Fixtures

Fri Oct 23 (50 ovs) 14:20 local (03:20 GMT | 16:20 NZDT)
Prime Minister's XI v New Zealanders Manuka Oval, Canberra D/N

Thu Nov 5 - Mon Nov 9 10:00 local (00:00 GMT | 13:00 NZDT)
1st Test - Australia v New Zealand Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane LIVE

Fri Nov 13 - Tue Nov 17 10:30 local (02:30 GMT | 15:30 NZDT)
2nd Test - Australia v New Zealand Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth LIVE

Sat Nov 21 - Sun Nov 22 14:00 local (06:00 GMT | 19:00 NZDT)
Western Australia XI v New Zealanders Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth D/N

Fri Nov 27 - Tue Dec 1 14:00 local (03:30 GMT | 16:30 NZDT)
3rd Test - Australia v New Zealand Adelaide Oval LIVE D/N

ESPN Cricket
http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v ... e=fixtures

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

1st Test starts today


Australia vs New Zealand
Trans-Tasman Trophy, 2015, Game 1
Thursday, 5 November, 1:00 PM (NZ Time) (6:00PM Texas Time)
Brisbane Cricket Ground (Woolloongabba), Brisbane


5,6,7,8,9 November 2015 (5-day match)

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

Australia, NZ to have a drink together after match

Nov 04, 2015 Steven Smith and Brendon McCullum confirm that both teams will get together after the match and have beer, but that will not take away the on-field intensity

VIDEO: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/video_audio/936385.html

WATCH LIVE:
http://watchcric.net/channel/live-cricket_5

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

At Stumps (Close of play) - day 1

Australia 1st innings:
389/2 (RR 4.42) UT Khawaja 102*, SPD Smith 41*, (88.0 ov)


Very POOR over rate by NZ.. even with an extra half hour they FAILED to bowl 90 overs.

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

For the record since there is a question about start times....

Fri Nov 13 - Tue Nov 17 10:30 local (02:30 GMT | 15:30 NZDT)
2nd Test - Australia v New Zealand Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth LIVE
Note
West Australia is 5 hours behind NZ.
Start is 3:30 PM NZ time, which is 8:30 PM Texas time


Fri Nov 27 - Tue Dec 1 14:00 local (03:30 GMT | 16:30 NZDT)
3rd Test - Australia v New Zealand Adelaide Oval LIVE D/N
Note
(South Australia, 1/2 hour behind East states, which is 2 and 1/2 hour time difference with NZ)
This a trial DAY/NIGHT Test Match.. time later than normally the case.
Start is 4:30 PM NZ time, which is 9:30 PM Texas time

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

At Stumps (Close of play) - day 2



Australia 556/4d
New Zealand 157/5 (45.0 ov)
New Zealand trail by 399 runs with 5 wickets remaining in the 1st innings

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

At Stumps (Close of play) - day 3

Australia
1st innings: 556/4d (4 wickets dec; 130.2 overs) (4.26 runs per over)
2nd innings: 264/4 (42.0 ov) (4 wickets; 42 overs) (6.28 runs per over)

New Zealand
1st innings: 317 (all out; 82.2 overs) (3.85 runs per over)
2nd innings: to be played

Australia lead by 503 runs with 6 wickets remaining

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

IF....Australia declare
Target for NZ will be 504, 2 full days of play remaining

That is only 2.8 runs per over (180 overs)

The BAD news is... teams simply do not ( can not) score 500+ runs in the last innings of a test match.

Record list : Successful 4th Innings chases
http://www.itsonlycricket.com/entry/621/

NZ would need to better by far the current all time, all nations, all oppositions, all locations record (418) for a successful 4th innings Test Match run chase.

RECORD: May 2003 at Antigua
West Indies 418/7 (128.5 overs), V Australia (3.25 runs/over)

It would make for a very exciting end to the test match... if NZ did not lose wickets early on

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

It is "interesting" that the players went off for bad light last night.
Issues with poor light towards the end of a scheduled day's play have always been part of Test Cricket. The advent of Stadium lights, considered more than adequate for Night time ODI cricket has not been regarded as adequate for Test match cricket. At least use of light meter by Umpires has made the decision to come off a bit more of a "Science". The lights were on at The Gabba yesterday, but light considered not sufficient to continue play.
The 3rd Test Match in this series will be a trial of "Day/Night" Test Cricket. (using a pink ball)

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

Thanks Rumpole for your analyses and expertise, and especially for doing the math.

This is so new to me I don't have much to add.

I just love Cricket (ODI) and I do like the Test, what little I've watched.
Looking forward to the inaugural day/night game, but until then, taking it one Day at a time.

Molly... I guess Test Cricket is "an acquired taste". It seems daunting to have a game that takes 5 days.. and it is hard (impossible) to watch every ball... but... as I am sure commentators have said.. there are all sorts of mini "battles" within the larger 5 day war. Personal milestones, partnership milestones, team milestones etc. And things can change dramatically with a ball or two.. nothing happening perhaps for a period, then all of a sudden.. wickets fall or a batsman starts scoring boundaries.. etc.


Day 4 starts in half an hour....

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

AUSTRALIA HAVE DECLARED

Today's play will start with NZ's 2nd Innings.... Target 504

Play due to start 7 minutes early, to make up for lost time last night when bad light halted play

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

For the record, as well as the 4th innings record (418) noted above to WIN a match, there are just a few higher 4th innings totals.. but they still fell short of target and so resulted in a draw (or loss)

NZ would need to better ALL those record totals ( bar the 1939 score.. and there may be something unusual about conditions on that occasion?)

Highest fourth innings totals

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/conten ... 22199.html

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

NZ simply have to survive ( not get out).

If they can do that they should inevitably score the required runs with two days batting.

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

The ninemsn prediction is


PREDICTION
NZ 248 (all out after 81 overs)

That may well be a valid prediction based on historical performances of both teams, BUT.....

as I already said..... if NZ can just SURVIVE.. then all bets are off.

And... "Cricket is a funny old game"

I started paying attention to cricket in the 70's when NZ were still struggling to play cricket at the test level. They were at times "easy beats" but one thing they did manage to do sometimes, and "upset" the world's top teams was to "hang in" and get away with a draw. Pitches and styles of play back then made for different conditions, but maybe NZ can "Channel" some of that history and simply hang in here today?

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

Unfortunately NZ lose a wicket.
Hope springs eternal.. if they can get through the entire day just 3 or 4 down they are still in with a (small) chance.

Play stopped for rain. They have declared an early lunch and so the rain has caused 12minutes loss of time which can be made up at the end of the day. Provided they get back on the field without extending the length of the lunch break, no time will be lost.

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

They are back playing but don't know when they started, so unclear where they are timewise (re 12 minutes plus to make up).

I am glad to see RR increase over 2.0.

eta: RR to almost 3.0

They came back late and so lost more than 12 minutes.. I think 20 mins lost after lunch

They can play half hour after scheduled end of play (light permitting)

They started 7 mins early to make up for yesterday.. so an extra 2 or 3 overs I would guess. That means a full day today should have been 92 or 93 overs. I guess they will aim to stick to that if they can with the extra time at the end making up for rain interruption.

I am guessing the tea break will be at 3:20 local time. The final session will start 3:40 (perhaps) and the last sesion will be 2 and 1/2 hours if light permits.

RR doesn't mater THAT much....as you have seen in ODI's.. a team can score rapidly for a few overs towards the end if they have wickets in hand. In other words.. save the PANIC for the end

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

Thanks, and okay re the RR not mattering much. Yeah, I am saving panic mode .. felt a tad when Taylor started batting.

ESPNCric trivia pop-up
Most overs New Zealand have batted in the fourth innings of a Test in Australia, in Adelaide in 2004.
82.3