THE BAGGY GREEN WASTE NO TIME! 2-0

Starting the day needing 5 wickets, the only thing that would save the Black Caps was bad light, gale force winds or the unexpected. Hamilton offered them no luck!Time would be an issue for them to bat with Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptil being the last recognised batsmen. After McCullum raised his half-century, having given Mitch a bit of a pounding earlier on in the day, he was dismissed shortly after.
The game would be put to rest 10.4 overs later due to a valiant Mitchell Johnson.

McCullum was fortunate to have been dropped twice by Simon Katich. Katto would have ended the match almost flawlessly but he put down a catch at short leg with Nathan Hauritz' first delivery and then another at short extra cover off Mitch's bowling.
Michael Hussey ended up taking a fine catch at gully off Douggie Bollinger's bowling.
Just overs before the commentators had been a bit stumped as to why Punter was continuing to utilise the old ball and sticking with an attack that the Black Caps were easing into. Not long after though he called for the new ball and that was when Douggie B struck. From there a 2-0 series wrap up was inevitable.
Mitchell Johnson started off on the money and continued to fight for that 5 wicket haul and sure enough he did it. His figures were 6/73 in the Black Caps 2nd innings, which is just brilliant! Something had to give for him this series, especially the way the crowds took a fond liking to his attitude thus giving him a tough time on the boundary rope. He let the ball do the talking and the result was a second 10 wicket haul in Test cricket, as well as a milestone achievement of 150 wickets in 34 Tests.
It's an excellent achievement and he wrapped the match up by sneaking ahead of Simon Katich to take the Man-of-the-match award. A good end to a summer that had been relatively quiet for Mitch.

Looking at the Squads performance, everyone seemed to perform within their respective roles. On the bowling front:
Mitch walked away with 12 wickets to his name, having only picked up 2 in the 1st Test. He certainly reminded us what he is capable of and that special delivery to send Mathew Sinclair packing was reminiscent of his rise to a mean reputation with the ball in South Africa.
Douggie B managed to also walk away with 12 wickets, having picked up a 5 wicket haul in the 1st innings of the Test which ultimately sealed the Black Caps fate for that match. He is a Test match bowler and you can toss aside his dull performance in the ODI series as this is certainly where he belongs.
Ryan Harris was wicketless in the 2nd innings of the 2nd Test but he only added four overs to the days play. He had a successful start to his Test career as he was third on the wicket taking tally with 9 wickets at an economy rate of 23.00. What more do you want from a guy on debut who didn't even look like he'd return after a one hit wonder appearance in Tasmania in 2009. It's inspiring stuff.
Of course when Ben Hilfenhaus returns to the scene, as Ricky Ponting stated, the competition for Squad places will be tough but it's good to know we have two right arm bowlers who can generate skiddy speed of the track while getting enough swing to discomfort the batsmen.
One thing I could add is that Ryano will be working on his fitness for certain! The intensity of 5 day cricket certainly worked him over, but he has time to hit the running track.

Our batting was better with the 'lack of centurions curse' well behind us.
Marcus North and Michael Clarke were the centurions in the 1st Test after both of them had arrived in New Zealand with heavy pressure upon them.
Marcus was fighting for his career, Pup was fighting for respect and peace of mind after some personal issues hit the headlines for weeks. They overcame their respective battles and carved out outstanding centuries, with Pup reaching his highest score in Test cricket of 168, which followed a big ton this summer at the Bellerive Oval alongside Skipper Ricky Ponting. He's unquestionably becoming one of our finest test batsmen, however his One Day form has suffered slightly at the expense of this brilliant improvement in his Test cricket.
Marcus immediately eased his tour with an unbeaten 112* and then was unfortunate to miss out on another century as he walked for 90. So close to what would have been a memorable return to form at the elite level with two centuries. He was third on the runs scoring list with 211 runs, averaging over 100.
Simon Katich was as consistent as he has been since returning to the side in 2008 for the Frank-Worrel Trophy. Katto was due for a century having made an impact in the 1st Test opening up with Phillip Hughes. He has been an unlucky victim in the 90's, missing a number of opportunities to raise the century, similar to Shane Watson.
But after saving us in the 1st innings with 88 and then following it with one of the most determined and patient test match innings you could see, he brought it up! He was the top run scorer for the series averaging 97.00 with 291 runs.
Phillip Hughes (in his one Test) and Michael Hussey had a good run in the series while Ricky Ponting will be eager to make sure his time off now till the boys head over to England, is spent with some solid preparations and focusing his mind on what's ahead. I am not in any doubt that he will kick into some mean form sometime soon. He displayed it this summer and one good innings should see him right, although we all know he has become a bit inconsistent, but when he gets a century it is a big century. He still has a strong leadership ability surrounding his performances. He can inspire this group of players purely by his performances alone.
His fielding is still top class as he took 5 catches for the match! Guess where the Black Caps errors are in batting?

So all in all a good series win for Australia and it will be satisfying for the Selectors that their selections paid off but the headache will come when a fully fit unit emerges in both the batting and bowling departments. It will make the Ashes selections really exciting to monitor.
But in the meantime, with the Trans-Tasman trophy secure, some of the boys will head off to the Indian Premier League, while Punter and some of the guys will be resting ahead of the tour to England mid year. In May it's the ICC T20 Champions Trophy in the Carribbean, so in the build up to that event I will be sharing my opinions and analyse where things may be headed for the 15 man Squad in that event.
Hopefully we will get past the 1st round but with a Squad that is more T20 tailored this time around, I am confident we can make an impact.
So that's a wrap for Test cricket and the Baggy Green walk away with 7 Test wins in 8 matches. All on track for bigger events.

ON TRACK TO A 2-0 WIN

Firstly, as you can see I have added some static pages at the top of the Blog.
Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.

Mitchell Johnson picked up his 150th Test wicket. A fine achievement and it has taken him two and a half years, 34 Tests to get there so a big congrats to Mitch! He is the quickest left-arm seamer to get there (in terms of matches, not pace although he did hit the 150km/h mark regularly).
He's had a tough 12 months or so but this match in particular he has managed to pull it together and show us that his confidence is returning and I have to mention it again...that delivery to get rid of Mathew Sinclair, epic!
The milestone made up for the pair he made with his batting.
He ended the day with 3 wickets. I really thought it was classic to see Michael Clarke pick up a wicket too, alongside Nathan Hauritz. Last memory I have of Pup getting a Test wicket was in the Test match vs India at the SCG when he took 3 wickets in 1 over.
I thought the guys looked very relaxed in the field, joking about, just having a really good time. So perhaps they turned down the intensity somewhat but the main thing is that we are on track to taking this series 2-0.
Hopefully the boys arrive at the ground tomorrow to wrap things up on Day 5 swiftly.

Sadly, Marcus North fell 10 runs short of his century. What a comeback to form it has been for Marcus and that century would have been his 2nd for the series. Nonetheless, brilliant stuff from Marcus! Got to be proud of the man.
One thing I did notice, besides the Brian Lara like technique, was that he forced himself to play off his front foot alot more. This was evident with the sweep shot being a main feature of his innings, as he almost tried to make a short of a length delivery seem fuller against Vettori and Patel in executing this stroke.
His cover drives were wristy and powerful and his timing on the rare occassion he did settle on the back foot was splendid. 16 fours and an innings that was free flowing and Marcus appeared to be a very relaxed man out there.

Michael Clarke only added 20 odd runs to his overnight score, but it's just adding to his consistency, like Simon Katich. Pup has another half-century to his name and has shown that he has the mental abilities to get out onto the park and do his job while casting aside his personal battles. That is encouraging to see because I admit I had my concerns as the media are alot more vulture like nowadays than they were for the sportsman of the 90's.
Brad Haddin was a machine out there and he didn't waste time in blasting a beautiful looking straight drive that bulleted into the stands. He hit 3 sixes and 4 fours and fell just 2 runs short of what would have been another exciting effort against the Black Caps. Do you remember his century at the Adelaide Oval against them?
His wicket-keeping has been world class once again. Relieved to see it!
Even Nathan Hauritz got stuck into the Black Caps with his batting. A bit of payback for the beating he took from Ross Taylor.

I think the Blacks Caps have played decent cricket. They are a decent One Day side (regular Semi-finalists and Finalists) but we are a much stronger Test side, despite still making an effort to develop a more cemented unit. Their seam bowlers haven't been too effective, with the exception of Tim Southee, and perhaps they need a bloke like Kyle Mills to return to the side.
As for their batting, well it's a big error in their game as they have a good crop of batsmen, but they regularly fail through what seems to be fundamental errors in patience and extravagant shots that take time to rectify and aren't needed.
Maybe bringing back blokes like Jamie How or Jessy Ryder may assist their cause, as adding those two blokes would give them additional strength in their ranks, along with Kane Williamson who was looking set for debut before the Test. I know Jamie How had a decent Domestic run.
That's just my vague thoughts on the Black Caps.

The main thing is that our boys have played better cricket than when they were up against the Windies and Pakistan and it will be a nice way to end what has been a very long stretch of cricket.
Some guys will head off to the IPL while some of the boys will rest up before the T20 Champions Trophy...and Ricky Ponting will have plenty time to get set to comeback to send the axe down on our opponents. Importantly sharpen his skills ahead of the Ashes. But there's some battles ahead before then.

5 wickets to go to wrap this up 2-0. The Black Caps have to survive a long time for any chance of a draw.


150 wickets up for Mitch, you Champ!
Copyright Getty Images, Image courtesy of Cricinfo.com

TAKING CONTROL

The lead is now up to 300 and I called it yesterday;
'Katto has been insane with his form and perhaps he will reach a century this time like he did a few years back with the old regime.'
Sure enough, the champ did it and even though it took a while, he reached triple figures and how patient was he? A classic test match century.
The Katich followers will know he is extremely cautious when he starts to carve out his innings and isn't fussed by any sorts of pressure building around his approach, which is his natural game. He can easily lift his strike-rate though once passed the fifty mark. It's a strong skill he has.
He had Phillip Hughes in the first game, Watto this time around who are both aggressive batsmen, and it gives him time to mould his innings while the aggressors keep the scorecard ticking over.
No doubt he wanted a big century, but the fact is he did his job! 279 balls was his occupying time at the crease while putting 12 fours to the boundary. It was fantastic stuff from Mr. Consistent, and he deserved it.
He's been incredible opening up our innings and I'm sure he is now our key man for the Ashes!

Watto survived two referrals and went onto score a brisk 65, while Katto grafted.
It was typical Watto stuff; powerful pulls shots, a few sweeps, classy straight drives, yeah it was good to see Watto get the runs behind his name once again, once again being 1 run drought in his 1st innings. Another fifty to the stats and another job well done. Atleast it wasn't a 90's and out innings!
I enjoyed seeing Michael Hussey get some valuable time in the middle. He would have been very dissapointed had he left this tour without any personal contributions, but he did it this time alongside Katto. The two of them were only talking to the press last week about their early days in WA, so it was good to see the two of them build a big partnership together to steer us ahead of the Black Caps. Huss was once again caught behind but he walked off with 67 runs and a job well done.
Am I the only noticing that Huss is continually edging atleast 5 shots or so around the slip and gully region? I wasn't surprised he was caught behind.
Nonetheless, it was still a good innings from the Huss.
We were on track for Pup and Marcus to do their thing.

As it stands they survived the days play and the two of them are unbeaten on 42*.
Marcus needs just another half-century to leave this tour with confidence needed to back his abilities while Pup is ensuring he remains consistent as one of our finest Test batsmen in the line-up.
My verdict is that both of them will get there and Punter will push for a lead of 400 before calling the troops in to get ready to try steamroll Vettori's men.
300 lead, two days to go? Yeah another 100 runs tomorrow and I reckon Punter will then feel our bowlers have a good opportunity to try finish up the Black Caps.


Image copyright Getty Images, courtesy of Cricinfo.com

THE BAGGY GREEN SNEAK AHEAD IN THE TEST

It was a good performance from the boys to only give The Black Caps a slight lead upon us, which is now no longer the case.
But the way the guys did it was by simply keeping the playing field even.
The Black Caps only had one man go past the half-century mark, like us, but a certain Ross Taylor had incredible luck as he blitzed his way to the fastest century ever by a Black Cap batsman. It was impressive stuff, but we let him have it after giving him some gifted lifelines...and some gifted deliveries from Nathan Hauritz . Ritz got a beating for 25 runs in an over!
A bit like the treatment he received against Chris Gayle, I am left to believe Ritz has some kind of a short circuit going on in his head in these situations. He will get a mild beating with some short of a length bowling and instead of rectifying it he will carry on doing it. But it was just one of those days for Ritz and I'm sure he'll have a better day at the office soon.
There's still a 2nd innings ahead for the man.

So the Ross Taylor innings. He's a strong player on the onside so you always have a chance when you make him play outside of the off stump.
Sure enough Ryan Harris did the work, found the edge, but the ball sailed between Watto and Punter in the slips. Okay, one chance down. It happened again when Taylor was on 92 with Watto spilling the chance and earlier Mitchell Johnson had one go right through his hands as if he were a ghost. Watto has a chance to let his batting abilities have a go at Vettori's men after his rather dull day in the field (can't forget his six save on the fence), but the fact is Taylor made sure we paid for it. Had we taken him early it would have been a whole different match situation. Then again, someone else may have stood up to the challenge but fact is Taylor played an aggressive innings.
That said, our bowlers did a bloody fine job, especially Ryan Harris who I thought was the pick of the bowlers.
He started the day with aggression in his stride and was pretty flawless, repeatedly clocking it in at around 140km/h with some mean bounce when he gave that extra bit of a push. He was unlucky as two of the drop catches came off his bowling, but the results for Ryano were once again impressive as he picked up 3 wickets at 3.22 runs per over. He managed to get slight movement on the ball which was encouraging to see.
Doug Bollinger did excellently in the start of his spell and towards the end of it, while Mitchell Johnson found a mean streak again!

Did anyone see the delivery Mitch bowled to send Sinclair packing?
An inswinging yorker (to the right hander) that was similar to what he had in his armour in South Africa. It was fast and rocketed into the stumps. I was really pleased to see it and also to hear the commentators chill out on the talk about Mathew Sinclair that seemed to go on for about 20 minutes.
Mitch picked up 4 wickets and there was nothing poor about his spell. He was really, really good and he was full of energy in his stride. Just would have helped if he'd grabbed that catch.
All in all, it's fair to say our standards were a bit below par in the field but atleast we managed to contain the Black Caps that the lead wasn't too great.

Katto and Watto are currently unbeaten as they edged us just ahead in the game.
Katto has been insane with his form and perhaps he will reach a century this time like he did a few years back with the old regime.
The good news is that it was Day 1 to New Zealand, Day 2 The Baggy Green!
Day 3? Lots of batting to come and I'm looking forward to it and I reckon we are in a brilliant position to take this game with plenty time too.

On another note, how about Punter? Awesome job in the slips.
3 catches to his name, so that's 169 catches in his career now. Not too far away from getting the record, which I think is still held by Mark Waugh of 181 (excluding Wicketkeepers of course)! It could happen sometime soon guys and he deserves it.
But he's got another job to do tomorrow.

NOT AN IDEAL 2nd TEST START

I will take 231 but it is anything and everything other than ideal.
Besides Simon Katich playing like it was his last match, everyone else ended being relatively bland. Katto is playing in his 50th Test and he sure as hell made it count in his favour as he was the stand out player by a long way.
Mr. Consistent does it again is what we could say perhaps.
Patient and really gritty, he stuck to his natural game and without his invaluable abilities and determination it could have been alot worse!
Three guys made 12, two guys made 22 and Mitch walked away with the dreaded Duck.

There was another record added to Ricky Ponting's resume, but this isn't a great one.
Punter has officially been the most run-out batsman in Test cricket, the record made legit courtesy of Dan Vettori playing his 100th Test, who ran him out. Atleast Punter's awesome records black out that one.
Vettori also had a fine spell of bowling picking up 4 wickets, which really pegged us back. So I guess he made it count walking out for the milestone match.
But the good news folks is we are still in this game.
Douggie B didn't waste time in knocking back one of the Black Caps openers stumps.
McIntosh departed early, well, the 1st over of their innings.
At present they are 1/19 with none of the other two blokes in double figures.
Our bowlers made a tidy start in our defense of a low 1st innings total and I do expect them come out aggressively at the Black Caps.
Ryano and Douggie B can get things off well tomorrow morning, leaving the middle order exposed for Mitch, Ritz and Watto.
By the way, before I wrap up this post I'd like to turn your attention to the bowling figures I witnessed from a certain MG Johnson:

3 overs, 1 run, 2 maidens, economy rate of 0.33! It's a rare sight so I'm putting it in the archives.
If we can knock them over between 250 and 300, we are still well into this match and the other good news is that Watto didn't get a duck...

THE 2nd TEST

The standing is 1-0 and Shane Watson will return to the Test side to open up along side Simon Katich. Phillip Hughes will sit out on the game but his contribution in the 1st Test would have done his confidence the world of good.
It's simply a case of we have many guys up for grabs now as opposed to inexperience.
Let's see what damage Watto can bring towards the Black Caps.
If he (Watto) gets a duck in the 1st innings, and we have a 2nd innings, he will bring the axe down on them as this is a pattern that seems to be a sort of 'calm before the storm' for the opposition.
That really seems to be the only change to the side it would seem.
It will be good to see our bowlers refreshed and ready to bulldoze the Black Caps batting line-up. Hopefully they are 'refreshed' as I'm sure their collective efforts from the 1st Test would have left them absolutely fried.

I do give credit where it's due and the 2nd Test will see a special milestone.
Daniel Vetorri will be playing his 100th Test match for the Black Caps.
I can raise my hand is saying I have seen the bloke from his early days and have seen his progress ever since.
He's one of those blokes who you can't really fault a great deal. He's a gentleman, well-spoken and a fine cricketer.
While his bowling takes the accolades, the bloke can bat a fair bit too...as we saw in the 1st Test.
When he comes onto bowl in an ODI in particular I do get slightly worried as he can skid it through the decent revolution at the same time. He's a smart cricketer too.
So given the milestone and that he's a really good bloke, I wish him luck but for obvious unquestionable reason I can't give him an ounce a luck in winning the match.
I want a result of 2-0 for the Baggy Green so if it means the milestone has a smudge mark, so be it!

Hoping for another all-round performance from the Squad and seeing that guys like Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis hit some insane form again, I am feeling good that Punter isn't far away from unleashing hell upon our opponents...Andrew Strauss, you and your merry muppets better watch out mate, we're coming to take you down and get that Urn back.
But, one thing at a time. 2nd Test, should be good.

RYANO CHARGES DOWN THE LOWER ORDER

Besides being really pleased for Ryan Harris in getting his opportunity to represent the Test side, it's especially satisfying to see him walk away from his debut with a valuable contribution.
Starting the 5th day with Brendon McCullum and Daryl Tuffey, it was essential the boys got the early breakthrough with one of the two. Firstly well done to Brendon on what was a confident innings in a tough position for his side.
He didn't hang around too long, but I do give credit where it's due and I really thought he batted excellently.
Fortunately Ryano found the edge of McCullum with one that skidded onto him with some steep bounce. Michael Clarke took a fine catch at 1st slip. It was followed soon after with Tim Southee playing a daft drive before being caught yet again by Pup with another one that flew through to him, and his reflexes were sharp.
Ryano picked up his fourth as he dismissed Brent Arnel LBW. His match figures were 6/119 at an average of 19.83. That's a fine start to his career and having Ryano get this invaluable match experience is only benefiting us as we wait for Hilfy and Sids to return, along with our current players building their reputations.

Doug Bollinger didn't have the success that he did in the first innings but was still tidy as he picked up 2 wickets and 2.96 rpo. He picked up 7 wickets for the game and Douggie ideally set us up to go for the kill after rolling the Black Caps over cheaply in the 1st innings. So well done to Douggie B on that marvellous effort in the 1st innings. He's certainly becoming a Test bowler.

One man can't be neglected in my analysis of this victory. That is Phillip Hughes!
He looked confident in the first innings but got out to one of those wild cut shots. Not in the 2nd innings! He dominated the Black Cap bowlers and pulverised them.
Simon Katich decided to just chill out at the other end as he remained cautious to just hold the fort while Phillip let rip at the Black Caps.
Phillip's strike-rate ended up at 114.66, while Katto's was drastically different at 27.69. Quite a funny observation but it got the job done. That is where Katto is a smart cricketer. I like Phillip's aggression. I reckon Watto would have adopted a similar approach in knocking off the required runs and I liked the tactic they used.
One guy to attack, the other to remain cautious. It worked well as often these run chases of low targets can be very difficult to approach.
In his wild 86* not out, Phillip blasted 12 fours with 1 six. That was what I like to see and even though he will probably bow out again once Watto returns, he played a fine innings that should remain clearly in the selectors minds. It just strengthens things for the future for when Katto decides to hang up his cap.
As for Katto, he is Mr.Consistent.
And of course Punter will be pleased the two of them wrapped it up without him needing to waltz out to the middle.

Rightly so Michael Clarke was player of the match after scoring his highest in Test cricket with 168. It was an innings that defined the challenges of Test cricket and to see my views on his innings refer back to my post for Day 1 of the Test. Given the challenges he has been faced off the field, he definitly proved his ability to focus on the task at hand.
And of course Marcus North deserves recognition after a career saving century. Of course we want to see more from the very experienced cricketer, but he needed it and it was special to see the two players in our side under the most pressure rise to up against the elements victoriously.

1-0 is the standing of the two match series.
I have noticd a few people on various forums commenting on Phillip to remain in the side. Here are some of the observations I have come across:
Michael Hussey should be dropped as he doesn't offer any value to the team.
Shane Watson is not a long-term opening option.
Phillip Hughes needs more match experience.
Marcus North should be replaced by younger blood despite his century.

These are obviously reasonable observations but I think they lack long-term thinking and I actually think I understand the NSPs thinking behind their tactics.
Firstly on the Hughes saga. Simon Katich probably only has a few more seasons left in him before I reckon he decides to move aside to give a younger player an opportunity. Keeping this in mind I do reckon keeping Phillip as a regular in NSW Sheffield games is good, while still keeping him exposed to the Test side's movements is wise. I can see Watto becoming a more seasoned cricketer in the middle order due to his consistency and rapid development as a mature cricketer, but if we need him at the top of the order, well, he needs to be there. In ODI's it is certainly his spot, but like a guy like Tendulkar does, Watto could do the opening in ODI's and bat in the middle order in Tests. Any Indian guys reading this, calm down, I am not comparing them just comparing the tactical aspect of this.
Michael Husseys value? Yes, he is a fine fielder in the gully and he has done great things for the Baggy Green but his consistency is far from present in his Test game. This is a frustrating thing as his ODI game is still brilliant and he is totally invaluable to the side. But I can see how in Test cricket a number of people have become possibly 'impatient' with him. I still think he must remain in the plans for the Ashes, as should Marcus North because of their experience they offer.
But post-Ashes - the result pending - things will be looked at closely. The good part is that the future looks good.
We have batting stocks with players that are in form with experience or ambition, young exciting cricketers coming through the ranks and with Douggie B, Ryano, Mitchell, Clint, Ritz and of course Hilfy and Sids to return from injury, our future side looks very strong in all departments.

THE WIND, THE RAIN, THE TEST!

What a rubbish day for Test cricket in New Zealand.
Winds that pumped through the ground, gloomy conditions and a rather settled stand between Vettori and McCullum all made it a rather dismal day 4 of this Test.

I cannot answer the question as to why we only managed 1 wicket on a day interrupted by all sorts of barriers set up by Mother Nature.
But what it means is we have one hell of a good test awaiting us for Day 5!
If the weather holds off it will really test our bowlers mental strength and then our batsmen will have to challenge their approach as to how they go about getting the runs set by the Black Caps. It's going to be a good days cricket I reckon, but if the weather works in a similar pattern it could be a draw, meaning the 2nd Test holds everyones hopes.
I am still very confident we will take this Test.

On the declaration, Ricky Pontingdid call it at the right time and we certainly had enough on the board. All that has gone against us is the terrible weather conditions and of course a decent bit of batting from two Black Cap players.
The declaration gave us plenty of time to get the needed wickets (which we did in the first innings) and then we got off to a great start in the current innings.
Our fielding was sharp, the body language was good...you name it. But the declaration cannot be blamed for the current match standing.
As you can see now, with the weather, had it been left too late we may, perhaps, only be working through the Black Caps top order now.
I feel Punter takes way to much criticism in general which tends to, put it bluntly, piss me off because he is a damn experienced cricketer who has, as a Captain, achieved plenty in his time! Yes, we all know he isn't the greatest tactican but he is a supreme leader of this side and he has experience in his ranks for tactical calls to be made. When he takes a risk and it pulls off, he is labelled as a smart man (usually by Peter Roebuck) and then when he makes a mistake, God forbid, the media gets all over him (notably that git Peter Roebuck).
It's all about taking your risks and sometimes it will pay off, sometimes it won't.
That is cricket, the variables are often out of your control. It's a game of chance and momentum with unforseen results, so it's always easier to look back and point fingers at the blunders but when the positive results come through, they get easily forgotten because it just seems so much easier when you watch the game and it goes according to plan.

The weather will be the control figure in tomorrow's play, but ideally if the conditions are ready for action it will be a true battle of Test cricket.
One for survival, one for victory. Let's go for victory boys!

DOUGGIE B'S 5-WICKET HAUL

The Black Caps are still trailing by 115 runs and in the days play the boys managed to pick up 10 wickets.
The fielding was sharp, the catches were taken (excellent slip fielding) and the team was alert and didn't let the Black Caps into the game.
I do agree the Referral's have been a bit distorted this game, but I got a feeling it wouldn't have helped the Black Caps too much.

Doug Bollinger had a poor time in the ODI's but it didn't take him long to come at Vettori's men with aggression and just enough swing to upset the Black Cap's top order. He is a Test match bowler.
He was getting the ball to skid through which had BJ Watling LBW twice and he didn't back down.
He managed another 2 wickets in the 2nd innings which puts him on 7 for the game and yes, he picked up another 5-wicket haul.
Ryan Harris managed figures of 2-42 in his first Test match bowling spell and has 1 wicket up his sleeve in the 2nd innings with a good economy rate.
Mitchell Johnson, besides his slick footwork, picked up just the 1 wicket but he has shown good control with the ball in hand at first change.
What was encouraging was seeing Nathan Hauritz generate some sneaky spin off the deck. He certainly brought about some question marks to the Black Caps middle order and was rewarded with 2 wickets. He bowled on-the-trot and they struggled to get him away, which just made our other bowlers jobs easier.
That turn he got to remove Ross Taylor, who didn't offer a shot, was excellent to see, so good on Ritz for his performance.

I expect our bowlers to wrap this match up tomorrow and Douggie B has a chance for a 10-wicket haul, but I have a gut feeling Ryan Harris and Nathan Hauritz will be wrapping up the opposition tomorrow.
Then again, there may be some fight left in the Black Caps to make us bat again, but I am not too certain about it.
Hopefully Mitch and Ryano will wake up tomorrow with out any aches and pains after their collision as the both attempted to chase after the ball for a run out chance.
Despite Mitchell's athletism he should have left it to Ryano...but atleast both of them carried on.

MARCUS NORTH YOU BEAUTY & A SPECIAL MENTION!

We saw Michael Clarke overcome the criticism with an unforgettable 168.
His innings came to an end after being stumped, but it wasn't too long ago he amassed a big innings in Hobart alongside Punter.
This time his innings featured, 22 fours and 2 sixes.
Marcus North had his moment though as he also reached the century. Heading into this game I was certain he'd pull it together but I wasn't expecting the century. That's how it gets done folks!
Another guy overcomes the issue of mental pressure and drives his team forward with a brilliant century, defining Test cricket. He ended up being unbeaten when the declaration was called fot
Well done Marcus and of course Pup on a their outstanding partnership but also the way they came out on top after the heavy fire they have been enduring.

Ryan Harris picked up his 1st Test wicket! What a moment. The man's had a tough time with injury, the fear of being a once off and also off-field matters.
So it was special to read that he dedicated this achievement of receiving a Baggy Green and every wicket he can get to his Mother who passed away in 2006.
Sometimes cricket is played beyond pride of the game.
Tim McIntosh was his first wicket and he had achieved the early break-through.
Doug Bollinger was the man though to start the duo of pain to the Black Caps as he walked off the ground with an excllent start to his game with 2/21.
Douggie B is a Test man, so forget about his dismal ODI efforts against the Black Caps. How about Marcus' catch though to send the very dangerous Ross Taylor on his way!
Also need to have special mention of Mitchell's fancy footwork! Enjoyed the dismissal he gave the crowd.

In another special achievement some of you may not know of, Australian crickets most loyal of supporters achieved a brilliant record of his own today.
Luke 'Sparrow' Gillian witnessed his 150th Australian Test match and was given mention on Cricinfo!
You can often see Sparrow all over the world as he travels to the major places he can go to watch the boys in action in the Test arena. Often on your tele you can see him wearing his trademark 'Bent Banani' shirts, waving his flag and pointing his yellow bat acknowledging our players for their efforts. He also sports a very worn Baggy Green look-alike.
Sparrow has his own small business venture which is known as, Waving The Flag.
Having travelled to all the major cricketing nations, and even to places where it was deemed 'unsafe' to go, he would brave the elements! As a result of all the knowledge he has picked up, he organises cricket tours for the cricket fanatic who wants more a backpackers adventure.
You organise your ticket and Sparrow organises the rest, from accomodation recommendations, to also making sure you are looked after at the cricket.
Watching a game of cricket is special with Sparrow. I have been seeing him pop on my tele for years and seen him at a few games, but I had the pleasure of a watching a Test match with him last year while also having a good chat with him all about his adventures.
During a game you will see him waving his flag while jotting down notes in his diary and keeping track of every single important detail of the actual game. He never loses hope in the side and is a mighty proud supporter who I learn alot from when it comes to 'never give in'! Just his story alone is a story of that with the way he gets around to so many games. He's also a classic sledger when a drunked in the crowds winds him up enough.
To also add to his journey, he is given special mention by Steve Waugh in Tugga's Autobiography, 'Out of my comfort zone'.
For more information on Sparrow's tours visit his site which is in my links section.
While he seems to be taking an indefinite hiatus from the touring aspect, he is sure enough there at the game! However he is selling his Bent Banani shirts so if you want a bright and colourful shirt, like the ones he wears at the matches.

Well done this achievement mate!

PUP RETURNS IN FINE STYLE

It was a good days play for the Baggy Green and the mental toughness displayed out there was special to see.
The day started off with Phillip Hughes falling to one of those wild cut shots, which wasa pity because he got off to a really confident start.
Punter and Katto steered the ship with Punter not being shy too pull the ball while Katto had the usual cautious start to his innings.
As is Mr. Consistent, he managed to score anothe half-century, this time scoring 79 runs before being trapped LBW to give Arnel his 2nd Test wicket. His innings also included a six! Only thing that was slightly uncharacteristic was that the strike-rate didn't suddenly rocket up, but given his slow start it probably was discreetly the norm.
Michael Hussey didn't have a long stay but he's been on the go for some time now, but I do expect a good innings from him is to be unleashed soon upon the Black Caps.

The special plays of the day were from the two batsmen under the pump.
Marcus North has been heavily questioned upon his form. If you saw his innings it is signs that the confidence returned nicely and that he had his game under control. Crisp hitting, trademark late cuts, strong cover drives with loose wrists giving him the Brian Lara like look. He has overcome a huge obstacle, and as I said in my article earlier speaking of Ryan Harris' debut I just had a gut feeling Marcus would perform well. I'm glad to see it!
Michael Clarke did it again. In 2008 he took family responsibility leave and missed the 1st Test versus the Windies. He then returned and managed a century, an emotional one.
This time under very different circumstances, he has been questioned. For understandable reason he has been questioned regarding his Captaincy by most people but the fact is he's a fine cricketer and personal stuff aside, we needed to back the man upon his return to do what he does best and that is play cricket as one of senior players.
He played two glorious shots for six, one really awesome one of Daniel Vettori's bowling and before the close of play he managed to reach a memorable century.
That folks is the true display of mental toughness as the elite level. You saw it from Michael Clarke, and if you read Steve Waugh's autobiography (aka the Cricket bible) you will see he mentioned how intense those sort of obstacles are to overcome...all for just hitting a red ball to get runs behind your name.
Cricket is hard as it's a team sport but the individuals are under the microscope with regards to how they perform which can easily dominate a teams collective performance.
So well done Pup, to come out of a difficult circumstance, put it aside and get on with his job and do a brilliant job in the end. Seeing him reach that century was just epic. Pure joy!

6 wickets still in hand and some useful batting to come. It's a good looking start to this Test match but it will be crucial for the boys to continue their dominance. Ideally boys, don't give the Black Caps their first Test win against us since who knows when...let's rather not mention it!
Good days cricket, be sure to catch the highlights.

RYAN HARRIS BAGGY GREEN #413

A big congrats to Ryan Harris upon his debut for the Australian Test Squad. He received his Baggy Green on the morning of the 1st Test and is set!
It's been a speedy rise for Ryano. From what seemed to be a one-hit wonder ODI appearance, he then fell out the State system to injury. He managed to return after a serious recovery and made his way into the ODI squad to further a pretty plain debut. He did it in awesome style with a brilliant average to back some match winning performances, it has been enough for the selectors.
Like Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger, he can swing the new and old ball and I am excited to see how he does it with the red ball in hand on the playing field at the elite level.
Ryan Harris, Baggy Green number 413.

Phillip Hughes has made a surprise return to the side with Shane Watson not being passed fit. Not sure whether it really is the proper case. I get a feeling he has been rested due to workload but perhaps the injury isn't anything major so precautions are just being taken. So Watto, the Machine, will be resting meaning it will be the Hughes/Katto combo, who performed outstandingly together against the Proteas.
Phillip had a quality season for NSW ending top of the run scoring lists. He is confident again and I hope he can make this appearance count. Rooting for the young man all the way, and no better bloke to go out there with than Simon Katich.
Marcus North has his chance which is undoubtedly his golden chance. He's feeling the pressure but I just have a good feeling he will rise to the occassion.

Catch me on Twitter for my chirps at various intervals of the Test series.
Twitter: Ianbaggygreen

THE 1st TEST PREVIEW

We have a 14 man Squad for 2 Tests. As a result of this it seems inevitable there will be some minor changes between the 1st and 2nd Test.
The news is that Michael Clarke returned to the side, is practicing and ready to go. Hopefully he can just focus on the cricket and his job in the side but it doesn't change the crowds views. They are likely to give him a bit of stick, but luckily for Pup he rarely finds himself on the boundary so he should be fine. In general he is a mentally tough character.
Ryan Harris is still dealing with an injury which may cast some doubt over a debut and receiving his Baggy Green Cap.
Peter George, The Redbacks young opening bowler, has been givin the call-up. He had an outstanding Sheffield season (even though the Redbacks performed below par) with the new ball and deserves his call-up. I had a feeling they'd consider Trent Copeland but he needs one more Sheffield Season to prove himself and build his confidence, even though his performances were insane, similar to Glen McGrath when he emerged for NSW as a young man.

Here's my thoughts for the 1st Test regarding selection:
Simon Katich
Shane Watson
Ricky Ponting
Michael Clarke
Michael Hussey
Marcus North/ Steven Smith
Brad Haddin
Mitchell Johnson
Nathan Hauritz
Ryan Harris/ Clint McKay
Doug Bollinger

I don't think the Watto/Katto combo will be split up for the 1st Test as this will be the duo for the Ashes, but I reckon we may see one of the two (probably Watto) get a rest for the 2nd Test, especially if he [Watto] performs. This will give Phillip Hughes the opportunity as he has been brilliant for NSW this season and deserves his call-up. Just having him around the Squad will be good for his confidence. I have a feeling regarding Katto's future which is another reason they are keeping Phillip closely in the plans for now.
I would like to see Huss drop to 5 and Pup to 6. Huss' ODI form has been impressive and is right up there in the World rankings and for good reason. He's consistent and smart with his batting approach in ODI cricket. Test cricket has been a bit different for him. He had a turnaround in the Ashes in his final innings and then had a good summer followed with his memorable century at the SCG vs Pakistan alongside Peter Siddle.
But perhaps promoting Pup to where he is in the ODI game would be good for Huss as he tends to be alot more confident when placed where he can analyse where the game is at and he also has this ability to motivate the lower order with good self-belief. However I reckon Huss will be at 4, Pup at 5.
Marcus North will get another go. I am almost certain he will sneak in ahead of Steven Smith. Marcus had a tough run for WA after his summer dropped dramatically after the 1st Test versus the Windies. The selectors haven't lost confidence in him owing to his track-record and for this he can consider himself a fortunate cricketer. But Steven Smith will be in strong competition for that spot as he offers a similar role to Marcus, just lacking about 10 years experience in comparison.
I don't see Peter George playing as the selectors have boosted the primary reason for him being with the side will be as a cover for Ryan Harris. If Ryano isn't passed as fit to play it will be Clint McKay. They also mentioned it would be beneficial having Peter around the Squad. So in other words he is really shadowing.
That seems to be the likely look for the Squad but as mentioned I do see changes happening after this Test.

That's all for now, have your say.

THE BLACK CAPS WIN THEIR LAST GAME

We will mow them in the Test series so this game is a given for them. I dub them as the Dark Horses of cricket but they rarely are a problem in Test cricket so I'm looking forward to seeing the boys in the cricket whites, putting the Baggy Green Cap back on.
I am especially excited for the Test series just to have a look at how the selections will go. With only 2 Test matches and 14 blokes to pick from it will be interesting to see. May be two fresh Baggy Green Caps handed out and a potential return for a few guys. It will be good. That is on the 18th of March!

As for the 5th ODI. I didn't actually watch the Black Caps innings but my contacts inform me our bowling at the death of the innings is still a bit poor. It seems we have nailed a formula to get rid of the top order of most teams but have lost the plot when it comes to cleaning up the tail enders, which we started to get right in the summer series. I also believe our fielding was well below the standards we pride our fielding upon. I will have to watch the highlights to see this.
But despite this it didn't seem that our batting helped us. The Black Caps still didn't seem to get that far away with the score but losing four of our key players in low figures was always going to be a tough one to come back from.
James Hopes and Michael Hussey tried to steer the boys back on track after Watto scored another half-century amongst single figure scores. Watto was the lone man.
Huss lucked out on what would have been another half-century and yet another top performance. He was sent back for 46 and it was all but done, even though there's always a chance with guys like Mitch and Hauritz who can play their shots. Not for this game though.
One observation I did make with Mitch is his timing. I was watching footage of him in the series against the Proteas as well as his innings versus the Windies in the Champions Trophy. It was his timing, not his power hitting. His timing was excellent and his concentration was flawless when he got settled. He has been chasing the ball alot and well, the concentration isn't there. Atleast he has been bowling alot better!

Sure it would have been great to have taken the game but to retain the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy 3-2 is satisfying. I'd say that our players are just fried.
Since the Ashes it really has been non-stop. Ashes, England ODI's (7 of them), The Champions Trophy, the Indian ODI series (7 of them), Back to back Test series, then 10 ODI's and 3 T20's and now 2 more T20's versus the Black Caps and the conclusion of 5 ODI's.
That really is a hell of alot of cricket!
So given this I reckon the guys will be giving this series their best to end what has been a very long session of cricket.
We've seen injuries, key players fall out of the plans and the results from the boys has still been excellent.
After the Tests they will have a chance to regroup and have some time out before the T20 Champions Trophy in the Carribbean.

Shane Watson has risen in status with the bat in all forms of the game, Ricky Ponting has found some consistency again in all forms of the game, we've seen Ryan Harris make a sensational return with the ball and Brad Haddin's easily shown enough intensity and athletism behind the stumps to make him the best in International cricket and we can't forget his 110 runs. Of course there's the Huss who has been our Champ in ODI cricket while Cam White has emerged as a go to guy for match winning performances. In Test cricket Simon Katich has been our most consistent senior player with unquestionable dedication to his role in the side. Mitchell looks more like his old self and now we await a very exciting Test selection with the return of an awesome young batsman with a unique technique (Hughes) and another NSW player who is glowing with an entertaining aura waiting to be unleashed. He recently scored another Sheffield century and picked up 7 wickets.
All we need now is the return of the tough Hilfy, the ambitious Sids and the Champ called Binga (for ODI's in Binga's case). Marcus North will be desperate to get back into form at the elite level and maybe a guy like Nathan Bracken may return too. How can we forget Fergal too! He is still injured and not back with the Redbacks.

The problems in the side are notable, but I don't see any of them as big issues. These issues are cricket related of course which Punter would have identified.
I reckon all of these things are easy to rectify and discipline will see the boys come right. Keep showing your support for the team and let's see what they can do with one last crack at the Black Caps in the Test arena.

THE SERIES IS A WRAP & YOUR OPINIONS PLEASE

There is still one ODI to go, but Punter and the boys have taken the series.
3-1 is the standing and it looks good for the boys with another ODI series victory and the Test series approaching soon.

I thought with the exception of Brendon McCullum, the Black Caps were ordinary.
All our bowlers chipped in brilliantly even though runs leaked. James Hopes was very tidy with the ball and certainly put us in a great position. Mitch was in the action again while Nathan Hauritz actually did something for the first time in a while. He's kind of just been hanging around with a low profile lately. He picked up 3 wickets so with those wickets and everyone around the Black Caps were done in 44.1 overs.
Catfish Hopes, probably our most under-rated player. Keep in mind he's been around consistently for a very long time now. He does the job without anything too eye opening but it's epic to see Catfish do his job with never ending enthusiasm.

Rain resulted in the overs being reduced but it didn't matter. Hads went for a golden duck coming off a sensational 110, but where Watto didn't cash in on that game he sure as hell made it count this game. He let loose with the blade alongside Punter and they rocketed away. The boundaries seemed to be non-stop, which all started when Punter lofted a big one to the long on boundary for six.
He had a lifeline before he got going with a rejected LBW but it came back to bite both Punter and Watto as they departed LBW in quick succession.
Punter did raise another half-century but he will have his own frustrations that he didn't carry on to a bigger innings total given the number of times he has been in the half-century position. Fortuately after Watto and Punter's blazing partnership of 82, Cameron White (50) and Adam Voges (34) got us closer to the finish line. Cam's innings was a patient one and as always it included some power hitting so the Victorian continues to build his reputation as a solid ODI batsman. His value is now becoming invaluable with each series passing by. It's brilliant to see!
And we can't forget the Huss! He's been near perfect for us in ODI cricket for some time now and this consistency is excellent to watch and admirable. He was unbeaten on 28 which didn't take him long to bring up. Quick singles and finding the gaps.

Not much else other than the series is claimed, so another massive congrats is due to Punter and the rest of the side. Most of the guys have been chipping in each game and it's brilliant to see the guys beat the Black Caps when so many critics out there were laughing about the unbeaten summer. That is a great achievement alone (baring in mind it hadn't been achieved in a number of years!) but people easily forgte the guys beating Indian in India with a slightly under-strength Squad which was on the back of a Champions Trophy win. This victory is a good one against the Dark Horses of cricket. We'll wait and see now what the final game holds. Another game of momentum perhaps?

What are your views by the way on Steven Smith's call up as well as Michael Clarke's situation?
I prefer to not get into players personal lives on this site and trash talk them but I am curious to know what some of you think regarding Pup's current issue.
I know the majority of Australian supporters find it a bit of a poor show. I also know Punter only wants him back if he's 100% on board again. And yes, I do think this may affect his future as a Captain. Not from his point of view but from Australian cricket supporters point of view there may be concerns. Then again we never know the entire story so I'll let the lot of you have your chirp.
As for Stevo's call-up, yeah there are guys who would probably slot in better with experience but given his performances lately - and there's no denying the young guy has a bucket load of excitement about him - I think he deserves it but the Phillip Hughes treatment mustn't be followed. In other words CA have a responsibility to not build him up to much...the fall down to earth is very high and hard to work through. I this note kudos to Phillip for regaining that confidence and getting the return call-up!

THE BAGGY GREEN SQUAD FOR THE NZ TESTS

Baggy Greens for the NZ Test series (Two tests):
Ricky Ponting (Captain),
Simon Katich,
Shane Watson,
Michael Hussey,
Michael Clarke (pending return),
Marcus North,
Phillip Hughes,
Steven Smith,
Brad Haddin (wk),
Mitchell Johnson,
Nathan Hauritz,
Ryan Harris,
Clint McKay,
Doug Bollinger.

14 members in this Squad, so quite a few blokes on for the ride given that it's only two matches.
But there is some good moves here and certainly some confidence boosts for a number of players. We wait and see now who gets their opportunities.
There's an opportunity for two fresh Baggy Green caps to be handed out to Ryan Harris and Steven Smith.Ryano has some courage with the ball this summer and has continued to pick up wickets in New Zealand by showing early signs of discipline. The injury layoff has been doing him the world of good. Stevo, while known to most as a T20 player, has kicked into sublime form with the bat in Sheffield cricket for NSW.
He has scored some marvellous centuries while also providing us a dynamic to his game which includes a spin bowling option. As I have said a few times (mostly on Twitter) the young man has an exciting element to his game and while it may not happen yet, I sense he has something very special to offer Australian cricket.

Peter Siddle is still resting with a back issue and Ben Hilfenhaus is still recovering. Word is that Hilfy is set to return for the Test series against Pakistan later this year. With that series being played in England it will be a good area for Hilfy to return to. This is also assuming Pakistan will actually have a cricket team.
So Clint McKay is back in while Douggie B has another chance to impress us with the red ball. With the form Mitchell Johnson is in let's hope the confidence will flow into the Test arena.

Phillip Hughes has a recall which I am really excited about. I dig Phillip's technique which is 'unorthodox' or easier put, really unique. He has clicked back into tremendous form and it has come at the perfect time. Still backing the young man and even if he doesn't play, it's important that he is still in the teams plans with Katto maybe 2 years away from perhaps calling it a day. Maybe? Will be a sad day. I imagine the Watto/Katto combo will stand. Should Michael Clarke not return for the Tests, there is the chance (possible chance) Katto could drop down the order for Phillip to stand in, like it occurs with NSW when Phil Jaques is at the other end. It also means Steven Smith has a chance too if Clarke isn't around.
This is the fun part with a big squad for a short series. Who the hell is going to get the nod to get out there and do their job?

Lastly, Marcus North will retain his place which can be seen as his golden opportunity. He hasn't exactly been anything special for WA since coming off a rather depressing end to his summer but whether he plays or not is another thing. I'd imagine given that the selectors have shown confidence in him (so should we) he will have a Test match to show them. Opportunity may be passed around. Sometimes a guy needs that one innings. Can Marcus have that one big innings to keep his place at number 6?

I am pleased with this Squad and just imagine having every bloke fit and ready for the Ashes come selection time! That would be epic.

HADDIN'S CENTURY SEALS A MOMENTUS WIN

We need momentum in what I saw as a must win game.
Brad Haddin was splendid and if you saw his innings, it was simply put a special top order innings.
Unfortunately he couldn't carry his bat all the way till the end, but he did the job for us and in doing so scored his highest ODI total.
His statistics are reflective on his innings, but I'd strongly suggest you catch a highlights package.
Brad Haddin: 110 runs, 7 fours, 5 sixes. Strike rate just under 100. That's a solid top order stand. Top work Hads. Having finished up an outstanding summer behind the stumps which could have featured as Wicket-keeping highlights DVD alone, his batting hasn't been that notable.
He'd looked a bit 'off colour' with the bat and was looking more driven to slog out generally than build an innings. After showing huge promise from the 1st ODI of this series (and the T20's) it all came together in Hamilton.
Hads has a 2nd century to his name, and the boys take a 2-1 lead. So close now!

Ricky Ponting delivered a fine performance coming off just 1 run during his innings in Auckland. He came out to the crease to join Hads, not a very frequent partnership, and hit his way to 69. It was a match winning partnership with Skipper and 'Keeper. Punters strike-rate was healthy and it's been great to see Punter still picking up the half-centuries. Let alone it adds to those awesome stats, but it also strengthen's our top order confidence as Punter he the ability to motivate the boys with a good innings.
As I always say, certainly not the greatest Captain but he's a fantastic leader. However, I think too many people complain cluelessly about his Captaincy.
Michael Hussey made a rare blunder tonight...he didn't make double figures!
He is a sensational performer against the Black Caps and too our surprise he was sent packing for 9 runs. Doesn't change the fact he's been bloody terrific for us in ODI cricket. I wonder if we'll see Huss score another ODI century? It's been a very long time. Punter is also due for a century soon. He had one for the summer against the Windies but I wouldn't mind another one from the Maestro.
I think as far as our batting goes things just got wrapped up neatly with Cam White playing yet another concentrated innings and Adam Voges getting an opportunity to knock it around the park. Although it did seem forever to get those final runs.

Mitchell Johnson delivered a back to back bowling performance that would have shut his 'haters' up a bit. 3-41 is a good effort and he's looking very confident again is Mitch. Just hope when he puts the Baggy Green back on that he launches himself at the opposition with promising results.
Ryan Harris also chipped in with 3 wickets. Ryano went for quite a few runs but picked up a vital wicket at the top of the order and assisted in wrapping up the tail enders.
Shane Watson had a rare slip up with the bat in a run-out (the Black Caps needed that) but he bowled well picking up 2 wickets. I'm almost certain nearly every game he is playing if he doesn't cash in on the runs he is picking up an average of 2 wickets a game. ICC Player of the Year is very promising for Watto. He just needs to keep doing what he's doing!

So that's the ball game and 2-1 is the standing.
What did you blokes think of Brad Haddin's innings?
What's your expectations for the final games? Where would you like to see the boys improve?
Brad Haddin = Picture perfect shot executioner.

On another note, scrapping the Sheffield Shield final to expand the Big Bash?
I seriously don't see any need for it. Cricket Australia being slightly clueless here in neglecting tradition? I'm still thinking about it myself.

THE BOYS HIT BACK IN A THRILLING GAME

That was a good game and, I feel inspired again!
Although it ended up being a really close game it added some excitement again and another opportunity to test the boys under more pressure.
On another good note both the Brumbies and the Reds won their Super 14 Rugby matches which has made my sporting weekend alot better.
There were some notable improvements from the boys tonight but there were also some areas Punter made clear need to improve.

Our batting took some strain when it came to momentum, which got lost midway of the innings.
But how about Watto and Hads? In all fairness the way Watto lets rip with the blade at the top of the order, it can't be easy to maintain momentum. His hitting was crisp yet again and he settled into the conditions with little discomfort. Some fine blasting down the ground saw him and Hads complement each other really well.
I also find it a bit strange still seeing two right handed blokes opening the batting for us.
Watto is certainly fitting perfectly into his role at the top of the order, but how could he miss out on another half-century? A bit of a Callum Ferguson like effort when you notch up so many 40's.
Hads finally cashed in on some awesome batting, where he was able to let his arms free, give himself room to execute his shots and as always he looked really impressive too in the process.
On the topic of Hads, his Wicket Keeping was also excellent. That catch he took to give Mitch one of his four wickets was a screamer and it was another acrobatic effort to add to his already impressive footage of fine 'keeping!
Cam White held the fort with another half-century to his name, but like Punter mentioned a few games back it is frustrating seeing guys not convert their fifties into higher totals.
What do you reckon the reason is behind this?
Cam played some powerful strokes and he really did a terrific job for us but I seriously have to give the kudo's to the Huss! The man is insanely brilliant when he takes on the Black Caps. He picked up another fifty against them and it wasn't hard for him to get stuck into his midwicket power heaving. His athletism comes in handy when pushing the quick singles in the later stages of the innings. I'm really pleased to see him continue to ride out his ODI form in dominating style!
James Hopes and Mitchell added some valuable runs in the last few overs.
Catfish Hopes is really making the end of an innings his forte.

Mitchell bowled really tonight I thought. He picked up 4 wickets which would have looked even more impressive had it not been for a nearly Heroic Daniel Vettori blasting him for two boundaries in the 3rd last over of the game.
His wickets were assisted with some classy fielding but he also showed some really good control. But we all know Mitch is a hot and cold kind of bowler. When he's good, he's mighty impressive. When not, let's leave this.
Ryan Harris! Ryano was brilliant. While most of our bowlers did take a bit of a beating from the Black Caps, he kept his focus. For the second time in his career he found himself on a hat-trick but lucked out on it. Two back to back LBW's then followed with his third wicket which mattered most. Vettori showed his abilities with the bat and nearly took his team home, but Ryan kept it simple and played him at his own game. Vettori had been flicking the ball off his pads a fair bit, so Ryano added some pace, the ball skidded a bit and beat Vettori's efforts to steer it fine. Bowled and that was the ball game.
Back on the victory boat and even though there was rain and Duckworth Lewis came into action it was just good to hit back with a victory.

1-1 is the score as it was announced the last ODI did in fact count.
One of the blokes who follows me on Twitter made a good observation regarding patterns of play.
Before the World Cup the Black Caps tend to give us a really rough time in ODI cricket, a fair bit of the time walking away as the winners.
However I'd prefer it if the boys did walk away from this series victorius before the Baggy Green boys fly over for the Test series.
The boys will be really keen to get out there for the 3rd game and improve upon their last two performances, and I expect them to do so.

THE BLACK CAPS ALWAYS SAVE IT FOR US

They really are the dark horses of cricket aren't they. Never really taken as serious competition by the majority of teams but they always seem to get into the intense stages of any tournament, while also saving their best ODI cricket for us.
With the exception of the 2007 ODI's, where of the three games played we won two, with the SCG game being rained out. Even in that game we had them staring down the barel after a Brett Lee new ball assault!
The series before that in 2006/07 we still had a tough run. Despite our monstrous totals which saw Matthew Hayden come back in style with his blade in ODI's. In 2008 we nearly lost that series too but it ended up being quite an evenly fought battle.
Casting my mind back to Haydos' World Cup outing which was set up in confidence after that series I recalled. What a tournament it was for the Big Unit, what a Legend of the Baggy Green.

Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting just missed out on their fifties but showed they are still in fine touch following their efforts this summer. Watto has been a machine with the bat, while Punter is declaring war against all the bowlers who are going to take him on. As I said last post, the never give in attitude is starting to peak again!
Michael Hussey continues to show The Black Caps are his ideal opponents where he rarely backs down. Another classy innings from the Huss and he did another cracking job for us in the middle order in this form of the game.
I'm not too sure if we had a bowl at the Black Caps in the 1st ODI, which has been declared as a warm-up game. Whatever the result wa, for the team that won it's rather meaningless.

As you may know, the Chappell-Hadlee series has been reduced to 4 ODI's.
So the standing is 0-0 with the 1st game not being counted. Sorry Scott.
So the plan is this...win the next 4 games, atleast 3 of them.

Losing 2 games in a row has taken it's toll on me following a relatively terrible Super14 Campaign for the Aussie teams this weekend past.

CAMERON WHITE'S INNINGS

I watched the game again and I really rate Cameron White's innings. It was absolutely phenomenal for his reputation to be further developed.
That innings is undoubtedly up there in one of the finest innings I have watched my when taking aggression, desperation and entertainment into the equation.
His 21 ball fifty was the 10th fastest in T20 cricket and given Cam's brilliant summer with the bat he deserves the recognition for his efforts.
His shots were smartly executed with ferocious power that makes him 'The Bear'!
Even though as a team we didn't win the match, the fact that most teams would have thrown in the towel in that sort of a run-chase displayed the true colours of this team and I am proud to see signs emerge that resemble the characteristic that has been lost.
That is, never EVER give in to the opposition. I bloody love it!

The Super over was dissapointing for a number of reasons (see previous article) but the boys shouldn't have any credit taken away after the fight they displayed to tie with the Black Caps monstrous total, courtesy on Brendan McCullum's most innovative innings yet. It was the 2nd T20i century scored.
That run-chase after McCullum's brutal knock, took every bit of mental and physical strength and to fall so close in nearly taking the victory, that is what's rather bleak. But nonetheless, kudo's to the T20 Squad and let's hit back hard for the ODI's.
Frustratingly there's 5 of them!