Welcome to the B Y and C Podcast, brought to you by Max Rath Premium insulated concrete slabs, and sadly we find ourselves reflecting on a somewhat baffling performance from the black Caps. After the obvious highs of the tour to India, there were hopes to form would continue through to the English series. Instead, we found ourselves with a bad case of the dropsies. There is no logical explanation
as to why this would manifest. We know this side is infinitely capable in the field, as evidenced by our stunning performance in the first innings of the first Test against India. The reality is you can't give the likes of Harry Brooks four chances and not expect to be punished.
What's clear is the black Caps need to be at the top of their game if they have any chance of complete out competing against the English and Dylan Cleaver, I know you've heard the phrase the yips, yeah, and usually that refers to golfs an individual who suddenly gets the yips? Is there such a thing as the collective yips? Where teams start dropping catches and like a virus, it
infects everyone and people start tensing up. Is there such a thing, because it's weird how that happens, isn't it How a few catches a mess and all of a sudden it becomes a plague. Almost.
Yeah, you wouldn't think so, would you, Because some of the guys dropping those catches are our most reliable fielders exactly. Tom Latham is an excellent fielder. But there is one thing that really bugs me about this. And just allow me a little rent for a second.
But we were anticipating it, Paul.
I cannot I cannot stand this thought.
I actually thought Dylan might be quite happy with that performance, So I'm actually intrigued to hear what he might have to say.
I cannot stand the narrative that has a merged from Scary Head and Tom Latham that things could have been so different if we just held those catches. Well, they didn't hold those catches correct. Things could have been so different if Tom Latham had turned US forty seven into two hundred and forty seven, but he didn't do that either.
Things could have been so different if the plane carrying England to New Zealand clipped the remarkables instead of landing next to John Davies Oval, but it didn't like, it's not bad luck that you drop catches. It's bad cricket. And everything seems to have been washed away from Hagley Oval. But oh you know, if those catches had stuck, things would have been so different. Yeah, they might have been, but you didn't. I own it, own your mistakes.
Thank you, Dylan. I wholeheartedly agree with you. And you know, it's almost interesting, wasn't it, Paul, That the lead that they got over us, which in the end was crucial, was almost directly connected to drop catchers. And and Dylan's right, you can't say, oh, you know, we didn't hold our catchers. If that hadn't happened, it would have been a close test match. He's exactly right. You didn't hold those catches,
you drop them, and so that's the game. And if you don't, you know, take your chances, you lose.
Yeah, And I think it is that point. You know, it's sort of unlucky. You know, it's not like you lost the toss or it rained when you were when you were about to catch the ball. It wasn't it wasn't luck. It wasn't about luck. It was it was a skill based balls up. So yeah, look it was really really frustrating, and I said it on the a SEC commentary over the weekend, but it just feels like this is what this game is going to be remembered for.
Not Brooks runs or cast As wickets.
Or you know, the the emergence of the of the prodigy Jacob Ethel or Nathan Smith's debut or whatever. You know, all of these sort of things around that game. It's going to be remembered for, Oh, that was that bloody terrible game when you Dealan dropped eight catchers and I guess the guy I felt sorry for were Smith three times three catches dropped off his bowling, Willow Rourke three catches dropped off his bowling, plus Matt Henry and Glenn
Phillips eight exactly eight chances. And we absolutely let England off the hook from one hundred and you know we did it when we were betting, which we can talk about in a minute. I'm sure you know we were one hundred and ninety nine for three in that first innings and we absolutely did it, you know with the betting when sorry with the bowling and the fielding off it when England was seventy one for four in their first innings. Yeah, just a really, really frustrating game.
It's inexplicable in a way because as I mentioned, you know, you think about that first innings against India, Well, we were utterly magnificent in the field, so we know we can do it. And we know, as you mentioned, Dylan, these are good players that are dropping the catchers. So what the hell is it? But you know, when the Test match started off, I thought England bowl poorly. I thought they were too short, they weren't getting it up there,
and they weren't making the New Zealanders pay. And you know, we took sort of full advantage and we got ourselves in premium sort of situation.
Well wait, not full advantage, not full advantage, some advantage.
Some advantage, and then we blew it. And you know, it's my feeling that England has the ward on us. I think of that series in England where we were competitive and every single Test match and lost every single Test match. They came here, did us again apart from that final Test where we kind of stole it, miracled it, Yeah, miracled it. So we have to be at our absolute best to compete with these guys and we simply weren't.
Yeah, that's five out of six tests England have beatn New Zealand and pretty much convincingly. Like, yes, you did mention we were in those Tests in England, but it was still five wickets, five wickets, seven wickets. Yes on the scorecard. That's a bit of a thumbing to be honest, but yeah, Look, I like the fact you brought up that first innings England when the task that's meant to be a massive advantage at Hegley. They did in bowl
particularly well. I thought Chris Wolkes was worse than average, he was very Tom Latham battered like a dream and I guess my disappointment with that is that forty seven could have, should have might have been one hundred and forty seven. He was batting that well and he went out to that frustrating thing that he does where he looks to work the ball wider mid on through midwicket, when you know the maker's name back past the bowler, you know who knows what he could have done. He
loves batting. It had be able. That's a critical factor for me is that there hasn't got enough attention. I don't think granted, India was a bowler series, but that is now eight tests New Zealand have gone and they've scored one century and that eight Test span that's fifteen
completed innings. I'm not counting the one where they chased down one hundred, yeah, because you don't get a chance to get a century obviously, but fifteen completed innings where only ratcheans hundred at Bengalou is the only three figure score. Tom Latham has gone thirty three Test innings without a Test century. Yeah, that's an enormous amount of innings. You'd never last in Australia with that sort of number. Conway's gone twenty eight. That's your two openers, the bedrock of
your team. You add those numbers up as extraordinary. Really. Williamson ten innings, which is not many, but it's still blow path for him. Revenge is the only one who can be excused. He got that one in Benglaru. He's gone six innings. Mitchell's gone twenty two completed innings without a ton. Tom Blundell, we'll get to him soon, twenty six innings. Ben Phillips hasn't scored a Test century yet. I mean, he's limited opportunities. And if we think Will
Young's the savior. As much as I love Will Young, he's had thirty two innings himself without a test century. So there's a real lack of theft in that top seven.
Well, you mentioned that last week where they said, you.
Know, am I repeating myself?
No? No, But you made the point. I think it was in reference to an artist call, which was this is because of the batting depth in New Zealand cricket, and you went, well, no, hang on, And I've been thinking and pondering this to Paul Forward and I want to draw your attention to it. And that is Conway. You know, he, I guess had a few knocks in India. He was under a lot of pressure. I'm not convict, and he looked all at sea, let's be honest, in India. But
he did get some runs. But I'm not convinced that he's an Emmy kind of form and he still has that inclination, that little inside edge, that back coming just outside the off stump and leaving that gap between the bat and the pad. I'm not convinced about Conway still, and I still don't know that he's in great neck.
They pissed off and him there and he looks increasingly frosh straighted.
I mean I had a quick look.
I think he's last twelve months, I think nine bats averaging twenty one against the sort of overall average of thirty eight thirty nine, rapidly declining overall average. Yeah, he is really really battling, and frankly he was. You know, he didn't get out to a particularly good ball. He got out to a good court and bold opportunity in that first innings, but it was one of a number of I don't know, just lack of daisical wickets, you know, ratch and hitting a.
Full toss to midwicket.
Mitchell got a leading edge, blundle, lazy slap to point Smith Henry Southy show or whatever they do what they do. But yeah, it's that frustration of the guys that are good getting in and they're not going on to score the big scores. And then, yes, I agree, it does feel like Conway's been worked out by good international bowlers.
Yeah, and it's interesting, you know what do we end up with in the end in that first innings three forty eight. You know, for it it should have been been but I was like, okay, it's there or thereabouts. I think Henry sal the O'Rourke and Psmith are going to bowl well and better than this England did on this wicket. We had them in trouble, but you simply can't give a player of Harry Brook's class that many chances.
Yeah, I got to the point where I was even I was asking the question, is he actually even betting? Well? Sure, I didn't actually even think he was betting particularly well. He was thumping the ball quite effectively, but thumping it in the air to field is quite often as well. So you know, it was a weird It was a weird test, and even feels weird talking about this now, because you know, we've just come off the greatest series in New Zealand history, American series, and it feels like
we've gone from boom to bust very quickly. And I'm wondering if we're overreacting to this, if if the drop catches such a visceral feeling of frustration that it kind of leaks or leeches into all your thinking about the game because we bet it. Okay, you win the you lose the toss, and you first straight back into it, it's okay. And even the second innings, Paul's dead right. Some of the wickets were almost comical. How does show upsher get four wickets in that first and on the first is at Oval?
Yes?
And another point, did we make a mistake not playing a spinner?
Yeah? Well I was wondering that too.
Looking very samey same, weren't we?
Yes, I you know, in terms of we look at that performance against India took everyone by surprised. It was stunning. I've kind of felt like we're back in the place we were before that Test series where we were all going, well, it's a bit gloomy, it's a bit sort of, you know, not great. I want to get your thoughts Paul Ford on Smith. I like the cut of his jib. I think he's going to bring something to the game. I've
never seen him play before. He looks a very handy bowler and he looks a very handy batsman to me. And I like the look of him, but of an issue with no balls and so forth, But I think he's got something to offer.
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
He looked he looked busy, looked full of a VENGEI looked pumped up. He looked like Ian, both of them as well, with his mullet and his mustache, and you know credit for that as well. Yeah, I don't think he did a lot wrong. As I say, created a bunch of opportunities. For get Joe Route out for a duck in your first spell in test cricket, you're probably doing something right. Bettered nicely in the second innings. Looks very comfortable. I think Dylan's mentioned the fact that he's
a he's a bloody good athlete. You know, he's a he's fit as a fiddle. Yeah, it looks looks like they've picked the right guy. And the interesting thing maybe we'll talk about it in a sec is is he even going to be there at the base?
Probably not.
Yeah, well that's the other thing. Brighton cass Yep, he will the cast blaster he reminded me of it's bloody gone out of my head now. Hammerson, Harmerson, he has that same kind of He looked the most threatening of their bowlers. I agree with you. I thought Whites was woeful in that first innings, but I looked at this guy. He's got height, he hits the deer card, looks a good bowler. And he proved problematic for us.
He kind of looks like he could be a roadie your guitar check. Sure for a hard rock band too, doesn't He's got that kind of look about him. But yeah, awkward. And the same with Gus Akinson, who wasn't particularly good on that first innings either because he kept on having no ball problems and his Him and Stokes were beside
themselves with their front foot slipping on that front front line. Yes, but Atkinson and cast together I think, you know, it's always you've always got to have a caveat there with fast bowling attacks. A lot depends on injuries, but those two did look quite menacing and awkward. Guess still we had our chances.
Stunning statistic stunning statistic about Casts. I don't know if you saw this that he's the first England baseballer to take ten wickets away from England in sixteen years.
Wow, unreal.
He's got nineteen wickets and three Tests, and nine of those wickets were in Pakistan, hardly a mecca.
For bowling of his style. You would have.
Thought absolutely there was a lot of chat about the young fellow Jacob Bethel. Yeah, I think absolutely, and I also it was a situation in that second innings where it was like I almost felt like they sort of said, all right, young was a freebie. You've got nothing to lose here, just have a crack. And so he had that freedom, you know what I mean. But he does look at prospect.
Yeah, they've gone to town on that second innings in England, Yes, if they've just uncovered lost Leonardo. I didn't think it was that good. I think the first innings was probably a little bit more instructive where he actually battled pretty hard, yes, but then went out to a good nut. Yeah. I mean like it was a decent game for the number three's, wasn't it. Our own one was pretty handy too.
Yes, well, you know, and let's talk about Caine. Williamson just slided right back in ninety odd in that first ninety three I think it was nine thousand test runs clearly our best and Paul forward he showed it. Just to just shame he didn't go on with it in that first innings.
Yes, scratched around a little bit at the start of the innings, as caanees want to do, but then he just started to look increasingly assured. It's like he's just going through a net session and warming into his work. And yeah, just say first, keeping it to nine thousand runs. And I don't really care about nine thousand because ten thousands just seems so much cooler. So hopefully, hopefully he's still around, you know, just to me, thousands a bit
like one hundred and fifty. It's not really worth celebrating. But gee, he's what's he now, thirteen hundred runs ahead of Ross Taylor.
Something like that.
Yes, almost starting to mow down, starting to mow down some of the big dogs of world cricket.
That's the sort of thing I would have expected Cleaver to say. Not you, Paul Ford. I thought you would have been frothing at the mouth about the fact that he got nine thousand tests runs. I would have thought Cleaver was the one that went on. He had nine thousand cares. All right, So there we are. Let's look ahead to the second Test. Have been an audio for many Oh yes, okay, let's go to it.
We're up for media today, which would suggest that you're playing.
Have you been given the nord No?
I was a look at the pitch. Looks pretty green to me, But.
It seems the spins mate, you know, I love that shameworn.
No, obviously we'll wait and see. You know, obviously a few days out looks pretty green at the moment.
So but yeah, well, last time your ball with the reborn Test matches, you've got thirteen wickets.
How much of a rosy glowe you carry into your next test potentially on Friday.
Wow, it could be a lot different conditions, I'd imagine. I think if it was like would be pretty happy. But yeah, obviously, I guess it was just great to be part of that series. You know, all three games were pretty different and everyone chipping at different times, which you know is good, good for the squad and it's good for I guess for us to go forward and yeah, obviously look to turn around the last pretick.
Yeah. So the gossip is then that Santana may be coming in for Smith.
Yeah, it seems likely. I mean, if you're just going purely on what they brought to the table at Hagley, I'd be more tempted to drop Suvie than yeah Smith, But I just don't think they're going to.
I can I just touch on that, And I think it was from some correspondence we got Paul Ford regarding Salvie in his record where he was averaging twenty eight for the first godd eighty odd Test matches and for the last twenty odd he's averaged sort of forty three or something horrendously, you know, So there's been a real drop off with Salvey.
Yeah, that is absolutely right, VISTI all center.
I think terrible, terrible poker face from him, well poker audio at least going out there and starting to talk about the green pitch. Jason Pine brilliantly all over him on that one. Santa has three for one hundred and twenty three in three innings at the base and so averaging forty one. Hardly frightening statistics. But you know, if Bisher can get wickets then he definitely can. Yes, the Saudi drop off. I had a quick look the last twelve months. His bowling average has gone from a career
average of thirty ticked over to thirty. It has been fifty four across ten matches, so you know, a massive, massive drop off in form for him.
Yeah, it's problematic.
And as I mentioned before, you know these are who the chances were off, Henry Smith, Phillips and Willow Rourke. So there were eight drop catches zero off Tim SOUVII, so not really getting the wickets and not actually creating the chances.
I think it's a pretty.
Difficult like it does feel like it is a hope based selection based on historical performance rather than who we think is going to be most effective. I think England will be relatively pleased that Smith it's going to be stood down for this game.
I agree, And you know he's announced his retirement and Jesus what a legend of the game he's been, no question, and he's been such a great servant for New Zealand cricket. But we can't be pissing around with this sort of stuff, Dylan Cleve. And my whole view is we pick the best side in the side that we think is going
to win the next Test match. And you've just, to my mind, you've got to give Smith another run over sent Now, as much as I respect sent Over, Salvie, sorry, as much as I respect Salvie, you've got to make hard calls like that. Surely.
Yeah, I would tend to agree. And I think one of the underrated factors on Southey's decline as well is he hasn't got to sit and follow up the other end bowling left arm swinging it into the pads, which means that his right arm swinging away from the outside edge becomes even more effective. I think that that not enough people have sort of credited that for the drop off.
I think it's got to play a huge partner and then Wagoner coming in bowling the short stuff, which unfortunately I think they're kind of they're giving that role to Smith and O'Rourke a bit now, and it's a bit of a shame. I wouldn't I noticed when England do the short ball attack, it's principally Ben Stokes that leads it with the old ball. I would not like to see Smith and O'Rourke in particular hit down that route
that early. But you know, these are the cards that I guess they're playing with now.
Yeah, you know one of the you know, there's a few players under pressure Latham as you know all the batsmen really is, as stated a Latham Conway. There's a lot of questions being asked about Blundle and his lack of form drop some catches too, you know, and Gary Stead has been quite emphatic he's backed him all the way and said he he will return to form. Yeah, you know he is.
I have a problem with that already, do.
So do I?
I think he's so out of form now. Yes, that they're working on the old stop clock is right twice a day theory with Blundle. They figure if they keep wheeling him out, eventually he's going to get some runs. Like Henry Nichols did. He was a literable, right, they could go see told you the whole loyalty thing. You've got to trust us. Yeah, but we had eleven tests of nonsense in between.
Yes, that's right. And you know, in terms of the hard calls, Paul Forward, do we go Smith over Southe? Do we go Young over Conway? For example? Tough calls?
Yeah, yeah, Well Blunder, I mean Blunda the last twelve months averaging fourteen with the bat, nineteen below his career average, So jeez, yeah, just scary, scary loss of form. What i'd I'd definitely be dropping him below Phillips and the betting order. Phillips is averaging sort of thirty nine, nearly forty over the last twelve months, so I think he's
earned that little promotion. But yeah, look, I just can't see Stead and Wells doing anything other than picks out there and just saying, you know, we trust the old dog to come in and do something fantastic for us. I just actually can't see them doing it. But as I think that's a call that i'd make. Yeah, look, I know that Young is probably not a compelling case, but it does feel like, you know, I think this
could be. I think Conway is that he is on the precipice here in this Test match against the base at the basin. So yeah, I think it's whether it's one match too many or is it the great redemption?
Has Dylan mentioned?
Well? Yeah, And I just want to mention something that you put forward last week, Dylan, which was that Latham takes the gloves, maybe drops down the order, maybe you get Will Young up there opening, which again is so unfair on Will Young, putting him, you know, in a place that he's not best suited. But you know, horses for courses type scenario. Can I just ask you both in terms of, you know, with Blundle, where is the strait swat.
Well, they can't within the squad that they've got unless they do it with Latham, as we mentioned, and that's non elegant solution and it's not something you could ever
imagine Gary Stead doing. But I mean the thing with keeping on picking Blundle is also there's another factor in this and what message does that send to the guys that are slogging it out on the first class circuit next to scoring runs, you know, playing excellently, And you've got Gary Steed standing up in front of the media saying that Blundle's our guy, you know, and I think that must be quite demoralizing. In fact, I know it's demoralizing, and I know it's been talked about quite a bit,
but yeah, I mean they've just locked into this. We keep on I keep on using this word anyway, dogmatic. They're just so dogmatic about their selections and you know blundaway come out in score hundred.
Well, I just want to read Sam Wells actually said this week because they said, you know, why are you persisting with.
Blundle at number six?
And it was like, he's got this history of big partnerships with Daryl Mitchell at number five, that's literally the reason. Yeah, but if you look at the statistics on that, I think they actually, I know they've had some big partnerships against England in that series that we've lost three nil. But their partnership average is sort of about forty or fifty.
It's not like they average a million, you know. And over the last year he's averaging less than all the batsmen and five of the bowlers as well.
Yeah, I just want to get to some correspondence sent to us by Andy Bairn, and I'm just going to cut to the end of it if you don't mind Fellers, because that's sort of relevant to what we've been talking about. And he says, oh, well, to the basin Blunder's Blundell needs a break, as does Devon sal He doesn't deserve a spot, regardless of him choosing this to be his
last Test series. The way he threw away his wicket when he and Mitchell were going along quite nicely and Mitchell had maybe twenty to get to his tongue was typical of how he's been playing at the moment, recklessly and.
Not well, yeah, well he's got points here. Would I'd be reluctant to put sow he's batting into the mix as to whether he's worthy of a spot or not. Mitchell was actually quite a lot further away than twenty from his tongue when Sowdy was trying to break the sixers record. The simple fact is that Sowdy can't defend down He's got no defensive technique as soon as someone bowls the ball.
Which is weird, Why couln't you not defend?
He's scared of the ball. He cannot play the bouncer. The only hope he has got against the short ball is to flick a few out of the ground and get them to go full at him again.
And yeah, it's funny you should say that, because when we were doing the commentary he really passed off with the short bowling, and he just stepped aside and went, all right, I'm having a tank. That's what I'm going to do is have a tank. That's all.
So it looks ugly, but scoring twelve heading two sixes and getting caught on the boundary is actually more useful than getting hit on the tits a few times and then gloving one up to gully for six. You know.
Yeah, sure, how many sixes is he on now? Is it ninety three or ninety four? Ninety five?
Yeah? Two more to get to seyweg Oh, he's past seweg isn't he He's got two more to get to Chris Gail. Imagine me sound they having more chest six is than Chris Gale. It's just ludicrous.
It's fantastic.
Now.
Well, so I tell you what I'm fizzing about this Basin test match. It's always a great sort of spectacle for our summerpool forward. What are you hoping for here? Apart from a victory?
Yeah, well yeah, just another I'd like a close game, to be honest. I'm happy to take New Zealand. I don't want us to lose. I don't think it's going to be a drawer. I think there might be a bit of moisture around on Sunday, But despite the over eight finals, these two teams are just going to blaze through it and you four playing days, aren't they?
Look I would love to see our beat it's coming to form.
I'd love to see us drop fewer than three catches across the entire match, and I'd love to see km Williamson rack up another milestone, pets an enormous partnership with Devin Conway or Ratch and Revendra.
Yeah, what are your hopes and dreams for the second test Heed Dylan, what do you want to.
See our comprehensive victory?
Yeah, okay, I'd like to see us.
Win the toss insert England when it's still green. I'd like to see us run through as ball mentioned hold the catchers. Cain Williamson turn one of those delightful starts into another. Biggie Mitchell Sentner, Glenn Phillips pitch takes turn go through England. The second dig or wrapped up while I'm sitting on the bench at a trial at the Auckland District Court.
Great stuff, mate, And with that we have a hunch for the game thanks to the tab and we are going for the hairy rav to be in the runs at home at the basin in the first innings, correct and.
Versus paying five dollars eighty.
So yeah, chuck one hundred bucks on that and we'll have five hundred and eighty dollars back. Thanks very much, and you can rely on us because we got it right last week. The silver lining of New Zealand getting pumped by England at Hagley was that our bet did come in Fellas Kam Williamson was the top score.
Great stuff. I'll tell you what we'll take a quick break and we'll be back shortly. Yes, welcome back to the BYC. So another test series which I've been love and I was pissed off there was such a big break between the test matches, I'll be honest with you. So we've got the Basin Test going on, great times also Australia Versus India and the Pink Test Adelaide starts five pm Friday, Dyllion Clean, you're looking forward to it.
Beautiful times on again?
How good?
So you spend that last hour of the Basin Test kind of with half an eye on a second screen. Yes, maybe you're crick and for live updates, but you're still watching New Zealand and England and then you flick over immediately get your nacho's out there. A couple of vegetarian nats vegetarian nature.
Vegetarian Sure, how long have you been a vegetarian for?
Since I was about eighty months old? That's true story.
Do you eat meat? Did you eat meat before that?
Well? They my parents tried to feed me meat, but I kept on getting sick and it was neat was identified as the issue.
Wow, I've never heard of that.
Hell, you can do this.
I had no idea. Oh that's great stuff.
You know.
All I'm looking forward to that are Hazels, course out, injured bowl and the lightly replacement. What what the hell has happened to him? He was phenomenal when he packed his matches. His record was ridiculous and he just doesn't seem to be in the mix anymore.
He is here, obviously, they call him the horses for courses type bowl. I don't like nibbles a bird. He's not the classic Australian thump it and the deck hard, but he's more along the deck, kept the scene at the edge. So I think I mean he's there or there abouts. But that's a pretty tough lineup to true true.
Yeah, well has Everage's twenty point three in Test cricket ten matches, thirty five wickets. Yeah, and of course that ridiculous six for seven. But you know he's no spring chicken either. What he's nearly thirty six years old. And this is you know, this problem that Australia has is that they have been so consistent with their team that their succession planning is a bit shitty when they get a surprise injury like Josh Josh Hazerwood being out with
the side strain. You know it's either Home or Sean Abbot or Brendan Doggett, but all got all of them over thirty.
There is something wrong with Marsh tour, isn't there.
Yeah, he's not going to be bowling and this not able to bowl. Bou Chapeau added to the squad, never heard of him, meaning he is in line to be the first French born player to represent the Baggy Green. Are you taking the pass here again? Yes? I knew it. I knew it, bou Chapa good head. Well that's because, funnily enough, I actually watched a lot of the first class Australian cricket and I was like chapone never bloody ahead of them.
That's a typo.
And he's he's thirty years old as well, thirty wickets and nine hundred runs in.
The Sheffield Shield last summer.
He used the bowl offspin now of course, just decided to bowl medium pace and yeah Marsh. If Marsh can't bowl, they'll want to have a you'd expect they want to have an all rounder in there. So he's the next cab off the rank.
What's what's the story with Green at.
The moment, Beck Indury right on for the season. I think.
Okay, India on the other handed, embarrassment of Richard. Some players coming back into it, of course, Sharma, Gil, Judasia and Ashwyn. Yeah what what I mean? We were talking about how good then he opened in the second innings. I think it was first job on the first innings.
K open both he opened both eggs.
Okay, he looked good and right. Sharma's kind of been out of form where he was against us.
Yeah, and he's got bad bone body language, whereas Boomera.
Was superbos scape.
Yeah yeah, yeah, tough choice of the male.
Says that Sharma will bat down the order and they'll keep that opening partnership, which what they got two hundred and something in one of those innings, didn't they? So Sharma will dropped down the order. Subwarn Gillill come in, they'll drop Padakahal and Jerrell I think it is. And then a bit of speculation about Washington Sunda, a few calls for Judasia to get in there, but or Ashwin.
But looking at the Prime Minister eleven game that they played in that annoying break, Jason, Judasia only bowl five overs and Ashwan didn't bowl at all, So if you were betting, apparently you would be betting that Washington Sundaw would retain his place. So yeah, the other the other bloke that they've got still waiting in the wings, and I had I had a look. It's pretty hard case Mohammad Shami. He's still in India with a stuffed ankle.
But you've literally got media state picking out his house like a papal conclave, waiting for the smoke to come out of the chimney that he's going to be okay and flow into the to Australia to join the Ashes sorry the border Givasca squad after Christmas.
So yeah, only only in India.
Yeah, it's extraordinary to think when you really put your mind to it, that plays like Ashwyn, who has a phenomenal record Judasia likewise, you know, struggling to get in the side. I almost get the feeling that Ashwyn is quite unpopular, you know what I'm saying.
I remember what.
I've been listening to Chimpagne.
Well, Chimpagne, he was not even your teammates, like your mate, you know, is there is there something about because he's a prickly customer on the field. Umpires must hate him, I reckon they must go, oh God, because he's always he's always gesticulating. He's always sort of talking to the skipper or the umpire. What was wrong with that kind of thing? What is the story there?
My understanding is he's not a particularly popular character, but neither it's a coach Brandy that Gautam Gambia is complete pain in the ass too, So.
It's going to be fascinating they deal.
With these things. You don't have to. What's the old thing that the All Blacks always fall back on, the nove dickeads policy. Yes, you don't have to have that in every team in the world.
Hey, now listen up. The Alternative Commentary Collective have created a daily cricket quiz for all you cricket heads throughout the England tour. You can test your knowledge with the Daily Quiz on the iHeartRadio app. Every time you get a question right and you get an extra entry, you get an extra entry into the weekly draw to win one time signed New Zealand black Caps test shirt and one double pass to any match during the summer of cricket Texts Quiz to sign up for the cricket mind quiz.
Now Philip Hughes fellas ten years ago away?
You go, yeah, well, I mean, I guess, just to remind us, I've got it's scary that it's ten years ago. What was he twenty five years old, got strang, kind of struck by that bouncer on the side of the head playing that Shield game, mister hook, cerebral hemorrhage after surgery.
Rushed to hospital.
I think it all happened at the SCG from memory and you know, really a massive, massive funeral at his hometown of Maxville, A small town country boy who was
absolutely beloved. And you know, I've seen a few pieces of this written over the last week or so, just saying yeah, Now, every time you see a player get hit in the head, you think of Philip Hughes and you think what could happen and it's yeah, I guess it cast a shadow over the game in a way and made us realize, you know, the element of danger that people take on when they go out there and
face these frightening bowlers. Some lovely words from his family, you know that they said that Philip was a small town country boy. Australian test one day and T twenty cricketer. He played on the toughest pictures around the globe, alongside the toughest of cricketers on the world stage, but he never forgot where he came from and who helped along
the way. And you know, I think there was a line this is the New Zealand connection, I think, and I'm projecting this, but I know Brendan McCullum had a I don't know if he knew and particularly well or they seem to connect, but he had a line which said, where would you rather be boys than playing cricket for your country? And I feel like that's something that Brendan McCullum has brought into the New Zealand environment and he's doing it now for England.
Fantastic had a tragedy that was and he was fondly remembered and it continues to be fondly remembered. A significant decision Fellers immediately facing the ICC is the venue of the twenty twenty five Champions Trophy, which is supposed to be in Pakistan.
Dylan Kleaver, Yeah, so India refusing to travel there basically in Pakistan and not willing to compromise either because they said, now, hang on a minute, we sent our team to the World Cup in India. We didn't make any demands about playing that at neutral venues or on our home chef. But yeah, there's all sorts of geopolitical implications. Yeah, although Paul kind of cut through that last week didn't said, well, no, I think India had just been pricks.
Really, yes, I think the latest on that is that it sounds like India will play at a neutral venue, but Pakistan want a cast iron guarantee that when they when India are hosting tournaments, Pakistan get to go and play at a neutral venue too, So it's a quid pro quo.
The whole bizarre thing about this is just how important that Pakistan India matchup is, like they have to. One of the whole reasons the whole pool thing at the Cricket World Cup is demolished or dismantled was because the broadcasters in India and the subcontinent, who paid billions of rupees for it, had to guarantee there would be a
Pakistan India matchup. So everyone loves the drama of it, but they just I guess the security implications for political implications mean that it's become fodder really for politicians.
It's madness.
The tournament's on in seventy seven days and there's no schedule. We don't even know which country it's being played in.
It's extraordinary crazy stuff, all right, a moment as our hack, isn't it? But anyway his record West Indies versus are the Bangers and Kingston Jamaica.
Yeah, well the ban has actually won that test this morning, so the series has won one. They won it quite convincing me. But along the way, mominal Hak has achieved a dubious record of becoming the you got a pair becoming the batter with the most ducks for Bangladesh. And I guess the thing that makes that noteworthy is like in most countries, it'll be someone like a Danny Morrison will hand the record on to a Chris Martin who
might eventually hand the record onto a Will O'Rourke. Mominal Hawk is the top water batter so and funnily enough, he took the record from a guy called Mohammad Ashraful who ended up getting done for spot fixing, I believe, but who was also a top order betner.
So it's pretty tough there go well, let's look at the local game the Plunket Shield. Round three completed the Otago Vaults three oh one for nine declared and two thirty one Northern District's Men three sixty five and one forty five for two. Match drawn, Wellington fire Birds two fifty one for nine declared and two seventeen Central Stags
three oh two and one sixty seven for one. Stags one by nine wickets in the Auckland Aces five hundred and sixty seven for nine declared, Canterbury four four six for three, the match drawn. The Nodles brett Hampton and Northern Districts one hundred and twenty one off eighty six balls. Mark Chapman for Auckland of course two seventy six, Reese Marry You, Marry You, Central one eighty five and Harvey Nichols one oh three not out.
Yeah, maybe it was Canbury one eighty five. It's a second big big Ton Canterbury. Sorry, yes, executive matches. He's scored a big double the previous round. Evidently that game, which is one of the few games Auckland actually get to play in Auckland this summer. It was a bit of a joke given me that wicket was as flat as you're ever gonna find. Chapman obviously enjoyed it, Mary
and Nichols clearly enjoyed it. But I've noticed a little bit and kind of message boards you saw a message boards these days and social media that there's a bit of a I wouldn't say it's a clamoring, but there's a little bit of a groundswell for Reece Mary to be considered for the givin Conway spot maybe, but good
on him stacking up big runs together. You're going to be in a conversation, but I think you've got to do more than have a good week in the blanket Shield when one of them's on the Eden Park out of Opal.
Yeah, exactly, he's a he's a he's out of St Andrew's College too. Is that he played in the same course he has Team twenty nineteen. I think they were with Folks and Jesse Frew who's the wikie keeper batsman from Kennbury. So yeah, pretty decent pedigree there, but as you say, very early days but definitely definitely one to watch.
Ah.
Yeah, So Golden Box Rhyes, Marrio four hundred and thirty three. Nick Caley from Wellington three eighty eight Cheat Raval member him.
I do remember him. It was the last one that actually got dropped for former shoes.
Yeah yeah, maybe chuck him back in the three twenty five The Silver Sweat Band Brett Hampton thirteen, Blair Techna thirteen De.
Ferned Dendrew Fernstters.
And jdmmckay twelve. The Table at the Moment, Northern District's forty six, Central thirty nine, Cannbury thirty three, Auckland twenty five, Wellington nineteen and Dylan Cleaver's favorite side Otago on eighteen.
Just a little bit like you didn't quite make the Golden Box. But Dane Cleaver is having a cracking season there too. He's got more than three hundred runs, averaging more than one hundred scored, plus fifty three of the four bats. I mean there's a straight swap if you if you want to just spick a team that's more likely to succeed at the moment and the other central. I'm giving Central some love here because the selectors never do.
The other central guy to keep an eye on is Dame Cleaver's heir apparent, who's opening the batting for them. At the moment is a guy called Curtis Heathey, and he hasn't had an amazing start of the season, but he got runs in that second dig and that win against Wellington. And I know there's a lot of frustration in Central that Mitch Hay has been anointed as Tom Bundle's successor, and they think down there with some justification that their current guy is better, which is Dame Cleaver,
and the next Feller might be even better. Still.
Right now, I'm looking at a picture here, supers Nae retro outfits.
Nice, don't you reckon? I'd be happy to wear them.
Yea, they're pretty cool. Actually, I'd were one of those for sure.
Down the Viaed act to one of those bars.
It's full of wankers.
The only shir I wouldn't wear as a Canniby won. But I think they're quite nice.
A Sergan fan be in the middle there.
It looks like the CEO, Hey tell you what, it's time for pull Ford's News or os.
J is the reigning champion here.
Yeah, the segments getting changed to pull Ford's Stitch Up Weekly Stitch Up.
Well, I thought Jason was amazing with us.
Thank you amazing as knowledge of woman's anatomy last week anyway, three things that something wrong with one of them?
Tell me what it is.
A baggy green test cap worn by Australia's Don Bradman sold for three hundred and ninety thousand Ossie dollars at auction this week. It's collector's vibe to own a rare piece of cricketing history. The tented garment, almost eighty years old, was sun faded and showed signs of.
Insect damage and had a torn peak.
Auction house Bottoms said Bradman wore the cap during the nineteen four seven eight tour of Australia by India. This was his last test series on home soil. The auction lasted ten minutes. Barnums said it was the only known baggy green worn by Bradman during the series, in which he scored seven hundred and fifteen runs at an average of a lazy one.
Hundred and seventy nine. Jesus.
The cat was said to have been given to Pankajh Peter Kumar Gupta, India's tour manager in nineteen forty eight, and number two Zach and Jacob Cummings. Dad Craig has been appointed as the head coach of the Blaze in the East Midlands for their first season as part of England's Tier one woman's domestic comp coming and enjoyed success in his home country with Otago Sparks, leading them to two fifty over Halle Burton Johnstone titles in four years.
He will arrive in the UK and the new year after the conclusion of the Super Smash T twenty competition. I feel very humbled and privileged, he said. Cumming's appointment comes after Chris Rogers coached the Blaze to their first piece of silverware in last season's Charlotte Edward's Cup. He left to take charge of the England Women's Under nineteens. The Blaze CEO said they conducted an exhaustive global search to find the best candidate.
And number three.
Former South African left arm fast bowler Lonoabo Subi, along with Fami Solicily and Ethie Malati, have been arrested and charged with multiple counts of corruption related to their involvement in a match fixing scandal during the Ram Slam T twenty Challenge, a domestic T twenty league in South Africa. The charges alleged that the players either accepted or agreed to accept improper gratification in exchange for actions that can
rise the integrity of the sport. In English, the players are accused of collaborating with Indian bookmakers to influence match outcomes.
Here we go, there's are three things.
Thank your first today, Dylan.
That sounds a really light price for Don Bradman cap, though, so seeps. Yeah, I will go for that one. I'll go the Don Bradman cap surely gets more than a pidly three hundred and nine thousand.
Ninety Actually that was it. I'll go for the same story. Did you say what can you do that? Yeah, for a different reason. Did you say Paul Ford that it was his last home series?
Yeah it was.
Yes, I'm saying it wasn't. Oh, okay, well you're both incorrect. The former coach it's number two coming appointment does not follow Chris Rodgers, the ginger head Australian opening Batsman. But some random I've never heard of called Christopher Guest.
Yeah, he's a film director, isn't he?
That's a world guest.
Didn't you do the one about the Craft style show and spinal tap? The spinal tap?
Wasn't he oh maybe I don't know. I'm not that old.
I'll tell you what though.
I had a note with Chris Rodgers there too, but then I thought, no, it's probably right the trophy.
You write it down, the trophy says with hardy Jay. In the meantime, Dylan, it goes to.
I'll take it to the base.
Hey. But right now it's time for the ever popular Dylan Cleavers. Who am I?
It's Dylan Cleavers, who am I? Yes?
Last week the answer was Luke Ronkey of course, born in Denny Virke, which literally translates to Dane's work, which was the huge fortification entrenchment dug across the Danish Smith to protect against the marauding Saxons. But of course I'm telling you nothing you don't already know there.
Jason, Yeah, man, I knew that.
Denny Vick. Interestingly enough, was also the birthplace of the celebrated You're in Chatfield and the less celebrated Queens and Premier Joe Bielke Peterson and.
The even less celebrated John Parker I believe.
Oh maybe his brother Mary too, who knows, And there brother Kenneth. That was a win. Anyway, I'm giving the win. We had the usual suspects Matt Parker and Lockey and his dad obviously got it right. But I'm giving the win to Rob Connell, who said we love him here in Perth. So anyway, this week who am I? I compiled one of the most extraordinary Test careers in New Zealand history, if only for the fact that was built
upon the flimsiest of pretexts. I played just sixteen days of first class cricket in total, yet managed to squeeze two Tests into that. Yes, you heard me correctly. My rapid elevation was based almost entirely on an eighteen wicket hall in a club game while representing the first eleven of New Zealand's oldest state school. After that headline grabbing feet, I had to go into Ireland to play for my
home team in the Plunket Shield. I took a five for on my first class debut against Auckland and that was enough to see me selected to play the NCC, as England's touring team was known in those days, controversially picked ahead of a bloke whose Christian names were der went Rahl. I didn't enjoy a lot of success, but then again, who did. What was notable was that, following that series, I played just one more first class game.
I wouldn't be forgotten, however, because a few years later, a floppy heired spinner with the middle name of Luca would break my most cherished record. Need one more clue, Here's a little sweetener for you. I was an employee of the Colonial Sugar Refinery. My work took me to Fiji for twenty years, where I managed the national cricket team, then back to Sydney where I died not far from Wentce I was born.
Who am I?
You've got no idea? I can tell what it up in your face?
Not a clue, Not a clue.
I think, Yeah, I think I do know? Was his brother in Shawshank redemption?
Ah, very good, very good?
Okay, right now it's time for Paul Wards cricket violence corner. Poor Forwards cricket violence corner.
Yeah, pretty low level petty theft this week, no blood Sport after the eye curdling photo of the poor cricket umpire until this week, police are investigating the theft of several items from Hagley Oval during the first Test match. UK broadcast to Talk Sport reported it had two cameras stolen, which meant it could not provide images of the day three of the.
Cricket test on its YouTube channels.
The venue owner, Venues Ototahi, who I think have banned the Alternaive Commentary collective from being at the ground, confirmed there was a security breach and the cameras were among several items taken from a locked area. Some of the things we are aware of are some venues Oto Tahi technology equipment like laptops, a TV, alcohol and some food.
Sounds like a really high level operation.
Venues Ototahi chief executive Caroline Harvey Tear said the company has twenty four to seven security at the site, but was disappointed the break and occurred. It was all locked up. Obviously we're concerned about what's happened. This is not something that's happened before, certainly not on my watch and not in my tenure.
So there we go.
Hopefully there's they're good buggers from talkSPORT to get their kept back, or at least you can get to a shop and stock up in time for the basin.
Was I the only thing stolen the oval that week? Either a bit of pride and a few reputations as well.
Shofty boom, Hey, thanks for taking the time to listen to this podcast. In fact, if we love your correspondence. By the way, so people, if people want to get in touch.
With us, Paul forward look as an email to b YC at Beige Brigade dot co dot z. Slide into the DMS on Instagram or Facebook for the Alternative Commentary Collective or the bage we go. We'll share it in our WhatsApp group and we'll chat about it and nextpect.
Dylan, what's going on in the bounds? Mate?
You can catch up with mytuperative thoughts on the cricket as daily at the moment with notes from the Oval, although I guess next week it will be note or this week it will be notes from the reserve or the basin. So yeah, sign up, Dalan Cleave dot subsec dot com. Let's free.
Yeah. Well, let's hope next time we join you you join us. I mean we've got bitter news. Let's up for a more comprehensive performance from our fellas and leveling up the series. Eh. Until then, you take care and we'll see you later.