New Zealand vs Australia: 2nd Test, Day 4 as it happened - Carey, Cummins clutch up for famous Aussie win

Cam actually enjoying your comments. You do make some clear reasonable points mate. You are 100 percent right about home averages usually always being higher than international or rather touring averages. I would always agree with that. However, You do set out though a good case about the declining averages of all our batsmen really . Ive just been trying to highlight this point to Jeff and others who throw the toys out of the pram. We have a real top order batting decline. I did however point out in the last post to them so far we only have a sample size of 4 tests in 2024 I think but note I think your wrong about Khawajas 2024 average. I reviewed this before you even posted for another post. The averages of the two openers is 30 for 2024, labs is 30 and Head is a paltry 24 mate. Its terrible . I suggested we need to see the data from the next four tests which I think are all set in Nov/December then the sample size is complete. The break may help them Im not sure any of them play t20 except maybe Head. The home decks are the three easiest grounds for Aussies to traditionally make runs so no excuses for head and labs. The more I looked the more its clear its those two batsmen that simply have to lift their averages. Over the summer their averages were dire on home decks. Smiths and Khawajas were better. 2024 its got worse . I think you've left out Heads declining average year by year I saw it but won't bother quoting the decline but its not good resulting with him sitting on 24 for 2024 which is sackable if it continues. He has the talent but his brain fades and discipline are terrible for test cricket most of the time particularly when touring. You wisely carve out green from analysis and I would advocate he's just had his first tours to India and England which are very difficult for any new batsmen and its dragged his average down a bit but NZ must give him some confidence. Players as young and talented as he is deserve a good go . We need some talented youth in the side to lead the future players as a few will retire in the next few years no matter what we say. Anyway enjoyed posting with you. For me next summer a huge watch on labs and head given their declining averages simply being below test standard in the last 12 month block of cricket which is sample size of say 16 matches beginning in India . That included 5 tests at home against lower ranked opposition as well . Lets see how things go in December but perhaps the break will give head and labs time to sharpen up in shield if they can play there . On home decks they should be able to do much better than this summer past though

Hi Pierro, you make fair some fair points. I'd counter by saying almost all international bats score better at home than abroad and if you only selected players that performed better away from Australia, you probably won't field a team. Head currently averages 41.75, which is only a touch above his average in England (38.63). Incidentally, Head averages 50 in Australia and 30 abroad (Marnus 62 at home, 38 away, Smith 62 at home 53 away, Usman 53 at home 39 away). Part of the problem with Head, is the misfiring top order. Travis is often coming to the crease when the ball is still hard and moving around. Smith, who was ridiculously promoted to open, has had declining averages of 58 (2022), 42 (2023) and 30 (2024). Marnus has gone from 65 (2021), 56 (2022), 35 (2023), and 30 (2024). Usman Khawaja is in the same boat, averages dropping over the past four years from 60 to 51 to 43 and finally 40 in 2024. The only player in the top five who isn't in decline is Cam Green and that is kind of debateable. If you take out his huge outlier 174no, his average in 2024 drops to 21. Personally, I think the test team needs a break, which most of them should get now.

He averaged 28.5, not 25. That’s higher than the career average of Cameron Bancroft who averaged 19 in County Cricket during the 2023 season whilst Warner was putting up better numbers in test cricket, and also averages 12 in test cricket in England. So no, not anyone could have done better. You can’t replace a batter with an empty chair. The fact you didn’t even attempt to name someone is telling.

v making the World 2023 XI. At the end of the day we can only see what the early part of the SS Season will deliver. If we have no-one belting the door down Head will be selected. But l do get your point he’s been infuriatingly inadequate. That said, it’s fine tuning that needs to happen. And to torture that analogy Head’s TV Set has a ‘picture’; maybe somewhat out of focus. Who, as a 5 or 6, has something resembling a picture on their screen? —— And 2024? Not big sample there McNair Anderson.

He didn’t get the memo …. on how to fake being a human when you are actually an automaton

praise be the lord. always good to go to Hawaii when your nations burning

rowdy consider his averages: 61 2021. 50 2022. 41 2023. 24 2024. Notce a trend matę. He doesnt play well abroad . mean average 29 abroad sadly . very reckless and impulsive abroad . Hes had one good innings really since England series begun over last 12 tests ad that was at home in Adelaide to a lowly ranked Pakistan. Its not good enough

You can’t dismiss his WTC performance like that. He showed up to one of the big dances of the year! We didn’t go to that to lose! You can take out any thing to make any point then. —— He was dropped after the Brisbane Windies game last Summer after being good whilst Warner kept his spot. That does you no good despite putting on a face that belies things are fine. Especially that sort of hypocrisy. Yes it’s been lean but he ain’t no Crusoe and he has been there for us at the pointy end a number of times. I agree, he’s on thin ice but with our SS Degradation Policy on no Winter Tour does not bode well. And we haven’t gotta Boof, Katich or Hussey blasting the barn door off it’s hinges.

No, forcer, he made people shake hands with him ..... whether they liked it or not.

Cant agree with you on head at all Rowdy. He’s averaged a meagre 24 this year so far and 41 last year 2023 bolstered by bigger runs once on a home deck at Adelaide against average app. (Pakistan) One match against a very poor sth Africa at home at SCG and WTC final which wasnt a series test for me . Take those 3 out and he’s really dire. I think Head and labs average over the last year excluding both sth Africa match before that are both very poor mate. Head had the luxury of opening in India too before the spinners came on. Just going by their averages and means especially compared to what they did before 2023 . They trail Smith Khawaja and bison by some distance with averages in 2023 and 2024 . Im not getting in to green as he’s so much younger and debuting on foreign pitches which were tough first time round in India and England. Great win today but labs and head were no shows this innings . At least labs made some finally last innings .

you mean god botherer hahah like scotty was awful on another level indeed. All pretty crap

Tempo are you series on Warner he averaged 25 in the last ashes and the lowest opening series average in test cricket history out of all players to have ever played pro cricket averaging 9 in one 5 test series . Im not even going to take your comment seriously on that basis mate. On that basis just about anyone could do better. Averaged in 20s in last 18 months . Terrible had to go sooner.

It's actually a good thing that we are seeing competitive test matches against different opposition. This could have been a terrible summer if Australia had just steamrollered Pakistan and the Windies, but instead we had some really gripping test cricket. And even better, Australia found a way to win in all but one game which they lost by less than 10 runs.

Not really relevant to your claim that he did nothing to contribute to the test series win. Australia doesn’t win the test without his 90, so clearly he didn’t do “nothing” as you claim. You also seem to have forgotten that he averaged 40+ in the Pakistan series. Not fantastic, but it was only really the Windies tests and the first test of this series that he didn’t contribute much.

Arhh, well, there's that too.

Couldn’t agree any more, I always rated him.

Just thinking on the fly. How about a Trans-Tasman Crown? The Super Rugby mixes Australian and New Zealand sides in an integrated comp with outliers like Pasifika and Fijian Drua. Bring the BBL and whatever-they-call-the-NZ-T20-League together. NZ Breakers already play in the NBL. Phoenix in the A-League. Open the FFA Cup to NZ provincial sides. Bring the women in. Cricket, Rugby and Netball comps integrated even more than they might be already. Minor sports can sign up. Hockey, water polo, Gold Gloves amateur martial sports. They can boost their profiles in a greater context. Have some panel evaluate some sort of points table system that equalises disparities (that'll be difficult but not impossible - I wonder how they work out the Tour de France stage winners but no one argues). Have the Sports ministers of both countries sign off on it and keep the gambling concerns out of it. If there's buy-in from media, public, players and sporting administrations it could bubble. A Kiwi will never miss an opportunity to get one up on The Great Southern Land. Could you imagine the Crown resting on some obscure bowls match between two suburban clubs and sports fans of both nations are tuned in like an Olympic 100m mens final? I'm delirious after this outburst. Sorry Rowds.

100% agree. Yes, we were favourites, but it's still a pretty big deal. The batting issues are also being massively overstated. I'm not suggesting that there aren't issues, but after today every single player in the top 7 has played a match changing innings in either ODI or Tests in the last 12 months. Consistency is obviously an issue right now, but it's not like anyone is knocking down the door for selection and I'm pretty comfortable that our best 6 batsman are all in the team currently. I just find the negativity so bizzare at a time like this. Australia has easily been the most successful team over the last 18 months (I don't mean strictly W/L ratio, but in terms of silverware and important wins). We're on a 12 match ODI win streak including the ODI World Cup and we've had a very competitive series in India, retained the Ashes in England, beat WI in Australia and just whitewashed NZ in NZ. If you want to be negative then you better have a clear idea as to how to fix it, otherwise you're just being negative for the sake of it.

His only score in just about the entire summer - that output probably isn’t enough for a number 3

Warner did a decent job in the Ashes, not great but he did a job. Not sure who you think would have replaced him and averaged more than Warner did in the series.