The Kiwis - any chance at all ?

[Bloodstained Angel]

Nope :(

We have brought over a squad that is a bit better than last time but realistically - I can see NZ winning about 12 of the 45 sessions in this series.

We can bat a bit, Fleming has made some useful knocks and McMillan seems to be in good enough touch, but, as usual, the tourists will really struggle against the pace and bounce (not to mention the glaring sunshine, flies and heat) of Australian conditions.

McGrath and Gillespie look primed to give the Kiwi top order plenty of headaches and I'm sure Shane Warne is already casting a gleeful eye over the NZ tail ....

Our real problems are with our totally pop-gun attack. So far on tour NZ has not dismissed an opponent yet, on this form you would have to say we will struggle to dismiss 6 Aussie batsmen per innings in the tests.

Cairns is kinda fit ( I guess :confused: ), Nash is probably our best bowler at this stage. Its encoyraging to see Vettori back into contention. But after that who do we have ?

I don't think NZ is quite the minnow of International Cricket that other have said we are.

We are probably one decent young strong strike bowler away from a good team.

But where on earth is this mystical beast gonna come from I wonder ?

My prediction : Australia 2-0, with the Hobart test ruined by rain.

New Zealand will dominate the odd session here and there, but it will be Australia all the way I think.

cheers

[Briedis]

None whatsoever....

[Darky]

Originally posted by Bloodstained Angel



My prediction : Australia 2-0, with the Hobart test ruined by rain.

New Zealand will dominate the odd session here and there, but it will be Australia all the way I think.

cheers

The problem many of the struggling test sides face is that a good session is usually followed by a shocker - usually indicative of a side having a few good players who can do their best to hold a side together, then the fringe-dwellers digging a hole.

A lunch to tea session of 0/120 with the bat might be followed by an early wicket in the tea to stumps session, followed by a collapse of 9/50. It's happened to England a zillion times (is "Englandbattingcollapse" really three separate words :eek:?)

[Bloodstained Angel]

yeah I noticed that especially with India and Paki out here a couple of seasons ago.

They were good enough for a couple of sessions, where they would get a few runs or take 2 quick wickets (and look like pretty good cricketers while they are at too !)or whatever, then they would fall right away again, by which time the damage had been done and suddenly the Test is lost ...

As for England, perhaps its fairer to measure their good form from over to over instead of session by session :D

cheers

[Player]

Careful BSA this kind of defeatist talk will get you removed from the Ilford 2nd XI fan club.

But it is funny watching the N.Z. tail come out and ask the umpire for a guard, the only thing they know about the stumps is that they should be behind them.

[walshy1993]

i really cant see them bowling australia out twice in a test match

[GoEagles]

I think all 3 test matches will provide a result (unless it rains solidly in Hobart) and I can't see New Zealand winning a test. Although if the Aussies get too cocky, I've got a feeling South Africa might be a close call.

[Player]

The Kiwi bowlers may be run-of-the-mill, but you must remember that until this tour they had played absolutely no cricket for four months.

The plan was for match fitness and form to be assessed from the cancelled tour of Pakistan.

Are they refreshed? Yes.
Are they match fit? No.

Still if they can not bowl out Queensland at least once then the bowling "attack" will look very dodgy for the first test.

[Bloodstained Angel]

yeah like I said, its a pop-gun attack

Bowlers win test matches, not batsmen.

We can't even dismiss a team like the Queensland Academy of Sport ONCE.

Let alone the Australian Test team twice.

cheers