Sport www.guardianonline.co.nz
Monday, January 30, 2017
In brief
■ CRICKET
Black Caps looking forward By DaviD Leggat In sport and life it’s best not to linger on the bad stuff; that may help explain why last month’s belting from Australia across the Tasman hasn’t been discussed in depth by New Zealand as they prepare for the return Chappell Hadlee series, starting at Eden Park today. There’s a strong belief among the New Zealand squad that the gulf between the teams is nothing like it was projected as they were dunked 3-0 at Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Senior batsman Ross Taylor wasn’t on that trip, getting over his left eye surgery, but he confirmed it hasn’t exactly been top of the agenda in conversations among the players. “No we haven’t talked about it much. “You play so much cricket you can’t let things dwell,” Taylor said. “After the Australia series, the guys got straight back into domestic cricket, and played well against Bangladesh. Australia is going to be a step up but at the same time you’ve just got to get on with what’s in front of you.” And Taylor, returning after three months out of the ODI game, warned it would be foolish to think Australia will be a soft touch with the absence of their three top order batting stars, David Warner, Usman Khawaja and captain Steve Smith for a range of reasons, from the trip. “They had a big part to play in the last series. “Warner’s been in stellar form, Smith is very consistent and an inspiring leader. “They’ll be looking for [standin skipper Matthew] Wade to step up.
Ashburton Guardian 17
Latham good with gloves Tom Latham will be lining up behind the stumps against Australia after a seemingly smooth audition with the gloves for Canterbury on Saturday. Latham played a key role in leading Canterbury to a fivewicket win over Auckland in the Ford Trophy. While it would be shoddy analysis to make a definitive judgement without having seen all 50 overs of his glovework, Latham was sharp with two stumpings, and helped manufacture a runout as Auckland could only muster 209/8. Latham backed up his keeping stint by making 59 at the top of the order, displaying the added lineup balance he can provide by multi-tasking with the gloves. Canterbury eased home with 12 overs to spare. - NZME
Haddin welcome back
Ross Taylor says Australia is going to be tough, regardless of who is in their line-up. “The New Zealand public would love to have Smith and Warner here, they love reminding them of a few things. “But Australia get a chance to check out their depth. Any time you play Australia, regardless of who they put on the field, you know they’re going to be tough. “We don’t like losing to each other. “Not having those guys there gives them an opportunity.” New Zealand’s batsmen certainly won’t be in chortling mode. Australia’s bowling attack is formidable, and at full strength, with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and resurgent Pat Cummins all in Auckland. They’re all likely to get a rest at some point in the series.
“It’s just the landscape of cricket. “Players who play three formats need a break, and if you don’t give them a break that’s where injuries come in. “They lose Smith and Warner but us batters are up against their best bowlers. “We’ll be under pressure and hopefully can respond.” Taylor is tipping an intriguing series, in terms of the possible variations in pitch conditions. “They’re going to be totally different. “This one [Eden Park] will have a little bit in it, small boundaries; there’ll be pace and bounce in Napier, and the slower nature, where it could turn, at Hamilton. “In a three-game series you’ve
got to be ready to go straight away. “You can’t let 10-15 overs go, you’ve got to be right on the ball. “Quite often in a short series whoever wins the first match gets the upper hand and confidence.” Australia are aware Eden Park, with its quirky angles and short boundaries, looks a ground full of runs, but often flatters to deceive. “You assume there’s going to be high scores, but it tends to swing here,” captain Matthew Wade said. Taylor has a theory – “It just has a little bit in it. “Sometimes I just don’t think there’s a par score. Some days it’s 300 plays 300; others it’s 200. “You’ve just got to analyse it as quickly as possible.” - NZME
Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques is unsure whether Brad Haddin will play on next BBL season, but says the veteran wicketkeeper will be welcomed with open arms if he does want to continue his glittering career. Haddin wound back the clock with a handy 38 off 25 balls in the loss to the Scorchers in Saturday’s final. “It would be nice for us if he could churn out a few more performances like that next year, but that decision is complete-ly with him. He’s a great role model not just as a cricketer, but also the way he conducts himself off the field.” - AAP
Starc ready to fire Mitchell Starc has only played one international match in New Zealand, but it’s no secret he’s a fan of the country’s swinging conditions. The left-arm quick will return to the scene of his finest World Cup hour when Australia take on New Zealand at Eden Park today. Starc was at his devastating best on that day in 2015 – and he is keen to repeat the mayhem. “It’s something the quicks are excited about, there’s probably a bit more in it.” - NZME
Will Twenty20 soon go the way of the hula-hoop? By PauL Lewis
S
tephen Fleming’s suggestion New Zealand scale back test cricket in favour of the short forms of the game seems to have created little or no discussion. Good. It’s a crock. Today’s Chappell-Hadlee 50-over match against Australia will be closely followed after the boredom of the Bangladesh series where every version (T20, ODI and test matches) meandered to inevitable conclusions. Leave aside the fact Fleming is the greatest scorer of test runs in New Zealand’s history. It would be a bit small to suggest he is denying others the career he enjoyed as Fleming’s comments were presumably aimed at the good of the game – and not just the good of Fleming (who earns a living coaching T20 stuff in India and Australia). In a cricket sense, his contention is redundant. New Zealand is ranked No. 1
in the world at T20 and fourth in ODIs. In tests, the Black Caps are ranked fifth. No matter what you may think of the ICC rankings, there’s no apparent need to scale anything back if success in the short forms is happening organically. And, anyway, why would you? In tennis, New Zealand has no one in the world top 50 singles players, men or women. So should we scale back singles and concentrate on doubles? Everyone’s head is being turned by the admittedly astonishing numbers watching Australia’s Big Bash T20 series. That has led to even more strident predictions of test cricket’s demise – based on small crowds around the world, even cricketcrazy India. But there’s life in the old girl yet. The Big Bash’s biggest TV audience earlier this month was 1.7 million; the average audi-
ence 1.3m across all games. On day four of the recent day-night test, Australia against South Africa, 1.8m watched the final session. The first day of that test averaged 1.3m – and that’s over 8 hours, not the ‘instant coffee’ ethos of T20’s hit-and-giggle ethos. The fifth day averaged 1.6m. That said, T20 has affected test cricket – faster scoring has penetrated tests and led to persuasive calls for them to be shortened to four days. We can never forget tests were saved by Kerry Packer’s ‘circus’ in the 1970s; a staid administration dragged by the hair into a modern world of coloured clothing, TV rights, day-night games and a greater sense of urgency, competition and relevance to the sporting public. T20 has done what its creators intended – bringing new people, new audiences, into the game. So is this not the next revolu-
tion that will ‘save’ cricket? There’s just one small thing. ODIs have stood the test of time, even if the Aussies still casually insult us by leaving their three best batsmen at home. T20 may not. It may be a step too far into the over-scheduled, overblown, more-is-less dynamic of modern life in a predominantly disposable society. It may be a cricketing fad – going the same way as Tamagotchi, the Macarena, crocs and those god-awful baggy jeans designed to be worn to show your underwear but which all too often succeeded in showing bum cracks as well. How will T20 fare when the crowd get bored with the ramp shot, the endless succession of sixes, bowlers as sacrifices and when the hype is just ... hype? The Wellington Sevens is an object lesson. Originally marketed as a massive dress-up party fuelled with
lashings of booze, it became old hat. Now it is being shopped around as a family day. T20 may be doing big numbers now, but does anybody really care? Is it building its own tradition or is it soon to be forgotten when the next big distraction arrives on the scene? Fleming’s assertion of scaling down tests was based on “we are not really ever going to threaten one or two in the world ... we’ve come close at times but it’s only going to be for brief moments ... to compete against the big countries is always going to be a challenge.” Precisely. That’s what sport is. A challenge. It’s setting yourself against the best and, occasionally, beating them. Otherwise, we should all go down the road and have a milkshake ... - NZME