Black Caps Drown at Basin by Jim Ellingham

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Scorecard:

New Zealand v Australia

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DateLine: 22nd September 2005

 

There were change to both teams for the first one-day international held at the Basin Reserve for six years. Australian captain Ricky Ponting was resting a slight niggle and Gilchrist took over the captaincy while Hopes made his one-day debut. For New Zealand, trump card Vettori was resting a lower back injury and Tuffey was dropped after his Auckland horrors. Wilson was recalled and Lance Hamilton, the left arm seamer who terrified State Shield batsmen was thrown to the Lions. Papps was still nursing his sore head and in a bid to provide more solidarity to the top order, Craig Cumming was recalled for his eleventh one-day match.

 

Kasprowicz to Fleming

 

A crowd of just over 8000 was on hand to witness New Zealand get of to it’s best start of the series as Astle and Fleming got the score to fifty in the eleventh over and put together a partnership of 84. Both were dismissed within ten runs of each other for scores in the thirties and this rather summed up New Zealand’s innings as no batsman went on to pass forty. Cumming came, slowly made ten then went before Marshall and McMillan put together a solid partnership of forty. Marshall was out to a scintillating one handed caught and bowled by young magician Michael Clark. McMillan again impressed but was dismissed LBW in typical leaded footed fashion after making a solid start. He became James Hope’s first one-day international victim as the Queenslander bowled an impressive spell on debut. The stage was then left to Cairns who smashed a quick fire 36. One six of Brett Lee cleared the sight screen at the Airport end of the ground as a typical Cairns shot saw him simply stand and deliver to the speed merchant. New Zealand’s innings ended when Hamilton and Mills were involved in a farcical mid pitch run out to see the Black Caps dismissed for 233. A solid total but after such a good start, New Zealand should have scored a lot more.

 

Kyle Mill’s first ball revived memories of three days earlier as a ridiculous bouncer cleared Gilchrist and sailed to the fence for five wides. This ball set the tone for the innings. Lance Hamilton’s first over was good as Katich frequently played and missed outside the off stump. Hamilton had Katich dropped by Astle at slip of a no ball and to make matters worse, in making the attempt, Astle badly damaged a shoulder. Hamilton though, ended up with figures of 0-67 as he and the rest of New Zealand’s medium pace attack were plundered by the Australian batsman. Why New Zealand didn’t select a spinner such as Bruce Martin or Paul Wiseman to replace Vettori for this match was anyone’s guess. Jeff Wilson also suffered and once six from Gilchrist of him left the ground. After the dismissal of the openers, Martyn and Symonds carried on the slaughter before New Zealand’s agony was ended in the 35th over. It was New Zealand’s most disappointing performance yet. Once wonders where the Black Caps can go from here.

 

Images From The Basin

 

Cumming leaves his first ball from Kasprowicz

 

James Hopes bowls his first ball in international cricket to Hamish Marshall

 

The New Zealand innings finished with the run out of Mills

 

Katich scores a single of Hamilton

 

A portion of the Basin crowd near the big screen

 

Martyn cuts Wilson

 

(Article: Copyright © 2005 Jim Ellingham)