New Zealand v Australia, 2nd Test, Christchurch, 8-12 March, 2024

All the forcasts say the sun is shining right now. Why arnt they playing is the outfield too wet?

I wanted to place a small bet that Sir Lyon the Goat would hit the winning runs, but no one would take me on the bastards.

Lol… Nepo Man dropped off the first ball faced and then Richard goes next ball. Raffle the rare synapse in the Oz middle order.

Unless Marsh makes 150 with strong support from at least one of the tail, we’re fooked.

So we’re fooked.

Good grief, Charlie Brown.

Ten sundries in that over, otherwise deemed a maiden by Kuggelthing.

The Kman has lost it. Much easier now, Lyon may not be needed.

The Kongaline seems to be an 'unusual' cricketer a bit like 'Mo' Matthews' - effort guaranteed, but not always well-aimed.

Within a hundred.

What sub-10 margins have we not yet lost by?

A 4 will give us the 1-5 Royal Flush.
0- Bris & Madras, 1 - Addledville v Windies, 2 - Ashes 05, 3 - Border & Thommo, 5 - SCG v Saffies. I don't think there's a 6 or 7 but IIRC the last loss to NZ was 9, and the only time before Headingley we followed them on and lost was 10.

Ah well. We won’t even get that close.

I know the batting order isn't even meant to be a ranking of quality, but if Pat really doesn't want to bat himself at 8 then maybe they should put Lyon there. It's been quite a while since Starc has been visibly better with the bat than McGrath.

Neither side wants to win this. Very poor cricket.

Yes, I’ve seen this show before. It always ends the same way.

we held on somehow

Didn’t end the same way this time. Australia win after a remarkable comeback led by Marsh, Carey, and Cummins.

Carey plays the innings we’ve all been hoping for since he was first chosen. Well played; that’s what we need, even occasionally, from our best keeper-batsman. A shame in the end that he did not get his century.

That helps us get to the WTC final.

Geez, what a win!!.

Bison & Mariah (shame he finished short of his ton) plus Cap'n Pat did the business after our top order choked.

A win is a win. A bizarre game decided by some aptly poor fielding

Fred Nerk wrote:I know the batting order isn't even meant to be a ranking of quality, but if Pat really doesn't want to bat himself at 8 then maybe they should put Lyon there. It's been quite a while since Starc has been visibly better with the bat than McGrath.

This seems a very common view. I’m still not sure, perhaps it’s 50/50.

Starc has scored over 2000 Test runs at an average >20 with multiple fifties (9?) including an unlucky 99 in India early on.

Postman Pat nearly always delivers but he has scored about 700 fewer runs at an average of just over 17, and just a couple of fifties. Three maybe.

lardbucket wrote:

Fred Nerk wrote:I know the batting order isn't even meant to be a ranking of quality, but if Pat really doesn't want to bat himself at 8 then maybe they should put Lyon there. It's been quite a while since Starc has been visibly better with the bat than McGrath.

This seems a very common view. I’m still not sure, perhaps it’s 50/50.

Starc has scored over 2000 Test runs at an average >20 with multiple fifties (9?) including an unlucky 99 in India early on.

Postman Pat nearly always delivers but he has scored about 700 fewer runs at an average of just over 17, and just a couple of fifties. Three maybe.

For whatever reason Cummins is batting with a lot of surety. Maybe it is the captaincy, maybe the purging of the BNLG . Who knows? But it is great he has found some reliability with the willow.

He’s been good since that last Ashes series that we apparently lost 2-2.

lardbucket wrote:

Fred Nerk wrote:I know the batting order isn't even meant to be a ranking of quality, but if Pat really doesn't want to bat himself at 8 then maybe they should put Lyon there. It's been quite a while since Starc has been visibly better with the bat than McGrath.

This seems a very common view. I’m still not sure, perhaps it’s 50/50.

Starc has scored over 2000 Test runs at an average >20 with multiple fifties (9?) including an unlucky 99 in India early on.

Postman Pat nearly always delivers but he has scored about 700 fewer runs at an average of just over 17, and just a couple of fifties. Three maybe.

whenever they swap Cummins and Starc in the order, feels like whoever bats at 8 fails and whoever bats at 9 thrives.

in that case, bat Hazelwood at 8; nothing to lose ...

horace wrote:A win is a win. A bizarre game decided by some aptly poor fielding

Who dropped who??

Been watching movies with the lady, so missed all the fine detail.

Yeah. I know, but I have to keep the better half happy.  

No answer was the stern reply!!

I note that India and Aus have a clear lead over the field in the WTC table.

Not many Tests for a while.

Certain empty vessels on the Social Bloodies are trying to raise minor hoo-hah around the idea that Pat scoring the winning runs off the last ball of the over did the dirty on Mariah by denying him his chance at a century. In response, another mob of Mensa candidates is reminding all within range that 'there's no I in team' with a regularity that must eventually get tedious to them as well.

To which I say, bollocks to all. Alex already has a Test ton in the book, at age 30 he is not likely to get near any of Gilly's records with or without a century today, I am perfectly happy to believe he and Pat both knew what Plan A was, and if Pat thought NZ might be taken by surprise by his approach off the last ball it was well worth a shot.