August 5, 2025 • 52 mins
This week on On The Front Foot, Bryan Waddle and Jeremy Coney review two test matches and are joined by BBC Commentator Simon Mann to discuss whether England should’ve won the Oval test instead of having to settle for a drawn series.
Plus, Daryl Mitchell joined the podcast to pay tribute to Matt Henry as the Black Caps prepare for the second test in Bulawayo.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at B.
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
Take it.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
It is out, The Test is over. Couldn't the smoke
was a beauty? It is out here he goes. This
delivery has in many uses.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Evolved on the front foot with Brian Waddell and Jeremy
Coney powered by News Talks head b at iHeart Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
On the front puts for Brian Model and Jeremy Coney. Boy,
There's been plenty of action in Test cricket. The black
Caps displayed patience and efficiency to overcome a spirited but
ultimately outclassed Zimbabwe unit. Henry showing his quality. What a series.
India's residence and fighting quality, he's helped them outstay England
(01:11):
to all the final on that series, Does England have
what is needed as they prepare for the Ashes, Well,
we can discuss that. We're going to be joined a
little later on byes match special commentator Simon Mann. You'll
give his reflection, But why don't we get Jeremy Coney's
reflection because he sat in the middle of an English
(01:32):
commentary box. So to a certain extent, Jerry plenty of
cricket to watch, plenty to enjoy, quality, passion, and a
bit emotional towards the end. But I suppose you had
to be slightly bent in the English way rather than
the Indian way.
Speaker 5 (01:51):
Hi wats no? You know how objective I am. I
try to tell the truth of these matters. But man,
that last day of which was really just a bit
less than an hour, even hardened chronic watches of cricket
like you and I are over our lives, you couldn't
(02:13):
fail but be engaged in every little piece of the match,
the effort, the moment, every ball really and all the fans.
I mean they they sold tickets for the last day,
twenty five pound for an adult and one pound for
(02:34):
a child. And we always say that, you know, cricket's
eating itself and it's always in trouble in these things.
But man, they must have had about twenty thousand there
for that last day. And they turned all the streets
around the oval into a pedestrian mall. There were no
cars or buses or anything. Occasional bike came past, but
(02:58):
people just wandering to get in. And I actually passed
a gentleman who was trying to get it and get
a ticket in a week, feel chair. But they couldn't
let him in because they had sold all the seats.
And I saw a gentleman carrying five pints of beer
to his seat. He'd have to drink those bloody quickly,
(03:21):
wouldn't he. It wasn't going to get at many overs,
I've got to say. But it was intoxicating for them all.
And I don't mean intoxicating because of drinking, but I
just the whole They were enthralled and it was most
absorbing watching that last morning.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
And that's what we talk about Test cricket, and that's
what we want from the Test match game. That's what
sits Test cricket above anything else in terms of cricket.
Whatever you want to play, the fans just get engaged
and get involved in Test matches. And you know, I was,
I was left sort of thinking which side do I
(04:02):
want to win? Which one do I want to win
the most, or which one do I hate the most?
Didn't really matter. I didn't know what side I was on.
It was just it was great to see Test cricket
and people participating like that.
Speaker 5 (04:14):
Yeah, that's true, and cricket can really heighten things can't
it not all the time. That's why we regard these
as special days. But you know a lot of them,
it's a lot of us is pretty anonymous sometimes, isn't it.
You know, quiet sort of draws and things like that.
But these moments, when they do produce them, they are
(04:35):
certainly memorable. England really should have got the thirty five,
there's no doubt about that on that last morning. And
it wasn't a surprise that they came out to attack.
That's very brand McCullum, isn't it. You just go and
go out, you know, go down fighting if you have to.
But they tried to be aggressive, probably too much, and
(04:59):
weren't able to kind of ring it and pull it
back a little bit at times. Probably Jamie Smith was
the wicket, He was the one most likely to score
the runs. And Sarage came and bold a bit differently
that last morning. He started on about fifth stump and
swung the ball away further from the right hander and
(05:21):
he just fiddled that one and looked it looked as
if the occasion was almost too.
Speaker 6 (05:26):
Big for him.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
And he had done a lot of keeping and maybe
all the players were probably fairly fairly fatigued. But you know,
in the end, I think a two to two result
was a fair one when you looked at the whole
sort of series that they'd played. But he bowled very
well that last morning, sarag taking the place at Boomra.
(05:50):
He just kept on going and kept on going and
altered his line. Then he got a wobble balled back
in to hit a guy Overton on the pads and
he had a bit of luck there because it was
given out on the field of play and it was
just clipping. And then Atkinson started to attack. There was
a dropped catch. There was all sorts of things happening,
(06:11):
and the crowd just became totally involved in every ball. Really,
Pap Kushner did a decent job too.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah, Saraj doesn't want to miss any of the scraps either,
does he.
Speaker 5 (06:25):
Well, he can do that. He can get really worked up,
but then the smile, if you notice the smile isn't
far away. He gets back to the to that. He
seems quite an important man actually in that team. He's
always leaping on top of his shoulders. He almost dropped
the dropped the match, really, didn't he by standing on
(06:48):
that cushion around the boundary and that was and that
I think was Harry Brook at the time, so that
that was very costly and I'm sure he didn't and
then he caught him on the field of play when
he went out when his bat was thrown again the
same not as far as punt when he threw his
bat earlier on the whole series of course, yeah, of course,
(07:12):
so but yeah, a really exciting finish. You know, he
should a Yorker to dismiss tongue and so on, and
a dropped catch and Durrell missing a runout from behind
the stumps as they tried to run a by. Lots
of things happening ball after ball. Ye, everything an event.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
We all love the Wokes moment and see somebody go
out there. I'm not sure that he should have one run, yes,
eleven ten. He wasn't going to do it, was he.
Speaker 5 (07:48):
Well. The interesting thing for me was, I mean, obviously
he was in a bit of discomfort and as it happened,
we don't even know whether he was going to be
left or right handed, but probably left handed because he
had he had an arm guard on his right arm,
so he's probably going to keep the top hand that
right hand the one to use it if he was
going to face, but he didn't. I wondered for a
(08:10):
moment or two where they would mancad him because he
was setting off quite early, and that would have been
a real interesting finish to the match, wouldn't it. But yeah, yeah, wounded, Yes,
coming down, Yes, heroic, Not sure about that. There have
been plenty of people over there in the history of
(08:31):
the game have come out injured to play, you know,
Malcolm Marshall and lots of things. So yeah, it was
just a fitting end to what's been a really interesting series.
He obviously he couldn't bat for very long. He'd only
(08:52):
be able to, you know, really run the ball down,
use the pace of the block bowler really if he
did face. But yeah, I mean smart again from Saraj,
maybe a little sense that a canon was going to
slog try and slog sweep him again and he bowled
him with a yorker to finish it all off.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Yeah, we know that Aksin can hit the ball with senate.
He scored a Test match hundred. I'd just like to
reflect back on New Zealand beating India in India three
nil is you know, can you reflect on that half
the team that was playing in this series played against
New Zealand. Does that put into perspective what New Zealand
was able to achieve in India? Three nil? I mean
(09:38):
those tests are the greatest moment to a certain extent,
and in our test career, aren't they?
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Absolutely? I mean playing over in India is such a
difficult assignment and no side finds it easy to beat
India at home, and to beat them not just one
nil or two nil, but three nil. Well, it was
an extraordinary event by New Zealand and we now start
(10:05):
to appreciate the sorts of things and the quality that
they had to be able to do that, every player
getting every little bit out of themselves, not just with
the ball but with the bat as well in scoring runs.
So that was a fabulous effort. And when you look
at it in the terms of this series, there are
obviously quite a few you know, probably half the team
(10:28):
is a wee bit different because they've lost some players,
haven't they. But you know that New Zealand, that's got
to be one of the highest performances our teams have
been able to do.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
It's interesting just to reflect on that silent Man's going
to join us in just a moment, but I'm going
to ask you before he joins us. The question about
England is this English side and I guess the majority
that we're going to go to Australia capable of winning
the ashes.
Speaker 5 (10:57):
I think they're going to struggle over the awards. I
think that there are certain conditions that have changed in
Australia and you will have not stat as well. I
reckon Melbourne used to be a drop and pitch and
because of it, it was so dull that they were
about to lose the Test match itself as a venue
(11:21):
in Melbourne and they couldn't afford that. So they've made
their pictures rather much more green and they've left more
grass on it now and players like Boland have come
in and made it very difficult indeed, And so that
pitch the Adelaide was the pink ball at night, the
way that it goes when the lights go on. We
(11:41):
both know that that's not going to be easy for
England as the ball moves. And then of course you've
got Brisbane, which is a pitch day one and day
two can be very green and see me and moving
the ball around. The reason I keep on saying those
three is because of the movement, Brian. And so you
(12:03):
looked at the pitches that were played in this series.
They were chief executive pitches, which is that didn't move
at all really until the last one, which was the
only English pitch we saw. They were all straw colored.
They didn't break down at all. And how many times
have we seen, you know, a captain winner toss five
times against Indian win a toss and they bowled four
(12:28):
of those five times in order so they could bat
last and chase a total. That's what they want to do,
and so they need these pittures that don't move at
all and they don't break up. And so that's why
it's been a runs dominated game, hasn't it for most
of it until we got to the oval at the end,
(12:50):
and so to suddenly be able to and that's why
you can play bass ball and what that called what
they called bass ball, it's they've tried to change it
a little bit this year and not be so full
on about it. But you know, with the movement I
mentioned and an Adelaide with the pink ball and Brisbane,
(13:11):
I think they're going to struggle against that bowling attack
of Osie that Ossie had and I'm also hopeful of
course here that the Aussie top order is not very
good either. They've got real problems there with those top three.
Will Labersham play I think he's got to, doesn't he?
And then two openers, I don't know who the openers
(13:32):
will be. From Smith downwards. It looks much more settled.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Yes, Travis Head and Smith, but you know Constance and
whoever Kareron Green?
Speaker 5 (13:42):
Now Constance knows, I don't think he'll be there.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Well, you know, and with Cameron Green going to to bat,
you know they've got some issues as well, and you
know we'll be watching that with a great deal of
interest as they develop their side to defend the Ashes.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Brian Waddell, Jeremy Cooney on the front foot.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
While it's us who couldn't care less about either England
or India. One someone who might be more interested and
and there's always a little bit of parochial bias about
international series is test Metch special commentator Simon Mann, who's
been with us in the past and talk to cricket
(14:26):
across the vast expense of the area that we learned,
and he's he's watched the game. Did it mean to
you who won that last Test?
Speaker 7 (14:36):
Simon, No, I'm totally NEUTRALDS. I'm all for the benefit
of cricket. It's a brilliant game. It's fantastic, really, your
heart pumping in that last hour, the only hour of
cricket yesterday. It was just sensational cricket and the drama
of Chris Fokes coming out to bat in a sling
and trying to run runs.
Speaker 6 (14:56):
I mean it was.
Speaker 7 (14:57):
It was mad cricket, feverish excitement, tremendous Indian support, tremendous
English support. It's a bit of a cliche in neither
side deserve to lose the game. Someone had to wasn't
going to be a draw. It was just absolutely a
fantastic occasion, brilliant for India and wonderful Hamid Siraj, you
had a wonderful series and just kept ongoing. Goodness knows
(15:19):
what he must be feeling like this morning.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
He must be exhausted, Yeah, albeit because I mean he
he played the part that Bumra was supposed to be
playing for India. The tist matches he played, they didn't
win anything, that's right.
Speaker 7 (15:34):
And actually, if you look at the stats when Bummer
doesn't play, Siraj really steps up and he was the
four at edge Piston and in this game as well,
you know, rightly player of the match here. He helped
them win the game at Edgebiston as well that the
second Test match that BUMMERA didn't play. Look, you'd always
prefer to have Bumera in your side, but something strange
seems to happen to Syriaj and perhaps to India.
Speaker 6 (15:55):
When Bummer doesn't.
Speaker 7 (15:57):
Play, everyone else galvanizes themselves and makes it work. This game,
it could have gone either way. I think England will
kick themselves. But they didn't win this match. They were
in a winning position and I think you could argue
that they threw it away. Harry Brook's shot, Jacob Bethel's shot,
I don't know if you've seen them in New Zealand,
(16:17):
and they were pretty extravagant strokes. But then they might say,
well that's the way we play. But I saw a
hard nosed, hard headed approach. I think we've got England
home India on their knees when England needed seventy odd
to win with seven wickets left. But that's the beauty
of cricket. You make a mistake and the opposition can
take advantage of it.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Yeah, I mean I'm one of those who rejects. So
that's the way we play scenario because there has to
be some discipline, there has to be some common sense.
You know, Wokes came out to bet. Should he have
come out to bet? Should England have played the way
they did with thirty needed and four wickets in hand?
To my mind, I think there was another way.
Speaker 6 (16:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (16:58):
Well, what was noticeable is when England came out to
bat on the final morning, they were playing lots of shots.
It was almost a shot of ball and that led
to the downfall of Jamie Smith, the key player really,
I mean, he was the class player left. If he
batted for twenty five minutes, England probably would have won
the game. He's got all the shots, just wait for
the bad ball. But he looked so skittish and Sir
(17:19):
Age was swinging the ball away and he was going
after it, going after it, and then you know, eventually
he nicked one and that really broke the game open
for India. I mean it looked as if England said, look,
there's no what we're not going to do here is
just kind of hang back and wait and just do
it slowly, We're going to we're going to be aggressive,
and they hit the first two balls for four. But
ultimately he could argue with the Smith wicket it led
(17:41):
to England's downfall, but I think probably the damage was
done a bit early. It was done the previous day
with those shots from Brook and Bethel when England were
totally in control of the game, and then those wickets
kind of put it in the balance yesterday morning and
India's kind of just held their nerve a bit better.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Having said there, about the final day of the taste
and the result to all, there was some wonderful cricket.
I mean it was. It was a marvelous series of
taste cricket, wasn't it.
Speaker 7 (18:10):
Oh fantastic, Yeah, absolutely fantastic. I mean you could argue
the pitches were a bit dull, so it was a
bit that dominated. You think of English conditions, you often
think of the bowl was holding sway. It wasn't like
that in this series, apart from in the first two
innings of this Test match where it was green at
the start of the game, So you could you could
argue it was a bit batter dominated, but it made
(18:33):
for a compelling series. I think the fact that both
sides were hard at it, and you know there was
a lot of chat on the field and off the
field as well, so that increased the drama. I mean
India hammered England at Ashpreston so that you know, they
did have one emphatic victory. So you know, not every
game was close, but there was something in every day
(18:54):
for someone to you know, for cricket followers to take
out of it. It was it just kept you engrossed
actually for six weeks. Actually feel a bit said sense
of sort of gloom and anti climax today because you
know the series is over. We got no Test cricket
to watch now for about four months.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
No, but you've got the hundred Yeah, okay, we'll move
on from that one immediately. But the difference between the
two sides I think was minimal, you know, to all
to me explains the quality of both teams. Was the
difference just the style of play, how they went about
(19:33):
achieving the end result.
Speaker 7 (19:36):
What was the difference between the two sides, Well, you
could argue there wasn't. There wasn't much in India strength,
probably in their in their batting. England I thought their
bowling is was a bit fractured in this series, so
they never got their best attack onto the field in
one game, and even when they got their best bowlers
(19:56):
onto the field, they weren't really quite framed for I mean,
for example, Gus Atkinson played in this Test match and
he hadn't played for two months or something like that. Okay,
bowl well in the first the thing second and he
probably just ran out a puff a bit in England
had a three man attack because of that injury to
Chris Woke. So I think there were flaws in both
(20:17):
sides as well which the opposition were able to exploit.
But there was also that quality need. The likes of
Subman Girl, what Kale Rahall, Mohammad Sira, as you know,
Ben Stokes, Joe Roots, these quality players really came to
the fore, and I suppose it was trying to about
trying to exploit the opposition's weakness and ultimately neither side
(20:37):
was quite able to do that because if you think
about it, I mean I said England probably kicked themselves
they didn't win the series. I think India might kick themselves.
For example, they didn't win the first Test match. They
had England on their knees in that game and they
India dropped a whole stack of catches if they caught those,
and I'm sure India would have won it at Headingley
and they might well have gone on to win the series.
So it's interesting one saying, you know, the series kind
(21:00):
of like deserved to be too, too. Both sides might
look back and reflect. I suppose it's always the case,
might look back and reflect, actually, we could have.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
Won the series.
Speaker 7 (21:07):
And then India definitely definitely had opportunities in the first
three Test matches they could have won at Lord's for example,
it was a tight game as well. But I think ultimately,
as England went away from the Oval yesterday they must
have thought we have missed a massive opportunity to win
a big five match series against one of the top
teams in international cricket.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
It was compelling watching too, which those of us who
had to watch on a very small screen in this
part of the world on my iPad was able to
do in the middle of the night. It was compelling.
But it's left me with the question of is this
England side capable of winning the Ashes?
Speaker 7 (21:47):
I would if you want a one word answer, I
would say no. I would frame it in a slightly
different way. I would say, is this an England side
that at last is capable of competing in the Ashes
in Australia, which hasn't happened for over a decade. England
have gone to Australia in the last three or four
tours now and they've been thumped, they've been an violated.
(22:09):
So I think that's the first staging post this time
is can England go to Australia and compete with Australia
and have games like we've seen in this series and
really try to push them. I think that's more likely
to happen. I don't see England as likely Ashes winners.
I think there's a scenario where they could, but I
think it's most unlikely that they will do so. Having
(22:32):
said that, I think we need to wait until November
the twenty first or the twentieth, when both teams are named.
Also when we know who's going to be fit for
both sides as well, so I think that is a
crucial thing. So, for example, Australia, how often will they
be able to get their top bowlers on the field.
You know, if they weren't able to do so, then
that perhaps gives England an opening, because that's where Australia's
(22:53):
strength is. England's strength seems to be generally in their batting,
but if they can get their four stroke five main
bowlers fit, then perhaps they can cause Australia some problems.
And as I mentioned earlier, they haven't been able to
get They're four main bowlers, ready trained, grooved, all into
kind of like good form and good conditioning all at
(23:16):
the same time in this summer, and that's perhaps one
of the reasons why they weren't able to drive home
and win the series.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
It's interesting though, I mean, Australia does not have the
top batting lineup that they've had in the past, yes
Steve Smith, Trevis Head, but they can't find an opening partnership,
which of course has always been a significant part of
their game. From England's point of view, They'll have bowlers
who can bowl in Australian conditions, but I just look
(23:44):
at them and see root as the key for what
England does. He hasn't been overly successful in Australia in
the past, but the way he's betting his ability to
deliver for his side with the performances of Pope of
brook of Bethel. If he plays and stokes of course
(24:06):
with the bat, that's going to be the key to
England's performance, doesn't it.
Speaker 7 (24:11):
Yeah, route obviously will be the focus. I think you
mentioned his record in Australia. He averages thirty five there,
which is not it's not awful, but you know, it's
not the level that he's achieved elsewhere in the world.
And he's never got a Test one hundred in Australia's
got close. He's got in the low nineties way back when.
So yeah, he's he's a key player for him. I
(24:32):
think I actually think Brooks an important player for England
in Australia, and I think Duckett is an important player
for England Australia and Jamie Smith as well down the order.
And you're right, Australia don't seem to have that that's
settled top order, so they have flaws in their side
as well, which was kind of you know, I mentioned
that England and India both had flaws in their side,
which kind of made it interesting. His sport was perfect,
(24:53):
you know, we probably wouldn't have this kind of drama,
so it's great that there are people make mistakes. Great
that people drop catches in a way, it's great that
the teams have flaws that the opposition had tried to exploit,
so that obviously that's something that England will try to exploit.
Get into Australia quickly and get Steve Smith out there
and try and put him under pressure. And I always
just think with Australia though, Australia at home they're so
(25:15):
difficult and India have been able to ruffle them there.
They're just so difficult to get and to get after,
and they all seem to find a way. Someone steps
up at a vital point and they have got that
good to some extent. Aging bowling attacks is it's kind
of like it feels a bit like a last hurrah
for this Australian side. They are so aging together. It
(25:36):
just depends how it all holds together and whether it
can hold together, you know, for one last stand. But yeah,
England have some they have some good things about their team,
as you saw when they came to New Zealand last year,
but they also have some weaknesses as well that Australia
can exploit.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
How important is Joffra Archer. There's a love of fear
in England with Joffra Archie, who does exactly the same
as many other bowlers the world over. I mean, we've
got will O Raw, there's commons the start, there's plenty
about us you bowl at the same pace. Is it
actually going to be a significant part of the England
attack on the issues?
Speaker 7 (26:15):
Well, they're hoping. So he came back and played two
Test matches this summer against India. He had some success,
picked up some vital wickets. England are hoping that he'll
be fit to play a reasonable part. You just never
know that. I think this is one of the you know,
the unknown. This is why I say wait till sort
of middle of November, just to see who it will
(26:37):
be on the park for both teams really and how
consistently they can get them on the park. I think
Archer is part of like a quintetea bowlers. They think
they can get them out there consistently that they could
do well, and that is that Archer is one. Gus
Atkinson is another Bridon cass and Ben Stokes, and then
there's Josh Tungu as well. So if they can get
(26:58):
those five consistently fit and ready in prime during the series,
then they could cause Australia some problems, isn't It's noticeable
that the first three Test matches, the first and second
Test match is quite spaced out, and the second and
third is quite spaced out as well, so there's some
recovery time and then it gets really quite intense at
(27:19):
the back end of the series and that and that
goes to Australia as well because they've got some aging bowlers,
so they want to give their bowlers some recovery time
as well. So I kind of think they're what they're
hoping is they'll be threeing the l up after Adelaide
and it's kind of it's kind of job done and
then they can, you know, then they can rotate mix
and match later in the series when it doesn't matter
(27:39):
quite as much. So go hard, go go hard, go
early for Australia. So I mean, it's going to be
that first day in Perth. It's going to be riveting
to see how it pans out.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Do you see works on the two well.
Speaker 7 (27:53):
Very I don't think so odds because I mean the
injury looks so serious. I think it's going to take
a long time to come back. It's not as bowling arm,
which is a bonus, but is he going to be
able to have the have the operation? Is cation Is
he going to have the operation in time and the
rehab and be ready to come back and bowl in
(28:14):
by the twenty first of November, indeed even midway through
the series or back end of the series. So it's
desperately sad for him. He's given a huge amount to
English cricket. It was such a sad moment just to
see him walking off. A heroic moment, heroic moment to
see him walking on, but I mean it was I
(28:34):
don't know what to think about it. Really, he gave
his all for the team, but it does seem slightly ridiculous.
You've got to have a sport where a bloke has
to walk out with j arm in the sling. I mean,
it's a very emotive photograph, isn't it. And TV pitch
is to see that happening. But is it good for
the sport that that has to happen. We're on another
(28:55):
topic suddenly, which is the potential for substitutions, which we
partly have in cricket. But you wonder whether for you know,
absolutely kind of like obviously provable injuries whether you you
should be able to have a sub or not. I
mean that's probably for another day.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Yeah, well something that can be used rather poorly by
size as well, take injured players into test message. Yeah,
another subject. Finally, it's a word I sort of don't enjoy.
It's called bez ball. Can England play that way in Australia?
(29:29):
Can they stick to the system that's been set up
by McCullum and Stokes or do they have to adjust that?
Do they have to show a bit more discipline in
how they play the game.
Speaker 7 (29:40):
Well, I think the interesting thing here, well or two things,
is that they don't think they play a bazball because
of course this was the name given to the way
England play by a journalist and it kind of stuck
and it's become a bit of a cliche anyway, that's
a side issue in a way. But what has been
interesting this summer is England have played a different way.
(30:02):
They have been aggressive at times, but they've also sat
in at times as well, and so we have seen
a more hard headed approach from England this summer, a
different approach and a not a typical bas ball approach
if you like. Where they've just gone at it hard
the whole time. For example, Lords on the first day
they scored something like from memory two fifty eight for four. Well,
(30:24):
you know, that's not the way England have been playing
in the last three years. It's almost as if they've
played a certain way to get them to a staging
post and now they want to play in a slightly
different way. I think it was about trying to be
a bit more hard headed and trying to win. They roped,
they dropped the series in Pakistan, they lost the last
two Test matches, They lost a Test match against Sri
Lanka the last summer at home through carelessness, they lost
(30:47):
the last Test in New Zealand, and I think there
was a feeling, come on, we need to start actually
winning these matches and the end of series games. And
so they have played in a different way this summer
and I think they recognized that they they probably needed
to adjust to take on India at home and certainly
Australia away. So I think there will still be a
positive approach from the likes of duck It and Crawley
(31:07):
and brought, But I mean you've definitely seen a really
hard headed approach from Joe Rout he's put away the
reverse ramp and all that sort of stuff, so you know,
he and just gone with what he knows best and
it's actually producing amazing results. So I don't think you're
going to see a kamikaze reckless approach from England the Ashes.
There's definitely been a refinement this summer and I think
(31:30):
a lot of English supporters think thank God for that
because they have got a bit they've enjoyed it, but
they've also got a bit fed up sometimes with the
tossing wickets away or just playing in what seems like
a reckless fashion. So yeah, refinement has arrivedods, but it
hasn't produced a serious victory.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Well, we're excited about it here because it's more Test
cricket than we're going to see. We've got three Test
matches and twenty seven to one day t twenty games
as well, and we're playing Test matches against the Wist.
And there's not that I'm down playing the West Indies,
but the Ash has always attracts our attention. We won't
see you in New Zealand for the short form game.
(32:10):
Will you be making the ashous tour or is it
something you have to wait and see.
Speaker 7 (32:13):
Yeah, yeah, no, I hope, so I hope to be there. Look,
we've you know what's like with English cricket, you build
up to the ash that we'd love all Test cricket.
Actually in any Test match is an event, but it's
that locking horns with Australia that gets the juice is flowing.
And as I said earlier, it's about can England compete.
You know, I've been to Australia many times in the
(32:35):
last few years and you you know, the series is
over basically after the first Test match I think they
have been thumped and certainly after the second Test match
when they've lost again. So that's the narrative they need
to try to change this time. And yeah, really really
looking forward to it to see whether it's possible or not.
I mean, I think they've got more of a chance
(32:57):
this time than they've had since twenty ten eleven, but
Australia are very clearly still favorites.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Yep, well, we'll look forward to it. Thanks for your time, Simon.
I hope will you you see you in this part
of the world. Even if you don't get to New Zealand,
you'll enjoy Australia through your English Winter.
Speaker 7 (33:17):
Indeed, well, that's one of the bonuses. That's one of
the bons cricket from the English Winter. Lovely just speak
to you words, thanks amen, appreciate it, all the best words. Yeah,
speak to you again sometime. All the best.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
Bye bye on the front foot with Waddle and Cody.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
It's taken Matt Henry sometime since his debut Test ten
years ago to take his place as the leader of
the black Caps attack. He had to wait in line Bolt, Southy,
Wagner and in recent times Jamison. But since twenty twenty two,
when he took his career best figures seven for twenty three,
Henry's performance has demanded first choice. Now the leader of
(33:56):
the pack five five wicket bags. Since the start of
twenty twenty four against Australia, Matt Henry has played seven
Tests for fifty one Test wickets seven a Test sixteen
point eighty four. It was only appropriate that Henry should
be Man of the Match in Bulawayo.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (34:15):
I think losing the toss on day one probably played
a little bit more in their hands than we probably
would have expected. It was a little bit soft. We
thought it would do a little bit for the first hour,
but we actually had a couple of hours where we
could found a little bit of lateral movement but also
for the spinners to actually get a bit of turn
as well. So yep, I was obviously a great start
(34:35):
out here.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Zimbabwe took some time to establish themselves with the bat,
but they just played some real fighting qualities.
Speaker 8 (34:42):
Yeah, I think they showed it as well, though I
think it's a playing chest. Cricket overseas is always as
tough where we review play and we know it was
a very good side and the proud side as well,
So I think we knew that we were going to
have to be relentless and start this test series really strong.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Well in first difficult to battle on.
Speaker 8 (35:01):
Early, I think from our point of view, once we
assessed that it was doing a little bit on day
one when you was a really important to get ahead
of the game, and thankfully as a unit we bowled
really well to put some Bubbe under pressure because when
you it probably would get better as the game did progress.
So it's obviously to be able to get that start
on day one was really important and to capitalize on it.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
It wasn't only himself that the credit. He was also
complimentary of the rest of the bowling attack.
Speaker 8 (35:33):
I think when you're coming here, you want to bowl
as a collective unit, but you just want to have
an impact. So I think to be able to impact
the game, and I suppose put some Bubble under pressure
early on and then coming back out here today. No,
it was a big day and we had to make
the most of probably that new ball, because the longer
the game went on, probably the tougher was going to get.
(35:53):
As they showed that fight in the afternoon.
Speaker 6 (35:57):
Yeah, I think at the.
Speaker 8 (35:58):
End of the day, when you're presented that on day one,
I think we exploited the conditions really well. You never
know what you're going to get with the cricket worker
and there was a little bit of movement and it
took to a little bit of turn which allowed us
to get ahead of the game. We know that there's
some classy batsman in the lineup, so to be able
to put them under pressure early and expose them to
the new ball was really important. And on the bowling side,
(36:19):
they bowled really well. And I think the way that
our bat has navigated those tough periods that first night,
the way that Devin Young got through that night was impressive.
It was some high quality bowling were put under pressure
right throughout and then obviously coming back in the morning
that didn't stop. I think they were relentless right through
(36:39):
and put us under pressure at different times. But I
think sometimes you got to tell your hat off. The
way that our guys actually batted and weather that storm
and got to the older ball to put some runs
on the board and put some pressure back on them.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
That way for five back must have been satisfying.
Speaker 8 (36:56):
Yeah, I suppose it's for me having an impact on
the game. It's pretty special to play test cricket.
Speaker 6 (37:04):
For New Zealand.
Speaker 8 (37:04):
That's something is a key you've always wanted to do
and we didn't be on the right side of test factories.
Speaker 6 (37:10):
It's pretty special.
Speaker 8 (37:11):
So I think for me to be able to have
a high impact is probably the special part, not necessarily
the figures, but I think the way that we went
about it as a group was.
Speaker 6 (37:21):
Awesome, So pretty pleased.
Speaker 8 (37:23):
Yeah, I think, yeah, it is nice obviously when you
get those days, because yeah, they are few and far between,
I suppose, But so when you do, you do reflect
on the hard work that's got into where you are
and you're always trying to evolve as a cricketer and
fine tune your skill set and I suppose the sect
for us that you make along the way to get there.
So it is nice minute you're on the other side
(37:44):
of it and you have those I suppose those impactful games.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Well, one man who was probably in contention for Mantle Match.
In fact, there were probably two of them new Ds
Devin Conway and the Daryl Mitchell, but they were beaten
out for that title by Matt Henry and Daryl Mitchell
joined us ahead of the second Test. Daryl was a
great performance by the team in what seemed to be
(38:09):
difficult conditions in Ballaway.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Yeah, look, it's I guess it's always nice to win
Test matches first and foremost, and yeah, to do it
and conditions that we probably weren't prepared for in terms
of we not what we were expecting here in Zimbabwe
with the extra bounce, So you're nice to walk away
and get it done in three days is always makes
it a little bit better.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
Matt Henry another five for in the last eighteen months,
he's really taken control of the leadership of the black
Caps attack, hasn't.
Speaker 6 (38:39):
Heh He's been awesome.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Yeah, as you say, over the last couple of years,
he's done a great job leading this attack and he
finds ways to get things out.
Speaker 6 (38:46):
Of the pitch that no one else can.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
So yeah, long mate, continue and yeah, awesome to see
him have the success he is.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Well. He seemed to be able to extract something from
a pitch that didn't appear that easy to bet on.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
Yeah, no, it was definitely it was on the greener
side to start, would say, And definitely that sort of
extra tennis baw lely bounce made it challenging. The lack
of consistency and that meant that you're trying to work
out what height the ball was going to come throughout
was quite tough.
Speaker 6 (39:13):
So look at hen as he can. He can see
it on glass.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
He's got an amazing skill of bowling that fuller length
but still being very heavy and getting something out of it.
Speaker 6 (39:21):
And you're awesome to see him keep doing the job.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
You'd probably see a bit of that because you spend
the fear about of your time when the seamers at
Slip Too, alongside Tom Blundele and the others who field
in the cordon.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
Yeah, yeah, you obviously get a pretty good view parked
up on the limo there and fair slip. So also
with Matt being my domestic teammate with Canterbury as well,
we have faced him a lot on the nets and
I know how hard, how hard that.
Speaker 6 (39:44):
Can be, so yeah, it's awesome to see him have success.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
What about your betting, how did you find it in
terms of trying to gain some rhythm? It seemed as
it was difficult to get batting rhythm.
Speaker 6 (39:54):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
It was very hard I guess to access the ball
down the ground with that extra bounce. So it was
I'm lucky where our bat sort in that five spot.
I can see what's happening early on and try and
come up with a game plan for when I walk
out to bat.
Speaker 6 (40:07):
Yeah, adapting on that on that.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
Surface, and still trying to find ways to put pressure
on their bowlers because we've got to keep trying to
score on those types of surfaces. But yeah, although we
would have liked, I guess a bigger lead. I think
when you get sort of that one fifty lead and
score over three hundred, you take that.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Yeah, it looks as though you might well have been
able to do that at one stage, but their attack
came back on that check and the morning, and they
got some interesting question, haven't.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
They think got some good seamers, especially Blessing the big
tour on is it reminds me of Yle Jamison, the
way he hits the wicket and gets that extra bounce,
and we recognize the surfaces over here in the morning
because it's it is winter, it is quite cold, and
the pitch can be a little bit tacky. So that's
sort of first hour, hour and a half is very challenging,
and then we've got to make sure we can I guess,
(40:53):
get through that and keep trying to build partnerships throughout
the day.
Speaker 6 (40:56):
But yeah, they've got a.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
Very good bowling attack, and you definitely have to make
sure you're on every ball.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Yeah, those partnerships are obviously important when you're to a
certain extent batting with the lower order, aren't you the
tail five and six generally gets that role. Does it
mean that you have to change your game and how
you play?
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Yeah, I guess it's again it's adapting to different situations.
And the benefit of I guess having played a little
bit now across all three formats is you know, different
teampots to go at different times, and yeah, there's times
where you have to guess, put your foot down when
you're batting with the lower order. And also there's also
times we've got to soak up pressure and keep trying
to get through because you know, you might that bowler
(41:34):
might be have one, one or two overs left to
get through that spell. So you're constantly working with each
other and trying to find ways to win those little
moments and hopefully get the job done.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
Your experienced player now internationally in all formats of the game,
how easy is it for you to adapt to a
Test match from the short form? I mean, you've just
come off what the American MLC, haven't you.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
Yeah, that is the challenge, I guess, of all three formats,
and it is it is. It is tough to go
sort of different format one day to the next. You
obviously got I've got some key things I work on
in the days leading up to those each games, whether
it be T twenty early eye or tests to make
sure I'm ready to go, and a lot of I
guess visualization and mental prep to especially heading into Test
(42:20):
cricket to have a bat for longer periods of time.
So yeah, it is a challenge but it's a fun challenge.
That's why you do it. It tests makes you a
better player and you keep trying to find ways to
get better.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
Yeah. Well it's going to be come more and more too,
isn't it, because there is more and more of the
varying forms of competition. I mean, you're in for a
fair amount of T twenty cricket, aren't you, leading up
to the World Cup next year.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
Yeah, that's an exciting time, especially with I guess who's
coming to us in the home summer with Ozzie England
and then West Indies before head off to India for
that World Cup. So yeah, it's it's yeah, it's cool
time to be part of New Zealand cricket, to be
part of the black Caps, and yeah, looking forward to it.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
You've got the second Test coming up in a few days.
Has the side been named for that? Because you're going
through a few issues within the team, aren't you.
Speaker 2 (43:10):
No, it was still three days out from the game,
so we've got to light training today. We'll have a
big day tomorrow and then I guess it's individual prep
the day before, so I'm sure there'll be plenty of
conversations over the next forty eight hours to seventy two
hours to work at what balance. Obviously, we don't know
what pitch will get again, with it being out in
the sun for the last five days of this Test
(43:30):
match already, it could be very different to what we
expected in the first Test. So I guess we'll look
at that over the next few days and see how
it's going to play out and that'll affect how we
go about it.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
Yes, that's winter, but it's still quite warm, I guess,
is it.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
The morning's cold like I'm with no hair on top.
I'm wearing a beanie in the morning to try and
keep the head warm. But I wouldn't say it's warm.
It's probably getting to about twenty degrees or so during
the day, so it's Yeah, the mornings are very cold
and the day's quite nice once the sun comes out,
and then it gets starts to get it colder again.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
It's interesting though, to reflect because wasn't that the ground
where Van Mulder got three hundred and seventy and then
declared when he could have gone ahead of Brian Lara's total.
Speaker 2 (44:12):
Yeah, I think that was the ground And that's the
nature of different times of the year and different months
is Yeah, you don't know what the surface is going
to do, so it's a different bowling attack from Zimbabwe.
And yeah, there's by all accounts there was a lot
more grass on this pitch than that series. So yeah,
who knows what the next test will bring, but we'll
find out.
Speaker 3 (44:30):
So what is the program for you? Now you've had
a fairly busy winter. Do you get a bit of
a break for the series starts? I think on the
first of October, isn't it.
Speaker 6 (44:40):
Yeah, so I guess yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
For me personally, I've been going since was it July
last year, so it's almost it's over twelve months. I
think I've had one week of not picking up a
cricket bat. So I'll take the next sort of five
weeks off off playing, so probably be a dad for
a week or so and then start training again. And
I'm sure our trainer Chris Donaldson will put me through
(45:01):
the ringer for the next sort of month to get
us ready for that home series against Australia in October.
Speaker 3 (45:08):
Because you've had your family with you in the past,
haven't you. But I suppose they now have to spend
time at home and the kids go to school and
all that left with mum.
Speaker 2 (45:17):
Yep yep in our school's starting to take out that
I was lucky they came to America for a few
of those weeks with the MLC, which is a cool
experience for them to think they are Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders
for a few weeks. But yeah, obviously that's the nature
of being an interastraal crickets. You spend a long long
time away from home and it'll be nice to get
a few weeks at home over the next month.
Speaker 3 (45:38):
So you played in the MLC. There were a lot
of New Zealanders there and it seems to be something
that New Zealanders with the franchises being New Zealand locking
into them. What was your reaction to it, the pictures
and the crowds, the promotion and presentation of the game,
because you don't think of cricket and America.
Speaker 2 (45:58):
No, I think that's the cool thing is for us
as as New Zealanders, but just cricketers in general, to
how to go to America and play in America with
it being in the three cities that so far of
San fran Dallas and Miami, to be able to experience
those cultures and there is a big I guess xpact
community of cricketers over there that support cricket. The gut
(46:20):
that I was only there last this year, but all
reports every year is getting better and better supported. So yeah,
I'm sure it's a tournament that will keep growing over
the years and it's a big market in the world sport.
Speaker 6 (46:31):
We know that.
Speaker 2 (46:31):
You can see that with the NBA and like so
if cricket can can master that, then it puts the
game in good stead.
Speaker 6 (46:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:37):
Well, thanks for much for your time. All the best
for the second Test match, and hope things go well
and you get the rest and family time that you're
looking forward to.
Speaker 6 (46:46):
Yep, now, I'll be nice.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
I always love playing Test cricket, so we hopefully get
another Test one and see whe we go.
Speaker 3 (46:52):
Yeah, lovely to have there on Mitchel sharing a few
thoughts with us, and he's very he's very thoughtful about
his game quite clearly the change from T twenty to
Test match level. I like one thing he called the
slip cord and I presume that's the limousine. I don't
know whether they caught it the limo when you were
(47:13):
fielding in the slip cord and Jerry we.
Speaker 5 (47:15):
Were down too close to the road, Brian, you know,
we were the actual tires, I think of the limo.
But yeah, it was interesting listening to him. I was
I didn't realize that he you know, he only had
one week in the entire year to put his ticket
that away. That was extraordinary when I when I heard that.
(47:36):
Obviously the picture was a bit different than anticipated and
they had to adjust and adapt. Obviously, beating them in
three days they were able to. I was interested o'rauke
didn't get a wicket in the first innings and I
didn't see it, and I'd like to know why that happened.
And I was also interested that Bracewell didn't pick up
a wicket in the second innings in bold fifteen overs.
(47:58):
So yeah, but it was but it was a comprehensive
win nine wickets and we look forward to the second one.
But New Zealand kind of fashed a pretty good record,
aren't they. For a smaller nation, we've got players like
in old like I mean, it was good to see
Conway get some runs in that Test match with an
(48:21):
eighty odd and we don't have to rely on you know,
Ravendra all the time to do most of the attacking
that Mitchell could do that as well. Young got a few.
We discussed last week Nichols being in the team, which
should should that have happened? That he got a thirty
odd So you know, and Henry of course stands out,
(48:42):
doesn't he. I mean as a bowler now, an opening bowler,
he is one of the world's best at the moment
for finding things out of a pitch, not only in
the test format, he does it. You know. He basically
held together the New Zealanders in that T twenty final
against South Africa. Didn't he to defend what was it
(49:03):
six or seven in the last over? So he has
been He started really slowly in his test career, sitting
on the pine, didn't he for test after test? And yeah,
and and and you could see why New Zealand had
some good seamers at the time, and that was the
(49:24):
Bolt Saudi and the Wagner and so on. So yeah,
he has really pulled his average back down. I don't
know what it is. It must be in the twenties now.
I would have thought it was very high. Yeah it was.
It was very high for a while. But he's pulled,
pulled and pulled it back and back and back. He
(49:45):
is a top bowler for New Zealand at the moment.
Speaker 3 (49:47):
Well, those stats that I had before just tell the story.
In seven Test matches since that series against Australia, he's
taken fifty one Test wickets. That's seven a Test and
there's not many bowlers do that. I mean Richard Hadley
finished his career at bang.
Speaker 5 (50:05):
On five match.
Speaker 3 (50:08):
Yeah, so in the last seven Tests at an average
of sixteen point eighty four, that's quite remarkable. Bearing in mind,
I don't know, a picture's still better friendly, would you imagine.
I mean, he's as Mitchell said, he can see the
ball on glass and you sort of think that to
(50:31):
a certain extent. He's such a complete opening bowler now
at the moment, and hence the New Zealand attack with
real class.
Speaker 5 (50:39):
Oh, very consistent, finds a length on any surface that
is the most difficult and then just works the batsman
over seem not so much a swing bowler as he
but he uses the crease so he gets different angles
and you know, he creates opportunities for his team and
(51:01):
you can't ask more of a bowler to do that.
And we both seen him grow tremendously in terms of confidence.
He's quite good in the park. And I mean that
catch he took on that first innings I think against India,
wasn't it in that match when it was green that
first day and it was cloudy insign a fine leg, running,
(51:22):
running and then diving to take the catch first jail correct, correct.
So I mean he's a he's a complete player, and
he can he's also quite handy with the batwads. You
know he can score to strike twenty five or thirty.
Speaker 3 (51:40):
Yes, indeed, Well we'll be interesting to see what they're
able to do with a take a fifth mention.
Speaker 5 (51:44):
All they got to tell dad to quick nuss.
Speaker 6 (51:48):
Yet they care.
Speaker 1 (52:01):
For more from news talks at b Listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks at B.
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
Take it.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
It is out, The Test is over. Couldn't the smoke
was a beauty? It is out here he goes. This
delivery has in many uses.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
Evolved on the front foot with Brian Waddell and Jeremy
Coney powered by News Talks head b at iHeart Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
On the front puts for Brian Model and Jeremy Coney. Boy,
There's been plenty of action in Test cricket. The black
Caps displayed patience and efficiency to overcome a spirited but
ultimately outclassed Zimbabwe unit. Henry showing his quality. What a series.
India's residence and fighting quality, he's helped them outstay England
(01:11):
to all the final on that series, Does England have
what is needed as they prepare for the Ashes, Well,
we can discuss that. We're going to be joined a
little later on byes match special commentator Simon Mann. You'll
give his reflection, But why don't we get Jeremy Coney's
reflection because he sat in the middle of an English
(01:32):
commentary box. So to a certain extent, Jerry plenty of
cricket to watch, plenty to enjoy, quality, passion, and a
bit emotional towards the end. But I suppose you had
to be slightly bent in the English way rather than
the Indian way.
Speaker 5 (01:51):
Hi wats no? You know how objective I am. I
try to tell the truth of these matters. But man,
that last day of which was really just a bit
less than an hour, even hardened chronic watches of cricket
like you and I are over our lives, you couldn't
(02:13):
fail but be engaged in every little piece of the match,
the effort, the moment, every ball really and all the fans.
I mean they they sold tickets for the last day,
twenty five pound for an adult and one pound for
(02:34):
a child. And we always say that, you know, cricket's
eating itself and it's always in trouble in these things.
But man, they must have had about twenty thousand there
for that last day. And they turned all the streets
around the oval into a pedestrian mall. There were no
cars or buses or anything. Occasional bike came past, but
(02:58):
people just wandering to get in. And I actually passed
a gentleman who was trying to get it and get
a ticket in a week, feel chair. But they couldn't
let him in because they had sold all the seats.
And I saw a gentleman carrying five pints of beer
to his seat. He'd have to drink those bloody quickly,
(03:21):
wouldn't he. It wasn't going to get at many overs,
I've got to say. But it was intoxicating for them all.
And I don't mean intoxicating because of drinking, but I
just the whole They were enthralled and it was most
absorbing watching that last morning.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
And that's what we talk about Test cricket, and that's
what we want from the Test match game. That's what
sits Test cricket above anything else in terms of cricket.
Whatever you want to play, the fans just get engaged
and get involved in Test matches. And you know, I was,
I was left sort of thinking which side do I
(04:02):
want to win? Which one do I want to win
the most, or which one do I hate the most?
Didn't really matter. I didn't know what side I was on.
It was just it was great to see Test cricket
and people participating like that.
Speaker 5 (04:14):
Yeah, that's true, and cricket can really heighten things can't
it not all the time. That's why we regard these
as special days. But you know a lot of them,
it's a lot of us is pretty anonymous sometimes, isn't it.
You know, quiet sort of draws and things like that.
But these moments, when they do produce them, they are
(04:35):
certainly memorable. England really should have got the thirty five,
there's no doubt about that on that last morning. And
it wasn't a surprise that they came out to attack.
That's very brand McCullum, isn't it. You just go and
go out, you know, go down fighting if you have to.
But they tried to be aggressive, probably too much, and
(04:59):
weren't able to kind of ring it and pull it
back a little bit at times. Probably Jamie Smith was
the wicket, He was the one most likely to score
the runs. And Sarage came and bold a bit differently
that last morning. He started on about fifth stump and
swung the ball away further from the right hander and
(05:21):
he just fiddled that one and looked it looked as
if the occasion was almost too.
Speaker 6 (05:26):
Big for him.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
And he had done a lot of keeping and maybe
all the players were probably fairly fairly fatigued. But you know,
in the end, I think a two to two result
was a fair one when you looked at the whole
sort of series that they'd played. But he bowled very
well that last morning, sarag taking the place at Boomra.
(05:50):
He just kept on going and kept on going and
altered his line. Then he got a wobble balled back
in to hit a guy Overton on the pads and
he had a bit of luck there because it was
given out on the field of play and it was
just clipping. And then Atkinson started to attack. There was
a dropped catch. There was all sorts of things happening,
(06:11):
and the crowd just became totally involved in every ball. Really,
Pap Kushner did a decent job too.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah, Saraj doesn't want to miss any of the scraps either,
does he.
Speaker 5 (06:25):
Well, he can do that. He can get really worked up,
but then the smile, if you notice the smile isn't
far away. He gets back to the to that. He
seems quite an important man actually in that team. He's
always leaping on top of his shoulders. He almost dropped
the dropped the match, really, didn't he by standing on
(06:48):
that cushion around the boundary and that was and that
I think was Harry Brook at the time, so that
that was very costly and I'm sure he didn't and
then he caught him on the field of play when
he went out when his bat was thrown again the
same not as far as punt when he threw his
bat earlier on the whole series of course, yeah, of course,
(07:12):
so but yeah, a really exciting finish. You know, he
should a Yorker to dismiss tongue and so on, and
a dropped catch and Durrell missing a runout from behind
the stumps as they tried to run a by. Lots
of things happening ball after ball. Ye, everything an event.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
We all love the Wokes moment and see somebody go
out there. I'm not sure that he should have one run, yes,
eleven ten. He wasn't going to do it, was he.
Speaker 5 (07:48):
Well. The interesting thing for me was, I mean, obviously
he was in a bit of discomfort and as it happened,
we don't even know whether he was going to be
left or right handed, but probably left handed because he
had he had an arm guard on his right arm,
so he's probably going to keep the top hand that
right hand the one to use it if he was
going to face, but he didn't. I wondered for a
(08:10):
moment or two where they would mancad him because he
was setting off quite early, and that would have been
a real interesting finish to the match, wouldn't it. But yeah, yeah, wounded, Yes,
coming down, Yes, heroic, Not sure about that. There have
been plenty of people over there in the history of
(08:31):
the game have come out injured to play, you know,
Malcolm Marshall and lots of things. So yeah, it was
just a fitting end to what's been a really interesting series.
He obviously he couldn't bat for very long. He'd only
(08:52):
be able to, you know, really run the ball down,
use the pace of the block bowler really if he
did face. But yeah, I mean smart again from Saraj,
maybe a little sense that a canon was going to
slog try and slog sweep him again and he bowled
him with a yorker to finish it all off.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
Yeah, we know that Aksin can hit the ball with senate.
He scored a Test match hundred. I'd just like to
reflect back on New Zealand beating India in India three
nil is you know, can you reflect on that half
the team that was playing in this series played against
New Zealand. Does that put into perspective what New Zealand
was able to achieve in India? Three nil? I mean
(09:38):
those tests are the greatest moment to a certain extent,
and in our test career, aren't they?
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Absolutely? I mean playing over in India is such a
difficult assignment and no side finds it easy to beat
India at home, and to beat them not just one
nil or two nil, but three nil. Well, it was
an extraordinary event by New Zealand and we now start
(10:05):
to appreciate the sorts of things and the quality that
they had to be able to do that, every player
getting every little bit out of themselves, not just with
the ball but with the bat as well in scoring runs.
So that was a fabulous effort. And when you look
at it in the terms of this series, there are
obviously quite a few you know, probably half the team
(10:28):
is a wee bit different because they've lost some players,
haven't they. But you know that New Zealand, that's got
to be one of the highest performances our teams have
been able to do.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
It's interesting just to reflect on that silent Man's going
to join us in just a moment, but I'm going
to ask you before he joins us. The question about
England is this English side and I guess the majority
that we're going to go to Australia capable of winning
the ashes.
Speaker 5 (10:57):
I think they're going to struggle over the awards. I
think that there are certain conditions that have changed in
Australia and you will have not stat as well. I
reckon Melbourne used to be a drop and pitch and
because of it, it was so dull that they were
about to lose the Test match itself as a venue
(11:21):
in Melbourne and they couldn't afford that. So they've made
their pictures rather much more green and they've left more
grass on it now and players like Boland have come
in and made it very difficult indeed, And so that
pitch the Adelaide was the pink ball at night, the
way that it goes when the lights go on. We
(11:41):
both know that that's not going to be easy for
England as the ball moves. And then of course you've
got Brisbane, which is a pitch day one and day
two can be very green and see me and moving
the ball around. The reason I keep on saying those
three is because of the movement, Brian. And so you
(12:03):
looked at the pitches that were played in this series.
They were chief executive pitches, which is that didn't move
at all really until the last one, which was the
only English pitch we saw. They were all straw colored.
They didn't break down at all. And how many times
have we seen, you know, a captain winner toss five
times against Indian win a toss and they bowled four
(12:28):
of those five times in order so they could bat
last and chase a total. That's what they want to do,
and so they need these pittures that don't move at
all and they don't break up. And so that's why
it's been a runs dominated game, hasn't it for most
of it until we got to the oval at the end,
(12:50):
and so to suddenly be able to and that's why
you can play bass ball and what that called what
they called bass ball, it's they've tried to change it
a little bit this year and not be so full
on about it. But you know, with the movement I
mentioned and an Adelaide with the pink ball and Brisbane,
(13:11):
I think they're going to struggle against that bowling attack
of Osie that Ossie had and I'm also hopeful of
course here that the Aussie top order is not very
good either. They've got real problems there with those top three.
Will Labersham play I think he's got to, doesn't he?
And then two openers, I don't know who the openers
(13:32):
will be. From Smith downwards. It looks much more settled.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Yes, Travis Head and Smith, but you know Constance and
whoever Kareron Green?
Speaker 5 (13:42):
Now Constance knows, I don't think he'll be there.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Well, you know, and with Cameron Green going to to bat,
you know they've got some issues as well, and you
know we'll be watching that with a great deal of
interest as they develop their side to defend the Ashes.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Brian Waddell, Jeremy Cooney on the front foot.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
While it's us who couldn't care less about either England
or India. One someone who might be more interested and
and there's always a little bit of parochial bias about
international series is test Metch special commentator Simon Mann, who's
been with us in the past and talk to cricket
(14:26):
across the vast expense of the area that we learned,
and he's he's watched the game. Did it mean to
you who won that last Test?
Speaker 7 (14:36):
Simon, No, I'm totally NEUTRALDS. I'm all for the benefit
of cricket. It's a brilliant game. It's fantastic, really, your
heart pumping in that last hour, the only hour of
cricket yesterday. It was just sensational cricket and the drama
of Chris Fokes coming out to bat in a sling
and trying to run runs.
Speaker 6 (14:56):
I mean it was.
Speaker 7 (14:57):
It was mad cricket, feverish excitement, tremendous Indian support, tremendous
English support. It's a bit of a cliche in neither
side deserve to lose the game. Someone had to wasn't
going to be a draw. It was just absolutely a
fantastic occasion, brilliant for India and wonderful Hamid Siraj, you
had a wonderful series and just kept ongoing. Goodness knows
(15:19):
what he must be feeling like this morning.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
He must be exhausted, Yeah, albeit because I mean he
he played the part that Bumra was supposed to be
playing for India. The tist matches he played, they didn't
win anything, that's right.
Speaker 7 (15:34):
And actually, if you look at the stats when Bummer
doesn't play, Siraj really steps up and he was the
four at edge Piston and in this game as well,
you know, rightly player of the match here. He helped
them win the game at Edgebiston as well that the
second Test match that BUMMERA didn't play. Look, you'd always
prefer to have Bumera in your side, but something strange
seems to happen to Syriaj and perhaps to India.
Speaker 6 (15:55):
When Bummer doesn't.
Speaker 7 (15:57):
Play, everyone else galvanizes themselves and makes it work. This game,
it could have gone either way. I think England will
kick themselves. But they didn't win this match. They were
in a winning position and I think you could argue
that they threw it away. Harry Brook's shot, Jacob Bethel's shot,
I don't know if you've seen them in New Zealand,
(16:17):
and they were pretty extravagant strokes. But then they might say,
well that's the way we play. But I saw a
hard nosed, hard headed approach. I think we've got England
home India on their knees when England needed seventy odd
to win with seven wickets left. But that's the beauty
of cricket. You make a mistake and the opposition can
take advantage of it.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Yeah, I mean I'm one of those who rejects. So
that's the way we play scenario because there has to
be some discipline, there has to be some common sense.
You know, Wokes came out to bet. Should he have
come out to bet? Should England have played the way
they did with thirty needed and four wickets in hand?
To my mind, I think there was another way.
Speaker 6 (16:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (16:58):
Well, what was noticeable is when England came out to
bat on the final morning, they were playing lots of shots.
It was almost a shot of ball and that led
to the downfall of Jamie Smith, the key player really,
I mean, he was the class player left. If he
batted for twenty five minutes, England probably would have won
the game. He's got all the shots, just wait for
the bad ball. But he looked so skittish and Sir
(17:19):
Age was swinging the ball away and he was going
after it, going after it, and then you know, eventually
he nicked one and that really broke the game open
for India. I mean it looked as if England said, look,
there's no what we're not going to do here is
just kind of hang back and wait and just do
it slowly, We're going to we're going to be aggressive,
and they hit the first two balls for four. But
ultimately he could argue with the Smith wicket it led
(17:41):
to England's downfall, but I think probably the damage was
done a bit early. It was done the previous day
with those shots from Brook and Bethel when England were
totally in control of the game, and then those wickets
kind of put it in the balance yesterday morning and
India's kind of just held their nerve a bit better.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Having said there, about the final day of the taste
and the result to all, there was some wonderful cricket.
I mean it was. It was a marvelous series of
taste cricket, wasn't it.
Speaker 7 (18:10):
Oh fantastic, Yeah, absolutely fantastic. I mean you could argue
the pitches were a bit dull, so it was a
bit that dominated. You think of English conditions, you often
think of the bowl was holding sway. It wasn't like
that in this series, apart from in the first two
innings of this Test match where it was green at
the start of the game, So you could you could
argue it was a bit batter dominated, but it made
(18:33):
for a compelling series. I think the fact that both
sides were hard at it, and you know there was
a lot of chat on the field and off the
field as well, so that increased the drama. I mean
India hammered England at Ashpreston so that you know, they
did have one emphatic victory. So you know, not every
game was close, but there was something in every day
(18:54):
for someone to you know, for cricket followers to take
out of it. It was it just kept you engrossed
actually for six weeks. Actually feel a bit said sense
of sort of gloom and anti climax today because you
know the series is over. We got no Test cricket
to watch now for about four months.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
No, but you've got the hundred Yeah, okay, we'll move
on from that one immediately. But the difference between the
two sides I think was minimal, you know, to all
to me explains the quality of both teams. Was the
difference just the style of play, how they went about
(19:33):
achieving the end result.
Speaker 7 (19:36):
What was the difference between the two sides, Well, you
could argue there wasn't. There wasn't much in India strength,
probably in their in their batting. England I thought their
bowling is was a bit fractured in this series, so
they never got their best attack onto the field in
one game, and even when they got their best bowlers
(19:56):
onto the field, they weren't really quite framed for I mean,
for example, Gus Atkinson played in this Test match and
he hadn't played for two months or something like that. Okay,
bowl well in the first the thing second and he
probably just ran out a puff a bit in England
had a three man attack because of that injury to
Chris Woke. So I think there were flaws in both
(20:17):
sides as well which the opposition were able to exploit.
But there was also that quality need. The likes of
Subman Girl, what Kale Rahall, Mohammad Sira, as you know,
Ben Stokes, Joe Roots, these quality players really came to
the fore, and I suppose it was trying to about
trying to exploit the opposition's weakness and ultimately neither side
(20:37):
was quite able to do that because if you think
about it, I mean I said England probably kicked themselves
they didn't win the series. I think India might kick themselves.
For example, they didn't win the first Test match. They
had England on their knees in that game and they
India dropped a whole stack of catches if they caught those,
and I'm sure India would have won it at Headingley
and they might well have gone on to win the series.
So it's interesting one saying, you know, the series kind
(21:00):
of like deserved to be too, too. Both sides might
look back and reflect. I suppose it's always the case,
might look back and reflect, actually, we could have.
Speaker 6 (21:06):
Won the series.
Speaker 7 (21:07):
And then India definitely definitely had opportunities in the first
three Test matches they could have won at Lord's for example,
it was a tight game as well. But I think ultimately,
as England went away from the Oval yesterday they must
have thought we have missed a massive opportunity to win
a big five match series against one of the top
teams in international cricket.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
It was compelling watching too, which those of us who
had to watch on a very small screen in this
part of the world on my iPad was able to
do in the middle of the night. It was compelling.
But it's left me with the question of is this
England side capable of winning the Ashes?
Speaker 7 (21:47):
I would if you want a one word answer, I
would say no. I would frame it in a slightly
different way. I would say, is this an England side
that at last is capable of competing in the Ashes
in Australia, which hasn't happened for over a decade. England
have gone to Australia in the last three or four
tours now and they've been thumped, they've been an violated.
(22:09):
So I think that's the first staging post this time
is can England go to Australia and compete with Australia
and have games like we've seen in this series and
really try to push them. I think that's more likely
to happen. I don't see England as likely Ashes winners.
I think there's a scenario where they could, but I
think it's most unlikely that they will do so. Having
(22:32):
said that, I think we need to wait until November
the twenty first or the twentieth, when both teams are named.
Also when we know who's going to be fit for
both sides as well, so I think that is a
crucial thing. So, for example, Australia, how often will they
be able to get their top bowlers on the field.
You know, if they weren't able to do so, then
that perhaps gives England an opening, because that's where Australia's
(22:53):
strength is. England's strength seems to be generally in their batting,
but if they can get their four stroke five main
bowlers fit, then perhaps they can cause Australia some problems.
And as I mentioned earlier, they haven't been able to
get They're four main bowlers, ready trained, grooved, all into
kind of like good form and good conditioning all at
(23:16):
the same time in this summer, and that's perhaps one
of the reasons why they weren't able to drive home
and win the series.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
It's interesting though, I mean, Australia does not have the
top batting lineup that they've had in the past, yes
Steve Smith, Trevis Head, but they can't find an opening partnership,
which of course has always been a significant part of
their game. From England's point of view, They'll have bowlers
who can bowl in Australian conditions, but I just look
(23:44):
at them and see root as the key for what
England does. He hasn't been overly successful in Australia in
the past, but the way he's betting his ability to
deliver for his side with the performances of Pope of
brook of Bethel. If he plays and stokes of course
(24:06):
with the bat, that's going to be the key to
England's performance, doesn't it.
Speaker 7 (24:11):
Yeah, route obviously will be the focus. I think you
mentioned his record in Australia. He averages thirty five there,
which is not it's not awful, but you know, it's
not the level that he's achieved elsewhere in the world.
And he's never got a Test one hundred in Australia's
got close. He's got in the low nineties way back when.
So yeah, he's he's a key player for him. I
(24:32):
think I actually think Brooks an important player for England
in Australia, and I think Duckett is an important player
for England Australia and Jamie Smith as well down the order.
And you're right, Australia don't seem to have that that's
settled top order, so they have flaws in their side
as well, which was kind of you know, I mentioned
that England and India both had flaws in their side,
which kind of made it interesting. His sport was perfect,
(24:53):
you know, we probably wouldn't have this kind of drama,
so it's great that there are people make mistakes. Great
that people drop catches in a way, it's great that
the teams have flaws that the opposition had tried to exploit,
so that obviously that's something that England will try to exploit.
Get into Australia quickly and get Steve Smith out there
and try and put him under pressure. And I always
just think with Australia though, Australia at home they're so
(25:15):
difficult and India have been able to ruffle them there.
They're just so difficult to get and to get after,
and they all seem to find a way. Someone steps
up at a vital point and they have got that
good to some extent. Aging bowling attacks is it's kind
of like it feels a bit like a last hurrah
for this Australian side. They are so aging together. It
(25:36):
just depends how it all holds together and whether it
can hold together, you know, for one last stand. But yeah,
England have some they have some good things about their team,
as you saw when they came to New Zealand last year,
but they also have some weaknesses as well that Australia
can exploit.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
How important is Joffra Archer. There's a love of fear
in England with Joffra Archie, who does exactly the same
as many other bowlers the world over. I mean, we've
got will O Raw, there's commons the start, there's plenty
about us you bowl at the same pace. Is it
actually going to be a significant part of the England
attack on the issues?
Speaker 7 (26:15):
Well, they're hoping. So he came back and played two
Test matches this summer against India. He had some success,
picked up some vital wickets. England are hoping that he'll
be fit to play a reasonable part. You just never
know that. I think this is one of the you know,
the unknown. This is why I say wait till sort
of middle of November, just to see who it will
(26:37):
be on the park for both teams really and how
consistently they can get them on the park. I think
Archer is part of like a quintetea bowlers. They think
they can get them out there consistently that they could
do well, and that is that Archer is one. Gus
Atkinson is another Bridon cass and Ben Stokes, and then
there's Josh Tungu as well. So if they can get
(26:58):
those five consistently fit and ready in prime during the series,
then they could cause Australia some problems, isn't It's noticeable
that the first three Test matches, the first and second
Test match is quite spaced out, and the second and
third is quite spaced out as well, so there's some
recovery time and then it gets really quite intense at
(27:19):
the back end of the series and that and that
goes to Australia as well because they've got some aging bowlers,
so they want to give their bowlers some recovery time
as well. So I kind of think they're what they're
hoping is they'll be threeing the l up after Adelaide
and it's kind of it's kind of job done and
then they can, you know, then they can rotate mix
and match later in the series when it doesn't matter
(27:39):
quite as much. So go hard, go go hard, go
early for Australia. So I mean, it's going to be
that first day in Perth. It's going to be riveting
to see how it pans out.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Do you see works on the two well.
Speaker 7 (27:53):
Very I don't think so odds because I mean the
injury looks so serious. I think it's going to take
a long time to come back. It's not as bowling arm,
which is a bonus, but is he going to be
able to have the have the operation? Is cation Is
he going to have the operation in time and the
rehab and be ready to come back and bowl in
(28:14):
by the twenty first of November, indeed even midway through
the series or back end of the series. So it's
desperately sad for him. He's given a huge amount to
English cricket. It was such a sad moment just to
see him walking off. A heroic moment, heroic moment to
see him walking on, but I mean it was I
(28:34):
don't know what to think about it. Really, he gave
his all for the team, but it does seem slightly ridiculous.
You've got to have a sport where a bloke has
to walk out with j arm in the sling. I mean,
it's a very emotive photograph, isn't it. And TV pitch
is to see that happening. But is it good for
the sport that that has to happen. We're on another
(28:55):
topic suddenly, which is the potential for substitutions, which we
partly have in cricket. But you wonder whether for you know,
absolutely kind of like obviously provable injuries whether you you
should be able to have a sub or not. I
mean that's probably for another day.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Yeah, well something that can be used rather poorly by
size as well, take injured players into test message. Yeah,
another subject. Finally, it's a word I sort of don't enjoy.
It's called bez ball. Can England play that way in Australia?
(29:29):
Can they stick to the system that's been set up
by McCullum and Stokes or do they have to adjust that?
Do they have to show a bit more discipline in
how they play the game.
Speaker 7 (29:40):
Well, I think the interesting thing here, well or two things,
is that they don't think they play a bazball because
of course this was the name given to the way
England play by a journalist and it kind of stuck
and it's become a bit of a cliche anyway, that's
a side issue in a way. But what has been
interesting this summer is England have played a different way.
(30:02):
They have been aggressive at times, but they've also sat
in at times as well, and so we have seen
a more hard headed approach from England this summer, a
different approach and a not a typical bas ball approach
if you like. Where they've just gone at it hard
the whole time. For example, Lords on the first day
they scored something like from memory two fifty eight for four. Well,
(30:24):
you know, that's not the way England have been playing
in the last three years. It's almost as if they've
played a certain way to get them to a staging
post and now they want to play in a slightly
different way. I think it was about trying to be
a bit more hard headed and trying to win. They roped,
they dropped the series in Pakistan, they lost the last
two Test matches, They lost a Test match against Sri
Lanka the last summer at home through carelessness, they lost
(30:47):
the last Test in New Zealand, and I think there
was a feeling, come on, we need to start actually
winning these matches and the end of series games. And
so they have played in a different way this summer
and I think they recognized that they they probably needed
to adjust to take on India at home and certainly
Australia away. So I think there will still be a
positive approach from the likes of duck It and Crawley
(31:07):
and brought, But I mean you've definitely seen a really
hard headed approach from Joe Rout he's put away the
reverse ramp and all that sort of stuff, so you know,
he and just gone with what he knows best and
it's actually producing amazing results. So I don't think you're
going to see a kamikaze reckless approach from England the Ashes.
There's definitely been a refinement this summer and I think
(31:30):
a lot of English supporters think thank God for that
because they have got a bit they've enjoyed it, but
they've also got a bit fed up sometimes with the
tossing wickets away or just playing in what seems like
a reckless fashion. So yeah, refinement has arrivedods, but it
hasn't produced a serious victory.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Well, we're excited about it here because it's more Test
cricket than we're going to see. We've got three Test
matches and twenty seven to one day t twenty games
as well, and we're playing Test matches against the Wist.
And there's not that I'm down playing the West Indies,
but the Ash has always attracts our attention. We won't
see you in New Zealand for the short form game.
(32:10):
Will you be making the ashous tour or is it
something you have to wait and see.
Speaker 7 (32:13):
Yeah, yeah, no, I hope, so I hope to be there. Look,
we've you know what's like with English cricket, you build
up to the ash that we'd love all Test cricket.
Actually in any Test match is an event, but it's
that locking horns with Australia that gets the juice is flowing.
And as I said earlier, it's about can England compete.
You know, I've been to Australia many times in the
(32:35):
last few years and you you know, the series is
over basically after the first Test match I think they
have been thumped and certainly after the second Test match
when they've lost again. So that's the narrative they need
to try to change this time. And yeah, really really
looking forward to it to see whether it's possible or not.
I mean, I think they've got more of a chance
(32:57):
this time than they've had since twenty ten eleven, but
Australia are very clearly still favorites.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Yep, well, we'll look forward to it. Thanks for your time, Simon.
I hope will you you see you in this part
of the world. Even if you don't get to New Zealand,
you'll enjoy Australia through your English Winter.
Speaker 7 (33:17):
Indeed, well, that's one of the bonuses. That's one of
the bons cricket from the English Winter. Lovely just speak
to you words, thanks amen, appreciate it, all the best words. Yeah,
speak to you again sometime. All the best.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
Bye bye on the front foot with Waddle and Cody.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
It's taken Matt Henry sometime since his debut Test ten
years ago to take his place as the leader of
the black Caps attack. He had to wait in line Bolt, Southy,
Wagner and in recent times Jamison. But since twenty twenty two,
when he took his career best figures seven for twenty three,
Henry's performance has demanded first choice. Now the leader of
(33:56):
the pack five five wicket bags. Since the start of
twenty twenty four against Australia, Matt Henry has played seven
Tests for fifty one Test wickets seven a Test sixteen
point eighty four. It was only appropriate that Henry should
be Man of the Match in Bulawayo.
Speaker 6 (34:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (34:15):
I think losing the toss on day one probably played
a little bit more in their hands than we probably
would have expected. It was a little bit soft. We
thought it would do a little bit for the first hour,
but we actually had a couple of hours where we
could found a little bit of lateral movement but also
for the spinners to actually get a bit of turn
as well. So yep, I was obviously a great start
(34:35):
out here.
Speaker 3 (34:36):
Zimbabwe took some time to establish themselves with the bat,
but they just played some real fighting qualities.
Speaker 8 (34:42):
Yeah, I think they showed it as well, though I
think it's a playing chest. Cricket overseas is always as
tough where we review play and we know it was
a very good side and the proud side as well,
So I think we knew that we were going to
have to be relentless and start this test series really strong.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Well in first difficult to battle on.
Speaker 8 (35:01):
Early, I think from our point of view, once we
assessed that it was doing a little bit on day
one when you was a really important to get ahead
of the game, and thankfully as a unit we bowled
really well to put some Bubbe under pressure because when
you it probably would get better as the game did progress.
So it's obviously to be able to get that start
on day one was really important and to capitalize on it.
Speaker 3 (35:24):
It wasn't only himself that the credit. He was also
complimentary of the rest of the bowling attack.
Speaker 8 (35:33):
I think when you're coming here, you want to bowl
as a collective unit, but you just want to have
an impact. So I think to be able to impact
the game, and I suppose put some Bubble under pressure
early on and then coming back out here today. No,
it was a big day and we had to make
the most of probably that new ball, because the longer
the game went on, probably the tougher was going to get.
(35:53):
As they showed that fight in the afternoon.
Speaker 6 (35:57):
Yeah, I think at the.
Speaker 8 (35:58):
End of the day, when you're presented that on day one,
I think we exploited the conditions really well. You never
know what you're going to get with the cricket worker
and there was a little bit of movement and it
took to a little bit of turn which allowed us
to get ahead of the game. We know that there's
some classy batsman in the lineup, so to be able
to put them under pressure early and expose them to
the new ball was really important. And on the bowling side,
(36:19):
they bowled really well. And I think the way that
our bat has navigated those tough periods that first night,
the way that Devin Young got through that night was impressive.
It was some high quality bowling were put under pressure
right throughout and then obviously coming back in the morning
that didn't stop. I think they were relentless right through
(36:39):
and put us under pressure at different times. But I
think sometimes you got to tell your hat off. The
way that our guys actually batted and weather that storm
and got to the older ball to put some runs
on the board and put some pressure back on them.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
That way for five back must have been satisfying.
Speaker 8 (36:56):
Yeah, I suppose it's for me having an impact on
the game. It's pretty special to play test cricket.
Speaker 6 (37:04):
For New Zealand.
Speaker 8 (37:04):
That's something is a key you've always wanted to do
and we didn't be on the right side of test factories.
Speaker 6 (37:10):
It's pretty special.
Speaker 8 (37:11):
So I think for me to be able to have
a high impact is probably the special part, not necessarily
the figures, but I think the way that we went
about it as a group was.
Speaker 6 (37:21):
Awesome, So pretty pleased.
Speaker 8 (37:23):
Yeah, I think, yeah, it is nice obviously when you
get those days, because yeah, they are few and far between,
I suppose, But so when you do, you do reflect
on the hard work that's got into where you are
and you're always trying to evolve as a cricketer and
fine tune your skill set and I suppose the sect
for us that you make along the way to get there.
So it is nice minute you're on the other side
(37:44):
of it and you have those I suppose those impactful games.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Well, one man who was probably in contention for Mantle Match.
In fact, there were probably two of them new Ds
Devin Conway and the Daryl Mitchell, but they were beaten
out for that title by Matt Henry and Daryl Mitchell
joined us ahead of the second Test. Daryl was a
great performance by the team in what seemed to be
(38:09):
difficult conditions in Ballaway.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Yeah, look, it's I guess it's always nice to win
Test matches first and foremost, and yeah, to do it
and conditions that we probably weren't prepared for in terms
of we not what we were expecting here in Zimbabwe
with the extra bounce, So you're nice to walk away
and get it done in three days is always makes
it a little bit better.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
Matt Henry another five for in the last eighteen months,
he's really taken control of the leadership of the black
Caps attack, hasn't.
Speaker 6 (38:39):
Heh He's been awesome.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Yeah, as you say, over the last couple of years,
he's done a great job leading this attack and he
finds ways to get things out.
Speaker 6 (38:46):
Of the pitch that no one else can.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
So yeah, long mate, continue and yeah, awesome to see
him have the success he is.
Speaker 3 (38:52):
Well. He seemed to be able to extract something from
a pitch that didn't appear that easy to bet on.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
Yeah, no, it was definitely it was on the greener
side to start, would say, And definitely that sort of
extra tennis baw lely bounce made it challenging. The lack
of consistency and that meant that you're trying to work
out what height the ball was going to come throughout
was quite tough.
Speaker 6 (39:13):
So look at hen as he can. He can see
it on glass.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
He's got an amazing skill of bowling that fuller length
but still being very heavy and getting something out of it.
Speaker 6 (39:21):
And you're awesome to see him keep doing the job.
Speaker 3 (39:24):
You'd probably see a bit of that because you spend
the fear about of your time when the seamers at
Slip Too, alongside Tom Blundele and the others who field
in the cordon.
Speaker 2 (39:32):
Yeah, yeah, you obviously get a pretty good view parked
up on the limo there and fair slip. So also
with Matt being my domestic teammate with Canterbury as well,
we have faced him a lot on the nets and
I know how hard, how hard that.
Speaker 6 (39:44):
Can be, so yeah, it's awesome to see him have success.
Speaker 3 (39:46):
What about your betting, how did you find it in
terms of trying to gain some rhythm? It seemed as
it was difficult to get batting rhythm.
Speaker 6 (39:54):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
It was very hard I guess to access the ball
down the ground with that extra bounce. So it was
I'm lucky where our bat sort in that five spot.
I can see what's happening early on and try and
come up with a game plan for when I walk
out to bat.
Speaker 6 (40:07):
Yeah, adapting on that on that.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
Surface, and still trying to find ways to put pressure
on their bowlers because we've got to keep trying to
score on those types of surfaces. But yeah, although we
would have liked, I guess a bigger lead. I think
when you get sort of that one fifty lead and
score over three hundred, you take that.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Yeah, it looks as though you might well have been
able to do that at one stage, but their attack
came back on that check and the morning, and they
got some interesting question, haven't.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
They think got some good seamers, especially Blessing the big
tour on is it reminds me of Yle Jamison, the
way he hits the wicket and gets that extra bounce,
and we recognize the surfaces over here in the morning
because it's it is winter, it is quite cold, and
the pitch can be a little bit tacky. So that's
sort of first hour, hour and a half is very challenging,
and then we've got to make sure we can I guess,
(40:53):
get through that and keep trying to build partnerships throughout
the day.
Speaker 6 (40:56):
But yeah, they've got a.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
Very good bowling attack, and you definitely have to make
sure you're on every ball.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Yeah, those partnerships are obviously important when you're to a
certain extent batting with the lower order, aren't you the
tail five and six generally gets that role. Does it
mean that you have to change your game and how
you play?
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Yeah, I guess it's again it's adapting to different situations.
And the benefit of I guess having played a little
bit now across all three formats is you know, different
teampots to go at different times, and yeah, there's times
where you have to guess, put your foot down when
you're batting with the lower order. And also there's also
times we've got to soak up pressure and keep trying
to get through because you know, you might that bowler
(41:34):
might be have one, one or two overs left to
get through that spell. So you're constantly working with each
other and trying to find ways to win those little
moments and hopefully get the job done.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
Your experienced player now internationally in all formats of the game,
how easy is it for you to adapt to a
Test match from the short form? I mean, you've just
come off what the American MLC, haven't you.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
Yeah, that is the challenge, I guess, of all three formats,
and it is it is. It is tough to go
sort of different format one day to the next. You
obviously got I've got some key things I work on
in the days leading up to those each games, whether
it be T twenty early eye or tests to make
sure I'm ready to go, and a lot of I
guess visualization and mental prep to especially heading into Test
(42:20):
cricket to have a bat for longer periods of time.
So yeah, it is a challenge but it's a fun challenge.
That's why you do it. It tests makes you a
better player and you keep trying to find ways to
get better.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
Yeah. Well it's going to be come more and more too,
isn't it, because there is more and more of the
varying forms of competition. I mean, you're in for a
fair amount of T twenty cricket, aren't you, leading up
to the World Cup next year.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
Yeah, that's an exciting time, especially with I guess who's
coming to us in the home summer with Ozzie England
and then West Indies before head off to India for
that World Cup. So yeah, it's it's yeah, it's cool
time to be part of New Zealand cricket, to be
part of the black Caps, and yeah, looking forward to it.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
You've got the second Test coming up in a few days.
Has the side been named for that? Because you're going
through a few issues within the team, aren't you.
Speaker 2 (43:10):
No, it was still three days out from the game,
so we've got to light training today. We'll have a
big day tomorrow and then I guess it's individual prep
the day before, so I'm sure there'll be plenty of
conversations over the next forty eight hours to seventy two
hours to work at what balance. Obviously, we don't know
what pitch will get again, with it being out in
the sun for the last five days of this Test
(43:30):
match already, it could be very different to what we
expected in the first Test. So I guess we'll look
at that over the next few days and see how
it's going to play out and that'll affect how we
go about it.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
Yes, that's winter, but it's still quite warm, I guess,
is it.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
The morning's cold like I'm with no hair on top.
I'm wearing a beanie in the morning to try and
keep the head warm. But I wouldn't say it's warm.
It's probably getting to about twenty degrees or so during
the day, so it's Yeah, the mornings are very cold
and the day's quite nice once the sun comes out,
and then it gets starts to get it colder again.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
It's interesting though, to reflect because wasn't that the ground
where Van Mulder got three hundred and seventy and then
declared when he could have gone ahead of Brian Lara's total.
Speaker 2 (44:12):
Yeah, I think that was the ground And that's the
nature of different times of the year and different months
is Yeah, you don't know what the surface is going
to do, so it's a different bowling attack from Zimbabwe.
And yeah, there's by all accounts there was a lot
more grass on this pitch than that series. So yeah,
who knows what the next test will bring, but we'll
find out.
Speaker 3 (44:30):
So what is the program for you? Now you've had
a fairly busy winter. Do you get a bit of
a break for the series starts? I think on the
first of October, isn't it.
Speaker 6 (44:40):
Yeah, so I guess yeah.
Speaker 2 (44:41):
For me personally, I've been going since was it July
last year, so it's almost it's over twelve months. I
think I've had one week of not picking up a
cricket bat. So I'll take the next sort of five
weeks off off playing, so probably be a dad for
a week or so and then start training again. And
I'm sure our trainer Chris Donaldson will put me through
(45:01):
the ringer for the next sort of month to get
us ready for that home series against Australia in October.
Speaker 3 (45:08):
Because you've had your family with you in the past,
haven't you. But I suppose they now have to spend
time at home and the kids go to school and
all that left with mum.
Speaker 2 (45:17):
Yep yep in our school's starting to take out that
I was lucky they came to America for a few
of those weeks with the MLC, which is a cool
experience for them to think they are Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders
for a few weeks. But yeah, obviously that's the nature
of being an interastraal crickets. You spend a long long
time away from home and it'll be nice to get
a few weeks at home over the next month.
Speaker 3 (45:38):
So you played in the MLC. There were a lot
of New Zealanders there and it seems to be something
that New Zealanders with the franchises being New Zealand locking
into them. What was your reaction to it, the pictures
and the crowds, the promotion and presentation of the game,
because you don't think of cricket and America.
Speaker 2 (45:58):
No, I think that's the cool thing is for us
as as New Zealanders, but just cricketers in general, to
how to go to America and play in America with
it being in the three cities that so far of
San fran Dallas and Miami, to be able to experience
those cultures and there is a big I guess xpact
community of cricketers over there that support cricket. The gut
(46:20):
that I was only there last this year, but all
reports every year is getting better and better supported. So yeah,
I'm sure it's a tournament that will keep growing over
the years and it's a big market in the world sport.
Speaker 6 (46:31):
We know that.
Speaker 2 (46:31):
You can see that with the NBA and like so
if cricket can can master that, then it puts the
game in good stead.
Speaker 6 (46:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (46:37):
Well, thanks for much for your time. All the best
for the second Test match, and hope things go well
and you get the rest and family time that you're
looking forward to.
Speaker 6 (46:46):
Yep, now, I'll be nice.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
I always love playing Test cricket, so we hopefully get
another Test one and see whe we go.
Speaker 3 (46:52):
Yeah, lovely to have there on Mitchel sharing a few
thoughts with us, and he's very he's very thoughtful about
his game quite clearly the change from T twenty to
Test match level. I like one thing he called the
slip cord and I presume that's the limousine. I don't
know whether they caught it the limo when you were
(47:13):
fielding in the slip cord and Jerry we.
Speaker 5 (47:15):
Were down too close to the road, Brian, you know,
we were the actual tires, I think of the limo.
But yeah, it was interesting listening to him. I was
I didn't realize that he you know, he only had
one week in the entire year to put his ticket
that away. That was extraordinary when I when I heard that.
(47:36):
Obviously the picture was a bit different than anticipated and
they had to adjust and adapt. Obviously, beating them in
three days they were able to. I was interested o'rauke
didn't get a wicket in the first innings and I
didn't see it, and I'd like to know why that happened.
And I was also interested that Bracewell didn't pick up
a wicket in the second innings in bold fifteen overs.
(47:58):
So yeah, but it was but it was a comprehensive
win nine wickets and we look forward to the second one.
But New Zealand kind of fashed a pretty good record,
aren't they. For a smaller nation, we've got players like
in old like I mean, it was good to see
Conway get some runs in that Test match with an
(48:21):
eighty odd and we don't have to rely on you know,
Ravendra all the time to do most of the attacking
that Mitchell could do that as well. Young got a few.
We discussed last week Nichols being in the team, which
should should that have happened? That he got a thirty
odd So you know, and Henry of course stands out,
(48:42):
doesn't he. I mean as a bowler now, an opening bowler,
he is one of the world's best at the moment
for finding things out of a pitch, not only in
the test format, he does it. You know. He basically
held together the New Zealanders in that T twenty final
against South Africa. Didn't he to defend what was it
(49:03):
six or seven in the last over? So he has
been He started really slowly in his test career, sitting
on the pine, didn't he for test after test? And yeah,
and and and you could see why New Zealand had
some good seamers at the time, and that was the
(49:24):
Bolt Saudi and the Wagner and so on. So yeah,
he has really pulled his average back down. I don't
know what it is. It must be in the twenties now.
I would have thought it was very high. Yeah it was.
It was very high for a while. But he's pulled,
pulled and pulled it back and back and back. He
(49:45):
is a top bowler for New Zealand at the moment.
Speaker 3 (49:47):
Well, those stats that I had before just tell the story.
In seven Test matches since that series against Australia, he's
taken fifty one Test wickets. That's seven a Test and
there's not many bowlers do that. I mean Richard Hadley
finished his career at bang.
Speaker 5 (50:05):
On five match.
Speaker 3 (50:08):
Yeah, so in the last seven Tests at an average
of sixteen point eighty four, that's quite remarkable. Bearing in mind,
I don't know, a picture's still better friendly, would you imagine.
I mean, he's as Mitchell said, he can see the
ball on glass and you sort of think that to
(50:31):
a certain extent. He's such a complete opening bowler now
at the moment, and hence the New Zealand attack with
real class.
Speaker 5 (50:39):
Oh, very consistent, finds a length on any surface that
is the most difficult and then just works the batsman
over seem not so much a swing bowler as he
but he uses the crease so he gets different angles
and you know, he creates opportunities for his team and
(51:01):
you can't ask more of a bowler to do that.
And we both seen him grow tremendously in terms of confidence.
He's quite good in the park. And I mean that
catch he took on that first innings I think against India,
wasn't it in that match when it was green that
first day and it was cloudy insign a fine leg, running,
(51:22):
running and then diving to take the catch first jail correct, correct.
So I mean he's a he's a complete player, and
he can he's also quite handy with the batwads. You
know he can score to strike twenty five or thirty.
Speaker 3 (51:40):
Yes, indeed, Well we'll be interesting to see what they're
able to do with a take a fifth mention.
Speaker 5 (51:44):
All they got to tell dad to quick nuss.
Speaker 6 (51:48):
Yet they care.
Speaker 1 (52:01):
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