In my last poll I asked you how well you thought the New Zealand cricket team would do in Australia. One voting bloc of four people (and I know who you are) tried to rig the results by all suggesting that we would win all our matches and Scott Styris would end the series as the world's best batsman and the world's best left-arm fast bowler. Sadly, that bloc failed to head off challenges from the pessimists who insisted we would lose every match and all our best players would be injured (6 votes) and the not-quite-so-pessimistic bunch who thought we would lose most of our matches but would show occasional bursts of defiance (5 votes). No-one thought that we would give Australia as good as we got.
This week you might get a slight sense of déjà vu. I want you to tell me how well will New Zealand do in Australia? Let's see if you are feeling any better or worse about the tour in light of the result in the first test.
Wednesday, 24 November 2004
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This seems the best place to put our thoughts on the upcoming second test...
On CricInfo's preview - http://nz.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/NOV/110808_AUS_25NOV2004.html - Bracewell is reported as saying that "crease occupation is the best way of wearing down the Australians and it is a plan that suits the Adelaide pitch".
Frankly, this is wishful thinking and ignores the strengths and weaknesses of this team. At no point in recent years has the NZ team shown an ability to occupy the crease. And the opportunities they have had to develop this skill they've ignored. As I said to Mike and Ben in an email a couple of months ago, they should never have declared so early against Bangladesh in the second test. They were always going to win and they could have got something out of it by saying to themselves that they would apply themselves and bat for 2 1/2 days. They don't have the attention span or the discipline to grind it out, and it goes against the natural game of all of the players (except Richardson).
Mentally, I think they've already lost and I feel the NZ team have adopted a siege mentality - see the article in the Herald at http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sports/sportsstorydisplay.cfm?storyID=3613557&thesection=sport&thesubsection=cricket&thesecondsubsection=blackcaps
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