New Zealand v England, 1st Test, Dunedin, 6-10 March, 2013

Credit to NZ - their heads never dropped and they never stopped charging in. I imagine if England were in the same position they'd have been skulking off like kicked dogs once the first hour passed without a wicket.

Wagner reminds me of a southpaw Andy Bichel. Albiet one who should've been no-balled constantly as his right foot trampled all over the return crease whenever he bowled around the wicket.

Henry wrote:FFS KP. I'd like to know his career average in the first test match of an away series.

I can't remember an overseas series where he was at his best in the first test.

He's a clicker. Usually all it takes is for one or two drives straight down the ground and his whole game suddenly comes together.

Before that, he looks unsteady on his feet and all over the place technically.

Henry wrote:FFS KP. I'd like to know his career average in the first test match of an away series.

92, 43, 16, 99, 32, 15, 87, 4, 1, 17, 2, 42, 6, 0, 12, 5, 19, 2, 0, 40, 81, 31, 18, 3, 30, 97, 1

795 runs @ 30 (0 x 100, 5 x 50)

I did notice while compiling those numbers that he seemed to score a hundred in the second Test of a lot of away series - I think he's scored double hundreds twice in Australia in the second Test.

So we're all agreed - don't bother picking him for the first match. Waste of time.

Dello wrote:

Henry wrote:FFS KP. I'd like to know his career average in the first test match of an away series.

I can't remember an overseas series where he was at his best in the first test.

He's a clicker. Usually all it takes is for one or two drives straight down the ground and his whole game suddenly comes together.

Before that, he looks unsteady on his feet and all over the place technically.

Yeah, I guess it's a preparation thing. Or a conditions thing. Or a mental thing. He gets all 'cat on hot tin roof-ish' and looks like he's forgotten which end of the bat to hold. Then he goes away, works on it, and comes back ready to dominate again. Strange. Would save time if he could just do it all BEFORE the series has started.

Dello wrote:

Henry wrote:FFS KP. I'd like to know his career average in the first test match of an away series.

92, 43, 16, 99, 32, 15, 87, 4, 1, 17, 2, 42, 6, 0, 12, 5, 19, 2, 0, 40, 81, 31, 18, 3, 30, 97, 1

795 runs @ 30 (0 x 100, 5 x 50)

I did notice while compiling those numbers that he seemed to score a hundred in the second Test of a lot of away series - I think he's scored double hundreds twice in Australia in the second Test.

So we're all agreed - don't bother picking him for the first match. Waste of time.

But then the Second Test wold be his FIrst, and he'd get out to a massive-rush-of-blood across-the-line hook hoick with a leading edge to mid-on/mid-off/keeper, or leaving a plumb LBW.

Best keep him for the Third Tests.

Oh, wait ....

Red wrote:Oh and Brass Monkey I love your creative humour but don't you think the spuriously linked jokes about Pakistan have worn a bit thin by now?

You raise a good point. Apart from the fact is isn't a joke. We both know that it only matters about what a player does against Pakistan. And that Warner scores his runs quicker.

Anthony_Gonzales wrote:As I had predicted, draw.

You predicted NZ would be out for 325. So you're not all-knowing, it seems.

PeterCS wrote:LOL, TMS points out that Finn hasn't scored a run for an hour.

All praise to Finn for gutsing it out for five hours, but has there ever been a worse test match 50 in terms of the quality of the batting?

(I assume this will be NTRed but just in case it hasn't been brought up)

I wonder if Hamish went home and said "so how did you first test go Dad?"

They're not close, apparently - folks split up when Hamish was a wee lad and he didn't/doesn't have much of a relationship with his old man as he lives in SA.

So maybe he just sent him a text, informing him to "suck it".

Shame his mum didn't move to Australia then

To suck it or to score runs?

Red wrote:Actually regarding crowds, the recent test matches in Cape Town at a couple of Indian venues and in Dunedin have been well patronised.

Is that a positive comment I detect about Capetown?

lardbucket wrote:

Red wrote:Actually regarding crowds, the recent test matches in Cape Town at a couple of Indian venues and in Dunedin have been well patronised.

Is that a positive comment I detect about Capetown?

Okay own up. Who hijacked Red's ID.