The Kiwis are currently the 2nd ranked test team in the world and have just come off a series win against England so you would think they will be a handful for Australia. If what I have heard is correct, they will be arriving in Perth and going straight into a pink ball test on the bounciest pitch in Australia without playing a warm up game? If this is true what genius in the NZ Cricket set up agreed to this schedule? They are handing Australia a massive advantage in the Perth test.
This aside the Kiwis have some class batsmen in Williamson and Taylor, an excellent keeper/batsman in Watling and a very competitive attack led by Southee as well as an experienced spinner ( Sautner). They will miss Boult who is out for at least the first test if not the series.
I expect a far more combative series than the Pakistan one ( although that wont be difficult to achieve)
The new test championship scheduling will prevent some warm up games in certain series especially in countries where grounds are shared by different sporting codes
This one has been affected by series in NZ & Australia which have only just been concluded
True Southy WA are playing VIC this weekend in the Shield at the MCG, plus NZ only finished their own 2 Test series against ENG yesterday!
The tight Summer schedule (read Big Bash) has pretty much ended the old tour matches.
Both those two NZ v Eng tests were played on slow typical NZ pitches…should be a bit of a cultural shock for them in terms of pace and bounce…surely they let Lockie Ferguson off the leash…talk over here is that Boult will play in Perth as De Grandhomme will…but both will be pretty rusty with no cricket since the 1st v Eng…and no shield equivalent games before hand…
I don’t expect Aust to boss NZ around like the last time they played… Williamson and Taylor are class acts, whilst Watling is boring as all fark to watch bat…surprised Santner is getting talked about here…yep good 100 v Eng…but TBH that Eng attack without the Duke ball in Eng conditions looked pretty sedate…Archer hardly reached the speeds of his Ashes series…think Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood will definitely keep the NZ boys on their toes…really don’t think Southee or Henry will worry Aust top six much…Boult will as will Ferguson’s zip.
Surprised that Head isn’t having a hit in the Shield game…played a cameo in the first test, didn’t bat in the 2nd test…hasn’t batted properly for nearly a month…I would of even played Sean Marsh for the Perth test…knows and scores well at Optus…horses for courses I thought was Langers early mantra?
Agree about Travis Head having a bat in shield game, although with the game in Hobart and starting on Saturday, they probably thought it was too little turnaround time to get to Perth, why would they not have started the shield games on Thursday or Friday to allow for that extra time?
I think the XI will be the same in Perth as it was in Adelaide, even though it is a pitch which suits fast bowlers, Lyon has a reasonable record here and he is just coming off a 5 for.
Also I am totally confused about Bancroft being “on standby” in case a batsman is concussed in the test. The guy has an average of less than 20 in first class cricket this season and he really shouldn’t even be in the Warriors Shield team at the expense of Phillipe. If they are looking for an in form WA player to be on stand by for the Perth test surely Shaun Marsh fits the bill perfectly?
If Mitch Marsh didnt have that brain fade at the WACA against VIC a month or so back I have a feeling he would have played in the Tests all Summer batting at 6 in place of Head and giving support to the 3 quicks & Lyon with the ball.
Since Bancroft is out of favour he could keep fit by going to Davy Warner’s place & polish that “man of the series” trophy with some left over sandpaper..
BH, pity Cam Green isn’t 2 years further down the track mate…geez him batting 6 and bowling at his height and speed would definitely be something to watch along side Aust current crop of quicks…plus Carey at 7…Pucovski at 5…life would be sweet…
Not sure what the weather temp has been like in the land of the long white sheep Freeze (although I did see Hamilton was rained off) but the Kiwis are in for a rude shock when they land in Perth as we are experiencing a real hot streak atm and will be again scorching for the Test although lucky for them it is half played in the night!
Just been kayaking around the Abel Tasman BH…been spot on here mate…both tests were played on the North Island…not overly warm up there…pretty sure the evening temp in Perth is gonna be hotter than a day temp here mate anyway…LOL…reckon NZ will struggle with the extra bounce and zip of Optus first up, esp without a prior hit…and their bowlers may get a tad too excited with the bounce and bowl too short, after two slow decks v Eng…tho they might find the MCG and the SCG to their liking…
Having seen a bit of Carey keeping in the SS vs WA just recently I reckon he has a fair bit to improve on with the gloves Freeze, batting wise yep probably at the top to replace Paine but keeping wise I reckon Inglis is more reliable!
BH, I agree with your comments about Carey, he tends to clang the ball with hard hands and spills a bit. That was even the knock on him during the world cup in the UK, you cant afford to miss to many chances
BH, I agree with your comments about Carey, he tends to clang the ball with hard hands and spills a bit. That was even the knock on him during the world cup in the UK, you cant afford to miss to many chances
Not sure what the weather temp has been like in the land of the long white sheep Freeze (although I did see Hamilton was rained off) but the Kiwis are in for a rude shock when they land in Perth as we are experiencing a real hot streak atm and will be again scorching for the Test although lucky for them it is half played in the night!
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40 degrees apparently for Day 1 BH…… Lucky I booked a spot on the Western side where the sun don’t shine in the afternoon
BH, I agree with your comments about Carey, he tends to clang the ball with hard hands and spills a bit. That was even the knock on him during the world cup in the UK, you cant afford to miss to many chances
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Yeah that was my take on his glovework as well PH.
Occasionally it looks to me as if he is a batsman who keeps a bit ala his fellow South Aussie Wayne Phillips in the mid 80s!
Funnily enough although we all think the Kiwis might struggle with the extra pace and bounce in Perth their record over here (albeit at the WACA) is pretty good over the years.
Hadlee made a meal of us here in that forgettable 85/86 Summer, in 89/90 Mark Greatbatch & Martin Snedden batted out the whole last day in a long slow sleepy partnership to hold on for a draw, in 01/02 the Test where Warnie gassed a century when caught on the boundary near where I was sitting from an uncalled Daniel Vettori no ball they had the better of us for a large part of that Test match for another draw and then a few years back Ross Taylor made that huge 270 odd to hold out for another draw.