Story International Cricket League [C2005/BLIC2005]

[afridi25]

LOL

nice one madmick

Come on New zealand

 

[sohum]

Special Guest: Stephen Fleming
Welcome, viewers, to The Interview Room where we put one player every day on the spot regarding their decision, their performance and what they think of the day's play. Today's guest is Stephen Fleming. The basic concept is that 5 questions will be asked and then Stephen Fleming will be given a TIR rating. The player with the highest TIR rating at the end of the series will be adjudicated the strategist of the series and will win a special prize from the ICC/ICA. Ready, steady, GO!

What was your exact thinking in electing to bat first on this pitch?
We may have misread the pitch a bit. It certainly did not look like a 20 wicket pitch and if we had noted this, we would probably have elected to field first. As it happened, it seemed that our performance actually wasn't that bad, compared to Australia's.

Who do you think are the top players in the match so far?
I think McCullum, Bond and Tuffey have been the top players of the match, thus far. McCullum did well to rescue our batting, Tuffey created early inroads, and Bond devastated the respected Australian batting line-up.

You got out playing a rash shot. Was aggression the method of the moment?
Obviously if I had another chance, I would not have played such a shot. One has to give credit to the bowler, though, as it was a pretty good delivery from Bracken. I did make the mistake of playing away from my body, though.

Our cameras caught you worried when Gilchrist was smashing Bond around. Comments?
Definitely this was a worrying moment for me. Gilchrist in top form for about a session or half would have been enough to take away the game from us. Full credit for Shane to bowl that wonderful inswinger that did the trick.

How much do you think a winning total on this pitch is?
Gee, it's hard to say. Looking at the way both teams have batted on this pitch, 200 may be more than enough. However, I think Australia will have licked their wounds in the second innings and will be able to chase down anything near about 300.

Thank you Stephen. Let's see how are interviewer rates you.

1. 08 - Good (good honesty, no intelligence)
2. 06 - Fair (no Aussies?)
3. 06 - Fair (need more responsibility)
4. 08 - Good
5. 09 - Very Good (good assessment)

Not bad, then. Fleming gains a TIR rating of 37/50. We'll see you tomorrow for the second day's play.

 

[evertonfan]

This really is well presented Misra; nice interview!

 

[sohum]

Day 2: Will the batsmen bite back?
Welcome to the second day of the 1st Test Match between Australia and New Zealand. We will shortly be joining live coverage from Perth, where the match is very interestingly poised. Let us just have a look at the summary for Day 1.

Stumps, Day 1
NZL 130 (McCullum 56, Bracken 5/41)
AUS 109 (Gilchrist 40, Bond 7/50)
New Zealand lead by 21 runs with 10 wickets in hand

So New Zealand up by 21 runs, something they would have thought impossible when their last man fell for 130. However, a brilliant bowling performance from Bond and the other bowlers means that this game is still wide open. Will today see another shocking collapse? Will we see the batsmen bat with a spine? Will we see a competitive session of cricket which sees runs as well as wickets? You will find out very soon. First, let's just have a look at how we see the teams at this position in the match.

New Zealand would feel like they have dodged a bullet. 130 should never be enough against a quality Australian batting line-up, but the Kiwis have shown in the past that they have a never-say-die spirit and bring out their best when playing their Oceanic rivals. With a lead of 21 to build on, they should look to play few shots and instead preserve wickets. Even if the Kiwis bat about 3-4 sessions, they should have enough to put significant pressure on the Australian batting line-up.

Australia on the other hand, would be extremely disappointed with their first innings batting performance. They have to put that shocking display out of their heads and instead concentrate on getting early wickets. This pitch still assists the bowlers, and dislodging an opener in the first few overs would expose the out-of-form middle order of New Zealand again. Wickets are the way for Australia. Shane Warne didn't play an important part in the first innings even though he picked up 3 wickets. Brett Lee, Warnie and McGrath would be looking to get good spells in.

We're just about ready to join live action from Perth. We'll catch you back on Freshlime at Lunch time. Till then, we hope you enjoy the cricket action!

 

[sohum]

PS: I got BLIC 2005 a couple a days back. I'll probably use it for the ODI's, since I'm still trying to get a hang of it.

 

[duffarama]

1. 08 - Good (good honesty, no intelligence)
2. 06 - Fair (no Aussies?)
3. 06 - Fair (need more responsibility)
4. 08 - Good
5. 09 - Very Good (good assessment)

I would've rated the interview 01. Fleming is a no-brainer being from New Zealand and all.

 

[sohum]

I would've rated the interview 01. Fleming is a no-brainer being from New Zealand and all.

The ICA doesn't want to get off the mark on the wrong foot. Even given Fleming's harsh treatment of Richardson a few months back.

 

[w3lshrugby]

The quality of this story continues to amaze me, great work sohum!

 

[Left_Hander]

Australia bundled out for 109. Let's hope they bowl great in the second innings and same with the bat.

 

[sohum]

Preview to Freshlime Stumps

We've just witnessed an exciting and balanced session of test cricket. Watch out for Freshlime Lunchtime edition, coming up in a few moments. For now, you can enjoy some highlights of the session.