SA Footy

This Wednesday at Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

Hopefully NZ have Bond back so they can have some sort of resistance in the bowling. Fleming will still be out, recovering from a removed tumor in his jaw area.

Not sure of the news on the Aussie line up as of yet.

Quite simply - Australia will win.

I'm pretty sure Bond will be back silky. Fingers crossed that it's game on but not confident.

Mick Lewis makes his debut.

Bond probably looks like playing, and hopefully he does as he is a good fast man. Mick Lewis might get a run and this will be a good test for him. Hopefully its a good game....that Australia wins of course.

New Zealand couldn't possibly turn it around after such an embarrasing game one..? Only attraction will be the crowd reaction....

'Anxious' Kiwis not scared of Lee
Cricinfo staff
December 6, 2005

Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand wicketkeeper, has denied New Zealand's batsmen are scared of Brett Lee's pace but says they are definitely "anxious". Finding a way to counter Lee's opening bursts in the mid-150kph range are crucial if the home side is to stay alive in the Chappell-Hadlee Series at Wellington on Wednesday after they were blown away in the first match.

"I'm sure people are anxious facing him because he bowls at the speed of light," McCullum said in the New Zealand Herald. "He's no different to Shane Bond, Shoaib Akhtar or Steve Harmison. The guy bowls exceptionally quick, but just because you are a little anxious about things doesn't make you a worse player. In fact a lot of players steel up and play better." It did not work in game one of the three-match series as New Zealand fell to 33 for 6.

The top-order batsmen struggled to get in line with the ball as Lee fired figures of 3 for 5 from six overs and the batsmen may try merely to see him off, a practice Australia use when facing the nagging spin of Daniel Vettori. "He's quick, Brett Lee. Let's not shirk the fact," McCullum said. "He's fast and he's also very clever so it's something we have to overcome. But from this point on it's about trying to negate the loss of early wickets. Whether that means being more attacking or more defensive I'm not sure."

Scott Styris, who was part of the initial collapse, said Lee was definitely a threat. "I guess we have to be a little bit tougher," Styris said in the Herald Sun. "We were pretty disappointed we fell over that quickly. It shouldn't really happen at that level. I didn't see anything different from what you always get when you face Brett Lee."

Before the series New Zealand management talked up the opening pairing of Lou Vincent and Nathan Astle as World Cup openers, but McCullum, who usually bats at eight or nine has asked for a boost up the order. "I've got no qualms about saying I want to do it [before the World Cup] but I've got to make sure I've done my time and that I've earned the right to do it," he said.

"I think Braces [John Bracewell] knows I'm champing at the bit but, at the end of the day, I haven't earned the right yet and the guys who are up there have. We aren't scoring runs at the moment but they're very good players and hopefully we can pick ourselves back up."

© Cricinfo

New Zealand 1 Lou Vincent, 2 Nathan Astle, 3 Hamish Marshall, 4 Scott Styris, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Craig McMillan, 7 Chris Cairns, 8 Brendon McCullum (wk), 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Daniel Vettori (capt), 11 James Franklin, 12 James Marshall. Supersub to be named.


Wet weather has forced Australia to delay announcing their side for the second match of the Chappell-Hadlee Series at Wellington on Wednesday. Australia's practice session was held inside today and Ricky Ponting said the conditions would probably determine his bowling line-up.

Aus 127/4 Ov 29 Symonds 38* Clarke 11*

5/322

SYMONDS 156 FROM 126!
CLARKE 82 NO

The sheep shaggers now line up to get scared by BLee.

Symonds last 50 in 16 balls...hit Cairns for 3 sixes in a row...

Went from 100* to 150* in a matter of 3 overs...

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Can't wait to watch the tape tonight...

How about you keep the replay for another day TB,and go avatar shopping.

Find a new obsession pal...this one stays.

Legendary innings. Symonds rescues us WorldCupvPakistan-style.

Symonds is another freak in the Australian Team.

2nd Match Current Status: In progress

Australia 322

Black Caps 136/4

SB Styris 15
CL Cairns 0*

Overs: 25 R/R: 5.44

Last Wicket: 134/4

New Zealand 5-172 in the 33rd over.

Chris Cairns is trying his best to emulate Symonds' effort, blasting two sixes last over to move his way onto 23.

NZ 5/233(40 overs)

Cains doing it well.

Australia 322

Black Caps 282/7

+BB McCullum 29
JAH Marshall 2*

Overs: 46 R/R: 6.13

B Lee 8 - 0 - 58 - 1 Last Wicket: 271/7

2nd Match Current Status: In progress

Australia 322

Black Caps 293/7

BB McCullum 34*
JAH Marshall 5

Overs: 47 R/R: 6.23

Last Wicket: 271/7