December 8, 2024 • 21 mins
On Sports Fix with Jason Pine for 9 December 2024, Will Young will play in the third test against England with Devon Conway released as he awaits the birth of his first child. But where should Will Young bat?
Former New Zealand test opener Bryan Young explains the specific nature of opening the batting in test cricket and whether we need to have specialists doing the job, rather than converted middle order batsmen.
Plus, Newstalk ZB sport journalist, Elijah Fa'afiu joins to discuss the selection strategy going in to the third test. Who should open the batting? Should Tim Southee play?
And after the incredible scenes at Go Media Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday we discuss Auckland FC. How have they got so good, so quick (on and off the field)?
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix. Howard by News Talk said, B.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Hi there and welcome into a new week and to
a fresh edition of the Sports Fix podcast. It is Monday,
December ninth. I'm Jason Pine. Good to have you listening.
In hope the weekend was good. I hope it was
better than the black Caps weekends. Another three day test?
So what to do now? What to do ahead of
the third Test in Hamilton? How much can sentiments play
(00:41):
into selection? Well, one decision has really been made for
the black Cap selectors with Devin Conway leaving the squad
to be with his wife for the birth of their
first child. Will Young will come into the team. But
should he open the batting? I wanted to chat about
the specialized nature of opening the batting and Test cricket
today on the podcast. So one of our best Brian Young,
(01:02):
is going to join us. I've got some thoughts on
whether Tim Soudy should play or not in Hamilton. Elijah
he drops into the chamber to talk about the cricket
and also the juggernaut that is Aukland FC on and
off the field.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
So let's get into it. In other news.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Let's start, as always, with a look at some of
the big sports stories floating around today. The Black Fern
Sevens have rallied from an early twelve nil deficit to
beat the United States twenty six twelve and win the
Cape Town Sevens, the first tournament win in the New
Jordan Off.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
The Blacks and Sevens withered the Storm in a victory
they get.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Liam Lawson's failed to finish the year's final Formula One
Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. He withdrew inside the closing
stages of the race when his engine gave out. That
after earlier issues with a pit stop transition that saw
him forced to head back in earning a teen second penalty.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
We have Lawson stopped Losses Bermood out of the way
and Battle's why Liam Lawson stopped.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Lando Norris is making his way towards.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Turned ninth as Laws's car rolls out.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Of any danger.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
And Chelsea have silenced at Tottenham Ottsters Stadium, coming from
too nil down for a four to three win in
the Premier League.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
It's another where it's a Chelsea it is five in
a rodo in all competitions one defeats in eleven us
Candavidian It's Sports Fix with Jason vine Well.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
I had the utter pleasure, along with about twenty six
and a half thousand other people, of being at go
Media Stadium on Saturday afternoon for A League Derby A
League New Zealand Derby Version two point zero as Auckland
FC and Wellington Phoenix clashed for the second time and
the first time at Auckland's home ground. Now, of course,
Wellington Phoenix have been taking games to Auckland for quite
(02:57):
some time when it was just them as the Kiwis
in the A League, they would take a game there
pretty much every year. In fact, eighteen times before the
weekend they had played in Auckland. But of course the
different was on all of those eighteen occasions they were
the home team and the majority of fans who turned
up were there in yellow and black to support the
Wellington Phoenix against whoever they had tempted across the Tasman
(03:20):
to play a home game in Auckland on Saturday. It
was an absolute change of fortune for Wellington Phoenix. They
were well and truly behind enemy lines, but the crowd
of twenty six thy two hundred plus almost exclusively in
blue and black, although you must give it to the
Yellow Fever who traveled over nine hundred traveling fans. They
(03:41):
really made some noise, but they had no chance of
competing with what has quickly become one of the best
supporter groups, not only in the A League, but I
reckon in Australasian sport and the way it has been
stood up so quickly, the way it has been generated
into this juggernaut of an off field support is quite
(04:02):
something to behold. Was lucky enough to be in Lily
World the pub alongside Go Media Stadium in the hour
or so before the game, and what I saw there
was like being in another country. It was like being
in Europe or South America seeing the passion of these
fans and the chanting and the singing and the cheering
and just the general vibe of these Auckland FC fans
(04:25):
who have just jumped on this bandwagon in big numbers
and with huge passion. A sea change in the way
that sport is supported here and it's only gonna get bigger.
Weld done to the port, Well done to Auckland FC.
These are the new kids on the block, bringing something
fresh to New Zealand sport.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Dissecting the sporting agenda. It's Sportsficks with Jason Vine.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
On the Sports Fix podcast Let's Talk Test Cricket. Devin
Conway today has been confirmed as leaving the black Caps
squat ahead of the Third Test against England starting on
Saturday in Hamilton, as he and his wife await the
birth of their first child. Will Young will come into
the eleven. But will it be a straight swam? Should
it be a straight swap? Will Young is not a
natural opener? Should he be opening the batting in Test cricket?
(05:16):
Brian Young was one of our best Test openers, playing
thirty five Test matches over two thousand runs, including a
mass of two sixty seven not out and innings victory
against Sri Lanka and Dunedin in nineteen ninety six ninety
seventy joins us now on Sports Fox. Brian in general terms,
how specialized a position do you think opening the batting
(05:36):
in Test matches is?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (05:38):
Well, I would wouldn't I believe that it's very specialized.
But it is. It really is. It presents a unique
set of challenges and the biggest one of all is
the new ball, and fresh bowlers champion at the bit
to get you out. Sometimes they want to potentially hurt you,
(06:03):
I suppose as well. But it is specialized. It takes
a great deal of technical expertise, It takes a particular
mindset in particular, and those are sets of skills that
not everybody possesses, and it is most certainly a specialized position.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
So then that would lead on to I guess what
I've got down here about the main problems asking somebody
who's used to batting at say number four or five
to open the batting. Is it the mindset? Is it
the technique? Is it the experience against the new ball,
which is the main issue when you're asking amiddle a
load of batsman to potentially open the batting.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
It's a little bit of everything, you know, I guess
from myself been a keeper batsman batting at seven and
playing three hundred and sixty degrees around the park. You know,
people will tell you when I was that player, I
was a dasher, I guess, and played all the shots
and was a bit impetuous and was I guess a
(07:10):
reasonably you know, aggressive sort of player. But then to
open the batting against the new ball, and to fulfill
your role within the team, and that is to see
off the new ball, to create a platform with your
playing partner as best you possibly can, and blunt that
(07:30):
attack so that yourself and those following you and the
middle order can come in and and make hay while
the sunshine. That's the obviously the plan when you go
out to bat. So for a for a middle order
batsman or somebody who hasn't done that job, is it impossible?
Absolutely not. Myself, you know, did an average job of
(07:58):
making that transition. Mark Richardson show that you could do
that transition as well. But I most certainly think it's
a little bit of everything. The mental side of it.
It's getting your head around the fact of what you're doing,
why you're doing it, and your personal strategy of how
you're going to go about it. Whilst that applies to
all batting positions in the batting order, it's more so
(08:23):
and it's heightened and it's elevated at that level because
of the new ball, and the new ball is hard,
it swings it seems, and the bowlers are fresh, so
it presents that challenge.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
When you were reinventing yourself, because you're right, I remember
watching you as a as a dasher when you kept
working for Northern Districts, and particularly in white ball cricket.
You come out and you were you're playing all around
the ground when you reinvented yourself. I'm not saying you
didn't do that as a test opening, but did you?
Was it your mindset, Brian? Mainly that you had to
had to really alter in terms of, you know, not
(08:59):
trying to hit the cover of everything that came your way.
Speaker 5 (09:02):
Yes, there was that I put an off. Personally. Everyone
will be a little bit different, but personally I put
an enormous amount of work into technique into what I
reducing down my shots into certain areas of where I
could play, and having the ability to leave the ball.
(09:24):
Being someone who always liked feeling bat on ball and
being a wicket keeper and always been in the game
and always wanting to touch and feel the ball that
was foreign to me. So to actually leave and the
power of the leave for the opener and testing conditions
when it's seeming or swinging, that's that's as equally as
(09:48):
effective as a as a cover drive or or you know,
a clip clip off the hip or or a shot,
you know, a pool shot or anything like that. The
leave is equally as important. And so I put a
lot of effort into reinventing and bringing my focus down
to only a few shots and playing in the V
(10:11):
or playing the U in the U, which was the
old school way of approaching it was, and minimizing that
risk and minimizing ways of getting out, because boy I could,
I could invent ways of getting out given and I
think I invented the new ones. But that was that
(10:33):
was all mindset, one hundred percent. Yes, there's there's skill
and technique and and and all of those things, but
but to get your head around for me, it was
very difficult because I wanted to play shots, but I
knew that I couldn't because if I did, I'd be
letting the side down because I would ultimately get out
(10:54):
trying to do that. So best I don't try and
do that. Let me try and do this and actually
get the get the team off to a solid start as.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Possible, and just on that, how much pride did you
take in that and protecting your middle order, even your
number three, if you took a whole lot of shine
off that new ball so that they didn't have to
worry about it.
Speaker 5 (11:15):
Well, I could jokingly say that there was a bit
of banter in the dressing room, you know, when number
number four, five, six, seven came in and they were
just free wheeling and hitting through the line of the
ball and just having a merry old time later on
in the day, and you're sitting there quietly seething because
you'd gone through the first session of ducking and diving
(11:37):
and leaving and playing and missing and copying a few
only to see your teammates out there in the hot
sun carve it all up. But yes, there was banter
in the dressing room about that. But that was your job.
And if you were good enough to kick on and
reap what you sowed early on and actually hang in
(12:02):
there and actually turn those nice little twenties and thirties
into big scores, well you know you had earned the right.
And often I earned the right but didn't go on
and do it to execute. So there was It was
nice because if if the middle order came in and
(12:24):
took charge, you could you could quietly just sit there
if you'd done a good job at the top of
seeing off the new ball, you were quietly chuffed that
you'd done your bit to allow that to happen.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Wonderful insight, Brian, Thank you so much for taking the
time to join us on Sports Fox. Really appreciate it.
Brian Young, former New Zealand Test opening batsman.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
The Chamber is now in session on Sports Fix on.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
The Sportsbox podcast. Time to kick a few things around,
a few sporting issues, a few storylines from the weekend.
We call it the Chamber. On Monday, we call it
the People's Chamber. Just for you, e Larger if you
always joined us. A multi media journalist with the New
Zealand Herald and News Talk said, bat a difficult weekend, mate.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Yeah, really good. A whole lot of sport going on.
Great if you're an Auckland f C fan. Not great
if you're a Black Cap supporter. But I'm sure we'll
touch on those topics soon.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Well well yet, well you've basically read out the agenda
just in the wrong order. Can we start with the
Can we start with the cricket? Of course, let's get
that out of the way first. England two hundred and
eighty and four hundred and twenty seven for six declared
New Zealand one hundred and twenty five and two hundred
and fifty nine. Well inside three days, England winning the
Test by three hundred and twenty three runs. This is
(13:44):
just a bit gutting, isn't it, after what happened in India.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
It is in the next few question whether the whitewash
in India was a little bit of a fluke, considering
that England that have just come over here and absolutely
not just beaten the black Caps but absolutely dominated both tests.
And yes, their first Test we pretty much handed it
to them by dropping a lot of catches. The second
Test at the basin, Yeah, they just dominated with the
(14:11):
bats and we didn't have any answers for them at all.
So yeah, this third Tass coming up is going to
be one where we have to win and we have
to avoid the whitewash because I cann't think of anything
worse as a Christmas present than the black Caps being swept.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Yeah, just back to this game. England with forty three
for four on the first morning before drinks on the
first morning, having been sent in forty three for four,
so we kind of had we had them for you know,
whin the toss send them in knock the top off,
did all those things forty three for four from that
(14:47):
situation to lose by three hundred and twenty three runs
is almost more unexplainable, isn't it. You know, we can
religate this test as much as we like. It was
just really a very, very poor three days at the
office for New Zealand. But I think your land on
a great point. Even though Hamilton is a dead rubber.
We simply cannot afford the black Caps cannot afford to
(15:10):
be soundly beaten three tests in a row. Can they
add home?
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Yeah? For sure.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
And this is where Gary said and Tom Nathan need
to think about who your strongest eleventh is and whether
I think the main points of discussion is around Tim Saudi. Yes,
Devin Conway, but obviously he has personal issues. He's expecting
his first child, so we won't be able to have
that conversation around Devin Conway. But Tim Saldi is really
(15:35):
the main focus here. And whether you bring in a
Mitch Santoner is the spin option, And if you drop
a pace bowler, is at Tim Saudi or whether it's
sim Saudi deserves to have this farewell at his home ground,
and that's going to be a lot to discuss over
the week.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
What do you think they'll do?
Speaker 4 (15:55):
What I think what they'll do is that they'll keep saud.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
No, I agree, I agree. I don't think there's anything
surer than Tim Saudi will play in Hamilton. I think
it's set itself up for that, rightly or wrongly. It
has set itself up for that. I think, you know,
having predetermined this this Farewell series rightly or wrongly, And
the more it's gone on, the more it feels like wrongly.
(16:20):
I just think they are just, you know, for better
or worse, all in on Tim Sousey to play in Hamilton. Now,
that goes against every single fiber of selection theory in
terms of selecting your best team, because he has been
in the first two tests the least effective of the
(16:41):
seam bowlers. So if they're going to make a change
in terms of bringing Mitchell santnerin and have to drop
a seema, every single piece of selection theory would tell
you that it's Tim Soudi who drops out. But I'm
telling you right now he will play in Hamilton.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
Yeah, for sure. And I think if the opportunity, if
there was an opportunity or an opening for Suvi not
to have this farewell so would have should have been
when he dropped the captaincy ahead of the India series.
But because they've decided to stay loyal to him and
they've dragged on and you can say that he may
have overstayed his time in the squad. I mean they
have to follow three off this farewell now and we
(17:19):
just have to accept that.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Yeah, we do. And it's almost like we have to
write this test off, not just because if he plays
it'll be a lost cause, but it is a demonstration
that sentiment has taken precedence over selection. It has there's
no other way of cutting and slicing this. You know,
if you're picking on form, then he wouldn't be in
the team.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Yeah, for sure. And I guess the other guy as
well is Will Young. And Will Young who has been
he was phenomenal over in India. He now gets an
opportunity to step up in place of Devan Conway. I
guess the discussion is, you know, had Conway been able
to play, should he be able to open for the
side or is this where we talk about Will Young
(18:03):
coming in place of Conway? But I guess that decision's
sort of been taken out of the selector's hands.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Yeah, conveniently, I have to say, because I'm not sure
they will have made the right call there either. I
think Devin Conway I love him as a cricketer, have
loved watching him bat, but he's in a serious trot
in red ball cricket. And Will Young is coming off
the back of averaging fifty against India. He should have
played from the start. Luckily he will get the chance
(18:29):
to play in Hamilton. Unfortunately, I think they're probably gonna
make him open the batting, which I think is the
wrong thing to do as well. But these are all
things and maybe it's just okay, maybe, And here's what
will happen. This Test will come and go and then
we'll forget all about it and the flurry of white
ball cricket that will happen after Christmas. By the time
they played Test cricket again New Zealand in the middle
of next year against I think it's Zimbabwe, this will
(18:50):
just be a distant memory, won't it. But I hope
that they do something to at least indicate that they're
willing to try try something something new. Hey, we've talked
a lot about the cricket. Let's just quickly mentioned Auckland
FC because it was a terrific day at go Media
Stadium on Saturday afternoon. How has this team got oh
good so quick, not only on the field but in
(19:10):
terms of the support they've guarded off it?
Speaker 4 (19:14):
Well, I mean it's just you know, it's football fever,
which I guess you're familiar with that term football fever
of been part of that awesome podcast you do pinting.
But I guess Auckland's just pretty much jumped on board
with this hype around this team. It's given fans football
and fans up here in Auckland a chance to get
behind a team that's done so well. I noticed that,
(19:35):
you know, a lot of the players do have connections
in the past, whether it's international duty or having played
in the local competition, so I think that chemistry has
sort of already been there. I also think for a
lot of the players who are coming through Auckland f
C was their ticket into professional football, coming up from
the domestic league. So this is the opportunity to prove themselves.
And I think adding that to this past weekend having
(19:58):
the rivalry game at a derby game, they were fired
up and that certainly showed on the field and the fans.
I mean, that was an amazing atmosphere just just to
watch on TV. I wasn't able to attend, but Washington
for Afar that was the Stawson's watch.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Well, I can tell you being there, it was absolutely outstanding.
It was as good as you saw on TV. The
atmosphere was, like I've said this couple of times, like
a European club game, like a South American club game.
Absolute passion, brilliant atmosphere, best game in town. And I'll
tell you what, anyone who was there on Saturday, and
particularly those who went for the first time, would be saying,
(20:31):
when can I come back? When's the next game? And
that's a holy grail as far as as far as
club sport or any sport is concerned and getting bums
on seats. Elijah, the People's Chamber seems to have rushed
past very quickly. With a couple of big meat issues
to discuss. We beit a Claire out of here. Let's
catch up again next Monday.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
Sounds good, thank you.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Finding This is Sportsfix, your daily dose of sports news.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Howard By News talks EB.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
And so it comes to an end another edition of
the Sports Fixed podcast. Thank you for listening in. If
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(21:18):
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Speaker 1 (21:24):
For more from News Talks EDB, listen live on air
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B
follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix. Howard by News Talk said, B.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Hi there and welcome into a new week and to
a fresh edition of the Sports Fix podcast. It is Monday,
December ninth. I'm Jason Pine. Good to have you listening.
In hope the weekend was good. I hope it was
better than the black Caps weekends. Another three day test?
So what to do now? What to do ahead of
the third Test in Hamilton? How much can sentiments play
(00:41):
into selection? Well, one decision has really been made for
the black Cap selectors with Devin Conway leaving the squad
to be with his wife for the birth of their
first child. Will Young will come into the team. But
should he open the batting? I wanted to chat about
the specialized nature of opening the batting and Test cricket
today on the podcast. So one of our best Brian Young,
(01:02):
is going to join us. I've got some thoughts on
whether Tim Soudy should play or not in Hamilton. Elijah
he drops into the chamber to talk about the cricket
and also the juggernaut that is Aukland FC on and
off the field.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
So let's get into it. In other news.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
Let's start, as always, with a look at some of
the big sports stories floating around today. The Black Fern
Sevens have rallied from an early twelve nil deficit to
beat the United States twenty six twelve and win the
Cape Town Sevens, the first tournament win in the New
Jordan Off.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
The Blacks and Sevens withered the Storm in a victory
they get.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Liam Lawson's failed to finish the year's final Formula One
Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. He withdrew inside the closing
stages of the race when his engine gave out. That
after earlier issues with a pit stop transition that saw
him forced to head back in earning a teen second penalty.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
We have Lawson stopped Losses Bermood out of the way
and Battle's why Liam Lawson stopped.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Lando Norris is making his way towards.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Turned ninth as Laws's car rolls out.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Of any danger.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
And Chelsea have silenced at Tottenham Ottsters Stadium, coming from
too nil down for a four to three win in
the Premier League.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
It's another where it's a Chelsea it is five in
a rodo in all competitions one defeats in eleven us
Candavidian It's Sports Fix with Jason vine Well.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
I had the utter pleasure, along with about twenty six
and a half thousand other people, of being at go
Media Stadium on Saturday afternoon for A League Derby A
League New Zealand Derby Version two point zero as Auckland
FC and Wellington Phoenix clashed for the second time and
the first time at Auckland's home ground. Now, of course,
Wellington Phoenix have been taking games to Auckland for quite
(02:57):
some time when it was just them as the Kiwis
in the A League, they would take a game there
pretty much every year. In fact, eighteen times before the
weekend they had played in Auckland. But of course the
different was on all of those eighteen occasions they were
the home team and the majority of fans who turned
up were there in yellow and black to support the
Wellington Phoenix against whoever they had tempted across the Tasman
(03:20):
to play a home game in Auckland on Saturday. It
was an absolute change of fortune for Wellington Phoenix. They
were well and truly behind enemy lines, but the crowd
of twenty six thy two hundred plus almost exclusively in
blue and black, although you must give it to the
Yellow Fever who traveled over nine hundred traveling fans. They
(03:41):
really made some noise, but they had no chance of
competing with what has quickly become one of the best
supporter groups, not only in the A League, but I
reckon in Australasian sport and the way it has been
stood up so quickly, the way it has been generated
into this juggernaut of an off field support is quite
(04:02):
something to behold. Was lucky enough to be in Lily
World the pub alongside Go Media Stadium in the hour
or so before the game, and what I saw there
was like being in another country. It was like being
in Europe or South America seeing the passion of these
fans and the chanting and the singing and the cheering
and just the general vibe of these Auckland FC fans
(04:25):
who have just jumped on this bandwagon in big numbers
and with huge passion. A sea change in the way
that sport is supported here and it's only gonna get bigger.
Weld done to the port, Well done to Auckland FC.
These are the new kids on the block, bringing something
fresh to New Zealand sport.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Dissecting the sporting agenda. It's Sportsficks with Jason Vine.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
On the Sports Fix podcast Let's Talk Test Cricket. Devin
Conway today has been confirmed as leaving the black Caps
squat ahead of the Third Test against England starting on
Saturday in Hamilton, as he and his wife await the
birth of their first child. Will Young will come into
the eleven. But will it be a straight swam? Should
it be a straight swap? Will Young is not a
natural opener? Should he be opening the batting in Test cricket?
(05:16):
Brian Young was one of our best Test openers, playing
thirty five Test matches over two thousand runs, including a
mass of two sixty seven not out and innings victory
against Sri Lanka and Dunedin in nineteen ninety six ninety
seventy joins us now on Sports Fox. Brian in general terms,
how specialized a position do you think opening the batting
(05:36):
in Test matches is?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Yes?
Speaker 5 (05:38):
Well, I would wouldn't I believe that it's very specialized.
But it is. It really is. It presents a unique
set of challenges and the biggest one of all is
the new ball, and fresh bowlers champion at the bit
to get you out. Sometimes they want to potentially hurt you,
(06:03):
I suppose as well. But it is specialized. It takes
a great deal of technical expertise, It takes a particular
mindset in particular, and those are sets of skills that
not everybody possesses, and it is most certainly a specialized position.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
So then that would lead on to I guess what
I've got down here about the main problems asking somebody
who's used to batting at say number four or five
to open the batting. Is it the mindset? Is it
the technique? Is it the experience against the new ball,
which is the main issue when you're asking amiddle a
load of batsman to potentially open the batting.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
It's a little bit of everything, you know, I guess
from myself been a keeper batsman batting at seven and
playing three hundred and sixty degrees around the park. You know,
people will tell you when I was that player, I
was a dasher, I guess, and played all the shots
and was a bit impetuous and was I guess a
(07:10):
reasonably you know, aggressive sort of player. But then to
open the batting against the new ball, and to fulfill
your role within the team, and that is to see
off the new ball, to create a platform with your
playing partner as best you possibly can, and blunt that
(07:30):
attack so that yourself and those following you and the
middle order can come in and and make hay while
the sunshine. That's the obviously the plan when you go
out to bat. So for a for a middle order
batsman or somebody who hasn't done that job, is it impossible?
Absolutely not. Myself, you know, did an average job of
(07:58):
making that transition. Mark Richardson show that you could do
that transition as well. But I most certainly think it's
a little bit of everything. The mental side of it.
It's getting your head around the fact of what you're doing,
why you're doing it, and your personal strategy of how
you're going to go about it. Whilst that applies to
all batting positions in the batting order, it's more so
(08:23):
and it's heightened and it's elevated at that level because
of the new ball, and the new ball is hard,
it swings it seems, and the bowlers are fresh, so
it presents that challenge.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
When you were reinventing yourself, because you're right, I remember
watching you as a as a dasher when you kept
working for Northern Districts, and particularly in white ball cricket.
You come out and you were you're playing all around
the ground when you reinvented yourself. I'm not saying you
didn't do that as a test opening, but did you?
Was it your mindset, Brian? Mainly that you had to
had to really alter in terms of, you know, not
(08:59):
trying to hit the cover of everything that came your way.
Speaker 5 (09:02):
Yes, there was that I put an off. Personally. Everyone
will be a little bit different, but personally I put
an enormous amount of work into technique into what I
reducing down my shots into certain areas of where I
could play, and having the ability to leave the ball.
(09:24):
Being someone who always liked feeling bat on ball and
being a wicket keeper and always been in the game
and always wanting to touch and feel the ball that
was foreign to me. So to actually leave and the
power of the leave for the opener and testing conditions
when it's seeming or swinging, that's that's as equally as
(09:48):
effective as a as a cover drive or or you know,
a clip clip off the hip or or a shot,
you know, a pool shot or anything like that. The
leave is equally as important. And so I put a
lot of effort into reinventing and bringing my focus down
to only a few shots and playing in the V
(10:11):
or playing the U in the U, which was the
old school way of approaching it was, and minimizing that
risk and minimizing ways of getting out, because boy I could,
I could invent ways of getting out given and I
think I invented the new ones. But that was that
(10:33):
was all mindset, one hundred percent. Yes, there's there's skill
and technique and and and all of those things, but
but to get your head around for me, it was
very difficult because I wanted to play shots, but I
knew that I couldn't because if I did, I'd be
letting the side down because I would ultimately get out
(10:54):
trying to do that. So best I don't try and
do that. Let me try and do this and actually
get the get the team off to a solid start as.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Possible, and just on that, how much pride did you
take in that and protecting your middle order, even your
number three, if you took a whole lot of shine
off that new ball so that they didn't have to
worry about it.
Speaker 5 (11:15):
Well, I could jokingly say that there was a bit
of banter in the dressing room, you know, when number
number four, five, six, seven came in and they were
just free wheeling and hitting through the line of the
ball and just having a merry old time later on
in the day, and you're sitting there quietly seething because
you'd gone through the first session of ducking and diving
(11:37):
and leaving and playing and missing and copying a few
only to see your teammates out there in the hot
sun carve it all up. But yes, there was banter
in the dressing room about that. But that was your job.
And if you were good enough to kick on and
reap what you sowed early on and actually hang in
(12:02):
there and actually turn those nice little twenties and thirties
into big scores, well you know you had earned the right.
And often I earned the right but didn't go on
and do it to execute. So there was It was
nice because if if the middle order came in and
(12:24):
took charge, you could you could quietly just sit there
if you'd done a good job at the top of
seeing off the new ball, you were quietly chuffed that
you'd done your bit to allow that to happen.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
Wonderful insight, Brian, Thank you so much for taking the
time to join us on Sports Fox. Really appreciate it.
Brian Young, former New Zealand Test opening batsman.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
The Chamber is now in session on Sports Fix on.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
The Sportsbox podcast. Time to kick a few things around,
a few sporting issues, a few storylines from the weekend.
We call it the Chamber. On Monday, we call it
the People's Chamber. Just for you, e Larger if you
always joined us. A multi media journalist with the New
Zealand Herald and News Talk said, bat a difficult weekend, mate.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
Yeah, really good. A whole lot of sport going on.
Great if you're an Auckland f C fan. Not great
if you're a Black Cap supporter. But I'm sure we'll
touch on those topics soon.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Well well yet, well you've basically read out the agenda
just in the wrong order. Can we start with the
Can we start with the cricket? Of course, let's get
that out of the way first. England two hundred and
eighty and four hundred and twenty seven for six declared
New Zealand one hundred and twenty five and two hundred
and fifty nine. Well inside three days, England winning the
Test by three hundred and twenty three runs. This is
(13:44):
just a bit gutting, isn't it, after what happened in India.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
It is in the next few question whether the whitewash
in India was a little bit of a fluke, considering
that England that have just come over here and absolutely
not just beaten the black Caps but absolutely dominated both tests.
And yes, their first Test we pretty much handed it
to them by dropping a lot of catches. The second
Test at the basin, Yeah, they just dominated with the
(14:11):
bats and we didn't have any answers for them at all.
So yeah, this third Tass coming up is going to
be one where we have to win and we have
to avoid the whitewash because I cann't think of anything
worse as a Christmas present than the black Caps being swept.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Yeah, just back to this game. England with forty three
for four on the first morning before drinks on the
first morning, having been sent in forty three for four,
so we kind of had we had them for you know,
whin the toss send them in knock the top off,
did all those things forty three for four from that
(14:47):
situation to lose by three hundred and twenty three runs
is almost more unexplainable, isn't it. You know, we can
religate this test as much as we like. It was
just really a very, very poor three days at the
office for New Zealand. But I think your land on
a great point. Even though Hamilton is a dead rubber.
We simply cannot afford the black Caps cannot afford to
(15:10):
be soundly beaten three tests in a row. Can they
add home?
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Yeah? For sure.
Speaker 4 (15:15):
And this is where Gary said and Tom Nathan need
to think about who your strongest eleventh is and whether
I think the main points of discussion is around Tim Saudi. Yes,
Devin Conway, but obviously he has personal issues. He's expecting
his first child, so we won't be able to have
that conversation around Devin Conway. But Tim Saldi is really
(15:35):
the main focus here. And whether you bring in a
Mitch Santoner is the spin option, And if you drop
a pace bowler, is at Tim Saudi or whether it's
sim Saudi deserves to have this farewell at his home ground,
and that's going to be a lot to discuss over
the week.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
What do you think they'll do?
Speaker 4 (15:55):
What I think what they'll do is that they'll keep saud.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
No, I agree, I agree. I don't think there's anything
surer than Tim Saudi will play in Hamilton. I think
it's set itself up for that, rightly or wrongly. It
has set itself up for that. I think, you know,
having predetermined this this Farewell series rightly or wrongly, And
the more it's gone on, the more it feels like wrongly.
(16:20):
I just think they are just, you know, for better
or worse, all in on Tim Sousey to play in Hamilton. Now,
that goes against every single fiber of selection theory in
terms of selecting your best team, because he has been
in the first two tests the least effective of the
(16:41):
seam bowlers. So if they're going to make a change
in terms of bringing Mitchell santnerin and have to drop
a seema, every single piece of selection theory would tell
you that it's Tim Soudi who drops out. But I'm
telling you right now he will play in Hamilton.
Speaker 4 (16:57):
Yeah, for sure. And I think if the opportunity, if
there was an opportunity or an opening for Suvi not
to have this farewell so would have should have been
when he dropped the captaincy ahead of the India series.
But because they've decided to stay loyal to him and
they've dragged on and you can say that he may
have overstayed his time in the squad. I mean they
have to follow three off this farewell now and we
(17:19):
just have to accept that.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Yeah, we do. And it's almost like we have to
write this test off, not just because if he plays
it'll be a lost cause, but it is a demonstration
that sentiment has taken precedence over selection. It has there's
no other way of cutting and slicing this. You know,
if you're picking on form, then he wouldn't be in
the team.
Speaker 4 (17:41):
Yeah, for sure. And I guess the other guy as
well is Will Young. And Will Young who has been
he was phenomenal over in India. He now gets an
opportunity to step up in place of Devan Conway. I
guess the discussion is, you know, had Conway been able
to play, should he be able to open for the
side or is this where we talk about Will Young
(18:03):
coming in place of Conway? But I guess that decision's
sort of been taken out of the selector's hands.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Yeah, conveniently, I have to say, because I'm not sure
they will have made the right call there either. I
think Devin Conway I love him as a cricketer, have
loved watching him bat, but he's in a serious trot
in red ball cricket. And Will Young is coming off
the back of averaging fifty against India. He should have
played from the start. Luckily he will get the chance
(18:29):
to play in Hamilton. Unfortunately, I think they're probably gonna
make him open the batting, which I think is the
wrong thing to do as well. But these are all
things and maybe it's just okay, maybe, And here's what
will happen. This Test will come and go and then
we'll forget all about it and the flurry of white
ball cricket that will happen after Christmas. By the time
they played Test cricket again New Zealand in the middle
of next year against I think it's Zimbabwe, this will
(18:50):
just be a distant memory, won't it. But I hope
that they do something to at least indicate that they're
willing to try try something something new. Hey, we've talked
a lot about the cricket. Let's just quickly mentioned Auckland
FC because it was a terrific day at go Media
Stadium on Saturday afternoon. How has this team got oh
good so quick, not only on the field but in
(19:10):
terms of the support they've guarded off it?
Speaker 4 (19:14):
Well, I mean it's just you know, it's football fever,
which I guess you're familiar with that term football fever
of been part of that awesome podcast you do pinting.
But I guess Auckland's just pretty much jumped on board
with this hype around this team. It's given fans football
and fans up here in Auckland a chance to get
behind a team that's done so well. I noticed that,
(19:35):
you know, a lot of the players do have connections
in the past, whether it's international duty or having played
in the local competition, so I think that chemistry has
sort of already been there. I also think for a
lot of the players who are coming through Auckland f
C was their ticket into professional football, coming up from
the domestic league. So this is the opportunity to prove themselves.
And I think adding that to this past weekend having
(19:58):
the rivalry game at a derby game, they were fired
up and that certainly showed on the field and the fans.
I mean, that was an amazing atmosphere just just to
watch on TV. I wasn't able to attend, but Washington
for Afar that was the Stawson's watch.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
Well, I can tell you being there, it was absolutely outstanding.
It was as good as you saw on TV. The
atmosphere was, like I've said this couple of times, like
a European club game, like a South American club game.
Absolute passion, brilliant atmosphere, best game in town. And I'll
tell you what, anyone who was there on Saturday, and
particularly those who went for the first time, would be saying,
(20:31):
when can I come back? When's the next game? And
that's a holy grail as far as as far as
club sport or any sport is concerned and getting bums
on seats. Elijah, the People's Chamber seems to have rushed
past very quickly. With a couple of big meat issues
to discuss. We beit a Claire out of here. Let's
catch up again next Monday.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
Sounds good, thank you.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Finding This is Sportsfix, your daily dose of sports news.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Howard By News talks EB.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
And so it comes to an end another edition of
the Sports Fixed podcast. Thank you for listening in. If
you enjoyed what you heard and you would like more
of this, well, we do it every single weekday, so
if you subscribe Vibe to Sports Fix, a fresh episode
will drop into your podcast feed at a round about
this time each and every weekday. And for more from
News Talks EDB Sport listen to Sports Talk weeknights between
(21:18):
seven and eight pm and weekend Sports Saturday and Sunday
between midday and three.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
For more from News Talks EDB, listen live on air
or online and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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