What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

[Ghost Dog]

Hark back to primary school, I was a kid, and Lance Cairns was so popular after hitting Dennis Lillee for six with one hand, a few kids at training started wearing brown and black one day shirts in homage.

Richard Hadlee, opps, make that SIR Richard Hadlee, the original Sultan of Swing, terrorised our batsmen. In the 80's the Kiwis destroyed our team numerous times.
Is NZ never to return as a player in international cricket? The recent collapse of Sri Lanka has me wondering if they wouldn't be better opposition! Certainly do more for cross ditch relations. New Zealand, where are you?

[lemmon]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

Great thread!

I think a lot of it comes down to inevitable circumstance, they have a population of 4.5 million, the vast majority of which are undoubtedly rugby biased, their weather is hardly suited to cricket and the Maori population has never really got on board with the game. The pool they have to pick from is tiny and it just seems that they can produce one or two world class players at a time without them ever coming in clumps.

In saying that though their management in recent times has been despicable, heads should've rolled for the way Ross Taylor was treated and Jesse Ryder makes millions of runs domestically without anyone ever being able to get his mindset right. They are playing without their two best batsman. Interesting that a lot of these management issues, including the resignation of respected coach John Wright has come after our own John Buchanan was made Director of Cricket

[Sedat]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

Richard Hadlee, opps, make that SIR Richard Hadlee, the original Sultan of Swing, terrorised our batsmen. In the 80's the Kiwis destroyed our team numerous times.
Is NZ never to return as a player in international cricket? The recent collapse of Sri Lanka has me wondering if they wouldn't be better opposition! Certainly do more for cross ditch relations. New Zealand, where are you?

They were here 12 months ago beating us in Hobart and squaring the test series.

Rugby swallows everything in its path in NZ - every other sport (including Rugby League) automatically becomes a minnow sport with limited interest to the masses. The Kiwis do about as well as can be expected in cricket as a result.

[Bornadog]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

Didn't they just beat Sri Lanka?

Did love Hadlee at the MCG and the crowd chanting Hadlee's a Wanker, great atmosphere. lance cairns hitting those big sixes.

[Sedat]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

Did love Hadlee at the MCG and the crowd chanting Hadlee's a Wanker, great atmosphere. lance cairns hitting those big sixes.

Every kid at my primary school wanted to trade in their GN twin scoop for a Newberry bat without the shouders after that big hitting display from Lance. One of his 6's that day was hit one-handed and cleared the square leg boundary at the MCG - absolutely massive hit.

[mighty_west]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

lance cairns hitting those big sixes.

And his shoulderless Excalibur bat, ripper.

[Sedat]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

I tell you what just happened to NZ cricket, they got bowled out for 45 in 19.2 overs on the morning of the first test in Sth Africa. They managed to score even less than Australia did at Newlands last summer!

[Ghost Dog]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

Every kid at my primary school wanted to trade in their GN twin scoop for a Newberry bat without the shouders after that big hitting display from Lance. One of his 6's that day was hit one-handed and cleared the square leg boundary at the MCG - absolutely massive hit.

The umpires got tired of raising their hands in the air.

[boydogs]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

their weather is hardly suited to cricket

Not sunny enough?

[Remi Moses]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

They were here 12 months ago beating us in Hobart and squaring the test series.

Rugby swallows everything in its path in NZ - every other sport (including Rugby League) automatically becomes a minnow sport with limited interest to the masses. The Kiwis do about as well as can be expected in cricket as a result.

Spot on Sedat. Aussie rules and rugby swallow up potential gun cricketers here it isn't funny.
The kiwis with their smaller population get swallowed up by Rugby.
The Kiwis destroyed us once, with Hadlee and Martin Crowe killing us, but honestly that's been it.

[Remi Moses]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

Vermon Philander's just proved if you get a bit off the pitch and bowl in good areas you get wickets in this era. Honestly some of the techniques now are woeful.

[Bornadog]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

Spot on Sedat. Aussie rules and rugby swallow up potential gun cricketers here it isn't funny.
The kiwis with their smaller population get swallowed up by Rugby.
The Kiwis destroyed us once, with Hadlee and Martin Crowe killing us, but honestly that's been it.

NZ grow an extra leg whenever they play Australia in any Sport.

I seem to recall we have lost a lot of test matches touring NZ over the years.

[KT31]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

NZ grow an extra leg whenever they play Australia in any Sport.

I seem to recall we have lost a lot of test matches touring NZ over the years.

Must go out LBW a lot.

[Ghost Dog]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

Not sunny enough?

Maritime climate. Like Tassie, you go hiking in your thongs (flip flops ) and the next moment, you're reaching for the brolly or getting blown about by gale force winds.

[Rocco Jones]

Re: What happened to New Zealand Cricket?

Watching a bit of SA vs NZ. I really rate how a tail goes about batting when looking at how 'professional' a side is. It's one thing to have a disparity in talent but I think tailenders for the 2nd tier test nations are like throwbacks. They don't see to see batting as part of their job. Swing away and see any runs that may come their way as a bonus.