A week, as former British prime minister Harold Wilson once quipped, is a long time in politics, though New Zealand captain Ross Taylor and his young team have also discovered that it also applies to Test cricket.
Before the first Test against Australia, Taylor’s side were brimful of confidence amid expectations in New Zealand they could win their first match across the Tasman Sea in 26 years and their first Test against Australia since 1993.
Four days later they had slunk out of the Gabba after a nine-wicket defeat against an Australia bowling attack that included two pace bowlers making their Test debuts and an off-spinner in his sixth Test who had never set foot on the storied Brisbane ground.
Photo: AFP
Poor catching, sloppy bowling and a batting collapse in the second innings in the face of a fiery morning spell from debutant James Pattinson led to a players-only meeting this week where “harsh words were exchanged,” pace bowler Tim Southee said.
Taylor said they were now looking to ensure there would be no repeat at the Bellerive Oval when the second and final Test gets underway in Hobart today.
“We’re trying to keep it as upbeat as possible,” Taylor told reporters yesterday. “Obviously, we were very disappointed with the performance we put in, for the fans back home, and everyone’s hurting. As a unit, bowlers bowled well in patches, we’ve just got to be a bit more consistent, and as a batting unit we need to be able to leave outside the off-stump and let them bowl at us. A lot of the deliveries that the Australians did bowl weren’t hitting the stumps when they got us out. So, me included, just [need to] play a lot tighter than we did in Brisbane.”
The New Zealand batting lineup is likely to remain unchanged, with coach John Wright saying earlier in the week that the top six would be given a chance to atone for Brisbane.
Australia are also unchanged for the Test, with captain Michael Clarke keen for his side to keep their foot on New Zealand’s throat as they look ahead to their four-Test series against India which starts later this month.
“I felt we did a good job in both innings at the Gabba, [but] there are definitely areas that need improving and I have made that very clear,” Clarke said.
One of Clarke’s few headaches from Brisbane was the form of opener Phil Hughes, who gave up his wicket cheaply in both innings, but survived the axe after a lengthy selectors’ debate.
The 23-year-old’s poor form and tendency to nick catches behind the wicket has been under heavy scrutiny in Australia, with former players and pundits lining up to encourage or admonish him.
“Phil Hughes would be disappointed with himself at not grabbing his opportunities,” former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne told local reporters. “For him, it’s all about getting his mindset right. Go out with an attacking attitude rather than a defensive attitude of survival.”
Clarke said overall Australia should be pleased with their past few months, which has included a series win in Sri Lanka and a 1-1 draw away to South Africa.
“We are still working hard on our consistency and I guess that’s the most satisfying thing about winning in Brisbane. It’s been a long time since we won back-to-back Test matches, so that was really pleasing, but we want to win the series, and we are here to win this Test match and that will be a great start to the summer.”
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two