The results were
Brisbane: Loss by 149 runs
Adelaide: Loss by innings and 62 runs.
An embarrassing series, but actually a mild improvement on 2004 as we scored over 100 in every innings and ensured that no Aussie tail-ender scored a 50. (How's that for cold comfort?)
Looking at the tour stats, no one really excelled. Both McCullum and Taylor batted at 40 or above. Everyone else averaged less than 30. The most penetrating bowlers were the part-timers Redmond and Ryder. The pick of the full-timers was O'Brien with 7 wickets at about 30. The best innings performance was Southee's 4/63.
It was a tough series and was always going to be. Just something to be endured. It would have been nice though if there could have been a few bright moments to make it worth following.
One day we will challenge Australia, and it may even be when the current young guns grow up, but right now we just aren't at the same table.
Just to give us hope, I'll point out that in the first few years of the Trans-Tasman Trophy, it was dominated by New Zealand:
| Season | Venue | Aus | NZ | Draw | Holder |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985/86 | Australia | 1 | 2 | 0 | New Zealand |
| 1985/86 | New Zealand | 0 | 1 | 2 | New Zealand |
| 1987/88 | Australia | 1 | 0 | 2 | Australia |
| 1989/90 | Australia | 0 | 0 | 1 | Australia |
| 1989/90 | New Zealand | 0 | 1 | 0 | New Zealand |
| 1992/93 | New Zealand | 1 | 1 | 1 | New Zealand |
| 1993/94 | Australia | 2 | 0 | 1 | Australia |
| 1997/98 | Australia | 2 | 0 | 1 | Australia |
| 1999/2000 | New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 0 | Australia |
| 2001/02 | Australia | 0 | 0 | 3 | Australia |
| 2004/05 | Australia | 2 | 0 | 0 | Australia |
| 2004/05 | New Zealand | 2 | 0 | 1 | Australia |
| 2008/09 | Australia | 2 | 0 | 0 | Australia |
5 comments:
It's funny how that table of Trans Tasman Trophies almost mirrors the fortunes of the Bledisloe Cup over the same period..
1986 Australia
1987 New Zealand
1988 New Zealand
1989 New Zealand
1990 New Zealand
1991 New Zealand
1992 Australia
1993 New Zealand
1994 Australia
1995 New Zealand
1996 New Zealand
1997 New Zealand
1998 New Zealand
1999 Australia
2000 Australia
2001 Australia
2002 Australia
I haven't really followed it since 2002, apart from us winning a RWC, obviously ;)
You did some good things in this series.. Hayden's retirement hastened, pissed off Ricky, out-blogged the baggy green juggernaut, and Jesse tipped the scales in your favour.
And we won both tosses.
McCullum's series average is skewed by the final innings, when all was just about lost. I'm still waiting for his definitive innings in a high-pressure Test.
I think the biggest disappointment from this series was Dans impact. Or lack of.
I was expecting much more from him.
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