Stumps Day 1
New Zealand 370 (BB McCullum 145, CJ Anderson 72, NM Lyon 3/61)
Australia 1/57 (JA Burns 27*, UT Khawaja 18*)
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The Adventures of BB McCullum has been a rollicking tale. Improbable. Inspirational. Incredible.
In its closing passages now, the end has been much-anticipated. Memories of the story stoked. Central character eulogised.
In sport we place value in doubtful places. Usually only a winner is valued. The value is attributed to the winner, for performing faster, higher, stronger than others.
This simplification is both sport’s strength and sport’s weakness.
To value the winner exclusively (“win at all costs”) is to fail to acknowledge intangibles such as effort, moral choice and spirit. It fails to account for buccaneering, swashbuckling, flint-eyed chancing. To account for context in performance. Or for what adventurous and empowering leadership can do for others in a team.
Facing a green-top, BB McCullum yesterday said: It’s the kind of strip that favours the brave.
And so, being in the wrong country, this my pictorial account of Day 1.
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About David Wilson
David Wilson is a hydrologist, climate reporter and writer of fiction & observational stories. He writes under the name “E.regnans” at The Footy Almanac and has stories in several books. One of his stories was judged as a finalist in the Tasmanian Writers’ Prize 2021. He shares the care of two daughters and likes to walk around feeling generally amazed. Favourite tree: Eucalyptus regnans.
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we lost a few comments down Alice’s burrow.
For posterity:
Stumps Day 1 – NZ 370 (McCullum 145, Anderson 72, Lyon 3/61), AUS 1/57
Stumps Day 2 – NZ 370, AUS 4/363 (Burns 170, Smith 138)
Stumps Day 3 – NZ 370, AUS 505 (Wagner 6/106), NZ 4/121
Stumps Day 4 – NZ 370, AUS 505, NZ 335 (Williamson 97, Henry 66, Bird 5/59, Pattinson 4/77), AUS 1/70
Australia require a further 131 to win, NZ 9 wickets.
Day 5 – NZ 370, AUS 505, NZ 335, AUS 3/201 (JA Burns 65, SPD Smith 53*)
Australia won by 7 wickets
Declared “#1 Test team in the world.”
This is a fraught thing, of course, as the measure must take in many months of results.
Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, among those not playing yesterday who would have contributed to the cumulative points total achieving the #1 rank.
And India seem to have stopped playing Tests just now.
And England defeated Australia pretty recently.
But wins over summer are a testament to depth in the squad, probably.
And the #1 thing a testament to many many variables (opposition, pitch conditions, weather, scheduling, and how the rank is measured).
Thanks OBP what seemingly got missed from this incredible test match after,McCullums amazing innings
aust disciplined reply and then,Hazelwood gate was the incredible catching from,Smith to Lyon and unfortunately for,M Marsh off a no ball it was as high as a standard as ever in the history of cricket
the fielding coach,Gregory Scott Blewett deserves some credit
You and Litza have 2016 nailed. Which is great when it exists within your understanding that the big picture is timeless.
Good call OBP.
I think the theory is that professionals get better with training and experience.
With the amount of time and energy these lads and their professional overseers devote to training – they should be able to execute.
thanks JTH.
The fleeting versus the timeless.
Consumer versus citizen.
Within all of us.
#1 at what? Two up? Steve Smith is the best coin tosser in international cricket. The NZ tests in Brisbane, Perth, Wellington and Christchurch were all dictated by Australian winning the toss on each occasion. Split the coin tosses 2-2 and I reckon you’d split the results also.
Reckon you’re right PB.
Is there an appropriate trophy for SPD Smith?
Hey e.r.
Can you give me a few lessons on how to use that Spotify thingy?
Ahh, plenty use that Smoke, but not me. Yet.
Those screen shots show only the music player on my phone.