Black Caps vs Australia: First 4 days of Basin Reserve test sold out:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350157191/black-caps-vs-australia-first-4-days-basin-reserve-test-sold-out

When you consider that this match is set to start end of Feb and finish early March, which is starting to become the Rugby season start in NZ, this is pretty heartening to see.
Imagine if they actually played during tests over in NZ during the Christmas Holiday season? They just played a five match T20 series against Pakistan, and nobody cares…they could have played two or three tests against the Pakis, who proved they are a decent test side, who if they caught properly could have embarrassed Australia in a couple tests in the recent series.

More thoughts on this shocking situation:
I have previously read that NZ loses near a million dollars for each test match it puts on, which is why it keeps scheduling those two test series that have become ubiquitous round the world unless the series is an India / Australia / England series.
So, the ICC needs to stop faffing about. When NZ, RSA, Sri Lanka, Pakistan , Windies host a test series, the ICC funds a large proportion of the costs. If this means the Big 3 get less of a cut, boo hoo – their will still be a massive amount of money for them, and portioning a few million $ here and there to effectively subsidise the less well off nations to play test cricket, is darn well the right thing to do.
So, yes some will accuse me of “Cricket Socialism”. Darn right that is what I am promoting. Left to its own devices, as I said in my first comment, Cricket is just going to eat itself alive, and the international game will be almost non existent.
Do you really just want to see a Border Gavaskar, and a Ashes year in year out? That will get as boring as old boots – and there is a large danger that even that scenario would be under threat if the various white ball leagues popping up like pimples on an adolescents face round the world, won’t have enticed some of the biggest stars from the Big 3 to their League –think of the LIV golf situation.

Hopefully this IS the watershed moment that the ICC steps in – but I doubt it. They are self serving greedy mutts who just allow BCCI to do whatever the heck they want. I really do not understand it but at the same time I do. Capitalism eats itself without some form of restrictions and regulations – professional sport is no different.

Why cannot these people that run the game sit down and work out a yearly schedule that is equitable for all test playing nations, and if that means a basic UBI for all Test playing nations, then that is what needs to happen.

You just cannot allow fly by night charlatans with a bit of money to set up these T20 or even now I am hearing about T10 Leagues, and use the lure of money to completely erode the best form of the game from what it is supposed to be – a “Test of the best against the best”.

This is more than just about test cricket – it is about saving cricket itself. Leave the current situation and say good bye to international cricket of all formats by 2030.
It will just be a set of International’s white ball leagues with no international matches at all.

This Johnson v Warner debate is small fry, and nothing but back page fodder.
The most important debate that is needed in modern cricket is how to sort out the influence of the BCCI. No problem with them having their IPL League, even if I think T20 is an abomination of a game –however, the hypocritical stance of some nations that decry the power BCCI have, but then eagerly take the Indian money is disturbing. There has to be a cricket calendar worldwide sorted out so the IPL and other Leagues have their window, and Test cricket get’s it’s window -and that Test window cannot just revolve around Ind/Aus/Poms. NZ, RSA, Pakistan etc need to be part of the window — I see NZ will be playing four tests in Australia in a couple years – good. These 2 test series are a bane, and go a long way to explaining why the likes of a former force in Test cricket such as Pakistan, cannot currently compete against Australia in the proper form of the game. Yes, Yes, Yes, I know NZ did extremely well to win the WTC a couple years ago, but that was off the back of a slow over rate by Aus letting the Kiwis thru the door, and then they have a number of world class players. Generally, the Teams that are limited two Test series are finding it hard to compete, and in the case of Windies that cricket calendar has meant a mass exodus of their best players away from test cricket, and now RSA are also about to go through this….

Way more important than the Warner v Johnson stoush.

Always a possibility of course, but once in a generation players like Cleary and Luai combining in the same team, are rare.
Cheers

Rowdy, you see this is where you just use blind Patriotism.
I am Australian. Can’t stand the poms, thought the double-standards during the Bairstown incident that came to light with Bairstown and McCullum both trying this rubbish on.

What do you not get when I say: It IS within the rules, and the rules should be changed.

I also think the boundary ropes should be done away with like the old days.I also think T20 is rubbish, and should be banned before the BCCI completely stuff up the sport (see D Brettig article in the SMH about a new T10 or 100 tournament in Sept-Oct that BCCI is floating – my Lord), I want a lot of things to happen in cricket that won’t — but this is one stupid rule than can, and should be changed.

And now a duck in the 2nd innings.

With Cleary now in his peak years 26, the loss of Luai probably won’t stop Penrith being at the top or near too it over the next couple seasons. But with injuries and natural form dips as he ages – while he still will be fantastic, those periods where Clearly can’t quite do at age 29 that he was doing at 25, 26, that is when a Luai is pure gold to a team.

He is attempting a run by dancing down the wicket to hit the ball – Doh.

You know very well what I am talking about – when it is as plain as day when the ball has gone to the fielder or its the end of the over as in the Bairstow incident. C’mon man it ‘aint that hard to figure out.

You altered one word, you changed ‘the’ to a ‘a’ which changes the context. I was talking about ALL wicket keepers that make a habit of trying this rubbish on not Carey soley.
Read it again pal: “sneaky low life rubbish of the wicket keeper…”

Dylan Brown was awesome in the Pacific Championship, , albeit with a monster Kiwi pack behind him that smashed the Kangaroos – but still its sometimes not easy leading elite players around the park – but he did it with aplomb.
If the Parramatta forwards can lay a half decent platform, Dylan could be a near weekly match winner…he just needs to learn to keep his hands in his pockets in social situations.

The law needs to be changed. When a batsman is obviously not attempting a run, then this sneaky low life rubbish of the wicket keeper trying to run him out – has to be stopped. There is no skill in it -it’s the wicket keepers version of a Mankad.
We will get all this rubbish touting “It’s within the rules” – change the stupid rules.

I fully support Mitchell Johnson’s stance.

As for Mundine’s comment about being “Un-Australian” -give me a break.
Blatant cheating by loading up your pockets with Sandpaper because you think you are not good enough to get the opposition out within the laws of the game – now that is “UN-AUSTRALIAN”.

Smith and Warner should have never been allowed near a cricket field again – ever.

What? You think they might steal the 80 grit roll outa Warner’s cricket bag?

Who the heck cares about some South African franchise cricket league? Who is going to watch that. I get the Indian thing with IPL — Indian’s have such a boring life in a 3rd world country, albeit developing at rapid pace these days economically – that T20 seems exciting and fresh – but it won’t last. As the Indian economy develops, and their choice of entertainment widens as the middle class expands – T20 will dive in popularity. I predict in 10-15 years the IPL will not exist.
Test Cricket will live on – as Indians mature economically, and realise missing an IPL game is no big deal, they will again become lovers of test cricket, with all its history, culture, and chance to redeem oneself during a game – this is why Test Cricket is the greatest game on earth – no other sporting fixture is so close to what real life is – you can make mistakes, have a horrible day, but have the chance to make a comeback, or it can still or end in tragedy … or glory. Test Cricket mirrors life in a sporting sense. Even the fact that one can have a glorious innings, or a fantastic spell of bowling, but your team ends up losing — that too is just like life.
Some games of Test cricket are edge of the seat from the first ball, but you can also have many games that are boring…again, look at your own life – is every day a cliff hanger? Doe you have weeks, even months, where pretty much nothing happens?
T20 closely resembles the current way a lot of people live – scrolling down their social media page looking for the next dopamine hit. But in the end, you think about it one day and realise what was once exciting, is now just mundane. You put your phone down and you go for a good old boring walk in the park, admiring the green bushes, the tall trees, the bird life – you realise just how fantastic it is – this is Test Cricket.

It’s not far off the truth. They were able to dud the Kiwis changing the pitch to the flattest state highway for the Semi – luckily for Aussie the cat got out of the bag so no such pitch choosing shenanigans could happen in the Final.

Ok so I am gonna say it: It is weird that NSW coach is also the Kiwi coach.
I haven’t figured out if is disrespectful to the Kiwis or to NSW…or both – but either way it just doesn’t sit right with me.

People also forget the Kiwis were a Brandon Smith brain explosion whisker away from beating Roos in the WC Semi last year, and I have no doubt they would have gone on to thump Samoa in the final. Last week scoreline flattered the Roos with a couple late tries – so this thumping by the Kiwis has been on the cards.
So, all in all, probably is time seriously look at where the Roos are going and if Mal does deserve to carry on…and I agree with an early poster – Mal needs to hit the gym again, he is a bit of a butterball at the moment.

The 36-18 result flattered Australia in the first game

Do they? Do the crowds just want see sixes flying into the stand? If that is so, why are the two most famous and most exciting One Dayers a semi final in ’99 between SA and Aus, with only 200 or so to chase, and then in 2019 NZ V Eng around 240 odd. I mean, everyone agrees that those were the most exciting one day games ever played, with strong arguments the 2109 final was one of the best games of cricket and definitely the freakiest ever. What was similar about both games? The pitch did bit, with four excellent bowling attacks, the batsmen had to work a bit for their runs.

You see, one of the most common sayings in the world, is one of the most accurate: ‘Familiarity breeds contempt” — when people stop getting excited by these super flat pitches, these humungous but light bats, and these boundary ropes brought in way too much – then I am sorry, this current “T20” craze will not last. When every game is the same, when no one cares, when it all becomes a bit blasé – even in India with their nutty fans — corporate hacks will finally get it -it may take another decade or two, but this current way of playing white ball cricket , be it T20 or 50over – will gets its comeuppance.

NZ has a rich history of Rugby League. Hopefully this will educate you;

Albert Henry Baskerville who set out to sign a group of professional rugby players to tour England. Baskerville’s team of professional “All Golds”, on their way to England, made a stop over in Australia, playing a 3-game series against a professional New South Wales rugby team. [citation needed]

From there, they went on to England and for the first time, played by the Rugby Football League’s rules. On their return home, they stopped over in Australia to play another 10 games against clubs from the newly formed New South Wales Rugby League.

During the All Gold’s tour, their founder, Baskerville fell ill and later died of pneumonia. [citation needed] 13 June 1908 saw the first game of rugby league played by the Northern Union’s new rules on New Zealand soil; as a benefit match for Baskerville’s widowed mother.

The first match in New Zealand was played at Wellington on 13 June 1908 before a crowd of nearly 7,000, which saw an exhibition between two teams drawn from the touring side.

Rugby league had now its sights firmly set on New Zealand, however, the New Zealand Rugby Union’s dominance in New Zealand sport, government and business would prove a lot tougher than the unions of Australia or England. The NZRU took it upon themselves to pressure potential converts, officials, sponsors and ground owners into not giving the rugby league upstarts any room to move.

The Wellington Rugby Union even went to the length of naming, under false pretenses, famous players in the team lineup for a match at Athletic Park in order to lure interest away from a Northern Union match being played in Petone on the same day. None of this succeeded in stopping the establishment of the game and by 1910 it was being played in Auckland, Taranaki, Rotorua, Nelson, Southland, Wanganui, Marlborough, Invercargill, Hawke’s Bay, and South Auckland.

The New Zealand Rugby League was formed in 1909 and other provinces joined the league. In the year after that, Auckland Rugby League became the first to start a regular competition. The Auckland League had a full season in 1912, with its headquarters at Eden Park. That same year saw the formation of Wellington’s local rugby league competition. In 1913 Henry Thacker set up the Canterbury Rugby Football League, donating the Thacker Shield.

Moses L and Fisher H – that’s a pretty intimidating pair of front rowers.
P Haas was missing in action.
Timoko – superstar in the making that lad – built low to the ground and very hard to contain…fast too.
I do wonder if our fascination with SOO is all a bit much these days…is it that important? I can take or leave SOO to be honest. I’d be quite happy with a diet of NRL during the year, and an Intel comp like this end of each year or every 2nd year. The SOO midseason madness just doesn’t do it for me anymore.

It is State of Origin that is the pointless waste of space. International football has miles more honour — SOO is hyped up by the media corporations as some “wonderful” comp, but all it is a snore-fest right in the middle of the season proper.

Was last week really a thrashing? A comfortable win with two very late tries, but Kiwis were dudded with a few calls last week.

I was picking a margin of 6. either way…. I was about as far off as the Andromeda Galaxy…that was a crushing win to New Zealand.