WEBVTT - On The Front Foot Episode 186: Reflecting on a washed out test 0:00:09.133 --> 0:00:11.973 You're listening to a podcast from news Talk, said B. 0:00:12.413 --> 0:00:20.533 Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio. 0:00:20.773 --> 0:00:23.333 Take another pair, We'll get in there. 0:00:24.093 --> 0:00:25.773 It is out, The test is over. 0:00:28.013 --> 0:00:30.213 Couldn't smokes a beauty. 0:00:30.293 --> 0:00:34.413 It is out and hearing guys delivery has in user. 0:00:34.293 --> 0:00:34.893 To Bowl. 0:00:37.133 --> 0:00:40.533 On the Front Foot with Brian Waddell and Jeremy Cody 0:00:40.853 --> 0:00:47.853 powered by news Talk, said B at iHeart Radios. 0:00:46.213 --> 0:00:49.413 On the front foot again this week and talking about 0:00:49.493 --> 0:00:53.613 well let us direct one off with Afghanistan turned into 0:00:53.653 --> 0:00:57.373 a debacle or is it just bad luck? It appears 0:00:57.373 --> 0:00:59.693 a fully prepared ground and a trailer to get any 0:00:59.733 --> 0:01:04.333 played for five days? What is the responsibility? Like Jernka 0:01:04.413 --> 0:01:07.093 overtake England on the World Pitch Championship leather after an 0:01:07.093 --> 0:01:10.613 impressions test win at the Oval, the White Burns to 0:01:11.013 --> 0:01:14.293 the Emirates for the Worldy Coreittee chose a little change 0:01:14.333 --> 0:01:18.573 from the embarrassing encounter with England. What are their chances 0:01:18.733 --> 0:01:22.933 and does the World Test Championship lead a complete up people? 0:01:23.733 --> 0:01:27.973 Jeremy Coney and also Garth Galloway with us on this 0:01:28.013 --> 0:01:33.613 week's program, Jerry, the Test match in Afghanistan, what a 0:01:33.813 --> 0:01:37.373 Fesgo that was we know it rains, but I don't 0:01:37.493 --> 0:01:38.853 know that it was a good time of year to 0:01:38.893 --> 0:01:39.733 have a test, was it? 0:01:39.933 --> 0:01:42.213 Well, I told you last week you knows, and Garth, 0:01:42.413 --> 0:01:43.613 I told you last week. 0:01:43.533 --> 0:01:44.093 Was there was? 0:01:44.373 --> 0:01:47.293 It was just after the monsoon, wasn't it? And they 0:01:47.333 --> 0:01:49.373 had a chance of rain anyway. 0:01:49.053 --> 0:01:50.373 And obviously surprised them. 0:01:51.013 --> 0:01:53.813 But it became the highlight of my day, I've got 0:01:53.813 --> 0:01:59.613 to say, tuning in to see the latest development and 0:02:00.373 --> 0:02:02.893 a whole lot of people trying to get a ground 0:02:02.973 --> 0:02:05.933 ready for play. I mean, I'm just waiting for the 0:02:05.933 --> 0:02:10.453 epilogue now with Jabbagal Shrewn at the match ref. He'll 0:02:10.493 --> 0:02:13.493 consign the great annoyder ground I think to corporate days 0:02:13.493 --> 0:02:17.933 in dog training. I mean, in fact, they're the greater 0:02:18.333 --> 0:02:20.853 noid lack of authority, aren't they? Really? 0:02:21.573 --> 0:02:21.893 They were. 0:02:22.573 --> 0:02:25.813 They were surprised that beneath the grass it was clays 0:02:26.533 --> 0:02:31.293 and and and it was sort of required a complete 0:02:31.373 --> 0:02:35.053 overhaul of their drainage. They were surprised at the monsoon 0:02:35.173 --> 0:02:41.253 ends and they had had a temerity to rain. They 0:02:41.253 --> 0:02:43.693 were embarrassed they didn't have the right covers or now 0:02:43.853 --> 0:02:47.813 enough of them to cover the area. Poor old Ibrahim Zadran. 0:02:47.893 --> 0:02:51.933 He was injured before the game started. Wasn't he sort 0:02:51.933 --> 0:02:54.493 of out of the match before because he was doing 0:02:54.533 --> 0:02:58.133 some fielding training. Look, they had no equipment to deal 0:02:58.213 --> 0:03:03.053 with it, did they, And everybody tells you, but everything 0:03:03.093 --> 0:03:06.133 they left it too late. They got a new groundsman 0:03:06.213 --> 0:03:09.093 finally to arrive with covers, and they got some supersoppers, 0:03:09.133 --> 0:03:12.413 didn't they from the local cricket association, But they didn't 0:03:12.493 --> 0:03:15.493 arrive till after the evening of day two. 0:03:16.333 --> 0:03:17.213 They did try. 0:03:18.213 --> 0:03:20.653 I loved the way they got the electric fans from 0:03:20.693 --> 0:03:25.533 officers around the ground and none of the industrial ones 0:03:25.573 --> 0:03:28.613 were required to dry that ground. 0:03:28.333 --> 0:03:31.453 Up, and they did cut out and repair an area. 0:03:31.933 --> 0:03:34.973 I noticed that what was needed, though, was they had 0:03:35.013 --> 0:03:36.813 needed to cut the whole ground out and. 0:03:36.813 --> 0:03:37.693 Replace it all. 0:03:38.373 --> 0:03:41.613 They got a new band of laborism that was good, 0:03:42.293 --> 0:03:46.613 and then the greater lack of authority in Neider. They 0:03:46.613 --> 0:03:50.133 were now panicking, of course, and mid level management had 0:03:50.253 --> 0:03:53.573 rolled up their trousers to show their hairy legs and 0:03:53.653 --> 0:03:57.133 were encouraging. They'd got they'd been down in their cars 0:03:57.133 --> 0:04:00.973 and they had bought some sort of squeeges, some foam 0:04:01.013 --> 0:04:04.893 pads on special and they'd bought plastic buckets from Miter 0:04:05.013 --> 0:04:08.453 ten and they kind of they were urging them a 0:04:08.533 --> 0:04:15.413 new group to soak, squeeze, and then repeat. This was 0:04:15.493 --> 0:04:17.533 after day one and two, when there was not a 0:04:17.653 --> 0:04:22.333 drop of rain, you know, during the day's play. Some 0:04:22.373 --> 0:04:26.373 had brought rugs from home off the clothesline and they 0:04:26.373 --> 0:04:28.173 were going to soak the water up. Well, that made 0:04:28.293 --> 0:04:28.733 more mude. 0:04:28.773 --> 0:04:28.973 Look. 0:04:29.093 --> 0:04:33.093 John Clees could not have done better on one of 0:04:33.093 --> 0:04:37.333 his corporate videos, could he really not? Really? They had 0:04:37.373 --> 0:04:41.333 no scorers. Did they think Jonathan Trott and Garry Stead 0:04:41.333 --> 0:04:44.333 were going to do that? The journalists to ride and 0:04:44.453 --> 0:04:48.293 raster sit on wet grass in a tent. Six months, 0:04:48.333 --> 0:04:51.453 these joggers had had to prepare for the biggest match 0:04:51.533 --> 0:04:56.253 they had ever staged, and they contacted no one. The 0:04:56.333 --> 0:05:01.213 officials made mistakes. Two test grounds were offered to Afghanistan, 0:05:01.293 --> 0:05:03.653 but they were too far away for the Afghun fans. 0:05:04.733 --> 0:05:07.013 Even the Afghan skipper wanted the game move. 0:05:07.053 --> 0:05:09.453 And the costs. Think of the costs. 0:05:10.293 --> 0:05:14.493 Thirty forty people are TV, all the travel and accommodation, 0:05:14.653 --> 0:05:18.213 the journals, the umpires, the ICs, two teams traveling and 0:05:18.293 --> 0:05:24.093 accommodation come on it's mind boggling. So the ground will 0:05:24.133 --> 0:05:27.533 no doubt be consigned to sort of corporate days. I 0:05:27.573 --> 0:05:30.133 think borrowed gear and a few drinks after a slog. 0:05:31.373 --> 0:05:35.013 There's the sermon according to the Reverend Jeremy Coney on cricket. 0:05:36.693 --> 0:05:40.053 Could you please respond it doesn't rain in Dunedin, where 0:05:40.093 --> 0:05:42.533 you just called home for a long period of your life, 0:05:42.813 --> 0:05:44.253 did you look? 0:05:44.293 --> 0:05:46.293 It's hard to it's very hard to respond to that. 0:05:46.373 --> 0:05:49.773 Deary has completely stolen the show as usual. And I 0:05:50.613 --> 0:05:55.853 you know, I worry about his spring in Peckton if 0:05:55.853 --> 0:06:00.373 that's the highlight of his day waiting, you know, when 0:06:00.453 --> 0:06:03.053 it's been a long winter, hasn't it? Jerry, Oh, there's 0:06:03.133 --> 0:06:06.173 mate bring to negotiate. But what a sham was I 0:06:06.173 --> 0:06:08.613 think it's unfair to say they didn't have any They 0:06:08.653 --> 0:06:12.853 had spades because they dug up pitches and moved them 0:06:12.853 --> 0:06:17.093 into the outfield. Just comic, comedic scenes, really, weren't they. 0:06:17.533 --> 0:06:19.813 And I like the fact you've touched on Dunedin because 0:06:19.853 --> 0:06:22.813 of the of the eight test matches Wadds, as you 0:06:22.933 --> 0:06:25.213 well know, the eight that have been abandoned, two of 0:06:25.253 --> 0:06:30.653 them were in my precious to needed one in nineteen 0:06:30.893 --> 0:06:35.573 eighty nine, and that was the game against Pakistan. John 0:06:35.613 --> 0:06:38.493 Wright was captain of the New Zealand side and they, 0:06:39.413 --> 0:06:42.213 I mean it just rained and rained and rained in 0:06:42.293 --> 0:06:45.053 Dunedin and they played on the last game, they agreed 0:06:45.093 --> 0:06:47.293 to play a fifty over match. And exactly the same 0:06:47.333 --> 0:06:50.893 thing happened nine years later when we were all in 0:06:50.933 --> 0:06:55.413 the commentary team commentating nothing until they agreed one. 0:06:55.293 --> 0:06:57.973 Of our better shows, one of our better ones. 0:06:58.533 --> 0:07:03.053 Yeah, and Peter Sharp was with us rip Peter. It 0:07:03.173 --> 0:07:05.853 was a good show. And of course Stephen boch On 0:07:05.933 --> 0:07:08.933 comments with you, Jerry, and that was that was the 0:07:08.973 --> 0:07:10.093 game against India. 0:07:10.813 --> 0:07:12.893 And I see just reading an article on precond for 0:07:13.013 --> 0:07:13.693 the Day that. 0:07:13.853 --> 0:07:17.653 Steve Dunn was involved in both of those matches the umpire. 0:07:17.893 --> 0:07:19.773 I was involved in both two because I was the 0:07:19.813 --> 0:07:24.053 assistant groundsman in eighteen nine and. 0:07:24.053 --> 0:07:25.813 The commentator in nineteen ninety eight. 0:07:26.933 --> 0:07:30.053 Oh, you've moved up significantly in the world. That's great, 0:07:30.133 --> 0:07:30.853 well done. 0:07:31.413 --> 0:07:33.653 Well, you used to grab anybody in those days, you know, 0:07:33.853 --> 0:07:37.293 grab the groundsman, bring him up there, put a mike 0:07:37.333 --> 0:07:37.973 around his neck. 0:07:40.133 --> 0:07:40.373 Yeah. 0:07:40.413 --> 0:07:44.573 Well, I mean the first abandoned one was was eighteen 0:07:44.693 --> 0:07:45.813 ninety which is. 0:07:46.253 --> 0:07:47.253 And it was w G. 0:07:47.453 --> 0:07:48.813 I remember it, you do? 0:07:49.053 --> 0:07:49.293 You do? 0:07:49.413 --> 0:07:52.093 You were there w G. Grace's side, you know. And 0:07:52.133 --> 0:07:55.133 in that series England won the series two. Now that 0:07:55.293 --> 0:07:59.213 was the third Test, but they played thirty four first 0:07:59.213 --> 0:08:02.573 class matches on that tour the Australians in England. 0:08:03.173 --> 0:08:05.173 Thirty four first class matches. 0:08:05.573 --> 0:08:07.213 Well, that's what New Zealand used to do when they 0:08:07.213 --> 0:08:10.453 went by ship, didn't they In forty nine they went 0:08:10.493 --> 0:08:12.653 by boat and they were away for about eight months 0:08:13.173 --> 0:08:16.733 and they had the hard yards and then played pretty 0:08:16.733 --> 0:08:20.733 well as well. But it's interesting though it's only happened 0:08:20.773 --> 0:08:22.933 eight times, and how many Test matches? We had about 0:08:23.093 --> 0:08:27.053 two and a half thousand Test matches, So cricket's done 0:08:27.053 --> 0:08:29.693 it pretty well. I mean there have been other games 0:08:30.133 --> 0:08:33.773 that have been abandoned for other reasons. I was in 0:08:33.773 --> 0:08:36.773 that Test match or at that Test match in Durban 0:08:36.853 --> 0:08:39.053 when the game between New Zealand and South Africa was 0:08:39.093 --> 0:08:44.173 called off pitch and ground that were just unfit for play. 0:08:45.413 --> 0:08:48.133 They called off a test that never really got started 0:08:48.133 --> 0:08:50.333 because we had to get out of Pakistan in a 0:08:50.333 --> 0:08:52.653 big hurry back in two thousand and two when the 0:08:52.693 --> 0:08:55.373 bomb went off before we went down to Karachi so 0:08:55.413 --> 0:08:57.253 I don't know whether that can be regarded as one 0:08:57.293 --> 0:09:00.253 that's been abandoned, but it happens. But it's not a 0:09:00.293 --> 0:09:03.453 good look for cricket to try and feed these Test 0:09:03.493 --> 0:09:07.973 matches into a window where there's a monsoon. But they'll 0:09:08.013 --> 0:09:11.973 play the IPL and all these T twenty events at 0:09:12.013 --> 0:09:14.493 World during the best conditions. They never get washed out 0:09:14.533 --> 0:09:18.653 to any great degree. May reign in places, but you know, 0:09:18.773 --> 0:09:22.333 it's it's not a good look for cricketers who say 0:09:22.773 --> 0:09:25.493 it's the pure form of the game and we love 0:09:25.533 --> 0:09:28.293 it the most. But you sit there for five days, 0:09:28.653 --> 0:09:31.133 you could have played five T twenty tournaments in that time. 0:09:30.933 --> 0:09:33.813 Couldn't it. It's not a good look. 0:09:34.053 --> 0:09:36.013 And I think you know, from New Zealand's point of view, 0:09:36.013 --> 0:09:38.213 and we're going to talk about the World Test Championship, 0:09:38.453 --> 0:09:40.653 I guess the real concern from their point of view 0:09:41.133 --> 0:09:44.453 is they've had five days without any training and so on, 0:09:44.493 --> 0:09:47.773 and now they head to two tough tests against Sri 0:09:47.933 --> 0:09:52.373 Lanka in Sri Lanka with no preparation. So you know, 0:09:52.453 --> 0:09:55.653 it really has worked against them as they head into 0:09:55.653 --> 0:09:57.493 those two World Test Championship matches. 0:09:57.813 --> 0:09:58.573 Couldn't be worse. 0:09:58.973 --> 0:10:01.493 And before we move on to other things. Let's just 0:10:01.573 --> 0:10:05.773 hear from the two coaches. Not surprisingly, Jonathan Trott and 0:10:05.853 --> 0:10:09.093 Gary Stead both read from the diplomatic song sheet at 0:10:09.093 --> 0:10:12.293 the postmatch press conference. When asked their views of the 0:10:12.373 --> 0:10:15.853 washout situation, especially in the first two days produced fine 0:10:15.933 --> 0:10:18.493 sunny weather but unplayable ground surface. 0:10:19.053 --> 0:10:21.813 Well, personally, I was disappointed. We were very excited to. 0:10:23.333 --> 0:10:25.613 Play against the scene and and and sort of put 0:10:25.613 --> 0:10:27.173 ourselves up against the challenge of that. 0:10:27.973 --> 0:10:29.173 The players have worked really hard. 0:10:29.213 --> 0:10:31.453 We've been here and had warm up games and the 0:10:31.573 --> 0:10:37.093 matches and got ourselves accustomed to the conditions and weather 0:10:38.213 --> 0:10:41.733 which is you know, very very unique here, so we 0:10:41.853 --> 0:10:42.733 were excited. 0:10:43.133 --> 0:10:45.453 Unfortunately, the weather's you know, played its. 0:10:45.333 --> 0:10:48.373 Part, and you know it's made it to feel for 0:10:48.453 --> 0:10:51.493 us to get a game, and I think it's it's 0:10:51.533 --> 0:10:53.453 the case of the time of year and to try 0:10:53.493 --> 0:10:55.413 and play tests much this time of year is always tricky. 0:10:56.053 --> 0:10:59.773 So yeah, at the facilities, obviously disappointed that we haven't 0:10:59.773 --> 0:11:02.613 been able to play and and and the way that 0:11:02.653 --> 0:11:05.213 the amount of water that's come down, it's it's unprecedented 0:11:05.293 --> 0:11:07.453 obviously for this time of year or the last sort 0:11:07.453 --> 0:11:09.213 of three days, but it would have been nice to 0:11:09.213 --> 0:11:10.213 play some cricket. 0:11:09.893 --> 0:11:10.333 For sure. 0:11:11.813 --> 0:11:13.933 It's frustrating for us, I mean, and it was our 0:11:13.973 --> 0:11:16.653 first Test match against Afghanistan and we were really excited 0:11:16.653 --> 0:11:19.973 about that as well. They've been great competitors of ours 0:11:19.973 --> 0:11:22.933 over the last few World Cups as well, and we've 0:11:22.973 --> 0:11:26.413 had some great games of cricket for us. We have 0:11:26.933 --> 0:11:29.053 the World Test Championship. It's just around the corner in 0:11:29.093 --> 0:11:33.333 Tri Lanka as well, so the preparation towards that would 0:11:33.333 --> 0:11:35.573 have been would have been really useful for us as well. 0:11:36.213 --> 0:11:39.213 The match timing and venue should not prevent both sides 0:11:39.253 --> 0:11:42.333 meeting again in a Test if the conditions are better. 0:11:43.173 --> 0:11:46.453 I'd like that to happen. I don't make the decisions 0:11:46.493 --> 0:11:51.413 around the future tours program and who tours, but I 0:11:51.733 --> 0:11:53.933 said it right from the start of coming here at 0:11:53.933 --> 0:11:56.373 Afghanistan have not just about every top team in the 0:11:56.373 --> 0:11:59.653 world over now, so they're certainly a force and becoming 0:11:59.693 --> 0:12:01.453 more and more of a force in world cricket. So 0:12:02.813 --> 0:12:05.453 I guess that's something for the Afghanistan and New Zealand 0:12:05.493 --> 0:12:07.013 boards to get their heads around. 0:12:08.053 --> 0:12:10.253 I think if you if you have one fixed venue, 0:12:10.293 --> 0:12:12.813 then you can sort of iron out the sort of 0:12:12.933 --> 0:12:16.413 issues that they would arise. I think that's always nice, 0:12:16.453 --> 0:12:18.453 but I think this is maybe a result of not 0:12:18.493 --> 0:12:20.453 having not played a lot of test cricket in the 0:12:20.493 --> 0:12:24.373 past and still trying to find sort of a venue 0:12:24.453 --> 0:12:27.333 that we can use consistently, so that would be nice. 0:12:28.253 --> 0:12:31.133 All I know is the players have worked really hard 0:12:31.133 --> 0:12:32.693 and this has been something we've had on the FTP 0:12:32.813 --> 0:12:34.933 for a while and and really looking forward to. The 0:12:35.213 --> 0:12:36.733 real sad thing is I think it was going to 0:12:36.773 --> 0:12:38.973 be a really good pitch and it would have been 0:12:38.973 --> 0:12:42.133 a good contest, which is a disappointing thing. And so 0:12:42.213 --> 0:12:45.933 that's the most disheartening thing I suppose from all of 0:12:46.013 --> 0:12:48.453 us is it would have been I think a good game, 0:12:48.453 --> 0:12:51.293 whether we won or lost. I think a the players 0:12:51.293 --> 0:12:53.293 would have learnt out of a lot in this format 0:12:53.293 --> 0:12:55.253 of the game, which is the challenge going. 0:12:55.133 --> 0:12:56.973 Forward in Red Bull cricket for if Ghalistan. 0:12:58.653 --> 0:13:02.093 But it's it's the occasion as well, the historic moment 0:13:02.173 --> 0:13:03.893 of playing against your seeded for the players that would 0:13:03.893 --> 0:13:06.773 have been very proud of that, and that's also very disappointing. 0:13:07.173 --> 0:13:10.293 This was the first of tests in Asia for US, 0:13:10.613 --> 0:13:13.093 three more in India and two in tri Lannka as well. 0:13:13.173 --> 0:13:17.093 So that's the most disappointing part for us is that 0:13:17.133 --> 0:13:21.093 we've lost that I guess ability to be match hardened 0:13:21.133 --> 0:13:23.573 and match ready when we go into our Test match 0:13:23.653 --> 0:13:27.813 next week. But look, the guys are really disappointed. It 0:13:27.933 --> 0:13:30.893 was an opportunity to play Afghanistan. It doesn't come around 0:13:30.933 --> 0:13:35.373 that often and they have some unique sort of bowlers 0:13:35.373 --> 0:13:38.413 in that as well. That's always good to get your 0:13:38.413 --> 0:13:41.373 head around how you face them, and I guess the 0:13:41.373 --> 0:13:43.813 way they play is a little bit different to other countries. 0:13:43.893 --> 0:13:46.413 So it's always learning and what you can do whenever 0:13:46.453 --> 0:13:47.853 you get those match situations. 0:13:48.653 --> 0:13:52.253 Yeah, well that's the life of international cricketers. I mean, 0:13:52.253 --> 0:13:53.973 when you reflect on how much it cost to get 0:13:53.973 --> 0:13:56.773 the New Zealand team, therefore no cricket, you know, you're 0:13:56.773 --> 0:14:00.893 talking over two hundred thousand air flights pretty much. It's 0:14:00.933 --> 0:14:03.973 not a cheap place to go. Never mind, we will 0:14:04.013 --> 0:14:07.573 see New Zealand hopefully. I haven't seen whether it's going 0:14:07.613 --> 0:14:10.333 to be on television or not. The Test series against 0:14:10.573 --> 0:14:13.973 Sri Lanka and they came out of that Test series 0:14:13.973 --> 0:14:17.293 against England pretty strong. Jerry. That was a good performance 0:14:17.333 --> 0:14:22.053 to win that third Test match for the two one 0:14:22.133 --> 0:14:22.973 loss on the series. 0:14:23.373 --> 0:14:23.973 Yeah, it was. 0:14:25.693 --> 0:14:28.413 It was a heavy defeat for England really by eight wickets, 0:14:29.533 --> 0:14:32.133 especially after day one wasn't it was two hundred and 0:14:32.333 --> 0:14:34.413 ten or something like that. For three they were put 0:14:34.453 --> 0:14:39.293 in again England in dark kind of conditions, gray overhead 0:14:39.293 --> 0:14:40.813 and that sort of stuff. So it was a good 0:14:41.133 --> 0:14:46.573 chance to bowl for the Sri Lankan bowlers. Didn't bowl well, 0:14:46.653 --> 0:14:51.333 did they, but look hope got some runs. 0:14:51.373 --> 0:14:52.133 I guess. 0:14:54.253 --> 0:14:57.733 It does feel at times to me the English players 0:14:57.733 --> 0:15:02.373 when they're out of form, which is inevitable in the game, 0:15:02.573 --> 0:15:06.093 that the default setting is kind of to hit their 0:15:06.173 --> 0:15:11.053 way back into form instead of the usual let's be 0:15:11.093 --> 0:15:14.693 a bit more organized, show a bit of judgment, buildjic 0:15:14.893 --> 0:15:17.533 innings carefully in order to spend a bit more time 0:15:17.573 --> 0:15:21.333 at the crease and choose the shots on the day. 0:15:22.253 --> 0:15:25.453 But they charged down the pitch and attack the new ball. 0:15:25.893 --> 0:15:29.333 I mean, heavens above, what can go wrong? Yeah, So 0:15:29.453 --> 0:15:32.613 their top order, their top three, probably the most frail 0:15:32.933 --> 0:15:35.893 I think in their batting lineup. When New Zealand come 0:15:35.973 --> 0:15:39.693 to play them, I'm not saying they're not dangerous, but 0:15:39.813 --> 0:15:42.133 you've got a chance of getting them out the strong 0:15:42.213 --> 0:15:45.733 part of the English side, say root Brook Stokes, Smith 0:15:46.333 --> 0:15:49.613 is the middle is the middle and Routers obviously the glue. 0:15:50.693 --> 0:15:52.053 But no Sri Lanka. 0:15:52.573 --> 0:15:57.453 Sri Lanka fought hard. They were bowled out and that 0:15:57.493 --> 0:15:59.933 they had what a deficit of about sixty was it 0:16:00.093 --> 0:16:04.173 something like that, and then they bowled England out in 0:16:04.213 --> 0:16:07.893 England tried to everything into the Thames and so they 0:16:07.893 --> 0:16:11.733 were bold out in thirty odd overs and then you know, 0:16:11.853 --> 0:16:12.893 well done Sri Lanka. 0:16:12.933 --> 0:16:13.413 To carry on. 0:16:13.493 --> 0:16:16.213 Sri Lanka have got good betting ones, haven't they. They 0:16:16.253 --> 0:16:18.333 just didn't quite show it throughout that series. 0:16:19.413 --> 0:16:20.013 Well, they're not a. 0:16:19.933 --> 0:16:22.693 Great touring side as such. Other they don't seem to 0:16:23.213 --> 0:16:27.373 play to the conditions. But you know they've got players 0:16:27.453 --> 0:16:33.773 like Carusseil, Menders, Matthews, Chandermal and this guy Comindu Mendus, 0:16:34.013 --> 0:16:38.173 you know, is averaging nearly eighty in test matches at home. 0:16:38.413 --> 0:16:41.533 They're going to be really tough for the New Zealander's gap, 0:16:41.573 --> 0:16:46.693 haven't they. I mean, Joe Root was I don't know 0:16:46.733 --> 0:16:48.893 whether he was paying them a component or not when 0:16:48.933 --> 0:16:52.373 he said whole play can't be number one every week 0:16:52.453 --> 0:16:57.733 sort of trying to put a good picture on things. 0:16:58.653 --> 0:17:00.173 It was an interesting thing for him to. 0:17:00.133 --> 0:17:04.173 Say, Yeah, I think this is the thing with England, 0:17:04.213 --> 0:17:06.733 isn't it. And I do think they have changed the 0:17:06.733 --> 0:17:09.573 way they play their game a little bit. You know, 0:17:09.613 --> 0:17:12.853 when McCullum took over and they were going at times 0:17:12.853 --> 0:17:16.053 at five or six runs and over or even more 0:17:17.053 --> 0:17:20.053 and the spars ball phrase got thrown about. It was 0:17:20.173 --> 0:17:24.413 just kind of crazy attack. And they do seem to 0:17:24.413 --> 0:17:26.693 have modified that in some ways. And if you look 0:17:26.693 --> 0:17:29.173 at their run rates, I mean they were at four 0:17:29.213 --> 0:17:31.573 point five and that second innings when they were bowled 0:17:31.573 --> 0:17:33.013 out for one hundred and fifty six. 0:17:33.093 --> 0:17:36.253 But they have changed. 0:17:36.253 --> 0:17:38.813 But you see Michael Vaughan saying that, you know, they 0:17:38.933 --> 0:17:41.973 disrespected Test cricket and the way they played them and 0:17:42.013 --> 0:17:45.373 it reminded me a little bit of the Second Test 0:17:45.413 --> 0:17:47.493 at the Base in Reserve a couple of seasons ago, 0:17:47.613 --> 0:17:52.293 you know, where England enforced the follow on New Zealand 0:17:52.333 --> 0:17:54.493 got ahead of them and then Wagner picked up four 0:17:54.493 --> 0:17:57.933 wickets and the second innings and England tried to be 0:17:57.973 --> 0:18:02.013 really muscular, you know, he was bowling short bounces and really, 0:18:02.013 --> 0:18:04.653 if they batted properly in that game, they should have 0:18:04.693 --> 0:18:07.613 won that Test, so it's a I think it's it 0:18:07.693 --> 0:18:09.613 is a concern for them when you see it. I mean, 0:18:09.813 --> 0:18:13.293 I suppose if you ask yourself, would Australia have lost 0:18:13.293 --> 0:18:16.893 that Test if they were tuning up against the side 0:18:16.973 --> 0:18:18.853 like Sri Lanka, I think the answer is no. 0:18:20.253 --> 0:18:22.093 So you know, England are going to. 0:18:22.133 --> 0:18:24.573 Entertain, They're going to be great to watch, but I 0:18:24.573 --> 0:18:27.093 think the way they play, they will trip up from 0:18:27.133 --> 0:18:29.453 time to time and I suppose that crats opportunities for 0:18:29.493 --> 0:18:30.013 New Zealand. 0:18:30.173 --> 0:18:33.773 But again a significant loss for eng them because in 0:18:33.853 --> 0:18:36.613 terms of the World Test Championship, it meant that Sri 0:18:36.693 --> 0:18:38.293 Lanka were able to jump ahead again. 0:18:38.973 --> 0:18:41.733 Yeah, it was the interesting thing Jerry about what Michael 0:18:41.813 --> 0:18:44.293 Vaughan said came in the middle of that Test match 0:18:44.333 --> 0:18:47.653 when they got almost arrogant, didn't they And he said, 0:18:47.733 --> 0:18:50.253 don't take the mickey out of the game. They played 0:18:50.293 --> 0:18:53.613 like it was almost the end of term cricket. Would 0:18:53.613 --> 0:18:56.493 they play like that against India and Australia. I don't 0:18:56.533 --> 0:18:59.053 think they would. It was it was a bizarre thing 0:18:59.093 --> 0:19:01.453 to do, the way they battered and fielded in the 0:19:01.453 --> 0:19:02.453 middle of that Test match. 0:19:03.413 --> 0:19:03.973 Yeah, it was. 0:19:06.093 --> 0:19:10.533 Yeah, if you're not ruthless and the game, I'm afraid, 0:19:11.053 --> 0:19:14.253 you know, it does turn around and bite you, and 0:19:14.293 --> 0:19:16.093 you can maybe be made to look a bit silly, 0:19:16.413 --> 0:19:19.253 a bit, and they did look slap dash, and I 0:19:19.293 --> 0:19:26.013 think he was probably right there. And look, if you 0:19:26.133 --> 0:19:28.973 hand the game to the opposition who have had two 0:19:29.013 --> 0:19:31.253 losses as Sri Lanka had, they're more than willing to 0:19:31.293 --> 0:19:35.373 grab it, aren't they. Harry Brooke interesting really, I don't 0:19:35.413 --> 0:19:38.133 know whether you saw how he looked so visibly frustrated 0:19:39.093 --> 0:19:40.933 when Sri Lanka and the first and thing's bowled a 0:19:40.973 --> 0:19:44.813 little bit wide to him outside off and he went 0:19:44.853 --> 0:19:47.133 out of his crease and he waved his arms about 0:19:47.213 --> 0:19:50.013 and you know, set himself up as if he was 0:19:50.133 --> 0:19:51.173 betting on about. 0:19:50.893 --> 0:19:52.173 Eight stump and so on. 0:19:54.173 --> 0:19:57.933 Other teams will take notice of that, you know, just 0:19:58.013 --> 0:20:00.733 let the ball go past seem pretty simple to me. 0:20:02.493 --> 0:20:04.573 And he seemed to take the view how unfair. 0:20:04.813 --> 0:20:06.973 You know you're supposed to bowl straight at me so 0:20:07.093 --> 0:20:12.173 I can smash you. So you know, it kind of 0:20:12.253 --> 0:20:15.133 didn't work and England will learn from it. Don't worry 0:20:15.133 --> 0:20:18.693 about that. Generally you learn more from your defeats, don't you, 0:20:18.733 --> 0:20:21.853 And your personal failures. Yeah, I agree with Garth that 0:20:21.893 --> 0:20:25.213 they have modified themselves a wee bit, that they will 0:20:25.253 --> 0:20:27.733 adjust their game a little bit, but here they didn't 0:20:28.293 --> 0:20:32.093 and so it's been possibly for them. 0:20:32.373 --> 0:20:34.573 Yeah, they took the team to go to Pakistan now 0:20:34.773 --> 0:20:40.173 and that has got a spinning component, not surprisingly, but 0:20:40.173 --> 0:20:42.013 of course you've still going to have seamans in Pakistan 0:20:42.053 --> 0:20:44.813 and then they'll be bringing your team out here and 0:20:44.893 --> 0:20:47.813 it'll be interesting to know how New Zealand will fare 0:20:47.853 --> 0:20:51.053 against them. Bearing in mind, you know, I say it again, 0:20:51.173 --> 0:20:55.013 that's that tough series. Firstly Sri Lanka, they come home 0:20:55.053 --> 0:20:56.773 for a bit of a breather and then off to 0:20:57.253 --> 0:21:00.293 India again to play the three test matches in good 0:21:00.373 --> 0:21:04.773 venues too. What they've got Poona, they've got Alonkadi and 0:21:04.813 --> 0:21:08.093 I think Bangalore, so they're playing in pretty good test 0:21:08.133 --> 0:21:11.213 met venues and we'll watch that with a. 0:21:11.173 --> 0:21:11.813 Lot of interest. 0:21:12.333 --> 0:21:14.373 I don't know how much interest we'll be watching the 0:21:14.733 --> 0:21:18.493 White fans in Australia and at the T twenty World 0:21:18.573 --> 0:21:21.453