WEBVTT - On The Front Foot Episode 261: Test Week

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to a podcast from News Talk set B.

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<v Speaker 2>It's entering, it is out, the test is over, couldn't

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<v Speaker 2>smoke fous a beauty? This out and here he goes

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<v Speaker 2>distlivery has any users devolved.

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<v Speaker 1>On the front Post where Brian Waddell and Jeremy Coney.

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<v Speaker 1>He's powered by News Talks d B at iHeart Radio.

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<v Speaker 2>Test Week and the news keeps getting better, positive progress

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<v Speaker 2>following the command and victory over Ireland in Belfa. Hello,

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<v Speaker 2>an extra edition of On the Front Foot. As we

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<v Speaker 2>hear from black Caps coach Rob Walter. On arrival in

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<v Speaker 2>London for the Lord's Test, he was greeting with views

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<v Speaker 2>that Mitt Santner is fits and able to join the team. Rob,

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<v Speaker 2>Is that an indication that you're playing the test?

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<v Speaker 3>Ah?

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<v Speaker 4>Not not necessarily, just obviously happy that he's turning his

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<v Speaker 4>fitness around so quickly, setting a lot quicker than we expected,

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<v Speaker 4>which is awesome. It's off to him has worked incredibly

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<v Speaker 4>hard along the staff, so yeah, just great that he

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<v Speaker 4>could join the squad again.

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<v Speaker 2>What are the positives you take out of the performance

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<v Speaker 2>in Belfast.

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<v Speaker 4>Oh look, I mean obviously there's a numbers a number

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<v Speaker 4>of them, a number of individual performances, but also collectively,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, sort of to come out of the back

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<v Speaker 4>end of our season and I've had a lot of

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<v Speaker 4>long format cricket for the group, a bit of downtime

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<v Speaker 4>from the end of the season and then into a

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<v Speaker 4>couple of weeks of prep and straight into a Test match.

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<v Speaker 4>So to sort of find our test match rhythm relatively

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<v Speaker 4>quickly after a bit of a shaky start, within an

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<v Speaker 4>amazing partnership between Rutchend and Tom and then followed by Dean.

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<v Speaker 4>So yeah, it was great to see us sort of

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<v Speaker 4>respond to those conditions pretty quickly. And then from a

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<v Speaker 4>bowling point of view, obviously the entire unit tho bold

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<v Speaker 4>better and better as the Test went on. It was

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<v Speaker 4>a very good test pitch, I thought, and the guys

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<v Speaker 4>who were able to sort of manage the Duke's ball

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<v Speaker 4>wind was new and then when it gets a bit

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<v Speaker 4>older and softer, it was a bit more of a challenge.

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<v Speaker 4>But yeah, I thought we did. I thought we did

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<v Speaker 4>well as a as a unit, as I said, and

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<v Speaker 4>Bold in Partnerships, which is the name of the game

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<v Speaker 4>really in the longer format, so it's pretty happy. And

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<v Speaker 4>then I thought the fielding in the second the second

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<v Speaker 4>endings was outstanding. So yeah, a lot of a lot

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<v Speaker 4>of positives from a team point of view, and then

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<v Speaker 4>obviously individually Time and Rautchen and Dean from a batting

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<v Speaker 4>point of view, and then Nathan and Blair as individuals.

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<v Speaker 4>But the whole boiling unit, I thought it worked well,

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<v Speaker 4>excellently well together. To see Ben's hears back in whites

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<v Speaker 4>again and you know, running in them by well, I

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<v Speaker 4>thought he improved as a test went on. So yeah,

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<v Speaker 4>lots of little positives, but collectively of a nice strong performance.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, you're in test made for Lords.

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<v Speaker 5>Now have you done your intel?

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<v Speaker 2>I'll presume you've done your intel on the Lord's track

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<v Speaker 2>with what you're likely to expect how it's playing this year.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, I mean, obviously we have. We had a group

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<v Speaker 4>we haven't been to the ground, so we had a

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<v Speaker 4>bowling unit come to Lords a little bit earlier to

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<v Speaker 4>start their prep and they've had eyes on the pitch.

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<v Speaker 4>There's a bit of a bit of weather around. We'll

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<v Speaker 4>see how sort of that impacts the pitch develops over

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<v Speaker 4>the next three days. It brand oed incredibly quickly in

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<v Speaker 4>Ireland with a sort of unseasonal heat there, so we'll

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<v Speaker 4>see what happens from a lord's point of view. But

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<v Speaker 4>there's obviously a lot of historical information with lords. There's

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<v Speaker 4>been a couple of first class games already there this year.

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<v Speaker 4>It's been very hot obviously in the UK so far,

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<v Speaker 4>not as hot as the lead up to the Test match.

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<v Speaker 4>So but all things being equal, there's enough information there

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<v Speaker 4>to understand would be most likely to face on.

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<v Speaker 2>Top of the center and news Rob, You'll be encouraged

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<v Speaker 2>by the fitness past bowler Matt Henry is showing in

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<v Speaker 2>the pretest build up.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, he's he's all good. He bowled today while we

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<v Speaker 4>were traveling, being in London already, so they all, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>all things point to being one hundred percent foot and ready,

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<v Speaker 4>and I.

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<v Speaker 2>Suppose encourage too. I guess that you have a fully

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<v Speaker 2>fit pace attack with Irourke and Jamison back to full fitness.

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<v Speaker 4>I know we've got every intention of having all our

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<v Speaker 4>fast bowlers fit, firing and ready for the first Test

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<v Speaker 4>for selection, so certainly not looking to manage anyone for

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<v Speaker 4>Game one to.

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<v Speaker 2>Enter the scene's role Nathan Smith has done enough to

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<v Speaker 2>secure the number eight batting all around the slot.

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<v Speaker 4>No again, I suppose no secrets and the fact that

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<v Speaker 4>for me, number eight needs to be an around who

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<v Speaker 4>can bat and so Nathan has been that guy prior

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<v Speaker 4>to getting injured. So you know, if he's fully fit

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<v Speaker 4>and firing, then you know he owns that spot for now.

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<v Speaker 2>And of course in Belfast, Tom Blundell reaffirmed his keeping

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<v Speaker 2>role after he copt some criticism towards the end of

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<v Speaker 2>the last series against the West Indies.

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<v Speaker 4>To be honest, and I'm obviously just very happy for him.

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<v Speaker 4>I think towards the back end of the season, as

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<v Speaker 4>I've already said that in the media, is you could

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<v Speaker 4>see that he was finding his best form, specifically the

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<v Speaker 4>way that he was playing very true to himself and

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<v Speaker 4>you know, a nice positive brand of cricket, but also

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<v Speaker 4>you know, being smart about it. So he played two

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<v Speaker 4>very contrasting in his the back end of the plunket

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<v Speaker 4>shield on two very different surfaces and for me, just

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<v Speaker 4>seeing him being able to adapt to both those surfaces

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<v Speaker 4>and play that way, you know, just reaffirmed the type

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<v Speaker 4>of player.

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<v Speaker 5>That I know he is.

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<v Speaker 4>And so it kind of knew that the score was

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<v Speaker 4>not fire away and you know, to be honest, when

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<v Speaker 4>he got injured in the Test series in December, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>even in that twenty runs eighty scored, he's looking outstanding.

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<v Speaker 4>So and then he obviously did his hamstring, which was unfortunate.

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<v Speaker 4>So yeah, it was just a matter of when it

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<v Speaker 4>was going to happen for Tom. Obviously glad that it

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<v Speaker 4>happened now, and I know that'll give him great confidence,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, just in his game and his method.

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<v Speaker 2>Having a fully fit pace attack is a great starting

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<v Speaker 2>point for a Test where it seemed past bowling will

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<v Speaker 2>be a dominant feature. As Ratch and Revendra said prior

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<v Speaker 2>to the tour, it's good to have the trio they've got.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean, I think we have had a few

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<v Speaker 3>injuries last summer and it's going to be super exciting

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<v Speaker 3>to have those boys back. Obviously Matt Henry, who missed

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<v Speaker 3>the last couple of tests Blood Technic was bowling so well,

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<v Speaker 3>and the big man Will of Rock. I mean, there's

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<v Speaker 3>a lot more tollers I could list down in Nathan

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<v Speaker 3>Smith's coming back. Ben Sears is foot. We've got a

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<v Speaker 3>serious paste battery, which I'm excited in the nets, gives

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<v Speaker 3>us serious series tests. But you know, I remember will

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<v Speaker 3>I Rock the way he was bowling against England as

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<v Speaker 3>the last Test series he played Oh the bubwe actually.

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<v Speaker 5>But the way he was boling was fantastic.

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<v Speaker 3>So I'm looking forward to seeing him back on the

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<v Speaker 3>park again and truly exciting time for I guess New

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<v Speaker 3>Zealand cricket and it's it's fast by and battery because

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<v Speaker 3>we've we've got so much depth at them.

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<v Speaker 2>What about your spin bowling? Have you been working on

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<v Speaker 2>that because there may well be opportunities for you and

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<v Speaker 2>the Test series over there.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, good question or always interesting with my bowling, I

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<v Speaker 3>think sometimes it tends to take a back seat, but yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>I've definitely been trying to do a little bit more

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<v Speaker 3>of that. Obviously, had had some opportunity to twenty World

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<v Speaker 3>Cut which was cool and on some occasional sporting wickets

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<v Speaker 3>and that was nice to get some ozon.

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<v Speaker 5>But obviously we know.

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<v Speaker 3>Test cricket's a different beast so with a different ball,

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<v Speaker 3>and I'm trying to be a bit more so consistent,

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<v Speaker 3>so I'll be I'll be working on that and trying

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<v Speaker 3>to tough when I can.

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<v Speaker 2>Do you have to perhaps ignore what happened last time

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<v Speaker 2>New Zealand was over there three nil beaten by England

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<v Speaker 2>in the Test series because you've got million of the

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<v Speaker 2>same players still going over for the two Test series.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I mean the beauty of things like that is

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<v Speaker 3>will be four years ago now really, so I guess

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<v Speaker 3>that a little bit has changed and in terms of

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<v Speaker 3>they're set up and ours too, But look there, they're

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<v Speaker 3>a quality side whenever and we know how good they

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<v Speaker 3>are and test cricket and the way they play. So

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<v Speaker 3>for us it's going back and seeing what we potentially

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<v Speaker 3>did wrong and what we could, you know, do right.

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<v Speaker 3>But again they played some amazing cricket during a stage

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<v Speaker 3>and you know, teams allowed to play.

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<v Speaker 2>Well on the front foot. Will be following the action.

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<v Speaker 2>Jeremy Coney's on site broadcasting the three Tests with the

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<v Speaker 2>BBC Test Match Special Team. We look forward to hearing

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<v Speaker 2>from Jerry and those disabled to speak to following the

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<v Speaker 2>tests and hopefully a series win for the Black Beats.

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<v Speaker 5>Cheers for more from News Talks.

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<v Speaker 1>There'd be listen live on air or online and keep

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