South Africa vs New Zealand series 2012/13

First topic message reminder :

NZ are touring South Africa in December and January, playing 3 T20 internationals, 2 tests and 3 ODIs. Just setting up this thread up as a placeholder.

South Africa are on a high following their wins away in England and Australia, while NZ should also be on a high coming off a drawn series in Sri Lanka with a big win in the second test. Things are definitely not looking good for the Black Caps however. Veteran left armer Dan Vettori has been ruled out, while star batsman Ross Taylor may also miss the series due to coach Mike Hesson's efforts to remove him from the captaincy:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/8036042/Ross-Taylor-keen-to-stay-on-as-captain
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/8041737/Taylor-could-pull-out-of-South-Africa-tour
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/8030383/Coach-Hesson-asked-Ross-Taylor-to-resign


As per usual NZ Cricket are reinforcing their status as an amateur and incompetent governing body

NZ squads: http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-new-zealand-2012/content/current/story/595709.html
Test squad Brendon McCullum (capt), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Peter Fulton, Daniel Flynn, Dean Brownlie, BJ Watling (wk), James Franklin, Tim Southee, Doug Bracewell, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Jeetan Patel, Bruce Martin, Chris Martin.

Twenty20 squad Brendon McCullum (capt, wk), Martin Guptill, Rob Nicol, Peter Fulton, Colin Munro, Nathan McCullum, Corey Anderson, James Franklin, Jimmy Neesham, Derek de Boorder (wk), Mitchell McClenaghan, Doug Bracewell, Trent Boult, Ronnie Hira, Adam Milne (Mark Gillespie (Michael Bates)).

Southee is a huge loss for a Taylor less, Vetori less, Ryder less New Zealand

Not a good start for NZ. 50/6 after 10 overs.

64/8 after 14
Still a chance at lowest-ever-international T20 score

We suck.

A pretty good outing for South Africa. Good to see Petersen doing well, and happy to see Quinton de Kock and Chris Morris in action. Without Amla, AB and Morkel, SA have completely outplayed a sorry New Zealand.

NZ win today's t20 thanks to a stunning hundred from Martin Guptill!

Good to see NZ putting up a challenge, winning the 2nd T-20I of the last ball, Martin Guptill with a hundred help NZ chase down 165 that SA made thanks to handy contributions from Henry Davids and captain Faf du Plessis.

Well done to NZ, SA still has to keep searching though.

Our second string bowling is very poor indeed.

Well done today NZ, and a very big well done to Guptill.

That was indeed a magnificent knock by Guptil, and Kepler Wessels was quite critical of his start.

But when you give away 18 extra's in 19 overs you ain't gonna put anyone under enough pressure.

another solid day with the gloves for Du Kock!! Bit dissapointed that he was dropped down the order for Miller, but the move paid off.

3rd match started in PE.
SA won toss and have decided to bat. du Plessis just out... bowled by Hira.

Bracewell finishes with two wickets in two balls. Anyone know whether anyone has ever taken a hattrick spanning more than one calender year? (Tho' I think Bill Frindall's view was that it only counts as hattrick in the same match.)

SOUTH AFRICA: GC Smith (capt), AN Petersen, HM Amla, JH Kallis, AB de Villiers (wk), F du Plessis, D Elgar, RJ Peterson, VD Philander, DW Steyn, M Morkel

NEW ZEALAND: MJ Guptill, BB McCullum (capt), KS Williamson, DG Brownlie, DR Flynn, BJ Watling (wk), JEC Franklin, DAJ Bracewell, JS Patel, TA Boult, CS Martin

New Zealand won the toss and selected to bat first.

Skies are blue and Newlands looks impeccable.

Game to start in 10 minutes.

The first test is getting underway in a few minutes from now. New Zealand are batting after winning the toss.
Vernon Philander is fit and playing for SA.
The teams.
South Africa
Graeme Smith
Alviro Petersen
Hashim Amla
Jacques Kallis
AB de Villiers
Faf du Plessis
Dean Elgar
Robin Petersen
Vernon Philander
Dale Steyn
Morne Morkel.
New Zealand
Martin Guptill
Brendon McCullum
Kane Williamson
Dean Brownlie
Daniel Flynn
BJ Watling
James Franklin
Dug Bracewell
Jeetan Patel
Trent Boult
and Chris Martin.

Good warm up over for Steyn, looks like there is decent pace and bounce.

Some swing for Philander in his first over

And as I say that Philander gets his first wicket, Guptil gone 7/1

It just takes Philander 6 balls to strike. Guptill gone, caught behind by AB. He was out for 1, NZ 7-1.

Is there much of a crowd in?

just about full, Philander takes Mcullum. 14/2

Ball seem into the middle stump, slightest inside edge.

Another one for Philander, McCullum gone, bowled by Philander. NZ 14-2.

Philander gets another 3/14

Good news then re the turn-out. Was impressed with the atmosphere for the T20s.

Now Brownlie goes, Philander gets his 3rd, 2nd of the over, Smith takes the catch, Brownlie failed to open his account. NZ 14-3.

uh-oh, one of my colleagues is an angry Kiwi cricket fanatic who'll be getting in with his new year's hangover in about an hour & a half.

This is the Philander show. Williams gone LBW

27/4

Philander continues, takes his fifer for 4 runs in 4.1 overs.

His average is under 17 again.

Went away for 15 minutes, you can't do that when Philander is on fire, he took 2 more , Williamson and Watling also gone, NZ 28-5. Philander has 5 for 5.

28/5

At last someone else gets a wicket, this time Morkel 28/6

This is carnage.

Oh FFS

Steyn gets his 300th test wicket.

Bowls the offstump as it starts doing cartwheels.

31/7

NZ 31 for 7, Morkel and Steyn also managing a awicket each before Philander takes it all for himself!. Steyn joins the 300 club as well.

commentators just said Steyn took a thousand less balls than anyone else to get to 300 wickets.

Some record.

Flynn on borrowed time, he is playing and missing virtually every ball.

38/8 Amla takes a peach of a catch off Morkel's bowling.

Words ... fail ... me

Biltong wrote:Flynn on borrowed time, he is playing and missing virtually every ball.

IMHO, NZ badly need players who average 40+ in Test cricket....

Maybe it's time to patch up things with Taylor and Ryder. Yes, the inclusion of this duo won't stop NZ from losing matches, but they should at least prevent this debacle from happening. This is a top seven I would like to see in future:

1) Martin Guptill
2) Jesse Ryder
3) Kane Williamson
4) Ross Taylor
5) Brendan McCullum
6) Dean Brownlie
7) BJ Watling (keeper)

Flynn is just not good enough at this level, and Franklin's a bits-and-pieces player....

I read an article on cric info before NZ came to SA and they said they said that this tour will probably show the NZ selectors that you can't alienate your best players referring to the whole Taylor debacle. If I were a NZ selector I would call in Ryder and Vetori too.

Morkel gets his third

45/9

Morkel's average dips under 30, lets hope he can keep it there as he doesn't get the recognition he deserves with the average often quoted as a reason.

Just back in time for the Fantom show!!. The greatest entertaining batsman in the planet is out there!!.

Just try to get above 47!

FerN wrote:I read an article on cric info before NZ came to SA and they said they said that this tour will probably show the NZ selectors that you can't alienate your best players referring to the whole Taylor debacle. If I were a NZ selector I would call in Ryder and Vetori too.

Has Vettori retired from Test cricket or something? I can't understand why he's not in this team....

Galted wrote:Morkel's average dips under 30, lets hope he can keep it there as he doesn't get the recognition he deserves with the average often quoted as a reason.

He is very good now, but he was very erratic earlier. Also, half his games are in SA, which is probably more seamer friendly, so he should really be under 30 to justify his talent.