2nd T20I: New Zealand v Australia @ Christchurch (Sun)

[Russian]

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/3063/wt20wi.png
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/6247/nzl.png vs http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/3570/aus.png
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
4pm AEDT Sunday February 28

Final hitout before the Caribbean for both teams. While Australia would like to go 5-0 for the T20 summer, they'd also like to be challenged for the first time since beating Pakistan, who they are grouped with at the World Cup. Do they experiment with Hussey, Hauritz, Harris and Birt or have they settled on their best lineup now? The Kiwis only have a squad of 12 to work with so can't experiment with anything much - Southee could come in for Tuffey or McCullum.

It's not a very big ground so it's easy to defend if you can keep them hitting along the ground, but it's not a big hit to clear the boundary - more than a third of runs scored in the two T20Is on this ground have been sixes, with 15 when the Poms visited in 2008 and 24 when the Indians did last year. Good spinners have been successful here with Swann taking 2/30, Vettori 1/18 and Harbhajan 1/19 from 4 over spells, but the part timers were very hittable last year - McCullum 1/27 (2), Pathan 0/37 (2.5), Yuvraj 0/17 (1).

New Zealand XII:
Brendon McCullum
Peter Ingram
Martin Guptill
Ross Taylor
James Franklin
+Gareth Hopkins
Jacob Oram
*Daniel Vettori
Nathan McCullum
Tim Southee
Daryl Tuffey
Shane Bond
In:
Southee

Australia XV:
Shane Watson
David Warner
*Michael Clarke
David Hussey
Cameron White
Travis Birt
+Brad Haddin
Michael Hussey
Dan Christian
Steve Smith
Mitchell Johnson
Ryan Harris
Nathan Hauritz
Dirk Nannes
Shaun Tait
In:
Birt
M.Hussey
Harris
Hauritz

Umpires:
Chris Gaffaney (NZ)
Tony Hill (NZ)
Gary Baxter (NZ, 3rd)

Weather:
Heatwave. 28 degrees.

Session Times (AEDT)
First innings: 4-5:20pm
Second innings: 5:40-7pm

Coverage:
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/8092/fs2bh3.png from 3:30, women's curtain raiser from 11:30
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/9503/grandstand.png from 4pm AEDT (online (http://www.radiosport.co.nz/listenlive/))
Cricket Australia's scorecard (http://livescores.cricket.com.au/summary_2481_1.html)
Cricinfo's scorecard (http://www.cricinfo.com/nzvaus2010/engine/match/423788.html)

[damochandler]

bowden finally got dropped

another easy win for australia here. bond and vettori can't do all the work every game

[aidancdaman]

Weather:
Heatwave. 28 degrees.


Normal Christchurch summer weather. Growing up there, it gets up to 40.

[HBF]

Normal Christchurch summer weather. Growing up there, it gets up to 40.

And it's also freezing in Winter. I've never been as cold.

[mattys123]

Going for an upset here, I just think if NZ can get their batting going, that the Aussies might get beat. ($3.35 the win seems value too:o).

I see this as NZ's biggest chance to win a match, Australia playing in their 4th 20/20 in a row, with ODI players arriving and the focus switching to that form of the game as soon as this one ends.

For me, Ross Taylor and Guptill are the 2 that need to perform for the Kiwis to at least make a game out of it. Taylor has to pissed off after getting the worst LBW decision in cricket history in game 1, so he may take it out on the Aussies.

I might put a little bit of money where my mouth is, just to make in interesting too.:D

[aidancdaman]

And it's also freezing in Winter. I've never been as cold.

True. Our family have a house in Central Otago, there it's 40 in Summer and -10 in Winter. That's worse.

This should be a high-scoring affair. Lancaster Park is a bowlers' graveyard.

[mark73]

Good to see Bond bowling again. It's probably a bit late now in his career especially with all the injury problems over the years but it's good to see him salvage something out of the time he has left. Good bloke, too.

[Blues_Man]

Lets hope the Aussies bat first ..so the game can at least go into the second hour.

[Cousin Jed]

Taylor has to pissed off after getting the worst LBW decision in cricket history in game 1, so he may take it out on the Aussies.


Wasn't even in the top 10.

McCullum is the key. When he fires, NZ have a hope.

[bombersno1]

If we don't bat first, I won't watch it. Will be a predicatble result one way or another

[King Elvis]

The babes lost :(

[HSSB]

Was really a pretty boring game Friday night, hopefully todays game is a little more entertaining.

Australia to win

[beez]

Kiwis batting first

[bombersno1]

Could not care less now.

[Cousin Jed]

Geez they weren't wrong about Ian Smith.

Watson and Johnson out for Birt and Harris

[mattys123]

Birt and Harris in for Watson and Johnson, Australia just went down about 20% with Watson out.

[bombersno1]

Well yep. Hope they give Christian and Birt a bit of a go though. Johnson should not be playing T20.

[Hellgood]

Any good streams?, justin for once letting me down here.

[Mr_Smooth]

http://www.realsportz.info/3.html

[Cousin Jed]

Cue the histrionics about behaviour etc...

[Johnny_Segment]

0.3
Tait to BB McCullum, FOUR, 151 kph, courage at its best as McCullum charges Tait and gets it on the full and pushes through the covers for four


Not bad.

[legend166]

Did Tait just give McCullum the finger?

[Hoggy]

You don't see that sort of batting in E grade.

[mattys123]

Tait giving McMillan the old "hand to the ear" treatment, even though he'd just hit him for 2 4's.

At least he fought back with the wicket of the dud Ingram.

[Notorious_29]

Fire up Taity he's just flipped off McCullum. :D

[damochandler]

you could see that first wicket coming from a mile away. who cares about what tait did

[HBF]

Onya Taity...

:thumbsu:

[legend166]

Why are they playing on a postage stamp?

[damochandler]

if this bloke keeps going, he could be in for a big one

[Hoggy]

Baz is gonna ton up.

[Mr_Smooth]

god i hate the kiwi commentators!

[HBF]

Kiwi's off to a flyer today. Might actually be a decent game.

:thumbsu:

[Flawed Genius]

Someone ran over McCullum's dog in the parking lot apparently :eek:

[HBF]

Unbelievably short boundary there. If the Kiwi's bat well, 200+ should be well within there reach.

[mattys123]

Why are they playing on a postage stamp?
That's what you get when you play Cricket on a Rugby ground, good for 20/20, ok for ODI, couldn't play a test match there ever.

[Ron]

haha Guptill what the hell was that

[Kim Hagdorn]

We might see a serious amount of runs scored today.

[HBF]

Loving these ads inbetween the overs. :) :thumbsu:

[Flawed Genius]

I reckon I could piss over that boundary

[HBF]

That's what you get when you play Cricket on a Rugby ground, good for 20/20, ok for ODI, couldn't play a test match there ever.

As I said, if the Kiwi's bat well, they really should make 200+.

[Ron]

McCullum shows Guptill how it is done.

[HBF]

That's an outragous shot! :eek:

[Flawed Genius]

Christ

[Plugger35]

It's the McCullum show, NZ should be able to post a decent total here.

[flight23]

sweet


dussapunting und - love it

[aussie1st]

Finally a wicket nice bowling Harris looks like the only one that knows where to bowl it.

[HBF]

On ya bike Guptill.

Lol at the Commentators reaction to McCullums 6. The boundary aint that big fellas. It would have only been 4 at most Autralian grounds, except for the Adelaide Oval maybe.

[Bradesmaen]

That's what you get when you play Cricket on a Rugby ground, good for 20/20, ok for ODI, couldn't play a test match there ever.
The thing is.. its actually originally a cricket stadium. If they didn't play diagonally (Who knows why they do..) then It'd be fine, because then the boundaries will be longer and the curved boundaries of the stadium will fit in.

[HBF]

A maiden by Harris!
That might shut the hysterical Kiwi commentators up for a second.

[Bradesmaen]

Steve Smith could go big here.

[HBF]

Steve Smith could go big here.

Or get a wicket. Beautifully played by the Aussies there. And we've really managed to put the brakes on the NZ run rate as well.

:thumbsu:

[flight23]

great play australia

great captaincy putting hussy on
great execution by hussy
beautifully bowled by smith
good fielding in the end by white
great take haddin

modern day cricket

[BACCS]

Who is that commentator on the ground? His questions to Watto were cringeworthy.

[dumb]

keep the wickets coming fellas

mccullum is a dangerous customer

[HBF]

Well done Steve Smith. Lol at Franklin. What a SPUD! :rolleyes:

[flight23]

aussies playing really really well last couple of overs

hats off to all of em

[damochandler]

they have slowed the kiwis to an absolute crawl

[Bradesmaen]

they have slowed the kiwis to an absolute crawl
11 runs off the last over is an absolute crawl?

[Cousin Jed]

That makes up for the Taylor one. That should have been given

[HBF]

I don't know what that was missing. Shocking decision.

[flight23]

the previous 4 overs were

[damochandler]

11 runs off the last over is an absolute crawl?


have you been watching the hoile game. not just one over

[1990crow]

that was plum. bloody kiwis whine all night about taylor being given out and then say barely nothing about the one Christian just got robbed

[HBF]

Good idea, bad execution. :eek:

[1990crow]

Good idea, bad execution. :eek:

embarrasing:o

[Bradesmaen]

have you been watching the hoile game. not just one over
Of course i have and they didn't really slow to an absolute crawl. Now they are going just as fast as they were.

[dumb]

need mccullum and then oram out otherwise it will be a very stiff chase, 180+

[bombersno1]

typical South Australian, bowl a yorker

[Bradesmaen]

typical South Australian, bowl a yorker
Typical idiot. Post something with intelligence.

[HBF]

Dare say that will be Christians last over.

[1990crow]

typical South Australian, bowl a yorker

Tait says hello

[bombersno1]

It should be his last game, has been useless. Rimmington is better.

[bombersno1]

Tait says hello

He was smashed as well!

[Bradesmaen]

He was smashed as well!
So was Dirk Nannes from Victoria, so was Steve Smith from NSW. Your logic is fail.

[1990crow]

He was smashed as well!

Still the only bowler to hit the stumps

[Chris25]

You do realise Christian is an all-rounder and not a frontline quick bowler...?

Anyone who has watched domestic cricket will know that he is not a particularly economical bowler. But on his day, he is a genuine wicket taker. Ultimately he is in the team for his batting just as much as his bowling.

[Cousin Jed]

Top edged drive, 15 rows back. gotta love it.

Bad miscalculation taking Hussey off.

[1990crow]

This ground is about the size of my backyard. New Zealand commentators are going to get a rude shock when warner comes out to bat. Id be willing to bet we'd make 240 on this ground

[Bradesmaen]

You do realise Christian is an all-rounder and not a frontline quick bowler...?

Anyone who has watched domestic cricket will know that he is not a particularly economical bowler. But on his day, he is a genuine wicket taker. Ultimately he is in the team for his batting just as much as his bowling.
and Ultimately this is a shit ground where field placing is incredibly hard to get right due to having short diagonal boundaries.

[dumb]

clarke may just be peeing his pants a touch. looking like the kind of total that means he won't be able to play his usual 'build an innings' game.

[Cousin Jed]

If Australia employed a back stop today he would be filing for workers comp from fielding too much.

[aussie1st]

Geez mishits are flying into the stands. NZ looking at a massive total here.

[Cousin Jed]

This is some pretty bloody dumb bowling from Nannes

[Cotchin 9]

If Australia employed a back stop today he would be filing for workers comp from fielding too much.

Lol Jeddy you always deliver.

I thought GJ Hopkins was a spud.

[1990crow]

I actually think despite the smash hitting NZ have underscored so far

[King Elvis]

I hate that French Cricket shit.

[1990crow]

Tait again says hi

[Cousin Jed]

McCullum is the key. When he fires, NZ have a hope.

Occasionally I will get 1 right.

Made the most of a few half chances

[dumb]

think clarke may have juggled the bowlers a bit wrong. one of the final three overs will be a spinner or christian

[aussie1st]

McCullum looking good for a ton here.

[damochandler]

finally they are bowling a bit straighter at the stumps. mccullum can play can't he.

this mark richardson is a born again idiot

[Cousin Jed]

Lol Ian Smith just wet himself

[King Elvis]

Sensational knock.

[flight23]

bill lawry going nuts in the box

[Plugger35]

Great hundred for McCullum, only the second ever in T20s.

NZ look good for 200 here.

[BACCS]

Simply amazing Brendan.:thumbsu: And how on earth do you hit a 6 like that!

[damochandler]

gawd i think the kiwi commentators have taken the crown of the most biased and dumbest commentators in the cricketing world. a very close second is south africa

[Ron]

wow a hundred.

Good knock to watch, amazing that it is only the 2nd ever international hundred in 20/20

[Cotchin 9]

New PB for McCullum surpassing the 100 off 53 balls for Kolkata :thumbsu:.

[King Elvis]

Is this the smallest oval in the world?