NPR

Sards wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 4:17 pm

Sandstorm wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 4:16 pm

Sards wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 3:33 pm
Are you an old boy

I'm 50 this year. You know this already.

Aaaah. There goes my theory. You know that De Allende played cricket for Milnerton at a competent level and only later moved to rugby

I did. Lots of rugby players excelled at cricket. Apparently Cameron Wright too. Should have stayed in whites really....

Sandstorm wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 4:21 pm

Sards wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 4:17 pm

Sandstorm wrote: ↑Tue Mar 07, 2023 4:16 pm


I'm 50 this year. You know this already.

Aaaah. There goes my theory. You know that De Allende played cricket for Milnerton at a competent level and only later moved to rugby

I did. Lots of rugby players excelled at cricket. Apparently Cameron Wright too. Should have stayed in whites really....

My son reckons they don't use metal stumps anymore. Thr trees have grown nicely around the main field now.

Ja....Cameron took the wrong road that's for sure

The first test between NZ and Sri Lanka kicks off in about 20 minutes in Christchurch.

NZ has won the toss and will bowl. Tickner replaces Will Young in the starting XI.

Southee gets the first wicket, Fernando caught behind.

14/1

and we go to lunch at 120/1...

the Black Caps, doing what we know so well...

1:02pm: Good toss to win lose so far thanks to 106 partnership off just 103 balls. Sri Lanka were 27 for 1 after 13 overs, they made 93 in the next 11. Twenty one boundaries came in the session. Tim Southee started well with the new ball alongside Matt Henry. Karunaratne was cautious, so was Fernando but he was strangled down leg. Mendis came in and took time to get set but what he capitalised on was loose balls. He attacked short balls too, which not only negated the Wagner threat but took the short-ball tactic. Of his runs so far, 32% have come from behind square on the leg side.

Suddenly SL are 151 - 3, with the two set batsmen out in consecutive overs to Southee and Henry

And then there were none.

We have burnt through all three reviews, all unsuccessfully.

Good captaincy. Pissed off Wagner is best Wagner.

Gumboot wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:06 am Good captaincy. Pissed off Wagner is best Wagner.

I had to go out and missed the last session. What did Southee do?

Got Wagner to warm up, marked out his run-up; and then gave the ball to Bracewell.

It worked the other way as well because Bracewell got the wicket 2nd ball.

It was great listening to John Bracewell in the commentary box yesterday - talking about his dad and Williamson's grand-dad going to the pub together in Taupo in the days of the 6 o'clock swill. I grew up a few doors away from the Bracewells, and went to school with the Williamson boys (Kane's dad and uncles)

Enzedder wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:30 pm Got Wagner to warm up, marked out his run-up; and then gave the ball to Bracewell.

It worked the other way as well because Bracewell got the wicket 2nd ball.

It was great listening to John Bracewell in the commentary box yesterday - talking about his dad and Williamson's grand-dad going to the pub together in Taupo in the days of the 6 o'clock swill. I grew up a few doors away from the Bracewells, and went to school with the Williamson boys (Kane's dad and uncles)

Wagner was not amused.

Day 2 kicking off shortly.

Enzedder wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 5:30 pm Got Wagner to warm up, marked out his run-up; and then gave the ball to Bracewell.

It worked the other way as well because Bracewell got the wicket 2nd ball.

It was great listening to John Bracewell in the commentary box yesterday - talking about his dad and Williamson's grand-dad going to the pub together in Taupo in the days of the 6 o'clock swill. I grew up a few doors away from the Bracewells, and went to school with the Williamson boys (Kane's dad and uncles)

Well done, Timmy

Sri Lanka all out for 355, with Southee bagging a Michelle.

I was surprised with Conway's dismissal as I had thought that there needed to be two reds on the review, whereas there were two "umpire's call"

We now get to retain a wicket with two umpire's call.

Gumboot wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:24 pm Sri Lanka all out for 355, with Southee bagging a Michelle.

And Henry getting 4 of the remaining 5. Of the rest of the medium-plus trundlers, only Mitchell provided a vague imitation of a test bowler, and then only at 5th-change level.

With Jamieson injured, Boult gone, and Ferguson and Milne never having arrived, what's been NZ's main strength over the last 10 years or so is rapidly becoming a major weakness. If either Southee or Henry get injured, the black caps are toast.

Certain Navigator wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 4:31 am

Gumboot wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:24 pm Sri Lanka all out for 355, with Southee bagging a Michelle.

And Henry getting 4 of the remaining 5. Of the rest of the medium-plus trundlers, only Mitchell provided a vague imitation of a test bowler, and then only at 5th-change level.

With Jamieson injured, Boult gone, and Ferguson and Milne never having arrived, what's been NZ's main strength over the last 10 years or so is rapidly becoming a major weakness. If either Southee or Henry get injured, the black caps are toast.

Yep, and Wagner's hanging on grimly, but his match turning spells are becoming less frequent.

Why is Henry Nicholls still being selected? Mitchell and Blundell are now the glue of our middle order, so if they reckon Will Young's not worth giving a decent crack at it, why not make a long-term investment in another, younger batter? I don't follow the domestic game much, but surely there's a better option than Nicholls, whose test form over the past two years has been abysmal.

Kiwias wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 2:33 am I was surprised with Conway's dismissal as I had thought that there needed to be two reds on the review, whereas there were two "umpire's call"

What was the scenario here? If they've been given out on the field, then as long as there's nothing that explicitly demands it not be given (e.g. not hitting the stumps or pitched outside leg) then it can all be umpire's call and still be given, as long as the ump gave it out originally.

Stuck on the crease, the front foot stride was channeling his inner Trescothick, ball thuds into the back leg and the infield umpire gives it LBW. Conway asks for a review

Batters are going to want leniency for being struck outside the line playing a shot and height, bowlers are going to want the wicket given. The problem can be avoided by using the bat, here it would see the left handed batsman has simply not lined up his shot correctly to a right arm bowler coming around the wicket, as has been observed, he played down Piccadilly and it went down Bakerloo.

Cracking knock from Captain Temba today

171* at stumps.

lead of 356

In the over 50s world cup the Proteas beat Wales.
My son got a signed ball from the Welsh

Welsh over 50s cricket cup team

Gumboot wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 4:59 am

Certain Navigator wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 4:31 am

Gumboot wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:24 pm Sri Lanka all out for 355, with Southee bagging a Michelle.

And Henry getting 4 of the remaining 5. Of the rest of the medium-plus trundlers, only Mitchell provided a vague imitation of a test bowler, and then only at 5th-change level.

With Jamieson injured, Boult gone, and Ferguson and Milne never having arrived, what's been NZ's main strength over the last 10 years or so is rapidly becoming a major weakness. If either Southee or Henry get injured, the black caps are toast.

Yep, and Wagner's hanging on grimly, but his match turning spells are becoming less frequent.

Why is Henry Nicholls still being selected? Mitchell and Blundell are now the glue of our middle order, so if they reckon Will Young's not worth giving a decent crack at it, why not make a long-term investment in another, younger batter? I don't follow the domestic game much, but surely there's a better option than Nicholls, whose test form over the past two years has been abysmal.

Therein lies the problem. Apart from Latham, far and away the best-performed batsman in Plunket Shield over the last couple of seasons is Tom Bruce. But he's 31, so hardly qualifies as younger. Phillips gets talked up every now and then, but an average of under 40 in FC cricket doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Nobody else stands out. The paucity of both batting and bowling talent on the horizon suggests there could be some grim days ahead for NZ cricket.

Certain Navigator wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 8:07 pm

Gumboot wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 4:59 amWhy is Henry Nicholls still being selected? Mitchell and Blundell are now the glue of our middle order, so if they reckon Will Young's not worth giving a decent crack at it, why not make a long-term investment in another, younger batter? I don't follow the domestic game much, but surely there's a better option than Nicholls, whose test form over the past two years has been abysmal.

Therein lies the problem. Apart from Latham, far and away the best-performed batsman in Plunket Shield over the last couple of seasons is Tom Bruce. But he's 31, so hardly qualifies as younger. Phillips gets talked up every now and then, but an average of under 40 in FC cricket doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Nobody else stands out. The paucity of both batting and bowling talent on the horizon suggests there could be some grim days ahead for NZ cricket.

That's a bit shit. Hopefully today isn't one of those grim days.

Day 3 just about to kick off.

Day 3 - batting still looks very brittle.

Sri Lanka need to win the series 2 nil to meet the Aussies in the WTC Final - worth a bet I reckon.

Great stream here (I use the Brave browser as it defeats ALL of the pop-ups).

https://watch.cricstream.me/new-zealand ... e/stream-1

Great crowd catch - beer in the left hand and nonchalant catch with the right

And as easy as that, the BCs take the lead. Henry and Wagner smashing the shit out of the SL bowlers.

The crowd is in great form today, another six caught cleanly one-handed.

Kiwias wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 2:05 am The crowd is in great form today, another six caught cleanly one-handed.

Yep, they were beauties.

Proteas bowlers tearing Windies a new hole in their second innings. 26/4

5 down

Maharaj snaps his Achilles celebrating the 6th. Clown.

So Wagner has blown out leaving Southee, Tickner and Mitchell as the seam options - Bracewell and Williamson? as the spinners. We aren't going to bowl these guys out on a not unfriendly pitch


... and in true mockers style, as I wrote that Tickner gets Jayusaria with a wide half-tracker. 4 down

I was thinking re Tickner that, as long as we don't overbowl and break him, he could have a reasonable future. He's 29 and battle hardened so cross fingers and thumbs

Enzedder wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 10:36 pm So Wagner has blown out leaving Southee, Tickner and Mitchell as the seam options - Bracewell and Williamson? as the spinners. We aren't going to bowl these guys out on a not unfriendly pitch


... and in true mockers style, as I wrote that Tickner gets Jayusaria with a wide half-tracker. 4 down

Is Henry the Invisible Man?

His bowling with the new ball is certainly proving hard for the Sri Lankans to see.

Williamson's batting like he's hell-bent on still being out there in the morning. Great to see.

Eng in a spot of bother

57/4 after 9

Bangles win again. England (and nearly every other visitor) struggle on slow pitches

So did Bangladesh to be honest. It was a tight affair right till the point where someone thought Chris Jordan was still an international class bowler. How many more humiliations does he need to suffer before he's quietly retired?

Looks like Day 5 in Christchurch could be a wash-out.

Play will recommence at 3.30pm local (5 minutes) and run straight through until 7pm with no breaks. Aiming for 53 overs. 257 runs needed, with the injured Wagner, 8 wickets in hand.(28/1).