Friday 19 December 2008

New Zealand vs West Indies - 2nd Test - Napier - Day One

So that’s Day One out of the way.  Another midday start but this time the sun is shining.  The deck just looked amazing, a definite bat first wicket.  We all hoped that the impressive tosser, Dan, would come up trumps for us again.  Alas, we lost the toss and are bowling. 

Arrived at the ground on the early van, and headed straight over to the nets to get some work.  I hadn’t managed to fit in a bat the previous day at training so I thought I’d get some in early this morning.  It was good, hit the ball pretty well and ducked and weaved well enough to feel  as good as I can going into this match.  Quickly back to the ground and I had a quick TV interview before heading off to warm ups.  A quick chat to Simon Doull about the preparation and way the match will go, also a quick chat regarding my blog.  It seems that everyone is surprised that I am doing it, but as far as I can understand, they all enjoy reading it.....

During that interview I said that if we had to bowl first it wouldn’t be the end of the world.  If you’re going to bowl on a batters deck then often it’s good to get in early, see what you can do when it is at its juiciest. 

Stats from this ground, which is known as a batting ground, say that quite often the team that bats first after winning the toss will lose four wickets in the first session; which is what happened today.  After a partnership of 43 I came onto bowl, the 14th over of the day.  As I said I felt good in the nets yesterday and took a whole heap of confidence into this match.  First ball, one of the best balls I’ve ever bowled and we’ve got Gayle.  One of the big ones gone and I’ve got him.  I can tell you I was pretty pumped after he walked for the nick behind; the perfect start to my spell.  The next ball wasn’t so flash, and two balls later, again, not so good.  But I can tell you I’ll take the wicket of Gayle and go for two fours in my first over every day of the week. 

I was feeling really good, the pitch had some pace and bounce, not sharp ‘take you head off’ bounce, but it kicked and carried through like a good Test deck should.  There was just a little, and only a fraction, of sideways movement.  Apart from that, a real good surface for a good days play. 

Jeets picked up Sarwan a couple of overs later with a very good catch by Baz behind the stumps and we had them 2-54.  Pretty happy at this stage, a couple of big wickets back in the shed and we’re bowling real well.  Jeets was creating a lot of pressure by bowling maidens, not as a defensive plan, but by very good bowling.  I had some pace and bounce at the other end and together we were bowling in ‘partnership.’  Partnership bowling is important; there is no point having one guy tie it up at one end while the other guy is getting flayed all over the park.  It’s important to keep the pressure on from both ends by bowling dots and denying runs.

Marshall was next to go and I had my second.  This time Jesse, at third slip, got one of those amazing catches.  Just a little more bounce and managed to get him to fend it slightly down and to Jesse’s right.  He got both hands around it barely millimetres off the ground. That’s three and we’re very happy.

Chattergoon, meanwhile, at the other end play a very good openers innings, that was until just before lunch where he tried to pump Dan through the covers and Howza took a great catch at 2nd slip.  Again, we enjoyed this immensely.  We’ve got them four down at lunch after being asked to bowl and only gave up 74 runs off the 31 overs.  Sitting pretty and the boys are going to enjoy lunch.

We didn’t enjoy tea so much.  The Windies were still only four down.  Shiv and Nash batted well,  150-4 after 64.  We had done a great job of not allowing them to get away on us, so we were still very much in it, but we had to shift one of them as soon as we could.  And, alas, we couldn’t quite do that as quickly as we wanted to.  It wasn’t until the 5th over with the new ball until Franky got Nash to drive one straight to cover, held happily by Flynny!    This is where a good team will pounce, opened up an end, fresh batter in, and one that had his pads on for a long time.  And we did.  Dan replaced Franky  and Ramdin left a straight one.  Oh, those sorts of things are fun especially late in the day.  If you see the replay you don’t see the smiles move off our faces for quite a while!  So that’s six down and they’re 258 off 91.

It was a good day in the park, an honest day in the park.  There was no really bad bowling, sure there were some bits that we could have done better, but we hung in there on a very good batting deck and we have four wickets to pick up as quickly as possible tomorrow morning.  In saying that, we are well aware that this is the combination that put a whole heap of runs on us in Dunedin.

It was an especially good feeling taking the boots off tonight.  My feet were sore.  Never have I had sore feet like that before.  Blisters and one banged up big toe on my left foot.  The physio wanted a look at the toe, she wanted to pierce the nail and release the blood bruise underneath.  I’ve never had this done before but it involves a lighter a paper clip and someone to hold my foot down.  I wasn’t so game for this, but in the effort to try to reduce a bit of the throbbing I thought I’d give it a go.  So I now have a burnt hole in my big toe nail and a lot less pressure under it.  The paper clip was straightened out, heated up till red hot and then poked through the toe nail so that the blood underneath it can, well, squirt out.  It wasn’t pretty; it didn’t smell too good; and I can tell you, it hurt. Oh, gees it hurt.  Hopefully by the morning it’ll feel like new.

 

25 comments:

noughter said...

Keep it up, jeez, great ball to get Chris Gayle out. Great blog as well. Well worth a read and a lot of potential for when you are 'past it' and are looking for a job.

Anonymous said...

Was it the new sponsor's shoe that did it to your toe? ;-)

Vishwas said...

Nice work today Iain, I watched the whole day's play while bumming at home in Texas. Your first bowl was a cracker. I must you, you all looked a little flat till you came onto bowl. After the jaffa to get rid of Gayle you brought some much needed energy into the bowling. Good job!
Wonder if you all can figure out a way to get Chanderpaul out, the man refuses to leave the ground! :) Good luck tomorrow, look forward to it.

Anonymous said...

Great Blog, was put onto it by facebook pal. very good read and great insight into the day of test cricketer.

Keep up good work iain!!

red'devil said...

14.1 is when Gayle was out. So that makes it the 15th over isn't it :)
Really nice to read this blog. Sometime about the writing style that keeps you hooked.

Gilco Gremlin said...

Might have to have a word with those new shoe sponsors Iain!!! Can't have you burning holes in your feet everynight or you'll end like poor old Oram, missing every second test! At least you'll have plenty of "blog time" :D

Anonymous said...

Ouch..that sounds painful.

Loved your interview with Doull...you are a funny bloke! Do more TV interviews :)

If you can get Chanderpaul out tomorrow give me your address and i'll send you a case of beers...that guy is unstoppable and never looks like getting out. An absolute freak.

Nice to see Flynn catch a dolly as well :P

Good luck today...hopefully you can keep up your great form from yesterday.

Anonymous said...

You had a great day. You bought intensity to the crease which is something that is missing all to often in the black caps. Keep it going and get in the face of the batsman.
If Chanderpaul is so much in his pattern maybe all the bowlers could just bowl deliveries that he will defend or leave until even he loses patience and plays a false shot.

Brat said...

A paper clip? Ow! Who was the lucky one who got to hold down your foot?

redbirdscricket said...

Its hard to believe that you had that paper clip procedure done on you after watching you bowl this morning (on the second day). Keep up the great work Iain. Get Shiv today...like Tony Cozier said yesterday "Chanderpaul will bat until the umpires call it a day". I watched him bat against the Aussies at Sabina Park. He went on to make a century in the backdrop of a roaring crowd applause even after getting hit on the back his head by a Lee(thal) bouncer.
Keep it going O'B

redbirdscricket said...

You got'em up first. First wicket of the day on day one and first wicket of the day on day two as well. Even with a sore toe and feet, you got Jerome who was looking to get comfortable again. Keep gettin'em. And again....got Benn too...thats just awesome....waiting for your five-for OB

Matt said...

Two in one over! Here comes the first five-for!

Anonymous said...

Yay!!!!

Well done Iain!! Great bowling mate, you're really establisihing yourself as one of our best quicks

Congratulations

redbirdscricket said...

You got your five-for....wrap it up and get set to bat on this good pitch.

Unknown said...

Hi Iain. Just watched your opening spell on 2nd day... Man with a mission methinks. Great stuff mate and keep 'em jumping. Sorry to say it's 3am here in Uganda so must retire for the night. Hope to wake up to better figures in the morning. Well done.

redbirdscricket said...

Made it a six-for with a wonderful slow ball....total blinder really...he did not see that coming and you really rubbed it in his face with that gesture.

Barhilo said...

Absolutely bloody stunning.

A well deserved 6fa there, you mopped them up and made it look like its all in a days work.

three thumbs up

Anonymous said...

Great stuff IOB pick of the bowlers you thoroughly deserved those 6 wickets. Good pace too concsistently at 141 kms keep that up and you will be ripping them down at 150 soon.

Giovanni Tiso said...

I am slowly and painfully coming to terms with the fact that Martin Crowe will probably never use the sentence "there's a lot to admire about the man" to describe me. You on the other hand Sir...

Well done and great blog.

Keeping Stock said...

Great spell this morning Iain - six wickets at Napier is an achievement for any seamer. Hope the batsmen give you plenty of time with feet up and to get over the trauma of the "procedure" on your toe - sheesh, just reading about it made me wince!

Anonymous said...

Nice work old boy.

Anonymous said...

hi ian,
fantastic blog.
i also do blogs , i am a opening batsman and a right arm offspinner.
I ABSOULUTLEY LOVE CRICKET , I want to play for the aces or the volts and ofcourse nz. my ultimate goal is to play internatinal just like you , you have it all i shed tears of joy when i think about playing first-class criket. i absoulutley love it.
i know you probaly hear this alot but honestly i believe i can make it. my blogs are under www.PaulusChapmanCricket.blogspot.com. if you could take a look and leave a comment i would be over the moon , i would be the happiest person in the world! well i hope you have time 2 view my page. good luck for the test and the one dayers and t20s. see ya. =)

Unknown said...

I have woken up to great figures. Well bowled Iain my old son now get your backside to Mohali (or whatever the place is being called today) and get a couple of Indian wickets for us English. Again well bowled.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely Brilliant Iain.
Hopefully you now get a couple of days with your feet up and recharging those batteries so you can take it to the West Indians in their second dig.

Stoat D said...

Great blog - Great bowling - Your pure joy for the game is showing up in your performances - You are the best thing since Andrew Jones - Congrats on a fabulous sixfer. Hard out about the toe though bro!

Stoat D