NZ vs SA 1st ODI Westpac Stadium, Wellington

The teams:

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Rob Nicol, Brendon McCullum (c), Kane Williamson, Jesse Ryder, James Franklin, Nathan McCullum, Doug Bracewell, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Andy McKay, Tarun Nethula, Michael Bates, Andrew Ellis, Tom Latham.

South Africa: Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (c), JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Justin Ontong, Albie Morkel, Johan Botha, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Robin Peterson, Wayne Parnell.

For me its the same old story with the NZ XI... the top 3 must fire, especially if we bat 2nd, but in all likelihood, we'll be relying on our tail to wag...and wag...and wag...

NZ batting first... didnt feel like seeing that SA lineup in first...

Morning taylorman.

Looking forward to this?

morning all, not sure who i want to win, or who i expect to.

There is some serious bounce in the wicket.

Morning Tiger.

Yep, its on here in Wellington but can't go.. so its on the box- 5-0 after 2.3 overs...not disastrous yet at least...

yeah, and some weird umpiring already, neither off the 2 wides given were in my opinion.

Some harsh wides being called there.

Must say I don't like these diagonal squares mowed into the lawn, looks more like a baseball pitch. Looks like there should be a mound just behind the umpire.

Tsotsobe and Morkel is bowling well here.

SA's bowling looking very sharp at the moment,

beautiful ball by Steyn for his first ball, nice shot by NICOL in reply to the second.

Good recovery from Tsotsobe after that short one

There we go... start of the domino's...

high?

Guptill gone, beautiful ball by Tsosobe nicked to the wK, 25-1. ANd the next ball he might have got McCullum, being reviewed. Given not out.

Is this a natural pitch, or dropped in for the game?

Steyn isn't getting much luck out there.

just rejoined it...looking good...good hit from Mccullum who's somehow still there...

We seem to have got 3 cheap wickets biltong. Whats your view on your remaining batsmen. If it were us...id have given up by now and id be right on the money. We wouldnt recover from that.

Dont know the strength of whos left but 57-3 after 15 looks ominous?

I fell asleep a bit there, and didn't see the three wickets.

But you can safely say if these two don't stay in we won't make it.

Pretty big partnership now for Sth Africa..

Billy problem is FAF du Plessis is not in great form, but yet they are sticking with him.

Albie Morkel has not been able to trnsfer his domestic form to international.

The rest are just tail enders.

That may be so biltong but SA are cruising this at the moment. Duminy and AB look solid

Theyre holding well so far. Our fielding looks fairly good so a breakthrough next 3- 4 overs might do it.... He says...

At this point in time I would make NZ the favourites.

Fair bit of a run rate required. Over 6 so too early to say. Next 5 overs should decide a fair bit. If theyre still 3....oops... Spoke too soon. Now 4.

Duminy gone, AB has to bat through to give us a chance.

Really, with a set pair in bat? Sounding a bit like trebbs there biltong

A wicket in the next 5 overs will make things interesting.

Oops, hee hee

It's that damned luckless , why did he have to pick us?

lucky is brilliant

eirebilly wrote:lucky is brilliant

He isn't lucky, billy, he is LUCK LESS.

Bad luck
Pot luck
tough luck

De villiers still there. Doesnt look like hes going anywhere so still a chance...

Depends on which way you look at it biltong

I think it is time for Smith to get dropped from the ODI team,he has had very poor form in the last two years

eirebilly wrote:Depends on which way you look at it biltong

you didn't see the evidence?

AB should see SA home from here

I should badmouth our players more, FAF is proving me wrong.

NZ missed a trick here, they should have told the Proteas this is a knock out match.

Well done biltong. Easy in the end. Thats usually how most of our 1 dayers go. All hype and promise, dulled by a long period of watching class slowly settle in and gradually choke us to death. Batting or bowling.

Thanks Taylorman, I was surprised at how easy it was in the end.

We usually putter along at the end and try to finish it with as little risk as possible.

Missed the ending of the match but congrats SA

AB must have really batted well to see them home

he got 100 off 101 balls, FAF got 68 odd off 50 balls

Well that will do it

And you were nervous

Nah, I just expected the usual ODI choke

Another great innings from AB! 13th ODI ton. Average closing in on 50!

Top innings by Faf as well.

Good bowling display, only disappointment was de Lange wasn't included in the squad.