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Ben Lister, wow Akram esque, 3 in his first 2 overs. Brilliant fast swing and a sensational yorker. Forget Lockie, Lister has broken Welli top order to pieces, and given the bowler heavy without Conway, it could be all over rover outside an amazing middle order come back. 3-1 lister in 2 overs.
This Ashok kid is damn impressive leg spinner for Auck, rips the leggy clean off and has a mean wrongin. NZ with more spin coming through is a good thing. They need to back spinners more so domestically our players face spin more, so we actually have half a chance in the sub cont. Place the fields for leggies and commit to it, something very rare in NZ and needs to change, partly why Sodhi just doesnt bother with it even though he can also tear a leg off with his.
Chapman isnt half bad orthodox left arm, possibly one of our top 3 all rounders, 35 @ SR 150 bat, 23 with the ball. Thats a true all rounder. Hes just had some awful situations every time he get picked to play whiteball for BCs he is expected to win the game with a top order collapse. Needs a couple of winning teams.
Another brilliant day from Ashok, I think hes our next big thing in spin, VERY young. averaging 12 in the last 3 matches. has the turn, has the flight. Ajaz should have a ripper on this New Plymouth pitch today, its turning chronic. Lets see how he goes in 2 years time in 1st class.
Good to see CD put a semi decent score on for the Aces to chase, Aces only 1-2 so far, were one of the favs pre tournament but just didnt produce the first 2 matches, trying to go too hard with no consolidation.
Thinking back to the T20WC. 3 things that really hurt us, 1. Losing Lockie early on, NZ really needed serious pace and him being our premier white ball bowler of recent years. 2. Conway getting injured. 3. Not having Munro in the 16 man squad to replace Conway. Still hurts a bit, only because we are over due an ODI or T20WC with so many final matches in a row.
Guptill what a legend. Auck needed 15 at about 8 overs to go. 2 balls to go 5 needed, and another strike bowler hits 6 to win in Lockie haha, he got 2 wickets to boot, he was also key in Aucks last innings. But Guptill and Ben Horne, awesome, Horne 27 from 9. He could have hit 50 off 15 balls the way he was going.
Auck starting to hit their strides now.
Ajaz no wickets, but him and Ashock for Auck were VERY hard to get away with supurb length and pace.
Another close game, thats 3 in a row down to the last over. But for me, bowling first if you can hold a team around 8rpo you shouldnt lose outside having a really poor amount of heavy hitters stacked in the team. I feel like if they pushed it out to t30, it would still be a 4 hour game and have more balance with less importance on the toss.
Tasman-Jones impressive big hitting opener for Otago.
Auckland going to be very strong on this Qtown pitch with the grass off from todays games, with GP out of MIQ, strong big hitters, Ashok great young spinner and Lockie clearly one of the best white ball bowlers for NZ. Would be nice if they could lure Finn Allen back, Nesham back to Auck would be handy too, hes been in 4 teams now.
Nobody is looking convincing so far with 1 an 2 both only won 3 from 5 and Welli at the bottom, very tight comp.
Looking forward to see how Nesham goes today for Welli. And Ben Sears with the wind behind him will be hella quick.
TeaLeaf:Tasman-Jones impressive big hitting opener for Otago.
Auckland going to be very strong on this Qtown pitch with the grass off from todays games, with GP out of MIQ, strong big hitters, Ashok great young spinner and Lockie clearly one of the best white ball bowlers for NZ. Would be nice if they could lure Finn Allen back, Nesham back to Auck would be handy too, hes been in 4 teams now.
Nobody is looking convincing so far with 1 an 2 both only won 3 from 5 and Welli at the bottom, very tight comp.Looking forward to see how Nesham goes today for Welli. And Ben Sears with the wind behind him will be hella quick.
JD
Dochart: I know this got nothing to do with NZ cricket but England played poorly in this Ashes series. I thought NZ played poorly last time they toured Aus for the test series but England are playing like they are from another dimension. I think Pakistan played way better than England last time they toured Aus.
NZ had their first day night test and had a lot of injuries including boult who played 2nd and 3rd test injured. I think NZ would beat Aus in Aus at this point in time, or at least be the closest too it in a long time.
Not sure what Welli going to do next season with Conway and Blundell back, Robinson 19yo 58 off 43ish. Finn as usual 30 odd at SR230. Smith is a clean striker. Welli almost made a meal of that after Allen and co got them off to a blinder at 12rpo for first 8, should have been a canter, went down to last 5 balls. Finn Allen keeping today, its like NZs best batsman nearly are all keepers or part timers lol.
Kitchen was sensational with bat and ball for Otago, Duffy on the other hand showing why I never rated him for the BCs going for 13rpo, not enough aggression, a really nice guy, not enough pace, not enough seam, reminds me of C Martin.
Not sure if GP and Jamo are back for Auck tomorrow but given other BCs played last couple of days Id assume so, which I think will be too much to an already good Auck side.
Well, I watched a good bit of the Ashes, it was amazing, no less than Scotty. Bowling by the seamers was amazing.
tdgeek:
Well, I watched a good bit of the Ashes, it was amazing, no less than Scotty. Bowling by the seamers was amazing.
Yep, they know their own backyard VERY well with pace. Is a shame Aus arent touring NZ for tests. Been a while. I thought we were in with a chance touring there last time, but we just broke down with injuries and didnt have the extra bowler to finish them off in the 2nd and 3rd tests for sub 250 scores with Paine saving Aus in on and Marnus being the last of the top order in the other.
A lot of stuff in the news around the ashes about Eng, but I think a lot of it is sensationalism. Aus have just been better. When Smith and Warner were suspended, Aus looked out of the top 4 for sure, probably about 3 years away from them retiring. Not sure when we are due to play them again in Tests, hopefully at home.
TeaLeaf:
Yep, they know their own backyard VERY well with pace. Is a shame Aus arent touring NZ for tests. Been a while. I thought we were in with a chance touring there last time, but we just broke down with injuries and didnt have the extra bowler to finish them off in the 2nd and 3rd tests for sub 250 scores with Paine saving Aus in on and Marnus being the last of the top order in the other.
A lot of stuff in the news around the ashes about Eng, but I think a lot of it is sensationalism. Aus have just been better. When Smith and Warner were suspended, Aus looked out of the top 4 for sure, probably about 3 years away from them retiring. Not sure when we are due to play them again in Tests, hopefully at home.
From what I have watched, and its been a good bit, the accuracy of their bowlers was outstanding. Every ball was a potential wicket. Starc, Cummins and Boland, and Green also, no one can beat that.
I'd like a Trans Tasman series, 2 in each country, and some formula to decide the 5th test if need be.A golf Bledisloe Cup as it were
tdgeek:
I'd like a Trans Tasman series, 2 in each country, and some formula to decide the 5th test if need be.A golf Bledisloe Cup as it were
Yep at least every few years given the location of both being down under. If thats too hard for Aus schedule, a 3 test series, alternating the 3rd test home location if required. I do not see why NZ and Aus cannot be playing each other in tests more frequently. I guess its the Chapple-Hadlee trophy that maybe the reason but all they have to do is slip it in very early or very late in South Hemph season.
Conway makes it back amazingly for the warm up match at the Mt and out for a duck hehe. It happens.
Realised Jamo wont be playing for Auckland Aces with the test in a few days, dang.
But GP is back so he is clearly not in the running at all for the tests. I think his addition will make Auck hard to beat by Otago even if they are at the top. It would be nice to have Finn Allen or Munro back at the top for Auckland but I think they have a handy opening pair as it is and have a lot of batting depth. Sommerville back as well, but meh, for me its Lockie and Ashock are the key bowlers for Auck, one extreme pace, the other a young up and comer spinner. In fact looking around the spinning stocks for NZ are growing. Perhaps some provincial wickets to assist them would be handy for us getting better at handling it away on sandpaper surfaces, obviouslly lay green pitches at home for international matches. I think Eden Park is still the original soil which is a good spinning wicket, Basin late day 4 starts to turn...
Lockie destructive as always and as expected this Ashok kid has the goods, he can change his delivery real late and push it wide and york a charging batsman. He IMO will be a blackcaps player within 2 years.
WAY too easy for Auckland. Guptil 78no last innings, out for 1. Didnt matter with Worker (and a good innings last match) and Chapman both scoring 50s at about sr150, leaving next to nothing left to test GP, really need too early failures to test GP, might be worth putting him ahead of Chapman as good as chaps is. Does Auck really even need Munro or Finn Allen back, I think they perfectly balanced. Lister gets the most amazing swing, as commentary have said, so similar to Akram looking. Lockie nearly got his 5fa, Ashok was all class with 1 wicket and only 4.5rpo. Otago needed another 30-40 to challenge this Auck side.
Chapman must be pressing a selection, also Kitchen for Otago proving impressive all rounder.
TeaLeaf:WAY too easy for Auckland. Guptil 78no last innings, out for 1. Didnt matter with Worker (and a good innings last match) and Chapman both scoring 50s at about sr150, leaving next to nothing left to test GP, really need too early failures to test GP, might be worth putting him ahead of Chapman as good as chaps is. Does Auck really even need Munro or Finn Allen back, I think they perfectly balanced. Lister gets the most amazing swing, as commentary have said, so similar to Akram looking. Lockie nearly got his 5fa, Ashok was all class with 1 wicket and only 4.5rpo. Otago needed another 30-40 to challenge this Auck side.
Chapman must be pressing a selection, also Kitchen for Otago proving impressive all rounder.
JD
Dochart:
Chapman been performing well recently in this Super Smash.
I really want to see Latham play more T20’s.
As I said, the 3 factors to not winning in the final for me were 1. Lockie's injury (he would have been destructive) 2. Conway's stupid injury 3. The selections. Cant do much about 1 and 2, but 3 should have been a lot better to cover such issues. Firstly if Latham and or Taylor and especially Munro were in the squad, or even Finn Allen, they would have been more similar replacements for Conway (possibly Finn Allen being more modern T20 higher SR style player). While I was pro Mitchell after last years domestic performances I wasnt wanting him in the T20 squad at 3, I was thinking the all rounder in NZ to replace Colin, he was definitely not like for like, hes an all rounder. He lead Cant to the T20 final, but big difference between his batting ability and Conway, Latham, Taylor. If you going to pick Williamson, why would you not have nearly technically talented batsmen like Latham and Taylor, but also those 2 are more destructive from the get go, which is what bogged NZ down after 8.5rpo end of 3rd to 5.9rpo end of the 10th, with Williamson blocking it essentially forced Guptil to take high risk shots every ball. Needed somebody to go with Guppy after the other opener was out. Need batsmen with SR140+ from 1-6. Clearly NZ domestic comp isnt the be all and end all NZC are forcing players to think it is. Heck Chapman would have been a better replacement, or Worker even. There are 6 or so batsmen in the domestic comp that would have been a better replacement.
Chapman is doing amazing stuff, hes been like this for ages, and you can see why he keeps getting selected for white ball for NZ, but gets dropped after games the entire team fails in. I think hes the kind of player who deserves some investment into. He offers so much variety.
Just a quick selection, based on right at this point in time. Im probably missing heaps of players and the spots are highly debateable, but just showing the sort of team I think t20 demands. High SR to #8 or 9, Batsmen who are reasonably good spinners or better, 1-2 strike pace bowlers. Bowling really isnt the key focus. The focus is being able to score 190+ and then having a captain who can restrict the other team with the decent spinners and take wickets with the strike pace bowlers, bowlers who have high control of change of pace and are accurate, at the wickets and offside wides with variable pace. Need the keeper to be on the ball with the wide yorkers from the spinners for stumpings..
1 Guppy (C)
2. Munro/Finn Allen
3. Conway
4. GP
5. Taylor
6. Chapman
7. Kitchen
8. Latham (Keeper)
9. Nesham
10. Ajaz/Tickner/Sears/Southee/Milne/Lister
11 Lockie
That is 6 bowlers, 2-3 spinners, 2-3 Pace. With pace off/spin being so effective, you want guys like Kitchen who can take wickets but are actually batsmen playing, hes definitely better than a 7 but such is the amount of talent we do have in t20. You have 9 high quality batsmen and the most of them score high SR. In fact I could prob make a 2nd squad nearly as good as the first. So for me that just shows how wrong the 16 man squad was light on strike rate batsmen, especially in a team that was quite light on them in the first place.
10.
Puke park looks gorgeous. IMO the most beautiful boutique ground in NZ. If it could fit more people it would be a great T20/ODI int pitch. But then that would ruin it, with hedging between the tier seating etc. Needs new Clay imo though.
Going to be interesting match today between Stags and Brave, both with 3 or so BCs in the teams. Pretty even looking imo. Going to go the CD Stags, with Tickner, Milne back, Ajaz, and Doug bracewell might be too much strike bowling for ND. In saying that they have a good batting squad and some quality all rounders.
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