another high scoring match with the aussies struggling to defend 346.

i didn`t watch but i checked a few things and want to make some comments. bracken is so clearly (to me) australia`s best bowler (just seen his first ball off the last over ) - that`s a very very poor last 3 deliveries. still..he`s almost never talked about - most preffering rave about tait or johnson. i nearly added his name to some thread about underrated bowlers - i don`t get it!?

the other thing is: not sure i`m too keen on gilchrist`s latest verbal contributions!

anyway - a big congratulations to NZ who`ve completed a whitewash!!

And the Aussies can't really complain about not having their full team out this time when the Black Caps weren't playing Shane Bond, Daniel Vettori or Jacob Oram!

This really was a poor performance from the Aussies, and once again Hussey's captaincy looks amateur. Brad Hogg finished with 3 overs remaining when he was one of the more economical bowlers.

This following Hussey setting 3 fielders behind square on the leg side in the last game (no-ball!!).

And one other thing - WATSON. Is he overrated or what? His bowling was ordinary and pedestrian yet he shouts, swears and hollers as if he were something special. Just shut up and let the big boys get on with the game.

Bad luck to Hayden as well - that was a truly fantastic innings (even McMillan's didn't eclipse it) and deserved a better result for him.

Australia cannot complain about not having their full strength side. I thought this was a nation that had the depth to pick up where others left it. I may be wrong but it seems the depth of the 90's and early this decade is not as abundant now.

Congrats to the Black Caps on a fantastic series and not giving in despite the odds. Great to see the catching and batting improve with more partnerships being strung together. While still not at favoritism to win the world cup, their chances are better than they were two weeks ago.

Firstly Watson: Before too many write him off as the worst player in the world, bear in mind that the guy has only just came back from injury
I cannot recall any Aussie commentator, player, or member of this forum complaining about not fielding a full strength side. Because despite the losses, few would be willing to say that the team is not full of quality players. In terms of talent, the Kiwis beat a very strong team. But as with any team that suddenly has a major change of personel in a short period of time (including the captain) it does take a certain amount of time for the team to gel. Leave this team together for 6 months and they would be able to successfully take on all comers.

Are you saying that the players who were absent from todays game such as Klinger, Jaques, Voges, Ronchi, Maher, D Hussey, Hopes, Kattitch, Thornley, D Marsh, Cosgrove, North, Kattitch, Hauritz, Hilfenhaus, Bichel, Gillespie, S Clark, Harwood, Symonds, Ponting, Gilchrist, Lee, McGrath, does not represent a bit of depth?

I seem to recall similar comments being made during and after Australia's 2005 ashes campaign. But after seeing Australia deal out defeat after defeat to all nations over the last decade, i can't blame some for getting in their verbal barbs when Australia suffer the odd reverse. The more the better too - Australia will gladly grab on to any motivational tools they can

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Yes that also puts me off him as a player and Tait thinks he is special too. Those two aren't in my team for the World Cup. White and Hilfenhaus would be replacing them.

I would have given MOM to McCullum though as he won the match in the end for New Zealand with a lot of help from McMillan. Do they ever have two MOMs because sometimes almost impossible to choose. A fantastic innings by Hayden but it might have put his chances of playing in the World Cup as slim. I am sure he would have preferred to be out for 6 and still be fit.

No... it was a really poor performance from the groundsman: the bowlers on display are NOT second rate bowers who struggle to warrant a place in 1st class cricket... the teams were simply not presented with the most essential pre-requisite of a cricket match - the chance to set up an even contest between bat and ball.

This farcical nonsense of a series should conclude with someone being hung, drawn and quartered... and I certainly don't think either side can be said to have either learnt anything OR gained anything!

it was the front story on cricinfo - hogg or hodge saying more or less that. but every stroy i`ve read that covered the series (i don`t know if they were ozzies or not) have managed to make mention of it

Matthew Hatden opened the innings and in a high scoring match while batting first,he should have gone on to get a 200.Anyways,hats of to New Zealand for white-washing the aussies.

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Karthik Venkatesan

I'm surprised the Aussies bowled 20 odd wides that is slack from them, thats the sort of thing England would do.

At the moment the Aussies bowling doesnt look over strong, wether its a lack of experience, i dont know but something just doesnt seem right, either that or they should try batting second .

Rachael, you mentioned top class bowlers, to be honest there werent any World Class bowlers on display. The ones that were at the ground were sitting in the changing room (Bond, Vettori, Lee and McGrath). None of the bowlers on display would get any where near a world XI, or even an England XI for that matter .

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Mark.

What utter rubbish. You clearly didn't see the game as the bowlers dished up half volleys, long hops - in short - buffet bowling. No bowler controlled the situation - the best being James Franklin and Nathan Bracken.

Mitchell Johnson, Mark Gillespie, Shane Watson and Daryl Tuffey were pretty damn awful - particularly Johnson in his first spell. Pretty much all the bowlers failed to land yorkers and dished up full toss after full toss.

To blame the groundsman for club 2nd XI bowling is disingenuous.

The only bowlers with any right to complain to the groundsman are Jeetan Patel and Brad Hogg who bowled pretty well but struggled to extract enough spin to keep the batsmen under wraps. Unfortunately, Patel dropped too short on occasions and Hussey failed to bowl Hogg for his full compliment of 10 overs.