Rosemary Mair didn’t take the POD honours is beyond me, a bright future for her full, direct swing bowling.
Moving onto the mens the rain was a shame but it was the sight of Latham and Nicholls owning the game that put things in perspective. Neither are NZ prospects or proper T20 players *really* but they looked set to play the winning hands and head and shoulders of most of the batting I’ve seen. Great to have a feeder comp as good as it is, but it does lack quality across the board. A couple of bright lights for me were Tim Robinson (Wellington) and Zac Foulkes (Canty). Some of the other better fringe players are unfortunately on the wrong side of 30 - McConchie, Younghusband etc.
The less said about Eden Park and choosing the finals venue in advance the better.
Off topic, but I can't comment on Friday's post about Nicholls being dropped, where it would be better suited... what has happened to Blair Tickner? I never thought that much of him and wondered how he stayed on the limited overs fringes for so long. However, I couldn't fault his application at the Basin in the test against SL at the end of last summer - even if I didn't much like the pseudo-bodyline bowling plan he was asked to employ. Now, despite having a national contract, he's nowhere to be seen. Can we assume that Larsen was a fan, but Wells most certainly isn't?
In all honesty, I don't think Larsen or Wells were/are anything more tan facilitators. Williamson was always the most important selector behind Stead, now I suspect Southee has a quiet word, but it's basically Stead on his own. My understanding is they're genuinely excited by WOR's and see his ceiling as significantly higher than some of the others they have tried in recent years, including Tickner.
Interesting insights re selection dynamics Dylan. I must say I’m a bit non-plussed about O’Rourke. Nice action, OK results at domestic level - but our new, tall quickly is not that tall and not that quick. If can operate around the 140 mark and hit good areas there might be something there, but he appears about 5-10% short of those metrics atm.
I watched a lot of the Australia vs West Indies test. Watching yesterday was one of the most joyous few hours of any sport I’ve watched in a long time (and not because Australia lost, this iteration doesn’t bother me at all, however I may change my mind by the middle of March). When Shamar Joseph took his fifth wicket in the second innings, my husband happened to walk past me - “is your hayfever back?” “No, that extraordinary bowler just took his fifth wicket and he’s overcome with emotion and I may be a little bit misty eyed”. When Hazelwood’s stump went, I punched the air. What a story. What a match.
I attempted to watch both the domestic T20 finals. I watched the women’s game - impressive to defend such a small total (had a slight meltdown with Devine’s last over but never mind). Lost interest in the men’s game after an over or two so turned it off. Soulless is right, Dylan. I get the idea (or what I think the idea was) but it didn’t work. Wellington women should have been playing at the Basin and the Auckland men should have been playing on Number Two, or somewhere other than the main ground of Eden Park.
Roll on Sunday!
Great work again Dylan, especially conjuring up the energy and grey matter on a public holiday!
West Indies result was brilliant. As you say the challenge will be keeping the team together. One imagines Joseph will be hot property now and hard to see test cricket for WI being more attractive to him than the riches of white ball contracts, whatever he chooses good luck to him, what a performance. Despite the woes of the team itself the WI have continued to produce world class talent throughout....
Fair play to England too, despite them quickly becoming insufferable as they win more games, made even worse by the Bazball kool-aid drinking going on. Perhaps I’ve lost perspective but I can’t see them winning another test, yes there was turn on that wicket, but it was very slow turn. Future wickets should have more fizz and suit the more accurate Jadeja & Ashwin.
Re: super smash, a bit of a fizzing finish. The women struggled on the wicket at Eden Park and 90 plays 90 wasn’t a great finish despite it being close - the lack of batting firepower in both sides was the main contributor to that. How Rosemary Mair didn’t take the POD honours is beyond me, a bright future for her full, direct swing bowling.
Moving onto the mens the rain was a shame but it was the sight of Latham and Nicholls owning the game that put things in perspective. Neither are NZ prospects or proper T20 players *really* but they looked set to play the winning hands and head and shoulders of most of the batting I’ve seen. Great to have a feeder comp as good as it is, but it does lack quality across the board. A couple of bright lights for me were Tim Robinson (Wellington) and Zac Foulkes (Canty). Some of the other better fringe players are unfortunately on the wrong side of 30 - McConchie, Younghusband etc.
The less said about Eden Park and choosing the finals venue in advance the better.
Off topic, but I can't comment on Friday's post about Nicholls being dropped, where it would be better suited... what has happened to Blair Tickner? I never thought that much of him and wondered how he stayed on the limited overs fringes for so long. However, I couldn't fault his application at the Basin in the test against SL at the end of last summer - even if I didn't much like the pseudo-bodyline bowling plan he was asked to employ. Now, despite having a national contract, he's nowhere to be seen. Can we assume that Larsen was a fan, but Wells most certainly isn't?
In all honesty, I don't think Larsen or Wells were/are anything more tan facilitators. Williamson was always the most important selector behind Stead, now I suspect Southee has a quiet word, but it's basically Stead on his own. My understanding is they're genuinely excited by WOR's and see his ceiling as significantly higher than some of the others they have tried in recent years, including Tickner.
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Interesting insights re selection dynamics Dylan. I must say I’m a bit non-plussed about O’Rourke. Nice action, OK results at domestic level - but our new, tall quickly is not that tall and not that quick. If can operate around the 140 mark and hit good areas there might be something there, but he appears about 5-10% short of those metrics atm.