Australia vs New Zealand First Test 5-9 November

First topic message reminder :

Thought I'd give this Series some light, lest we look like heathens who don't care about the game at all.

Australia XI
Warner
Burns (yay)
Khawaja
Smith (c)
Voges
M. Marsh
Nevill (WK)
Johnson
Starc
Hazelwood
Lyon

New Zealand (Probable, and by probable, I mean I don't even know their squad)
Guptill
Latham
Williamson
Taylor
McCullum (c)
Neesham
Watling (WK)
Craig
Southee
Boult
Bracewell

Think I'd give NZ the edge, and a huge shot at winning a series, but I'm not sure how the Gabba will play day night, so I don't want to make a prediction

Someone should update the thread title to series discussion...

Aus looked in a bit of trouble at effectively minus a few for two, but the run fest has continued from that point. A draw is looking the likely result now as Australia will not give NZ a gettable chase being 1-0 up in the series

Sorry about overlooking your specific 2nd Test thread, Sir Fred.
In my case, I simply posted after the last comment on the first thread I saw with "Australia-NZ" in the title. The "second" bit escaped me.
If I were still a mod I would split these posts back into your one.

Fine batting from Ross Taylor this morning and he was very unlucky not to get a double ton.
He overtook Tip Foster's 287 runs at the SCG in 1903-04 to move into fifth place... just behind Bradman's 299 for the highest scores in Australia.

So with Smith just reaching his 12th Test ton, the lead is now up around 145 runs. I think they'll want to get it up around a 340-350 run lead just to be sure (perhaps even 320-330 runs min.) which would mean a declaration sometime around lunch tomorrow. Most likely just after than before.
Would that be enough to tempt McCullum? Maybe. Or maybe just a little too much?

Or a few quick wickets this evening might mean an interesting morning session tomorrow and perhaps the possibility of NZ chasing only 250-280 runs or something; which would be well within their grasp all things going well.

The pitch is holding up fairly well at the end of day 4 and is still very good to bat on. Those cracks (bowling from the Prindiville Stand End only) might still play a part in the final outcome though. A positive result is still possible for both teams.

The Loaded Dog wrote:Sorry about overlooking your specific 2nd Test thread, Sir Fred.
In my case, I simply posted after the last comment on the first thread I saw with "Australia-NZ" in the title. The "second" bit escaped me.
If I were still a mod I would split these posts back into your one.

Fine batting from Ross Taylor this morning and he was very unlucky not to get a double ton.
He overtook Tip Foster's 287 runs at the SCG in 1903-04 to move into fifth place... just behind Bradman's 299 for the highest scores in Australia.

So with Smith just reaching his 12th Test ton, the lead is now up around 145 runs. I think they'll want to get it up around a 340-350 run lead just to be sure (perhaps even 320-330 runs min.) which would mean a declaration sometime around lunch tomorrow. Most likely just after than before.
Would that be enough to tempt McCullum? Maybe. Or maybe just a little too much?

Or a few quick wickets this evening might mean an interesting morning session tomorrow and perhaps the possibility of NZ chasing only 250-280 runs or something; which would be well within their grasp all things going well.

The pitch is holding up fairly well at the end of day 4 and is still very good to bat on. Those cracks (bowling from the Prindiville Stand End only) might still play a part in the final outcome though. A positive result is still possible for both teams.

Hi LD - if Smith declares at all, I reckon he'll want a minimum lead of 400. No point letting NZ back into this Test (they had a possible opening when Australia were still 29 short of parity with both openers back in the hutch and Khawaja unable to bat) given Australia lead the series 1-0 and the wicket could still be like a road when the mighty McCullum bats.

guildfordbat wrote:

The Loaded Dog wrote:Sorry about overlooking your specific 2nd Test thread, Sir Fred.
In my case, I simply posted after the last comment on the first thread I saw with "Australia-NZ" in the title. The "second" bit escaped me.
If I were still a mod I would split these posts back into your one.

Fine batting from Ross Taylor this morning and he was very unlucky not to get a double ton.
He overtook Tip Foster's 287 runs at the SCG in 1903-04 to move into fifth place... just behind Bradman's 299 for the highest scores in Australia.

So with Smith just reaching his 12th Test ton, the lead is now up around 145 runs. I think they'll want to get it up around a 340-350 run lead just to be sure (perhaps even 320-330 runs min.) which would mean a declaration sometime around lunch tomorrow. Most likely just after than before.
Would that be enough to tempt McCullum? Maybe. Or maybe just a little too much?

Or a few quick wickets this evening might mean an interesting morning session tomorrow and perhaps the possibility of NZ chasing only 250-280 runs or something; which would be well within their grasp all things going well.

The pitch is holding up fairly well at the end of day 4 and is still very good to bat on. Those cracks (bowling from the Prindiville Stand End only) might still play a part in the final outcome though. A positive result is still possible for both teams.

Hi LD - if Smith declares at all, I reckon he'll want a minimum lead of 400. No point letting NZ back into this Test (they had a possible opening when Australia were still 29 short of parity with both openers back in the hutch and Khawaja unable to bat) given Australia lead the series 1-0 and the wicket could still be like a road when the mighty McCullum bats.

Yes Guildford, you are probably more on the money with a 400 run lead. Just tossing around the possibility that there may be some tempting target score dangled in front of BMc if Smith & Co. can produce another quick 150 or so runs in the morning session.

Also one might need to factor in the chance (60-70% according to my weather channel info... although it hardly looks likely does it?) of a shower in the late afternoon/early evening. Maybe the pitch will start to creak and groan as the barometric pressure begins to change?

looks like they imported the "Road Strip" of Rajkot to play this test in Perth.

KP_fan wrote:looks like they imported the "Road Strip" of Rajkot to play this test in Perth.

Hmm ... not sure that's really fair, kpfan. It's not like one side made 600+ for 3-5 wickets and the side batting second followed suit. Granted, both sides made big scores but both were near as dammit bowled out, too. Australia's - maybe lazy? maybe complacent? - collapse of sorts early on Day 2, and Starc and Lyon's excellent figures in the NZ innings, seem to show that while the pitch favours batting there's something in it for canny bowlers who plug away, too.

Your 'road strip' analogy might work however if, as seems most likely, Day 5 peters out into a draw with no major last day high jinks from the surface or a sudden (presumably NZ) collapse.

SimonofSurrey wrote:

KP_fan wrote:looks like they imported the "Road Strip" of Rajkot to play this test in Perth.

Hmm ... not sure that's really fair, kpfan. It's not like one side made 600+ for 3-5 wickets and the side batting second followed suit. Granted, both sides made big scores but both were near as dammit bowled out, too. Australia's - maybe lazy? maybe complacent? - collapse of sorts early on Day 2, and Starc and Lyon's excellent figures in the NZ innings, seem to show that while the pitch favours batting there's something in it for canny bowlers who plug away, too.

Your 'road strip' analogy might work however if, as seems most likely, Day 5 peters out into a draw with no major last day high jinks from the surface or a sudden (presumably NZ) collapse.    

Think he's a lot closer than you. Its a painfully flat pitch. Even a collapse wouldnt hide that

Meuh, only trying to make the best of things You're probably right.

But why is it nowadays we seem either to get Test pitches described as a road, or three day finishes? There don't seem to be that many full on 5 day Tests with all results still on towards the end of the final day.

Is it home advantage which sees pitches generally favour the home side or a draw, or am I just getting old and hankering after past times that never actually existed??!

It is an absolutely atrocious road, a total highway! Totally disgraceful for test cricket, collapse or no collapse on the last day.......
Good knock from Taylor though, despite the road....... Scoring 290 in a test match is an achievement, regardless of everything else.......
Don't care about this one any more regardless of last day possibilities, looking forward to the new experiment that is the next test.......

We can probably safely call this one a road now. Are we not now at roughly 1400 runs for 21 wickets down? 6 batsman with hundreds including two big double hundreds. There's been some good batting for sure but I feel for the bowlers on a track like this - I think I agree with msp calling this wicket a disgrace tbh

Thankfully, the raingods have had enough of the nonsense! They should have focused on this one right away rather on Bengaluru where an interesting test match was progressing.......

Is there a match on in Bengaluru? Thought it was rained out.

Fizzled out as expected...

Yes it was a road ; but don't get too excited . I'm sure they didn't plan it to turn out so dead : pitch preparation is a lot harder than some people seem to assume ; and sometimes it goes wrong. I don't mind the batsmen getting the odd chance to fill their boots , any more than the odd spitting cobra or trampoline to assist the bowlers - just as long as it doesn't happen every week.

Funny thing was that apart fom the six centuries no one else got much past forty...
Don't blame Smith not risking a "sporting " declaration. Too much risk : very little chance of reward. And why kill his bowlers ? Get off and practice with the Pink Ball.

Good match for the stats gurus.

The Bengaluru game is not quite done yet, LD. 3 days are washed on the trot after SA collapsed in the 1st innings, but the weathermen have predicted a decent day tomorrow.