Grounds shouldn't be prepared so that the only bowlers capable of creating a contest between bat and ball are World-Xi contenders: any bowler in 1st class cricket anywhere in the world (not matter what bowling style they have) ought to feel that there is somewhere they can bowl that will make scoring tough and trouble anyone looking to score off them.

I don't care if the pitch is prepared to favour the batsmen slightly (say a 240-260-par pitch) or to favour the bowlers slightly (say a 160-180-par pitch): what shouldn't exist are pitches on which 120 woud be a good score or on which 280 constitutes a poor score.Why the **** was anyone even TRYING to bowl yorkers? Perhaps because good balls on a good length were doing NOTHING. Any pitch on which seamers feel obligated to attempt yorkers prior to the "death" clearly sucks: you don't get edges off yorkers!

Rubbish! Gillespie and Tait bowl this as one of their stock deliveries, Rachael - pushing too hard for the 'wicket ball'. In fact, both of Gillespie's wickets came off attempted yorkers that almost became beamers (both were nearly no-balled). Once again, you cannot blame the groundsman for the bowler's naivety!

That's one reason I can't stand Tait: any seamer whose stock delivery isn't searching for movement off the seam is a disgrace!

In One Day Internationals you are trying to make it hard for the batsman to score. The best way to do that is not to bowl full tosses or long hops.

Even if the pitch comes from trundlers heaven bad balls will vanish. In a ODI there should be no movent from the 10th over on, the bowlers should expect this and have enough guile and control to compensate. The fact is the bowlers and the bowling on display was very, very, ordinary.

If Lee, McGrath, Bond and Vettori had played they wouldnt have went for more than 5 an over. The fact is some ordinary bowlers have been found out over the last couple of weeks.

Anyway, I'll remember to blame to groundsman next time i play a club game and when a long hop vanishes over the mid wicket boundary. " It's not my fault skip, its the f***ing groundsmans fault for preparing a c**p wicket!"

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Mark.

But if you can swing the ball, why not go for swing instead?? I dont rate Tait highly, but he can bowl a good 95mph + i nswinging yorker, which is the hardest ball of any to score off.

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Mark.

Congradulations NZ...

Pitch or no Pitch.. The bottom line is NZ won that series fair and square and I am sick of people blaming everthing on everything etc.. Injuries, Bowlers, Batsman, Umpires, and last but not least PITCHES... No that just does not cut it sorry...

You just have to look at the first game played in WELLINGTON.. you cant blame that pitch!!

Get over it the better team won...

If you can get the ball to swing you should be trying to entice the batsman into the drive: you achieve that by pitching the ball on a full length, not by getting it up in the blockhole.Only in passing: if the pitch offers a decent contest between bat and ball... the bowler ought to be looking for wickets. That's why it's so critical that the pitch has some life in it, preferably offering seam movement allied with pace and bounce.

Once again, you are blaming the pitch for the bowler's failings.

The atmosphere at Hamilton was humid and IDEAL for swing bowling. The fact that NONE of the bowlers on show were able to exploit these conditions is symptomatic of a POOR bowling attack; NOT a poor wicket.

Stop blaming the groundsman for the bowlers deficiencies.

Well done New Zealand well deserved, I didnt watch the match but I heard that the Australians have to improve there game if they are going to win the world cup. No excuses from the Australians they had a quality line up going into the game, yes they had no McGrath, Lee, Ponting, Gilchrist or Symonds but they should be able to defend 346. There is obviously no worries with the bat with batsman like Haddin and Voges who can obviously fill spots in the side.

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Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.

Rachael, in one day cricket it is acknowleged that a good pitch should have minimal movement in it. It should have good pace and an even bounce.

If you are looking for seam movement etc. stick to the purer game, test cricket.

In One Day Cricket the bowler should contol the run scoring by bowling a good line and length and at the end with yorkers and slower balls. Good bowlers can do a reasnoble job on any surface. I ask you this, would Ambrose have gone for more than 45 on that pitch ? IMO, he wouldnt because he would have bowled no gimme balls and would have bowled a line and length that had the batsman thinking.

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Mark.