Iain O'Brien's Cricket Blog

From Cricinfo.com

To right you’re going to hear about it; apart from making a couple of cups of coffee and a toasted sandwich, I didn’t do too much else today.

The sun was out again when I pulled the curtains open, looked like another good day for cricket down here.  The forecast wasn’t too great with rain due in later on.  I got the late bus to the ground, straight into the shed and threw my batting gear on quickly and headed out to the nets for a hit before warm ups started proper.  I hit it ok, got a few balls out of the middle, ducked a few short ones, played Saqlain Mushtaq really well and was feeling really good.  It was a quick run back to the shed, gear off and out to the middle to start warm ups with the team.

It was an easy warm up with a short game, stretches and then into whatever you needed to do to be ready for the day.  I headed off to do some fielding, catch some catches, pick up a few ground balls and then into some bowling.  I was woeful in warm ups with my bowling.  I felt fast right from ball one but my radar was off.  It’s sometimes harder to find pace than it is to find direction so of the two things to have in warm ups, I’d rather have the pace.  Losing the radar in warm ups works me up a little bit; although in the past when I’ve bowled poorly in warm ups I’ve gone out and bowled well when it counts.  I got through probably two overs and just let it go; I walked away.  It wasn’t going to let it get the best of me, I just walked away knowing that I did feel fast and energetic, but the radar was slightly off.  For me, that’s experience paying off.  Walking away, relying on the mental side to take over when the physical isn’t quite there.

Dan and Baz played well again, it was great watching them take us “oh so close” to lunch.  It was then Bondy’s job to get Dan through to his 100.  This is a big job, it’s a tough job, to come in when someone is near a milestone, you don’t want to get out on them and make it someone else’s job, you want to be out there with them and enjoy it with them.  It wasn’t to be though.  Dan, in the gloom, nicked one on 99 and the ended another great knock of his. 

It was now my turn to head out there, it was pretty dark, and the chat in the changing room was that we shouldn’t be out there.  It’s not our decision though, so we keep playing.  I got a full toss, about thigh height and let out a ‘whah’ in surprise when it got to me.  It was tough to pick up and I wasn’t expecting it to come at me so high without bouncing.  I was pretty sure I was going to get a yorker, so I was set up for a full ball, I managed to hit it ok for a couple and got a cheer from the small, but vocal, crowd that was still at the park.  Thanks guys!

Rain interrupted the day quite a bit and because of it we only got through 36 overs.  Batting four sessions was our first goal and we’ve got there, reached 400 and are happy with what we’ve achieved so far.  There was a fair amount of rain too while we were still out there playing, so if things happen like they should it could be quite tough to bat on first thing up in the morning.  So whatever happens, it should be very interesting viewing.  Not like that ‘bowler breaking’ run feast that’s happening in Kanpur at the moment!

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Captains meeting done and dusted, massage finished, food done, blog and sleep to go before we head into the first Test of the summer against Pakistan, here in Dunedin.

This is a home series for Pakistan; Dunedin is about as far away from home they could find themselves climatically.  I can’t believe I’ve just used the word ‘climatically’.  It was very cold when we got here on Saturday, it has warmed up a bit, but when the wind comes in the temperature certainly drops a lot!

We’ve trained the last two days and trained well.  It’s a good feeling when you look around the nets and field seeing the boys all going well; hitting the planned areas in the nets, taking our catches (slippers and outfielders) and showing the intensity that we’ll need to bring on game day tomorrow.

In our Captains meeting our guest that handed out our Test Caps was Richard (Dick) Taylor.  1974 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 10,000 meters.  This was a very special one for us.  A Kiwi legend that put so much into one event, against a great field, and came up trumps!  It was an honour to have him in our presence and have him present our caps.

We’re looking to bat first if blue is the major colour in the sky.  The pitch looks like it will be pretty good first up to bat on; although that goes against a lot of first class matches that are played down here.  They quite often are over in less than three days.  The last two Tests down here, the Bangers and the Windies, have been flat and pretty slow wickets.  We’re expecting much of the same this time too.

Our bowling attack is probably one of the oldest put out on a park.  We’ve been called ‘wizened’ and ‘geriatric’ by an ex player in the media.  It’s fair to say that between us (Martin, Bond, Tuffy and I) we’ve had a good laugh at it.  We all feel great, sure it doesn’t get any easier, but in terms of fitness, energies, love of the game and desire, we’re as young as anyone would want to be!

DAY ONE

I woke up this morning, pulled the curtains open and knew straight away that we would be batting.  I was almost certain that if Pakistan won the toss they would bowl and, as it was a very blue sky, I knew we’d be batting.  Dan lost the toss and we’re batting.

As always I was keen for a bowl but also, as always, it’s nice to have the feet up to watch the boys bat.  I had a really good warm up, my bowling feels great at the moment (I know I maybe shouldn’t say that as it could very quickly bite me in the arse, but I feel great so I’m in a good place).  The body is feeling fresh and full of energy.

Boots off, ankle brace off, trainers on and coffee in hand; time to settle in for the first session.  There is always the little bit of nerves when you want to bat first and get to.  Is that track going to do, or not do, what we think it will?  Are they going to use the new ball as good as they’d hope to?  Is it going to swing, seam, bounce or all of them?   

We got off to the worst start possible, Tim McIntosh out first ball.  Flynn was then out in the 6^th over and we were 27-2.  It is tough trying to stay positive in the viewing room when things don’t quite go to play; it goes pretty quiet for quite a while.  The laughter and banter dries up for a bit and much as we try to stay positive there is always that little bit of you that says “please don’t let me have my pads on before tea!  Please don’t make me bowl today!”  Guptil and Taylor got the banter and laughter going back in our shed.  They played brilliantly and got us right back on track.

Dan and Baz finished the day for us on a high, getting through six down sets us up for tomorrow nicely.  This Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS), which is on its official debut, had a good day out for us today.  Baz was given out, second to last ball of the day, LBW.  He challenged the decision and with the aid of technology he was given not out.  Please note I’m not saying the original decision on Baz was a bad one either; in real time it looked pretty good!  The way the system is now set up, in regards to how it was used during the West Indies series last summer, is a whole lot better.  I’m still not saying I’m in complete favour of it, but I guess if there are less bad decisions made, the more true the battle will become.

It’s been a while... missed me??

Well, let’s kick this off with a bit of a catch up.  I’ve been back in NZ for about three weeks.  I’ve really enjoyed being back, catching up with friends and actually being able to get into the gym to build some strength as opposed to just doing ‘maintenance’ work.  In saying that, I was very disappointed to not go to the UAE for the One Day and T20 series.  Still, I’ve made the best of a situation I wasn’t too happy with.

So far I’ve played one ‘Plunket Shield’ (four day domestic competition) for Wellington and this last week played for a New Zealand Invitation team vs. Pakistan.  I’ve been really happy with how I’ve gone.  The match for Wellington we drew against Canterbury.  We had a very good chance to win it but just couldn’t break up a very good partnership.  I only took one 2^nd innings wicket when we were trying to bowl them out; disappointed with that but I’ll add it to the 5 I got in the first innings and I walk away from that match happy with my form, my health, my strength, my pace (especially) and how I kept my energies throughout the match.  I really felt good throughout this match.  Pace was good, probably the quickest I have bowled for an entire match and I got through some overs!

Last week, in Queenstown, we played Pakistan in a ‘warm up match’ for them.  Warm up is hardly the words to use for the first day of the match.  Pakistan bowled first and it wasn’t too warm out there.  I know I’ve said how hard it is to play when it is hot, but for these guys it must be so hard to get into it when you are so cold.

Queenstown - Day 1: It's cold out there

The ground at Queenstown is as amazing as it gets in terms of the beauty that is surrounds it.  If you’ve never been to watch a match there you really are missing out.  The pitch is flat, there is always lots of runs scored there and the scenery really is second to none!

The Remarkables: Warming up... slowly

This match ended in a very tame draw at Tea on the 3^rd day.  The pitch was just so flat and without the intensity that a ‘proper’ match would have, taking wickets became very tough.  It was a good work out though, I picked up a couple of wickets, hit for a run out with just one stump to hit (pretty proud of that!) and scored 13 runs while hitting a six and taking a short one that didn’t get up from Rauf on the upper arm.  Not a bad few days on the park really.

Day 3 - Queenstown: View from the lunch room

While I was batting something strange happened.  I was actually willing Rauf to bounce me.  All of a sudden I wanted bouncers.  See, strange!!!!  There’s pretty good rational behind it though.  There is only so much bouncer training you can do in the nets, there is nothing like facing them out in the middle.  If I get under a couple early then I feel a whole heap better about playing from then on.  I swayed one from Rauf early, next ball, straighter, didn’t quite get up and hit me.  No problems, it hurt a little, they always do, but nothing to worry about at all.  It was actually quite good for me.  I was in a reasonable position and it didn’t bounce like it should have.  No dramas, let’s move on.....

So, I’m now in Dunedin with the NZ team, we joined up today.  I drove the 4hrs it took to get here (we went the wrong way care of Tuffey!) in the wind and rain.  It’s a pretty drive but mostly obscured by nasty looking clouds.  It’s good to see all the guys again, catch up on the UAE tour and get the new team kit issue.... I really only play for the ‘kit’; for all the training and playing gear.  It’s my favourite time, the new ‘kit’ issues.    You know me well enough now to know I’m kidding... yeah!!??

Anyway, it bed time now after a Team meal out, a very good Italian feed at Etursco.  Free plug for them because the food was soooo good!!  Nice job, thanks!

I’ll try to be more regular with my updates now. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll be trying!

Don't forget to get little updates via twitter:  iainobrien

This article appeared in the Hutt News on the 10th November.  I wasn't to happy with it!

Hutt News Article

link for article:  http://ow.ly/i/72X

And this is my response that was printed in yesterday paper:

Nicolas

I was disappointed with the article that you wrote and printed in last week’s Hutt News (10^th Nov).  There were several reported quotes that were inaccurate and misleading.  I also feel because of this you have portrayed me indifferently.

In the article I was quoted as saying “I hung up on Mark Greatbatch.”  I did not hang up on Mark; I did not say this to you during the interview.  I said to you was that I was angry and disappointed during the phone call with Mark, yes it was a short call, but there is no way I’d hang up, on anyone!

The next couple of issues I have are that you’ve shortened a couple of quotes and I feel this has changed the actual meaning away from the point I was trying to make.   Where you’ve quoted me saying "if I miss out and that makes NZ stronger, then I am ok with that" what I then said during the interview was that "I felt with the form I had in SA I was performing better than some in this squad" How you have phrased and edited that quote make me sound very sour with no justification.

You have then dropped the ending off another quote, where I am quoted as saying that playing club cricket on ‘artificial pitches’ is “really rubbish” where what I said to you was that “in comparison to playing on grass, artificials are really rubbish.”

The whole tone of the article makes me sound bitter and spoilt.  I’m angry and disappointed on missing out on selections, but I’m a cricketer, that’s part of the job.  Not a spoilt boy who moans when things don’t go his way.

Still no apology, but I'm working on it.....

It feels like I was just here yesterday.  I’m sitting in Frankfurt Airport waiting for a connecting flight.  I wasn’t here yesterday or even been here before but just seven days ago I departed the UK for South Africa, going via Munich Airport, and this Airport feels exactly the same.

It’s 6.30am, I got off the plane at 5.45am.  I’m a bit tired.  I managed to get a bit of sleep on the 9 hr flight from Johannesburg but not enough to make up for the previous nights lack thereof.

The night before last, we lost the Champions Trophy.  We got beat.  We weren’t good enough, sure we were the underdog, but it still would have been great to have made the match closer.  Australia deserved to win; they are the deserved winners of the 2009 Champions Trophy.

Dan was ruled out of the match early although not many of us knew anything.  His hammy had been bad in the Semi Final vs Pakistan and probably shouldn’t have played that one; so the final, after doing a little more damage to it in his Man of the Match performance vs Pakistan, was out of the question; although we all knew how much he wanted to play.

Dan (bottom left) interviewd after MoM

I was out in the middle with some of the guys kicking a football around before warm ups started when the coach came up to Jeetan, hand on shoulder, and said “Mate, you’re playing.”  It’s always a great feeling getting that ‘chat’ especially when you’ve worked so hard, consistently, to be ready to play.  I knew how Jeets was feeling; overjoyed for himself and hugely disappointed for Dan and the team to lose such a player.

There was a little bit of ‘shell shock’ when we all realised we were going to be missing a stand out player and our captain; not an uneasy feeling but we knew our chances of winning had just taken a hit.  You need to have the best team possible out in the big matches.  We’ve had our injuries throughout this tournament like nobody’s business.  I was only there because of one, Redmond and Franklin, both playing, were there for the same reason; late call ups after injuries.  We had our best team on the park that we could field.  We had lost Ryder, Oram and Tuffy; all guys that would have been playing had they been fit.  The good thing within the NZ setup at the moment is that we have some bloody good players waiting to get their turn (again).

The match against the Pakis was brilliant; we knew we had held them to a score we would have been very happy with before the match started.  Sure, their tail put on a couple more than we’d like, but we’d take it.  And out run chase was superb.  Grant Elliott was at his best.  The pace of his innings and made our chase feel comfortable and when Dan joined him still with over 100 to get we were still very confident of getting through.

Relaxing before Semi

Wanderers - Pre warm ups: Wanderers - Pre warm ups

Grant and Dan put on 104, a 5^th wicket partnership record for the Wanderers, to get us to within 4 of the needed runs.  They took their time, because we had it, and took their chances, because they were given.  A catch at cover, that should have been taken, really put the final within reach.  Their partnership was 40 from 70 balls at one stage, if I remember rightly.  A little slow but controlled none the less.  They then proceeded to up tempo.  The hundred brought up from almost even balls.  The Power Play used perfectly!

During Semi - Pakistan batting: During Semi - Pakistan batting

I’m now home and have had a short break in Belgium, Bruges to be exact.  Great fun, great city; more about there later.

I’ll get this finished and leave some room for another in a couple of days but before I finish I want to have a small dig at the SA press.  Sitting at the Airport in Jo’burg, Franky and I sat reading the paper, the morning after the final.  The way the two main stories read on the back page, the main sports page, was that it was unfortunate that the ‘underdog couldn’t come through.’  We both sat there and thought that it was poor media, not for us, we’d have loved to have won, but for the Australians that won the event, the Champions Trophy.  They won it, they deserved it.  They went through the tournament unbeaten and deserved to win.  Unfortunately the tone of these two stories was that it would have been great if NZ had won, against all odds; instead of congratulating Aust for a great tournament.  Had we been Australian we would have been very disappointed that our success was not celebrated like it should have been.

Well, I'm here in Johannesburg, at the Champions Trophy. I didn't think I'd be here.

If you've read my last post then you'll know I was expecting a three week break. I got nine days into that and I got a call from our NZ coach, Moles, telling me that I'd be traveling the next day to come into the squad.

Daryl Tuffey had broken his hand while fielding in the Sri Lanka game. He bowled after doing it which is an amazing effort, but in the morning his hand was huge. Like one of those big 'foam hands' you wear at the baseball from what I have heard. I feel really bad that Daryl couldn't finish the tournament, it's a terrible thing to be bowling really well and pick up a very unexpected injury that rules you out of such a special competition. I feel really bad for him and wish him as quicker recovery as possible!

Stepped off the plane at 9.30 on the 1st, straight to the hotel, check in, go and get a hair cut (sorry sis!) off to get some lunch, some biltong and then to training. If you've been reading you'd know I have had nine days off before coming here; no bowling for nine days. I was a little worried about the form I'd take into the nets, but I did know I was fresh and felt great.

I started easy and got into it pretty quickly. I felt great and I was very happy with how I bowled. I went for an hour as hard as I could, trying to do as much catch up as I could. It was a very good hour. Lengths were good, yorkers came out well, slower ball needs some work!

Yesterday, my second day here, and it was into the nets again for as much as I could do. Again it was really good. My pace is right there and I had it swinging nicely with an older ball too. Very happy!

And here we are, game day. We leave in 30 mins or so to head to the ground to take on a very impressive Pakistan team. The boys are very confident after playing some great cricket against a fantastic Sri Lanka team and England who, apart from last night, have played well and deserved their semi final spot.

I will be carry the drinks, and I knew this yesterday morning before training, hence going hard at training to get myself as good as I could and give as much quality bowling in the nets as possible.

Wish us well, it's going to be a great Semi!!

It’s a day short of a month since I last blogged. I had written a piece to finish off the Sri Lanka tour the day after I got back to the UK and somehow lost 700 words into the ether. It frustrated me, a lot, to the point where I just couldn’t be bothered writing. It was a strange response really especially as I have enjoyed writing the blogs even when I’ve been tired, sore and we’ve been defeated.

I’m back blogging and will aim to get a couple out a week, albeit smaller pieces as I’m not playing cricket for a while. It’s break time. It’s time for some time off bowling; no more warm ups for a while. I say ‘warm ups’ cause you’ll find that warm ups are the part of the day that most cricketers dislike the most. Towards the end of the season it is often counted down not in playing days but by warm ups remaining. I’ll let you in on another secret; we actually don’t mind the rain, and some guys are actually different people because of it.

It’s been nine days since I last bowled, a Championship match played vs Kent in Canterbury, and I’ve enjoyed every day of it. This was my last game for Leicestershire this season; there was still one more Championship match and a Pro40 left. In the original plan with LCCC I wasn’t supposed to be playing after the Sri Lankan tour. Between us we sorted out a two week extension that took in two Champo’s and two Pro40’s. I had already book a week holiday with the wife which took in the last couple of matches and thought it best if I keep those dates for our holiday rather than another week with Leicestershire.

In my last match I didn’t bother the scorers much, at all. A duck at my at bat and then wheeled through 21 overs without a wicket. I actually bowled really well and was especially happy to finish a long season with that kind of pace and consistency. I just didn’t take any wickets; there was a drop catch, but they happen. We finished that match with a draw, a pretty good result from the position we got ourselves in.

I should touch on the SL tour and how that finished. I left the night the Test finished, a group of five of us, Test only players for this tour, headed off at 10pm that night. After a couple of beers in the bar, a meal and then a quick pack it was off back to England for me.

We lost the second Test, but you already know that, but we put up more of a fight than maybe some would have predicted. It was improbable that we’d successfully chase down what SL left us and the only really way forward was the draw. And that was especially the though going into the last day; can we survive the day with just four wickets in hand. We did better than we thought, so well in fact that, even in my head, and that can be a pretty dark place, I could maybe even see us reach the nearly 500 target we were set.

I was batting with Dan and a number flashed up on the big screen. 144. Don’t ask me why, but I know that’s a square number (12*12) and it sort of come to me that between Dan and I, however silly it might sound, we could put together 12 little partnerships of 12; I’d get a couple of singles, maybe a boundary here and there (probably an edge, but who cares) and Dan would contribute more frequently and substantially. We had maybe put on 30 at the time and it was a something that I tried to keep going in my head. The only problem was that my scoring had dried up. I didn’t have a clue on how to score off Herath. I could keep him out, defend and defend, but to score off him, for me safely, was near on impossible; so I just kept keeping him out, “Dan’ll have to score a double ton to win it!”

In our partnership of 69 I scored 12 off 75 balls in 77 minutes. This was easily my best innings. Not my highest score but it what I had been trying to do for a long time. I had a batting target to face 50 balls; I knew if I got to 50 balls the partnership would be at least 50 and the time batted can only good for the team, no matter how many runs I score, or don’t score! This target I have mentioned in previous blogs but not quite revelled. It’s not really anything big but just a target I’ve been trying to reach. And I got there.

My innings wasn’t quite without controversy though:
104.5
Herath to O'Brien, no run, lunges forward to defend and the ball appears to land just before silly point fielder Paranavitana who takes it and appeals for a catch ... umpires confer .. Sanga has a chat with the umpires who go upstairs .. and verdict is not out ... ... replays suggested it bounced
From Cricinfo.com

Paranavitana appealed and no one else around him even moved. Sanga who had as good a view as me, Dilshan (at slip) same view too. No one else went up; Paranavitana appealed again, and again. Throwing the ball up and continuing on. I got pretty angry; I said a few words towards him suggesting that he shouldn’t appeal. He actually coped some abuse from me; I got proper stuck into him. The ball bounced about a foot in front of him, clearly and he continued on with the appeal. Sanga and Dilshan both asked me if it bounced and I said “yeah, about a foot short”. Umpires went upstairs and “not out”. I continued to ‘chat’ to Paranavitana, as I said, I was angry about him appealing for something that was clearly not out.

And this was the reason why, when I got the faintest of edges on a ball from Herath, that I walked. Often I will look up at the umpire to see his finger go up; as there was an innings in the past when I walked for one I thought I nicked, but actually didn’t; so, most of the time I leave it to the umpire. I walked because I had dished out so much ‘chat’ to Paranavitana that it was only fair that I ‘practice what I preach’. I’m not sure the finger would have been raised but I knew I had done the right thing. Ask me though if there were only 20 runs left what would I have I done... I don’t know if I could answer that one!

I was gutted to be out, proud of how long I’d been out there, proud to have put on a partnership of 69 with Dan, proud to have got Dan through to his 100 (not quite like what I did to Jesse in Hamilton vs India) but so damn disappointed to be walking off the park.

So here we are, a month on from that Test, and I’m back in Matlock. I’ll be here in the UK for another couple of weeks with one lovely weeks holiday under my belt and two to go.

Catch you soon...

(sorry about the formatting, still having an issue with it)

sorry.... I'll get it up asap!

Of Heartbreakers and Pulsating Hearts

By Sreelata S. Yellamrazu

First it was Test cricket that was said to be under threat. Now it is the ODIs that must defend themselves but they may have suffered a football injury!

WICB At Loggerheads with ODI survival

The football injury has nothing to do a la England’s Joe Denly whose knee kept him out of the first ODI. In fact this is more like foot in the mouth disease. Every time a resolution is said to be around the corner the West Indies cricket comes right back on the table.

The ICC is backing the ICC Champions Trophy and hoping that the much criticized tournament actually proves to the vehicle that will deliver the ODIs a fresh lease of life. However, for that to happen, it would have to involve only the top teams. West Indies would have been one, with the team led by Chris Gayle.

One conundrum after another is threatening to topple the train of West Indies cricket that has already derailed as seen by the performance of the team over the last decade. Can they who cannot save themselves save the ODIs? That is the worrying dilemma. An intervention is in order.

Ashes? Far from it.

The Test series may be over but cricket in England is very much alive, despite the fact that England got drowsy chasing Australia’s target in the first innings only to topple backwards.

England did not want Australia to win any series. They managed that with the pulsating match at the Oval in the final Test of the Ashes. But there were no roofless buses offering gallons of booze because England, thanks to the ECB, had a date to keep with Ireland.

And rain and controversy over the soggy bowler’s run ups ensured the Twenty20 matches were a no go.

Time for the ODI's England did well to restrict a scratchy, circumspect Australian batting but could not stop Callum Ferguson in the end. Blame him then as England went from caution to unconscious as they allowed themselves to drift. Perhaps they were stuck in the Test mode. Left with a gigantic proportion, credit must go to Luke Wright and Adil Rashid for making the most of their opportunity and waking up Australia this time who thought their job was done.

Their heroics brought a great finish but sadly for England, their drowsiness cost them the match that they should have won simply because of the way they bowled and fielded and kept the Australians in check. If they could have come within touching distance of three runs, perhaps it is time for reflection for some of the top order batsmen before Australia run on momentum.

NZ Do it Best!

But the best has been saved for last.

Everything about New Zealand was different – their talk, their body language, their attitude, perhaps even their fighting spirit. Smarting from the grueling Test series in a tough terrain as Sri Lanka, New Zealand had perhaps used the slip stream of captain Daniel Vettori’s century in the second Test in trying circumstances as inspiration to fight back.

The Twenty20 matches have brought life back into the fighting New Zealand cricketers and the cricket world reveled in it. Jacob Oram appears to be a confidence oriented player. It was then perhaps his innings with Vettori in the same Test that also showed in his bowling in the first Twenty20 match and in the celebration of New Zealand fighting tooth and nail, his hat trick nearly slipped under the radar! Apparently his dad’s congratulations email made people aware of his son’s feat. Good on you, dad. But then what are proud dads for?

Jesse Ryder needs special mention too. He  has shown a rather side to his cricket career that began with controversies. But he appears to be settling into a role that is rather reminiscent of that performed by Craig MacMillan, aka Russel Crowe of the New Zealand team. Ryder’s cool, calculated presence has been very refreshing and his talent has not gone unnoticed even when India toured New Zealand earlier in the year. The road ahead appears rather interesting and Ryder, the man to watch.

It also brings another thought to mind – it is true that New Zealand may have perhaps suffered from inexperience. But the other side of the coin is – if the team is persisted with and the members themselves are persevering, there could be a New Zealand team on the podium of topmost teams in a few years’ time

Just a quick one tonight cause I’m tired and I’ve still got some work to do tomorrow.

On Day Two Dan joined a very, very special club.  He became just the eighth player to reach 3000 runs and take 300 wickets.  I know this meant a lot to Dan but you wouldn’t have known that by any of the actions Dan makes.  He goes about his business, reaching his own milestones, sometimes some of them go unnoticed, and doing his job without the ego lesser players carry.  He doesn’t carry on after taking wickets like some; he doesn’t run about pumping the air after scoring a ton.  He is Dan, he is what you see; strongly motivated to be the best player he can be and take this, and the next, NZ team to the top of our sport.  And while being a great player, team mate and Captain, has made me a better bowler and it’s still a great thrill to walk out alongside him.

This morning, again, didn’t go to plan.  Five down overnight and we needed to bat and bat and bat.  We were back in the field just before lunch 182 behind.  I was pretty angry, angry at getting out how I did and also about having to be back out fielding before lunch.  I took the new ball straight after lunch and went as hard as I could.  I put my anger into the ball and bowled a good spell.  No wickets but the intent I was trying to bring was something I hoped we could keep going with. 

The rains came. SSC

157/2, 339 runs in front when the rains came.  I almost got stuck out in the middle when the covers came from all corners, I had to get a bit of a sprint on to avoid being trapped in the middle in the pouring rain!  We could sure do with a bit more of it!!??