Australia in New Zealand: T20I Preview
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First I'm going to touch on David Warner. I'll start by saying I believe he could score big at AMI Stadium, if he gets going, and the New Zealand bowlers are going to have to do their utmost best to contain him. If he's seen the ground, the longest area of the ground is 65-70m, and the shortest 50m. As we saw with India in the ODI there last year, if a batsman gets going, there's no excuse not to go on and make a good score. The key to containing him is not to bowl anything short to him. And if Daryl Tuffey plays, well, let's just say the ground will be made to look like the postage stamp that it is.
Then there's Shaun Tait. I can't say I'm not astounded at the speeds he can bowl at. He's been bowling phenomenally in the home Twenty20's, and if he continues that trend into this tour, I think the New Zealand batsmen better figure out a strategy, and fast. One way would be to unsettle him at the crease.
But if the Wellington wind's up, he could push the 161kmh mark. Though, as we've seen so many times in New Zealand, the faster you bowl, the further it flies. He's got to hit his line and length. Once you've gone through McCullum, Guptill and Taylor. The game's practically yours, provided you've contained the runs.
It interests me to see that Australia have bought their fair share of inexperience across the pond. Though, if there's a format to do it in, it's Twenty20. Dirk Nannes, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson may be a handful if the ball starts moving. And if Warner and Watson get going, beware. Then there's this new lad Steve Smith. What I have seen of him has raised my eyebrows, but not in skepticism. I believe spin bowlers are crucial in Twenty20 cricket. Spinners generally generate catches from nowhere, and little things like that can pull a game out of the arse, so to speak. His batting figures for the Blues in Shield and Ranger Cup cricket make for better reading than his bowling ones, however. Then there's Ryan Harris, Cameron White and so on. Where do you find these blokes? Any doubt that Australia has an endless supply of depth has just been thrown out the window. Overall, I'm expecting fireworks from this Australian team.
On to the New Zealand team. There's McCullum, Guptill and Taylor. I'm sure we all know about them. Taylor and McCullum can be far more destructive than Guptill, though, these three like to score freely, and if the Aussies can't pin them down, or get them out, there may be some decent scores posted. Then there's Peter Ingram. This fella doesn't move his feet a lot, as he has admitted, though he knows his strokes, and he plays them well. I've seen a fair bit of him around the New Zealand domestic scene, and I believe he has what it takes to go onto bigger things. I'd liken him to Taylor, except his main hitting area is through square on the off-side. A middle order of Jacob Oram and James Franklin may prove handy. Franklin has really come into his own as a batsman of late, though he hasn't had the chances at international level to prove so. Oram's miserly (or not so, it can very) bowling may be handy, though I won't say he's hard to pick up. His gentle medium pacers may be just what the Australians want through the middle overs.
There's the relatively unknown Gareth Hopkins, who is also a backup wicketkeeper. Hoppie knows how to pace a good Twenty20 innings, though I'm not convinced he'll make it far at international level, though I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong. Nathan McCullum and Daniel Vettori in the spinners' guild. Both rely on flight and drift, though McCullum doesn't vary his pace as much. Both can bat a bit too, it's fair to say. Then there's Tim Southee, Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey rounding out the squad. Southee has done a lot of gym work over the past year, and he's starting to tip the 140kmh mark more often. Tuffey may not seem fast, but he hits the deck hard and can be a handful on a wicket with sideways movement. Then there's Bondy. I don't think I need to go too far into his credentials.
In summary, this series is going to be a cracker. I'm predicting a 1-1 draw. I feel that Australia will win in the first match in Wellington, and we'll take it out in Christchurch. What's better is that both matches are rumored to be selling out fast, and crowds in excess of 30,000 are rare in New Zealand cricket, so that can only be a good thing. And the weather forecasts suggest the rain may stay away, so hopefully the entertainment is guaranteed. So kick back, flip open the chilly bin (or esky), put your jandals (thongs) on, and enjoy a nice cold one (no translation needed), whilst watching high-octane cricket action at it's best!
