September 30, 2024 • 11 mins
The Black Caps are drawing positives from a second innings fight, in the wake of a heavy test defeat by Sri Lanka in Galle.
The tourists have been bowled out for 360 on day four to lose the second and final test by an innings and 154 runs.
Cricket commentator Dylan Cleaver joined Piney to discuss the loss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk Zed be beautifully ball.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
The speed the trajectory.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Was outstanding to see Little Satner has it apart. Top
scores are Something's twenty nine bold, They're superious, Zellan all
out for eighty eight. The BA Caps have suffered a
fourth consecutive Test loss after an innings and one hundred
and fifty four run defeat to Sri Lanka in their
second match in Gaal. As mentioned, match scores Sri Lanka
(00:41):
six hundred and two for five declared batting first, New
Zealand all out for eighty eight and then three hundred
and sixty. Let's bring in multi award winning journalist, member
of the BYC podcast and producer of the excellent subscriber
newsletter The Bounce, Dylan Cleaver. Dylan, as I just said,
I thought New Zealand fought quite hard and played quite
(01:02):
well actually for significant parts of the first Test. But
apart from a bit of middle order backbone in the
second and Thing's, the second Test was pretty much devoid
of positives for me. Can you think of any positives
from the second Test?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
I can come up with one and that's not even
a positive. Really, it's a negative that I'm going to
try and turn into a positive, and that would be
to say they lost the toss on both tests. And
it's difficult enough being, for want of a better term,
being an Anglo team and going and playing in the continent.
It's tough these days. It's even tougher when you lose
both tosses. That is the sole excuse. That's out of
(01:39):
the way now the rest of it. And that second
Test was horrible and that surprised me to an extent
because they actually played better in that first Test than
I thought they would, particularly having lost that Test against
Afghanistan that was meant to be played in India. Having
lost that, I thought that was really going to put
(02:00):
them on the back foot. They played pretty well in
gaul in the first Test, missed a couple of opportunities
to even sneaker win there, but that second Test was futrid.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
So what happened, Dylan? What happened to the Black Caps
between the first Test, which I agree they had large
parts of really impressive stuff in and the second Test
which really, as you say, I think putred's a pretty
good word.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, I was really disappointed they made no changes. I
thought that there were a capital players short of form,
noticeably short of form in Gaul in the first test,
and I thought maybe spicing things up knowing that, I
think you've got to treat these series in isolation, and
this was a chance to get to one all in
(02:45):
the series. But instead, to me, it looks like they're
always thinking ahead, They're always thinking big picture. They know
they've got to go to India and play three tests,
so they felt that it was more fantageous for looking
head to that to play the same eleven. But I
just I don't get that thinking. My great fear is
this team has become a no accountabilit the team. Now
(03:07):
there's no penalty. Players are allowed to fail fail, fail, fail,
knowing that there's going to be no you know, they're
not going to be dropped. And I think that I
think that's mistaken. And and I wrote this yesterday, so
apologies for repeating myself, but I think that's mistaken. Loyalty
and inactivity for strategy.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Yeah, it was one of my favorite lines in your newsletter,
and you carried on, which begs the question, if you're
not coaching and there's no sign of that and you're
not selecting. What are you actually doing except wearing team
issue gear and putting out cones. Do we need a
change of coach.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, it's not the New Zealand way though, And I
think Garystad, to be fair to him, had built up
enough credit. There's a guy that's taken New Zealand into
the pointy ends of white ball tournaments. There's a guy
that's taken New Zealand to the World Pest Championship. I
think he had enough credit in the bank to get
a contract extension. Having said that, things look awfully stale.
(04:10):
The entire New Zealand cricket scene just seems a bit
stale and moribund at the moment, and I think that's
you know, there's partly to do with the high performance
setup and the fact that there's no real motivation for
the domestic cricketers. They don't feel like there's a way
into the Black Caps unless someone retires. Because it's so
set in stone. I think something needs to change, whether
(04:34):
it's attitude, andal whether it's strategic, whether it's more than
the finer tactical details. It feels awfully style at the moment,
and I think it's even reflected in the fielding. New
Zealand used to be one of the best building units
in the world. I think you might put them up
there with Australia South Africa. There was no one better.
(04:57):
Now I have to look at that team play and
think they are and this sounds like hyperboctly, but it's
actually not. When you look at the drop Catchers, I
think they're one of the sloppiest building teams in the
world and that cannot be with New Zealand teams.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
So to get out of this thug that we're in
at the moment, is it necessary to change personnel, to
have widespread changes of personnel or do you believe that
the players who are currently there can undergo a change
of attitude and get themselves back to where they need
to be.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
I don't think New Zealand can ever do widespread changes
and personnel because there's just not the talent pool there.
But I do think there needs to be more accountability.
I don't think you can have it and it sounds
like I'm going to pick on a capital of players here,
and certainly they are good players. They are there for
a reason, but I don't think you can have your
Henry Nichols failing for nineteen tests andings in a row
(05:53):
before they do something about it. You're Devin Conway's failing
to fifteen tests and things in a row before I
do something about it. Even your captain Tim Sauby, who
is now I think bold sixteen innings without taking a
three wicket bags in These are long stretches where you're
essentially playing people in eleven man game who are not contributing.
(06:18):
I think there needs to be more sharp eyed selection,
whether that means widening your pull that you're picked from.
There will be counter arguments to this that are effects
team harmony and continuity, but I think we've done that
for a long time now in New Zealanders at the
Staley end of that whole extreme loyalty thing, and something
(06:41):
needs to be shaken up a little.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Tim South is a very interesting case for me because
he seems to have given up on batting. How much
of a lost course something might be. You shouldn't just
go out there and swing wildly across the lines if
you put a price on your wicket. The other part
of it, Dylan is in Asia, you pick what two seamers,
probably your fastest and your best and he's neither right now,
(07:03):
but he's the captain.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, so I would have rested him for the second
Test before the squads were picked for Sri Lanka. They
did make it pretty fair that Tim was unlikely to
play all six tests, which was reduced to vibe with
the lost of the afghanist their one. He was unlucky
to play all six tests during this Asian swing. I
(07:26):
would have thought that second Test was a perfect time
for him to recharge, to give someone else a chance
to lead that team, to put someone alongside willow Walk
that could either partner him with a few thunderbolts in
an abst Ben Sears or Matt Henry, who was do
you believe the bowler of the series when Australia came
(07:49):
here last summer. But yeah, they went with the same
eleven they did in the first Test and sim Salia
again was relatively in effect. They've picked up a wicket
in its first over and I mean things may have
changed if Darrel which had held on to what was
that very very easy chance of per slip of will
O'Rourke early on, that would have put trelink a ten
(08:11):
to two and maybe the confection of that Test changed
a little bit, but you look at it, I mean,
what do they rack up six hundred and two for five.
That's pretty damning indictment on any bowling attack. Really.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
How worried should we be about Devin Conway?
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yeah, relatively worried. I know there has been a little
bit of narrative following that Test. There at least they
showed some spine in the second innings and a plus
three hundred score in subcontinent conditions, I guess indicates that
they did something right. But I placed very very little
stuff on that when you're following on and absolutely hopeless
(08:52):
caused shrillanka. All all they needed to do was take
the field and they were going to win that Test
by a mile eventually. So the New Zealanders had a
little bit of funnel on the way. They just treated
it slightly more like an open wicket the session and
tried out something and bout it quite nicely. But it's
about as low pressure as Test crickets can get. So
I don't put a lot of stock on any run
(09:14):
scored during that innings, and Devin did, he got a
sixty edd. But there are certain technical things going on
that I'm just surprised how often he gets beaten on
the inside the edge. He's a good player, and I'm
surprised how long it's taking him to figure that out, feels.
(09:35):
I mean, I'm not having coach, but just watching. I've
watched enough cricket to know that he just looks so
closed off and is unable to get to those bulls
that ankle in towards him, and I would have thought
were good coaching around him, and being such a fine
player and having such good eye hand coordination, he would
have figured it out a little better by now.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Just to finish, they'll come home, I presume briefly, and
then head back over for three tests against India. How
should we as cricket fans approach these tests with degree
of trepidation? Would you say.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Trepidation was the exact word I've going to pull out there,
so you beat me to it. Yeah, I look in
your magnificent team in home conditions, Ashwyn and Jadasia have
had New Zealand's number in the past. I would be
extremely careful. I know that's not a particularly positive mindset
(10:30):
to take into anything, and hope springs eternal New Zealand
went there. I think of their last Test tour and
they clang on for a draw in the first test
that I think ratching. Revendra maybe in one of his
very first tests, made a battling nineteen nine out to
save the test late. So I mean, yeah, hope springs eternal.
(10:53):
But having said that, watching the last four days in
Gaul doesn't fill you with a lot of it.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I appreciate you Tom, Dylan as always, thanks for joining us.
Funny thanks mate, That's Dylan Cleaver.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talk
Set B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk Zed be beautifully ball.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
The speed the trajectory.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Was outstanding to see Little Satner has it apart. Top
scores are Something's twenty nine bold, They're superious, Zellan all
out for eighty eight. The BA Caps have suffered a
fourth consecutive Test loss after an innings and one hundred
and fifty four run defeat to Sri Lanka in their
second match in Gaal. As mentioned, match scores Sri Lanka
(00:41):
six hundred and two for five declared batting first, New
Zealand all out for eighty eight and then three hundred
and sixty. Let's bring in multi award winning journalist, member
of the BYC podcast and producer of the excellent subscriber
newsletter The Bounce, Dylan Cleaver. Dylan, as I just said,
I thought New Zealand fought quite hard and played quite
(01:02):
well actually for significant parts of the first Test. But
apart from a bit of middle order backbone in the
second and Thing's, the second Test was pretty much devoid
of positives for me. Can you think of any positives
from the second Test?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
I can come up with one and that's not even
a positive. Really, it's a negative that I'm going to
try and turn into a positive, and that would be
to say they lost the toss on both tests. And
it's difficult enough being, for want of a better term,
being an Anglo team and going and playing in the continent.
It's tough these days. It's even tougher when you lose
both tosses. That is the sole excuse. That's out of
(01:39):
the way now the rest of it. And that second
Test was horrible and that surprised me to an extent
because they actually played better in that first Test than
I thought they would, particularly having lost that Test against
Afghanistan that was meant to be played in India. Having
lost that, I thought that was really going to put
(02:00):
them on the back foot. They played pretty well in
gaul in the first Test, missed a couple of opportunities
to even sneaker win there, but that second Test was futrid.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
So what happened, Dylan? What happened to the Black Caps
between the first Test, which I agree they had large
parts of really impressive stuff in and the second Test
which really, as you say, I think putred's a pretty
good word.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, I was really disappointed they made no changes. I
thought that there were a capital players short of form,
noticeably short of form in Gaul in the first test,
and I thought maybe spicing things up knowing that, I
think you've got to treat these series in isolation, and
this was a chance to get to one all in
(02:45):
the series. But instead, to me, it looks like they're
always thinking ahead, They're always thinking big picture. They know
they've got to go to India and play three tests,
so they felt that it was more fantageous for looking
head to that to play the same eleven. But I
just I don't get that thinking. My great fear is
this team has become a no accountabilit the team. Now
(03:07):
there's no penalty. Players are allowed to fail fail, fail, fail,
knowing that there's going to be no you know, they're
not going to be dropped. And I think that I
think that's mistaken. And and I wrote this yesterday, so
apologies for repeating myself, but I think that's mistaken. Loyalty
and inactivity for strategy.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Yeah, it was one of my favorite lines in your newsletter,
and you carried on, which begs the question, if you're
not coaching and there's no sign of that and you're
not selecting. What are you actually doing except wearing team
issue gear and putting out cones. Do we need a
change of coach.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, it's not the New Zealand way though, And I
think Garystad, to be fair to him, had built up
enough credit. There's a guy that's taken New Zealand into
the pointy ends of white ball tournaments. There's a guy
that's taken New Zealand to the World Pest Championship. I
think he had enough credit in the bank to get
a contract extension. Having said that, things look awfully stale.
(04:10):
The entire New Zealand cricket scene just seems a bit
stale and moribund at the moment, and I think that's
you know, there's partly to do with the high performance
setup and the fact that there's no real motivation for
the domestic cricketers. They don't feel like there's a way
into the Black Caps unless someone retires. Because it's so
set in stone. I think something needs to change, whether
(04:34):
it's attitude, andal whether it's strategic, whether it's more than
the finer tactical details. It feels awfully style at the moment,
and I think it's even reflected in the fielding. New
Zealand used to be one of the best building units
in the world. I think you might put them up
there with Australia South Africa. There was no one better.
(04:57):
Now I have to look at that team play and
think they are and this sounds like hyperboctly, but it's
actually not. When you look at the drop Catchers, I
think they're one of the sloppiest building teams in the
world and that cannot be with New Zealand teams.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
So to get out of this thug that we're in
at the moment, is it necessary to change personnel, to
have widespread changes of personnel or do you believe that
the players who are currently there can undergo a change
of attitude and get themselves back to where they need
to be.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
I don't think New Zealand can ever do widespread changes
and personnel because there's just not the talent pool there.
But I do think there needs to be more accountability.
I don't think you can have it and it sounds
like I'm going to pick on a capital of players here,
and certainly they are good players. They are there for
a reason, but I don't think you can have your
Henry Nichols failing for nineteen tests andings in a row
(05:53):
before they do something about it. You're Devin Conway's failing
to fifteen tests and things in a row before I
do something about it. Even your captain Tim Sauby, who
is now I think bold sixteen innings without taking a
three wicket bags in These are long stretches where you're
essentially playing people in eleven man game who are not contributing.
(06:18):
I think there needs to be more sharp eyed selection,
whether that means widening your pull that you're picked from.
There will be counter arguments to this that are effects
team harmony and continuity, but I think we've done that
for a long time now in New Zealanders at the
Staley end of that whole extreme loyalty thing, and something
(06:41):
needs to be shaken up a little.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Tim South is a very interesting case for me because
he seems to have given up on batting. How much
of a lost course something might be. You shouldn't just
go out there and swing wildly across the lines if
you put a price on your wicket. The other part
of it, Dylan is in Asia, you pick what two seamers,
probably your fastest and your best and he's neither right now,
(07:03):
but he's the captain.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Yeah, so I would have rested him for the second
Test before the squads were picked for Sri Lanka. They
did make it pretty fair that Tim was unlikely to
play all six tests, which was reduced to vibe with
the lost of the afghanist their one. He was unlucky
to play all six tests during this Asian swing. I
(07:26):
would have thought that second Test was a perfect time
for him to recharge, to give someone else a chance
to lead that team, to put someone alongside willow Walk
that could either partner him with a few thunderbolts in
an abst Ben Sears or Matt Henry, who was do
you believe the bowler of the series when Australia came
(07:49):
here last summer. But yeah, they went with the same
eleven they did in the first Test and sim Salia
again was relatively in effect. They've picked up a wicket
in its first over and I mean things may have
changed if Darrel which had held on to what was
that very very easy chance of per slip of will
O'Rourke early on, that would have put trelink a ten
(08:11):
to two and maybe the confection of that Test changed
a little bit, but you look at it, I mean,
what do they rack up six hundred and two for five.
That's pretty damning indictment on any bowling attack. Really.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
How worried should we be about Devin Conway?
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yeah, relatively worried. I know there has been a little
bit of narrative following that Test. There at least they
showed some spine in the second innings and a plus
three hundred score in subcontinent conditions, I guess indicates that
they did something right. But I placed very very little
stuff on that when you're following on and absolutely hopeless
(08:52):
caused shrillanka. All all they needed to do was take
the field and they were going to win that Test
by a mile eventually. So the New Zealanders had a
little bit of funnel on the way. They just treated
it slightly more like an open wicket the session and
tried out something and bout it quite nicely. But it's
about as low pressure as Test crickets can get. So
I don't put a lot of stock on any run
(09:14):
scored during that innings, and Devin did, he got a
sixty edd. But there are certain technical things going on
that I'm just surprised how often he gets beaten on
the inside the edge. He's a good player, and I'm
surprised how long it's taking him to figure that out, feels.
(09:35):
I mean, I'm not having coach, but just watching. I've
watched enough cricket to know that he just looks so
closed off and is unable to get to those bulls
that ankle in towards him, and I would have thought
were good coaching around him, and being such a fine
player and having such good eye hand coordination, he would
have figured it out a little better by now.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Just to finish, they'll come home, I presume briefly, and
then head back over for three tests against India. How
should we as cricket fans approach these tests with degree
of trepidation? Would you say.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Trepidation was the exact word I've going to pull out there,
so you beat me to it. Yeah, I look in
your magnificent team in home conditions, Ashwyn and Jadasia have
had New Zealand's number in the past. I would be
extremely careful. I know that's not a particularly positive mindset
(10:30):
to take into anything, and hope springs eternal New Zealand
went there. I think of their last Test tour and
they clang on for a draw in the first test
that I think ratching. Revendra maybe in one of his
very first tests, made a battling nineteen nine out to
save the test late. So I mean, yeah, hope springs eternal.
(10:53):
But having said that, watching the last four days in
Gaul doesn't fill you with a lot of it.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I appreciate you Tom, Dylan as always, thanks for joining us.
Funny thanks mate, That's Dylan Cleaver.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talk
Set B from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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