New Zealand v Australia, 1st Test, Wellington, 29 February - 4 March, 2024

Just a month away, with a few hit and giggle games in the interim. For the tour away, should there be changes? Have any of the out-of-form top order players done so poorly that they’ll miss the squad? I doubt it - rightly or wrongly, I think the XI that just lost will all travel to NZ. Suspect there will only be 2 - maybe 3 - other players added to the squad as ‘reserves’, and the selectors have shown their hand already there, with Renshaw, Boland, and Neser the likely additions … Neser only if they take 14 rather than 13.

Ok, injuries could change that, but I don’t see any other form-based changes being likely.

Urrkkh… had forgotten there are jamodis. yes?

I’d send all the batsmen to play Shield bar Marsh who should skip the jamodi team. Give Starc and Haze a break.

The luck Marnus enjoyed early in his career has gone. He needs to play Shield and prove he can build an innings.

horace wrote:Urrkkh… had forgotten there are jamodis. yes?

I’d send all the batsmen to play Shield bar Marsh who should skip the jamodi team. Give Starc and Haze a break.

The luck Marnus enjoyed early in his career has gone. He needs to play Shield and prove he can build an innings.

Windies ODIs/T20s finish on 13th Feb. So if we wanted to, we could get everyone to play Shield on the 16th.

The next Oz-featuring Test begins on ‘Leap Day’, an unusual occurrence.

For Australia, no changes are expected from the last match v the West Indies, despite the loss then. Injuries in the T20 series already under way could possibly change that, but otherwise:

Smith
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Green
Head
Marsh
Carey
Starc
Cummins
Lyon
Hazlewood


The batting lineup looks quite insecure apart from Smith (albeit out of position) and Head; and the bowling unit must surely be in its last year or two. A danger series. If Boult were playing for NZ, I’d have my money on them.

I forgot about this thread - thought I’d only predicted the touring squad, but looks like the title of the two threads is now identical.

Fromage - please merge, if you’re about.

Starts next Thursday. A loss would not surprise.

Fromage

instead of liking posts why dont you merge the threads


ya stoopid gay surrender monkey

or why not do both

and away we go …

New Zealand win the toss & send Australia in to bat.

Another 2 test 'series'..

I can see the pitch looks lively but that decision can only mean that NZ are frit of what Cummins and hazel might do on it. I'd like to see a repeat of last years match, but I think oz will win easily.

Slow 1st session. From LW's notes maybe a green seamer.

Our batting remains fragile as fark, as mooted pre-series. Not sure what horrie thinks about Mitchell Marsh being our most dependable bat this summer (I can guess) but that pattern continues …

Snot becomes top scorer and passes his former best in the position

Why is the increasingly agricultural Starc still opening the batting for the bowlers?

Congratulations to Cam Green, fighting century from number 4 with wickets falling regularly at the other end. This is easily his best Test effort with the bat.

Nice to see.

That was a very authoritative last over with 3 boundaries to take him past 100 ... all the more impressive when you consider the wicket falling with 6 balls (and only one wicket) remaining in the day. Hazlewood still yet to face a ball.

Excellent day for test fans, both sides got something to be pleased about. Oz batted themselves into a hole, so they should be relieved to be just shy of 300 thanks to Green and Marsh, I think NZ slightly down they didnt get them out for under 250, but comms kept saying it will be easier to bat on when the wkts dried out, so maybe expect a long boring Kane effort tomorrow. Southy doing a good impression of Jimmy last summer, although he did have Green dropped on about 50, but many seem to wish he'd retired not Boult.

Game even. Well done Green. Head and Carey were as predicted on a softish green wicket.

Green is smashing it, scoring only in boundaries. Patient but superb innings, and Hazel hit 2x4 in over from WoR, who is quick. Pitch still helping bowlers when they get it right, except the K-man who cant bowl straight, but oz lucky so far. Pitch has scallops according to Coney.

Wow!! Go Snot and Hazy. Over 100 for 10th wkt so far.

Haze's batting seems to have improved drastically, in the six weeks since being the bloke Seasick Steve got so roundly canned (red ink, selfish, all the usual SBM bullshit) for exposing to two balls at the end of the over at the Gabba

Record partnership for the 10th wicket v Snoozies.

Would have been handy to beat Bloody Bracewell & Bleedin' Boock's SCG effort (134) the week after Hadlee's 9for, a nightmare recently recalled thanks to MerdeMedia, but you never get everything you want. And we won that game anyway....

Haha… meanwhile Scullys fave opener, the minnow basher, goes early.