Aussies v. Black Caps - ODI Tri series

[Donny]

7/244. The Aussies need 15 runs from 10 balls.

Bichel hits, caught behind. 15 from 9.

Williams takes a single. Symmo faces. Bang, 4. BANG, 6 !!

Williams faces Oram. Yorker, dot. 4 needed from 5 balls.

Next ball, single. Symmo faces, single to deep square.

2 for a win, 1 to tie. Williams faces, snick! Dropped.

Symmo takes the single and the win. Top knock, Roy. 37 from 39.

[Donny]

Clarke leads Australia to thrilling victory

The Wisden Bulletin by Samanth Subramanian

Four wickets into the New Zealand batting in next to no time, Australia could have been forgiven for expecting a repeat of Faridabad, where the same batting crumbled from a similar position. Instead, thanks to Jacob Oram and Daryl Tuffey, Pune gave its cricket fans a much more climactic game, and although Andrew Symonds slammed Australia home by two wickets, New Zealand's fielding lent more than a helping hand towards that result.

Australia needed four off the final over to win, and after two of those runs had been notched up, Brendon McCullum dropped Brad Williams's wild slash. Symonds clouted the very next ball to Lou Vincent at short midwicket, and even as that was grassed, the batsmen ran the single needed. Had they been taken, either of those chances could have potentially reversed the result of this game and may even affect New Zealand's chances of making the TVS Cup final.

Vincent had already dropped Symonds once at short extra cover, and his wicket at that time would have dented Australia's hopes severely. Chasemeister Michael Bevan departed shortly afterwards (204 for 6), and it was Symonds who nudged Australia steadily towards 259, taking 10 runs off the last two balls of the penultimate over and keeping a cool head throughout.

Symonds's final assault built upon a 108-run fifth-wicket partnership between Bevan and Michael Clarke, who came together with Australia in some distress. Daryl Tuffey had dismissed Adam Gilchrist driving to mid-off (34 for 1), Matthew Hayden caught at slip (40 for 2) and Damien Martyn bowled off an inside edge (54 for 3). Scotty Styris then bowled Ricky Ponting, and at four wickets down for 54, some calm batting was urgently needed.

Bevan has provided that so many times in the past that it is now almost second nature, but Clarke's supply of it was a revelation. Displaying excellent hand-eye coordination and some canny shot selection, Clarke rotated strike easily, and displayed an array of strokes and a willingness to improvise. He used his feet regularly to Daniel Vettori, once coming down the pitch and dragging him from outside off for a mighty six over midwicket. At the other end, Bevan batted away with minimum fuss; even his six off Chris Harris over long-off bore the stamp of business rather than pleasure.

After Clarke inside-edged Tuffey onto his stumps (173 for 5) and Bevan, uncharacteristically, made an error of judgement during the final phase of a chase by top-edging a pull, Symonds stuck it out relentlessly. Ian Harvey and Andy Bichel played their part by sticking to a run-a-ball formula, but

Earlier Brad Williams, having found at Faridabad a script that pleased him, took ball in hand with the sole purpose of creating a sequel. Consistently moving the ball either way in his opening spell, Williams trapped both Chris Nevin and Scott Styris lbw by getting some nip into the batsmen. In between, he induced Lou Vincent to jab an outswinger to slip, and when he bowled Craig McMillan through the gate (21 for 4), New Zealand had their backs to the wall.

After Bichel came into the attack, however, the pressure eased. The prodigious movement, which had so far worked against New Zealand, now started to contribute to the number of extras, and Cairns and Stephen Fleming had just started to mount a recovery when Bichel snaffled Cairns with the 10th ball of an over. After having delivered three wides and a no ball, Bichel got one to move into Cairns and trap him lbw (68 for 5). Fleming went into Test-match mode after that. He survived a difficult caught-and-bowled chance off Harvey, but his shield looked impenetrable until he skied a pull off Symonds to midwicket in a rush of blood (130 for 6).

Chris Harris soon slashed Williams to deep cover (151 for 7), but thereafter followed New Zealand's best partnership - of 68 runs for the eighth wicket. Oram, using his height to good effect by striding forward and covering all swing, thumped bad balls for four and nudged singles otherwise. McCullum was content to turn the strike over repeatedly to Oram. A vicious six off Bichel over midwicket brought up the 200 for New Zealand, but soon after, Oram was struck on the ribs by a full toss that slipped out of Andrew Symonds's hand. Although it was entirely accidental, it seemed to shake him up a little. Oram savaged 14 runs off the first five balls of that over, hitting cleanly and powerfully, but he moved to leg for the final ball - a full, straight delivery - and was bowled (219 for .

Oram's innings had wrested back the initiative for New Zealand, and McCullum and Daniel Vettori intelligently kept the scoreboard ticking over in the final few overs. Perhaps they could have used a few more slogged fours during that time, but more than anything else, they could have used their normally high levels of fielding, for if any game was lost by dropped catches, this one was.

[tazza2000]

Whooo! Watch a match

As much as i like Australia to win by 10 wickets, to see the kiwi literally 'DROP' the match is a much better spectacle to watch

[Donny]

Dancing down the wicket

Wisden Cricinfo staff

Australia held their nerve to win a humdinger against New Zealand in the TVS Cup. A crucial factor in this was the 70 runs Michael Clarke made. He scored quickly and did not allow the bowlers to dominate. He was especially good against Daniel Vettori, usually New Zealand's best bowler in the subcontinent. A key factor was his footwork. To every ball, he moved his feet early and well. He looked to come onto the front foot as much as possible and was even happy to dance down the wicket and drive. No wonder then, that he took 20 runs off Vettori coming down the wicket.

Good use of the feet

How Clarke scored his runs against Vettori

Back foot 6
Front Foot 4
Stepped out 20


Another big performer on the day was Jacob Oram (81). He took New Zealand out of the woods after an early collapse, but could not ensure a win. When Oram came in to bat at number seven, New Zealand were in trouble at 86 for 5. They needed to rebuild, and Oram did just that. To begin with he concentrated on playing straight back down the ground, and hit 19 runs in the `v' between long-on and long-off. After he got set, he targeted midwicket, and scored 25 runs in the zone – more than anywhere else. Ultimately, though, it was still not enough.

Jacob Oram's Wagon Wheel

Thirdman 9
Point 5
Cover 14
Long-off 8
Long-on 11
Midwicket 25
Square leg 1
Fine leg 8

[Donny]

Next match ? Aussies v. Black Caps on Sunday. 2.00 pm EDS time.

[Donny]

Keep the wood on Kiwis
By Jon Pierik in Guwahati, India
November 9, 2003

AUSTRALIA believes it has a psychological hold over New Zealand and will look to prey on that advantage when the teams meet today.

The world champions have won their past five matches against the Black Caps, the latest an epic comeback when Andy Symonds snatched victory with a ball to spare in Pune last Wednesday.

Chasing 259 for victory, the Australians were in trouble at 4-65 but recovered to win.

As his side flew in to Guwahati yesterday, skipper Ricky Ponting admitted his men enjoyed a mental edge over the Black Caps.

"The way we have won the games has been pretty satisfying," Ponting said.

"The World Cup game we thumped them, the first game here we thumped them and we came from behind the other day to win.

"We probably have just got it over them a little bit."

On the cusp of victory, New Zealand spilt three key chances on Wednesday that denied them victory and suggested the occasion again got to them.

Symonds was dropped by Lou Vincent before he had scored and, in a pulsating final over with the Australians needing four runs to win, wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum spilt an edge off Brad Williams and Scott Styris allowed Symonds to hit the winning run when he grassed an easy chance at mid-wicket.

"They dropped three catches towards the end of their innings the other day when they might have been under a little bit of pressure," Ponting said.

Today's final preliminary encounter between the two sides begins locally at 8.30am, ensuring there will be plenty of early swing for whichever team bowls first.

What Ponting and counterpart Stephen Fleming will be hoping for, though, is that the wicket is dry and has little grass cover.

Both men were angered by the state of the pitch in Pune last week, where the toss of the coin again played a major hand.

At Faridabad a week earlier, the Black Caps were skittled for 97 on a green and seaming wicket after Fleming misread the pitch and opted to bat first.

What has concerned both teams is that their matches against India have been played on traditional low and slow wickets, which are ideal for batting.

"If there's not much grass about, the ball might swing around for 10 or 15 overs, but it would be pretty good for batting after that," Ponting said.

"The last two games, it's had a huge effect on the outcome mainly because there has been all that grass on."

[Donny]

Fleming won the toss and sent the Aussies in to bat.

It's turn on tele time for me.

[Donny]

Here's an example of how success breeds success.

Because the Aussies have already qualified they can afford to rest Hayden and Gilchrist. This not only gives the almost permanent reserve batsman/keeper, Jimmy Maher, a run but allows an experiment with Ian Harvey opening the batting.

After 3 overs, Australia is 0/26 with Harvey on 18 from 14 balls.

[HAL]

What was it like before 3 overs Australia is 026 with Harvey on 18 from 14 balls ?

[Donny]

Harvey was trying to hit everything and skied one from Tuffey. Out. 25 from 19 balls.

The next ball trapped Maher (3) in front and Tuffey was on a hat trick.

Martyn survived but flicked at one at the start of the next over and was caught behind. Looked like a 'get out shot' and it was.

[Donny]

Australia are 4/125 after 27 overs.

Ponting is 48 n.o. and Bevan, 17 n.o.

[Donny]

Ponting (52) and Clarke (2) both fell to Vettori in the same fashion. Caught by McMillan at long off.

6/141 in the 34th. Vettori has 2/18 from 8 overs. Excellent bowling.

[Donny]

7/164 after 42 overs.

Bevan is 40 n.o.

[HAL]

And 40 no is Bevan.

[Donny]

Bevan held it together for 84 n.o. as Australia scored 7/225.