Cricinfo blogs
cricinfo.com About cricinfoblogs
Beyond The Blues Beyond The Test World Different Strokes From the Editor Girls Aloud Iain O'Brien Inbox
It Figures Pak Spin Shot Selection The Buzz The Confectionery Stall The Surfer Tour Diaries

Cricinfo Blogs Home

Iain O'Brien

« 'Even this useless mob can beat them' | | There's a Buzz about Elliott »

Two-nil at the 'G'

Posted by Iain O'Brien on 02/08/2009 in New Zealand in Australia 2008-09





© Getty Images

Welcome to the 'G'. What an amazing place to visit, to watch sport, let alone have the honour to play in front of sports-loving Melbourne crowd.

I had never been here before, been to Melbourne a couple of times in the past but I had never even visited [the MCG]. Training this week was hard; we came from a great last-ball win in Perth and had to work hard on staying honest with our training as the heat and tiredness from the last game had taken its toll, on me at least. Heading out to fielding training in the middle was pretty special. The Great Southern Stand, not looking so 'Great' anymore as the new stand is a whole lot bigger, it is still so impressive; we could do with something like this in NZ, obviously not as big, but certainly as intimidating. The near vertical seating looms so high above you and you know they have a great view no matter how high they are up.

We won the toss and bowled again. We're playing on a used wicket, as we did in Perth; this suits us as we don't bowl as quick as the Australians and we have two of the best spinners in one-day cricket world; we're playing on decks perfectly suited to our current style.

Millsy [Kyle Mills] was amazing, his first six overs went for 12 runs and picked up the heavy-hitting Warner in that spell for just two runs off 11 balls. He is bowling really well at the moment and is leading the attack with the experience he has, questioning our plans and deliveries regularly, making me a better player. This was the start we needed, it kept them in check and it showed us the lengths and variations we needed to bowl to be successful. Timmy [Tim Southee] picked up Haddin [Brad Haddin] and we were right on top. Haddin's welcome to the G was one I won't forget. He’s had a tough week after the [Neil] Broom dismissal in Perth, and let’s clear one thing up right here, Dan [Daniel Vettori] never called him a 'cheat.' Okay! Haddin, an Australian was 'booed' onto the ground. I never ever thought I'd have ever heard that; sure there might have been a few Kiwis in the crowd, but not all of 'Bay 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15' could be Kiwis! Interesting to see how the Aussie public viewed the whole drama.

I came on to bowl in the 12th over, still with the field up and started pretty well. I had been bowling well in the nets, hitting areas I had been asking of myself and had taken a lot of confidence into this match. I was bowling to my fields and then had a bit of a meltdown, it didn't cost me much, but it could have. We have plans to certain batsmen and I know these pretty well and have studied them and revised them plenty going into this series. All of a sudden I started bowling to [Michael] Clarke not to plan. This meant the field was wrong for my areas and I leaked a three and a four in an area that wasn't patrolled as strongly as where I he should have been hitting. Don't ask me why, I can't tell you, but I owned up to it this morning in the review, and quite rightly, got a good stern telling off from Millsy. I'm learning, and fast!

I came back for the batting Powerplay for the two overs from one end and was really happy with how I bowled in this 'scary' time. No wickets for me this time, but no boundaries either and we we're getting the feeling that we were well in front of this one.

Dan, again, was inexpensive and together with Jeets [Jeetan Patel] we stayed on top of them by bowling good areas and fielding well.

I was back for the 'death', three overs into the light wind that was cooling things down out there for us. Hussey [Michael Hyssey] and Clarke still out there and we needed a couple of wickets so we could, hopefully, drag back the score that was attainable by them. Guppy [Martin Guptill], out in the deep, pulled off a great piece of fielding from a Hussey hit off me. A slower ball which was hit high to Guppy at long-on, it was touch and go as to it making the boundary and him catching it, in the end, both happened. Gups caught it and with the momentum he had ended up over the rope, but flicked the ball back in before he touched the ground, turning a six into just a two. Genius! Next ball, I had Hussey, another slower ball, a real gamble, and Dan took a good catch at midwicket.

Next over I picked up Clarke on 98, bowled him off his pads. I had hit him square on the toe the previous ball, and he had some time to recover from that; they hurt, a lot. Next ball he charged me to the leg side a little and I just bowled it as fast as I could into him, took his pad and into the top of middle. I was pretty happy with this one especially as it's never nice having hundreds scored against you. In my ten overs I only went to the boundary once; pretty happy about that too.

We then went out and put together a really strong and disciplined chase. Baz [Brendon McCullum], at the top, was 'bloody minded' and stayed out there and gave us a great base to work from. Rossco [Ross Taylor], again, was brilliant, his runs were match-winning. [Grant] Elliott was amazing; his new ODI high score in a great chase at the MCG. The pace of his innings and the control he showed was what has been brewing in him for a while. And happy for him too as he has just started up a 'bat' company and this was the first time he got to use it, all stickered up out there in a one-dayer.

Another great feel when the winning runs were hit over the boundary. Elliott and Broom out there hugged and celebrated and we on the sideline hugged and celebrated. We're two-nil up in a five-match series. Who'd a thought! What a great feeling. A couple of quiets in the changing room, but not too many as we have to travel the next day and play in Sydney the day after that. A quick turnaround is required and we can't afford to take the foot off the gas. We'd love to win the series here in Sydney and celebrate it in style!

And to my club mates at home, nice job this weekend Petone Riverside, great win boys!

 
Feedback Feedback

Comments

Posted by: Shankar at February 8, 2009 5:45 AM

Iain,
Excellent updates.
Good Bowling again.Keep It Up.
ALL THE BEST BLACKCAPS.


Posted by: geebs at February 8, 2009 6:13 AM

Well, you should be proud, just heard Mark Nicholson praising you!! (given his record).

anyway, good job at the sydney.. over 40 going on now..

Posted by: Niyam at February 8, 2009 10:11 AM

Great match. couldn't be sure you would lose or win until the last couple of overs. Hope you win the series as I am writing this as you are losing in the 3rd match. There are still two more for one win anyway.

Posted by: Ross at February 8, 2009 11:03 AM

Hello Iain, your teammates have had to put up with some truly woeful umpiring decisions. McCullum in the first and maybe even the second OD, Taylor today and thats not even going into Broom's dismissal.

Posted by: Bhagyesh at February 8, 2009 4:57 PM

At this moment of time the series stands at 2-1 in NZ's favour .. But Ian I would like to tell you that in all of 5 match series till date only twice did the side winning the first two mathes has lost the series.
So History tells us that this is going to be a NZ win .. hope that happens .. Hope Guptill and fulton plays better and NZ win the series !!

All the Best !

Posted by: Levs at February 8, 2009 9:16 PM

Glad to see you remember your roots!! Go PR!!

Keep up the good work in the next few games fella!

Posted by: Naresh Sharma at February 8, 2009 10:17 PM

Again great job in the second match.. hard luck in the 3rd ODI but overall a good match!! especially the way you guys fought back while chasing.. n if dat lbw decision to Ross had not been wrongly given then who knows, u might have won the game!! for that matter I hate bucknor.. i guess he is too old for umpiring job now.. neways good luck for the remaining ODIs and finsih it off in the next one itself!!

Posted by: Ash at February 8, 2009 11:55 PM

Well done on the first two games Iain. Don't stress about Sydney; the Aussies had to find their batting skill again at some point and you guys gave them a real scare. I was at the game, and you guys gave it your all; a bit different to some Kiwi teams of old who would have given up after Dan got out.
Good luck with the next 2 games, make it 4-1.

Posted by: marc at February 9, 2009 1:02 AM

Hard luck last night, but great fighting spirit to get close. Iain, your bowling during the "tough" overs (death, powerplay) has been outstanding. Keep it up...literally! Let's go 3-1 at Adelaide.

Posted by: suubs at February 9, 2009 5:47 AM

Nice to read insights of a game from a player. My 2 cents advise, tell this to Vettori, always BAT first in day night games vs Aussies. Sydney has never been easy to chase, so would be Brisbane, and Adelaide at times. Agreed NZ won chasing Perth and MCG, but those grounds are ok to chase. I thought Vettori over estimated his bowling resources or under estimates aussies batting prowess in electing to field in Sydney. Ideally with two spinners if you win toss in Sydeny you bat first, that's foregone mantra.

Posted by: Hashaam at February 9, 2009 7:18 AM

Great job man, Thank you for knocking the Aussies down 2 steps.
No doubt you will win this series (2-1 right now) Elliot is in form too.
Keep those bouncers coming man and break some more Aussie toes!

Posted by: Deran at February 9, 2009 2:02 PM

Wonderful teamwork Iain... We here at Sri Lanka really want Kiwis you guys to win the series....

All the best for the match tomorrow at Adelaide, try all your heart out to win this and then you're done.... I know that you guys will, because if you give the Aussies a chance they could make the most of it....

  Post your comment
Posting Guidelines
Name:
Email Address:
Comments:
characters left
Iain O'Brien must type as fast as he bowls. After stumps most days he adds to his popular personal blog, covering his take on the play, dressing room snippets and personal insights (he really doesn’t like bouncers). A fast-medium bowler, O’Brien has become a regular member of the New Zealand Test side over the past year and is enjoying his time at the top.
Categories
County Cricket 2009 Domestic cricket ICC Champions Trophy 2009 India in New Zealand 2008-09 New Zealand in Australia 2008-09 New Zealand in Sri Lanka 2009 Pakistan in New Zealand 2009-10 West Indies in New Zealand 2008-09 World Twenty20 2009
Recent Posts
A satisfying start to the season They were the champions, my friends Hitting the ground running Back at the keyboard Cheers Dan A tale of two Tests Picking Murali's doosra Gazing at the covers Sehwag redux? On to stormy Galle
Archives
November 2009October 2009September 2009August 2009July 2009June 2009May 2009April 2009March 2009February 2009January 2009December 2008
RSS Feeds RSS Feed
© Cricinfo 2009