ANZ International Series - New Zealand V India

        



Sunday, 19 January 2014 2.00pm–McLean Park, Napier

Wednesday, 22 January 2014 2.00pm–Seddon Park, Hamilton

Saturday, 25 January 2014 2.00pm–Eden Park, Auckland

Tuesday, 28 January 2014 2.00pm–Seddon Park, Hamilton

Friday, 31 January 2014 2.00pm–Westpac Stadium, Wellington




5 Game Series - Game 4 today

BLACKCAPS v India
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Start: Tuesday, 28 January 2014 2.00pm



5 game series stands at 2 games to nil to NZ (plus a tie)

(India have to win both the last two games to tie the series... NZ need a win in either game to win the series.)

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

India won the toss... decided India will bat first (set NZ a target)

As always hard to say what is good score... but these days 250+ or even 300+ expected for an ODI

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Slow start by India, and already lost 2 wickets (players out) 38/2 after 12 overs.

India have failed to chase down targets in past games... I guess they opted to bat first finally so that their players are not under pressure to score runs from the start. They can get used to the pitch.. and then up the score rate. Wel.... that is the theory and the way games used to go in the "old days"... but it makes for low scoring and boring games. Besides having "got used to the pitch" there is no guarantee that players will not STILL be out.. and new player then still has to pull his finger out and get on with scoring some runs.

So having said all that... IMO India need to get off their asses and score some runs!!!

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

India starting to pick the scoring rate up with a few boundaries (4's and 6's)
They are still only 2 wickets down... so from here they can post a good score. Up to recently, scoring only average 3 per over... which is far from good enough (at that rate total would be just 150)

Score after 25 overs India 101/2

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

One thing in India's favour is that if NZ are faced with a relatively small target to chase... they have traditionally batted in the same (boring) way... dib and dab and defend rather that hit to score runs. The excuse being that batters are "getting their eye in".... almost always having "got one's eye in" the player goes OUT!! but has wasted a lot of deliveries not scoring any runs.

In which case the game could still go the 50 overs and be exciting at the end at least with runs still to get in the last few overs.

To some extent the "Myth" that batsmen need to defend and get used to the pitch is a hang-over to Test Match cricket, where the game is played over 5 days and there is time for that approach. The ODI game went some way to dispelling that Myth. Early games often involved totals of just 150 to 200... but players techniques have developed to the point where 250 to 300 is more the norm.. or even more. The advent of T20 cricket with just 20 overs has added to that. Many of the same players who manage to bash and crash from ball one in a T20 game also play the 50 over game.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

In the end India managed an OK (ish) score... good last over 17 runs!!! including a 6 off the last ball.

India 278/5

And so set a Target of 279

This is an "old fashioned" sort of score... less than is typical in the modern game, but as I have said... NZ do have to actually score those runs... a few quick wickets (players out) when NZ bat and it will be "Game on"

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

NZ have already scored 24 off first 3 overs, and no players out..... so this target should NOT be difficult... always with the proviso with cricket.. things can change..

NZ 24/0

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

NZ won quite easily in the penultimate over.

NZ 280/33 with 11 balls to spare

New Zealand Win!

NZ also win the 5 game series 3 wins (plus a draw) V 0 ... but one game left to play.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

ANZ International Series - New Zealand V India

        



Sunday, 19 January 2014 2.00pm–McLean Park, Napier

Wednesday, 22 January 2014 2.00pm–Seddon Park, Hamilton

Saturday, 25 January 2014 2.00pm–Eden Park, Auckland

Tuesday, 28 January 2014 2.00pm–Seddon Park, Hamilton

Friday, 31 January 2014 2.00pm–Westpac Stadium, Wellington




5 Game Series - Game 5 today

BLACKCAPS v India
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Start: Friday, 31 January 2014 2.00pm


5 game series stands at 3 games to nil to NZ (plus a tie)

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

This game is later today.. starts afternoon and runs into the evening. Overlapping is a T20 game from Oz. Oz V England.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

India won the toss... have opted to bowl... NZ bat first.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

As always I think a GOOD score in a modern ODI game on a good wicket is 300, but NZ off to a slow start.

NZ 2/0 after 3 overs.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

I missed most of that innings... but NZ ended with 303 runs NZ 303/5 (50)

TARGET for India is 304

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

India not doing well....

186/8 after 45 overs... they are toast

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

NZ won quite easily

India all out for 216 in the last over.

New Zealand Win!

NZ had already won 5 game series 3 wins (plus a draw) V 0 ... now they make that a 4 - 0 win

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Off to watch cricket from Australia now.. a T20 game V England

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light