Time for Phillips to break this pair. They starting to belt the left hand Patel around.

We had them two down for not many, suddenly they got a hundred on the board. Sometimes its just brilliant batting and not much can be done. But Joy imo is their danger man, hes gone. These two are closing in on 50s, if that happens the rest will grow confidence.

Very odd given how much movement off the pitch yesterday, but today, its not bothering most.

Patel was expensive despite the wicket. GP only going for 1.17RR, clearly a lot of respect being given to him, hes bowled some rippers for no joy. Things can change quick on these pitches, and they need to for NZ to avoid a WTC defeat to Bang. 

edit: credit when its due, great throw from nicholls over the top of the keepers stumps for run out when nothing was doing.

Flap sake mitchell, again drops a SITTER in slips off beautiful Phillips ball. So many chances missed by NZ.

How KJ has not cleaned this lot up, hes just doing too much for the lower order to nick. Jaffa after Jaffa....

Edit: GP tired of his team mates does it all himself, caught n bowled. another few please.

Wicket IS turning, but its predictable so top order if they focussing should handle it.

We have so many bat bowlers, Id like to see us carry Lockie spitting 155kph fire at one end while KJ is just ripping passed the edge at low to mid 140s. Wont get as many overs but Lockie will put some fear into them.

Bizarre innings so far, should be out 60 runs ago. Its Nicholls, his presence is rubbing off on the team lol ;-p

How does someone like Kane Williamson miss such a nothing ball? They gotta get to the pitch and put bangers off the length.

Oh god Nicholls is in.

Conway and Mitchelll will need 200 run partnership.

Nicholls should never be selected outside NZ especially SEa, he is a disgrace to the blackcap.

What an Embarrassment. Totally out classed with the bat with what should have been a bat heavy NZ team. Not enough application of getting to the pitch of the ball and putting them off their pitch.

3 things I would change.

Nicholls should NEVER be called into the squad away in SEa.We have to use Rachin while he has confidence on turning pitches. He sucked the first tour of Ind, but after dominating in Ind with the white ball, now is the time to use him, to replace Nicholls.

Blunders is passed it. Im not sure he was ever there. He did the job as an opener, but we should have played Cleaver once he was our opener was back. Im not sure who we would use that could show more aggression and less prodding. Fletcher is a great keeper, but his batting? But then Blundell totally surpassed his domestic ability when called up to Test level at home. I dont have the answer, I just know this is not how a #6 should bat. See ball hit ball.

We need a strike bowler, we need to use Lockie while he still has that pace, but teach him to bowl like starc, get some accuracy and try to knock those poles over. and when the middle order of teams like Bang start to dominate us, stack the square onside and have him put a bit of fear into them with some bouncer accuracy. 3 types of balls, just get those down accurately and use him in short spurts. Out played by the middle, no cant let that occur.

Well played Bang. 

Handle9: How are you going to turn Ferguson from a 1.85m shoulder bowler into a 1.97m rhythm bowler?

Starc and Ferguson are totally different sorts of players and always will be. Ferguson is 32 and has played 46 first class games. He’s not a red ball player.

Yes I know. None the less, intent is what we lack. KJ is about as scary as it gets for their middle order whose runs were the difference in the first test, or largely there of. Im saying Starc is the type of bowler who relies on 3 deliveries. Hes also much slower, around KJ's pace, yet they carry the old goat. why? Those 3 deliveries are all wicket takers and his yorkers is/was the best. So Im not suggesting you change action, Im just saying simplify things for Lockie and give him the license to break bones. Ive had enough of our FF bowlers since Bond being Jolly "nice guys". anyway, it wont happen. a fleet of Fast bowlers went bye in favour of pretty boy swing bowler who really werent that good. Good servants and good in tandem at home, but struggled, more so Southee as Boult could get his pace up. another universe 3 main bowers (fit) bowling above 150kph and KJ with is height putting in the high 140 effort ball yorkers. Could have happened. It didnt. Given only one of he pace bowlers is "young", it will take some thinking out what our next decade looks like. 

anyway hope they add Ferg, Rachin and a batting WK, Rachin is the only like reality to occur, if any. Soon see.

Edit: they are saying the wet outfield today and he rain scheduled tomorrow will be made up for in the final 3 days. If NZ bowls first, by luck doubt, we could see KJ and Southee turn the swing up a notch. Whoever plays, we cant let them be down three or four for not many, we need to finish the middle, which has been our weakness since a long time but of note that 18 tour of aus when we had them 5 down for two hundred in two tests and we let them off the hook.

bang bang, get santner off and attack with Phillips,the turn ajaz is getting, Phillips will have them shouldering up and bowling around the legs with his turn. santner got lucky, but why is he bowling ahead no is shoddy.

Hmm not sure what to make of that, Clearly Patel was on song, Santner accuracy. then nothing while they keep scoring. I guess if anything we can learn from them is, you must keep scoring even when you look unlikely to stay on.

edit: wow some movement for Southee, bang batsman nearly played on but forgot the rule, he went to stop it with his hand, lucky he missed.

KJ could be good with reverse swing yorkers in these conditions.

TeaLeaf:

 

 batsman nearly played on but forgot the rule, he went to stop it with his hand, lucky he missed.

 

and this time the batsman grabs the ball in the air, even though this time it wasnt going toward the wickets, that is out.

one of the more peculiar things Ive seen done one a pitch......

to be fair, Santner has been good, they all have. but need them out sub 180

Id have thought they would be on the pitch by now, but possibly some sodden parts to the outfield, just hopefully not the pitch. Hoping to get started in an hours time.......

This is going to be 2-0 to the Bangers, no words for them picking Santner again in this side when he was discarded from the test side 18 months ago.

The beginning of a new Test Championship cycle, they need to looking to the future.

Onya GP, deserved a ton. If Rachin was out there going hard out like GP, we would have a great middle.

Which would be an easy fix to the side. Rachin replaces Nicholls (my preference would be Mitchell to 4), then move Phillips up the order to 6, dropping Blundell all together in favour of Cam Fletcher at 7.

I hope Phillips has shown the top order how to deal with extreme spin, do not wait for it to land to decide what to do with it and only do that if its wide and short so you can rock onto your back foot and either hit with the spin or cut square. It really was a master class in how to play spin. 

Was a pitty for KJ, he too was showing some fine skill, but he has the height to smother anything. 

Heck even Santher is turning the ball a foot or so against the grain/angle in, which at times is making him hard to deal with due to his ability to vary his pace (surely something vettori passed on I reckon). 

NZ really need them gone sub 150 and or we need the top 5 to put on 80% of the runs. 

Bangers in trouble now, 5 down with about 80 lead.

However one man out there on 37 is the worry, if he gets some support they could put on another 120, but right now looks like they could be out sub 150

Edit: Bangers 3rd time unlucky, haha, saved by two prior reviews, despite the first one hitting the player was down the pitch beyond 3m. Not sure why he bothered reviewig that one, land middle off, kept down, he missed it and hit back leg as plum middle as you get. 

ajaz cleaning up, odds on for a 5fa, poor GP deserved a bowl to get MOTM.