The Age covers cricket's broad spectrum

Today's Age has some very good (or better) articles about what it describes as "the game's broad spectrum".

These range from the future of Test cricket (Greg Baum"'s "Put to the Test") , several pieces about the Australia - India series (including Alex Brown on Australia's apparent fast bowling riches, Peter Roebuck on Sourav Ganguly and Lyall Johnson's analysis of Mr Cricket's way with words) , Twenty20 IPL cricket (Mr Brown and Chloe Saltau's analysis of the player contracts) , and club cricket (the first of a promised series by John Hanlon).

There's also an historical item "Weighing up Bradman's MCG legacy", once again by Mr Baum.

The Age looks like being the print and online media outlet of choice for serious Australian cricket followers over the next few weeks.

Ponting shines once again as Australia dispose of NZ

Australia 6/282 (50 ov) d New Zealand 168 by 114 runs with 16 overs to spare.

In Hobart today Ricky Ponting led his team from the front to a second conclusive victory over the Black Caps in less than a week and thereby regained the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

Batting first, Australia weren't really in trouble at 3/87 from 19.1 ov, but Ponting's 134 no /133 b supported by Andrew Symonds 52/63b , Brad Haddin 26/28b and James Hopes 20/17b, saw the team to what looked like a safe 6/282.

Jacob Oram was the best NZ bowler but he, along with most of his team mates, succumbed to the pressure applied by the Australian attack. Only Scott Styris, with a hard hit 75/79b, enabled the Black Caps to climb out of the pit of 7/88 and reach a modest but very disappointing 168.

I'd thought that NZ were a better one day side than this. Last season in the tri-series they showed much more fight, but in all three games of this one (even the 6 over one on Sunday) they showed that they were no match for a strong and clearly focused Australian team led by one of the greatest players of our time.

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Mr Cricket turns Mr Sledger

An amusing piece by Jenny Thompson, who is IMO one of the best writers on the game at present, on Cricinfo.

Sydney washout reprieves NZ

NZ 3/30 (6 ov) v Australia

Six overs may not a cricket match make but Australia were well on top when rain ended play at the SCG today. There's not much more to say, except that for the Black Caps it must have been a merciful release.

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Ponting and Gilchrist at their best. Does it get any better than this?

Australia 3/255 (42.3 overs) defeated New Zealand 7/254 (50 overs) by 7 wickets with 45 balls to spare.

Tonight at the Adelaide Oval two great Australian batsmen led their team to victory, and in doing so gave a masterclass in the art of batting. Adam Gilchrist's 51/29b (2x6, 6x 4) was all that a one day cricket follower could hope for, whereas Ricky Ponting's 107 no/108b (13x4) was one of the best innings any cricket connoisseur could expect to see in a lifetime of watching the game.

The photo above shows Ponting's characteristic pull shot, but he played shots all round the wicket as his wagon wheel shows.

And the rest of the match? NZ started promisingly. Brendon McCullum took early runs off Shaun Tait and others, but no3 Jamie How took 22 balls to get off the mark (he finished with 20/59b) and helped the bowlers to regain control. McCullum raced to 60 but slowed down thereafter. His 96/103b (1x6, 12x4) was a worthy innings which in most other situations would have been memorable . Ross Taylor was given one to get off the mark (a full toss which he hit for for six) and several other gifts by Brad Hogg during his 50/52b. Surprisingly, Jacob Oram by his standards scratched around during the final overs, but he wasn't wholly responsible for a disappointing final score of 7/254.

This was never going to be enough. When Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden got stuck into the NZ opening attack who were like or, to give them the benefit of the doubt, were made to look like net bowlers, it seemed as if 35 overs would be enough for Australia to overhaul their target.

Then both openers were out, as was Michael Clarke after an impressive 48/76b. Ponting reached his 50, then it rained, bringing relief after the match had begun in 30+ plus degree heat, but also raising the prospect of a Duckworth - Lewis result. Fortunately the rain stopped, the mathematicians were put back into their box, and Ponting continued his innings (I took the photo above then by which time most of the crowd had left). He eventually took his team to an easy victory as he demonstrated the arts of batting. The Chappell- Hadlee Trophy, it seems, is destined to return to Australia.

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Ill matched by moon (or artificial) light?

Cricket Australia has floated the idea of day-night Test cricket matches being played in Australia.

I've an open mind on the topic, but would like to see it trialled in the domestic four day comp (Pura Cup) first. In fact it was tried there a few seasons ago and didn't bring the crowds into the grounds, so I wonder whether things are likely to improve.

Throughout out the world, except for England ( where the grounds are small and admission prices high) and Australia (when it plays England), Test cricket is not a popular spectator sport. It remains an acquired taste and, as most leading players would surely admit, the highest form of the game.

It does deserve to be preserved though, and playing it at night may provide more opportunities for spectators and, depending on time zones etc, for the TV networks who provide by far the largest audience for it.

One sided contest shows that not all T20 games are close

The margin in tonight's Australia - New Zealand game was "only" 54 runs, but in Twenty20 cricket that's a yawning chasm. Not that the large crowd at the WACA had much time to yawn as the Black Caps collapsed in response to Australia's 6/186 (20 ov). They scratched, edged and snicked their way to 5/31 (7.5 ov) including three ducks, then 6/49 (9.6 ov), and 7/59 (11.4 ov) before Jacob Oram 66 /31 b (5x4, 6x6) entertained the crowd in a lost cause which ended after 18.3 overs when the last wicket fell at 132.

The fireworks were provided by the Australian batting, especially "Roy" (the soubriquet on his costume) Symonds 85/64b (7x4, 3x6), the five man Australian pace attack, some good fielding by both sides, and by the ground authorities after close of play.

A pre-match incident/ accident to Brad Hodge meant that Luke Pomersbach, the WA left hander, who'd recently been suspended by his state for drinking too much, was summoned from the WACA car park as a last minute replacement.

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