Planet Morton

New Zealand Seal ODI Series With 2nd ODI Win

2012-02-06T11:43:23+00:00

The Blackcaps sealed the three-match series against Zimbabwe with a game to spare. Ignited by a high quality 146 from opener Rob Nicol, the New Zealanders racked up a formidable 372 for six at Cobham Oval in Whangarei before completing victory by a crushing margin of 141 runs. The third highest one-day score on record for the New Zealanders proved far too much for Zimbabwe, who responded with 231 for eight as the Blackcaps took a 2-0 lead into the third and final match at Napier on Thursday.

After rain delayed the start by 35 minutes Zimbabwe had the better of the early exchanges when only 10 runs came from the opening five overs. But that was as good as it got for the tourists because it was then all New Zealand as Nicol and Martin Guptill set the tone with an excellent first wicket stand of 131 inside 24 overs. Guptill was in imperious touch before his fourth consecutive one-day half-century ended on 77 when he drilled a ball from spinner Ray Price to mid wicket where Shingirai Masakadza took a fine catch on the run just inside the boundary rope.

Guptill was again clinically efficient as he dominated the early scoring to such a degree that the team’s 50 came with Nicol on nine, but the latter began hitting his straps then had the luxury of biding his time when the home side promoted Jacob Oram from No 8 to first drop and called for the batting power play from overs 25 through 29. The 33-year-old left-hander responded with his first half-century since the 2009-10 season, striking 35 of the 44 runs scored during the power play before reaching his 50 off only 23 balls. He performed his pinch hitting role to perfection to plunder 59 off 28, with five fours and four sixes, before holing out seeking more after having delivered a blunt reminder of his enduring quality with bat in hand.

Nicol, in just his fifth one-day international, raised his second century at the top level during an excellent fifth wicket stand of 92 with 19-year-old Tom Latham before hitting four more sixes to lift his haul to six to go alongside 10 fours. Two of the maximum strikes were audaciously played, when he fetched a ball well outside off from Elton Chigumbura and planted it over square leg, which was the same destination for a sweetly timed flick off his pads. With runs flowing at the other end for a large portion of his 134-ball stay Nicol rotated the strike and paced his innings nicely before departing when on the charge in the 49th over with the fifth highest one-day score by a New Zealander.

Latham, too, prospered after being dropped on 14, and showed impeccable timing and an ability to invent as he hit five fours and two sixes in a 28-ball 48 before falling in the final over. The last five overs produced 86 runs, 25 of them coming in the 48th from seamer Kyle Jarvis.

Zimbabwe, who lost the opening match of the series by 90 runs in Dunedin, were always up against it despite Cobham Oval presently an excellent batting strip offering consistent pace and bounce. The exercise quickly became an academic one as Zimbabwe’s top order frailties were again exploited, with Kyle Mills, Tim Southee and Oram combining to immediately extinguish any hopes the tourists had of at least challenging the hosts.

Just as he did in Dunedin, Mills collected two top order wickets, including captain Brendan Taylor, who fell to a top edge as the visitors took another walk down Struggle Street at 17 for three after 6.5 overs. They could not find their way to safer ground either as Oram backed up his performance with the bat to remove Regis Chakabva leg before wicket and Malcolm Waller to an edge behind. At 62 for five, Zimbabwe were out of the contest, which they acknowledged as Tatenda Taibu and Chigumbura contented themselves with pitch occupation as the 100 was raised in the 30th over before Taibu found the boundary for the first time after facing 67 deliveries.

Taibu at least had the satisfaction of finding some form in making 50 off 76 balls while allrounder Chigumbura was more aggressive in making a 69-ball 63 containing seven fours and one six. These two collaborated in a face-saving 80-run partnership which was broken when Taibu slapped a long hop from offspinner Nicol straight to long off. Chigumbura followed soon afterwards when bowled by Oram, who completed an outstanding match double by taking three for 29 off his 10 overs.

Shingirai Masakadza, with a brisk 38, and Prosper Utseya, 27 not out, saw Zimbabwe past 200 with a stand of 64 for the eighth wicket but the only consolation for the visitors was the fact they managed to see out their 50 overs. Full scorecard below the cut.
New Zealand 372/6 (50 overs; Nicol 146, Utseya 3/71), Zimbabwe 231/8 (50 overs; Chigumbura 63, Oram 3/29). New Zealand win by 141 runs.
[Match report via ZC / NZC]

Zimbabwe Lose 1st ODI by 90 Runs

2012-02-06T11:42:36+00:00

Zimbabwe would have been reasonably satisfied as their bowlers restricted New Zealand to 248 all out just short of their 50 overs thanks in the main to the lion hearted Shingirai Masakadza who used the over head conditions and changes of pace magnificently as he claimed a career best 4-46.

249 was always going to be a tall order on a bowler friendly wicket and losing the top three batsmen with just 15 runs on the board meant that Zimbabwe were always going to be hard pressed to get to a total of respectability and there is no doubt that some supporters would have had visions of another collapse similar to the first innings disaster of 51. However, Brendan Taylor continued his remarkable form against New Zealand as he passed 50 for the fourth consecutive time against New Zealand in one day international cricket before holding out to long on for a fluent 58, which included one of the biggest struck sixes seen at the ground.

But Taylor had no real support from the top and middle order as Tatenda Taibu got a start but then got out for 20 and when Malcolm Waller and Elton Chigumbura followed for 12 and 15 respectively, the writing was on the wall. Had it not been for Raymond Price who frustrated the black caps by scoring an unbeaten 26 batting at number 10, the visitor's total would have been appalling.

This was another disappointment for the men in red but one has to single out Shingirai Masakadza who's 'never say die' attitude along with a fierce desire to take wickets for his country shows that passion and pride are still a part of the team. One can only hope that the young man’s energy and enthusiasm will rub off on the rest of the team. It would also be well advised to seriously consider preparing pitches with more pace and bounce back home which will not only benefit and improve techniques of the countries batsmen, but will also encourage fast bowling instead of the flat and unresponsive pitches currently been used. It would be very disappointing to be in the same boat as teams from the sub-continent who thrive in their home conditions but more often than not flatter to deceive when going on tour. Full scorecard below the cut.
New Zealand 248 (48.3 overs; Guptill 70, S Masakadza 4/46), Zimbabwe 158 (41.1 overs; Taylor 58, Nicol 4/19). New Zealand win by 90 runs.
[Match report via ZC]

Tekken: Blood Vengeance

2012-02-06T08:00:00+00:00

Much as I've loved the various incarnations of the Tekken games over the years, there's always a certain amount of trepidation when a game gets a movie adaptation: the record for these things isn't good. Tekken: Blood Vengeance at least manages to avoid the worst of the game-to-anime pitfalls...

Coffee Samurai

2012-02-03T19:52:00+00:00

When an ancient samurai wished for an "indestructible steel body", I'm sure he had something like armour in mind. The appearance of a coffee vending machine was probably not high up his list of ideas. At least his new girlfriend won't lack for caffeine...

Senki Zessho Symphogear - First Thoughts

2012-02-03T00:02:32+00:00

Two years ago, signing idols Tsubasa Kazanari and Kanade Amo, collectively known as ZweiWing, fought against an alien race known as Noise when the creatures attacked a concert they were giving. To protect a girl named Hibiki Tachibana, who had been severely wounded in the attack, Kanade sacrificed her life, leaving Tsubasa to carry on the fight against the Noise alone. Back to the present day, and Hibiki again finds herself once again caught up in a Noise attack - and when she's backed into a corner by the aliens, she finds that she now possesses the powers that Kanade once had...

Unusually for a "First Thoughts" piece, I'm writing this with the first four episodes of the series under my belt, which perhaps gives me a more rounded view of it than I'd usually get. Although that really doesn't help it. With Tsubasa being the cold and aloof oneesan type, and Hibiki the reckless, just-wants-to-help newbie on the scene, there are no prizes for guessing that there ends up being a certain amount of conflict between the two leads - teamwork this isn't. Different from the usual magical girl formula, perhaps (and it is presented far more in the style of magical girls than a mecha / powered suit show, no matter what you might think from the screenshots), but far from appealing. In fact, the show that kept springing to mind as a point for comparison when I was watching this was Cyber Team in Akihabara - and that's not a good comparison.

There's a lot about the way this is presented that just feels a bit off. The suits are powered by song, so the girls are often shown singing while they fight - except that the songs feel competely detached from the action. The alien Noise are disappointingly cheap looking. There's a whole conspiracy where the military base that Tsubasa works for is hidden beneath the girls' school, but it's criminally underused. And apart from one or two scenes deliberately placed to get a reaction (a young girl crying "I don't want to die!" as the aliens catch as kill her, for example), the whole thing feels strangely lifeless.

THE GOOD: I'm struggling to think, to be honest. There are lots of elements here that should work together well, but they just aren't.

THE BAD: Pretty much all of it. The whole of Sypmhogear is somehow less than the sum of its parts, if you know what I mean.

Writing this up has kind of crystallised my feelings for the series, to be honest - I've been hum'ing and ha'ing for a few days about whether to bother with episode 5 whenever Nico Nico ever get around to posting it, but given what I've written above: it'll be going on the drop pile. There's just nothing here that's appealing.

Natsume Yujinchou San

2012-02-02T19:33:18+00:00

Natsume and his growing band of friends and youkai return for a third season of things supernatural, and this time around there's trouble of a more human variety on the horizon for him to deal with...

Zimbabwe Slump to Record Loss

2012-02-01T11:15:47+00:00

Zimbabwe recorded their largest-ever defeat in Tests against New Zealand at the weekend, losing by an innings and 301 runs on day three - after most of day two had been lost to rain. An innefectual bowling display allowed New Zealand to reach 495/7 before declaring early on day three; the hosts then went on to humiliate Zimbabwe by bowling them out twice in the remainder of the day, first for 51 in the first innings - a new Test low for Zimbabwe, "beating" the 54 they recorded against South Africa in their last away Test - and then for 143 in the second innings, where at least Regis Chakabva (63) discovered some fight to get the score into double-figures. Chris Martin led the bowling figures for New Zealand, taking a combined 8/31 in the match. A beaten and bruised Zimbabwe now move on to the ODI series, which starts at Dunedin on Friday. Full scorecard - which doesn't make for pretty reading - is below the cut.
New Zealand 495/7 decl (123.4 overs; Taylor 122, Watling 102*, Cremer 2/112), Zimbabwe 51 (28.5 overs; Waller 23, Martin 2/5) & 143 (f/o; 48.3 overs; Chakabva 63, Martin 6/26). New Zealand win by an innings and 301 runs.

Shakugan no Shana Final [Dropped]

2012-02-01T08:00:00+00:00

Sometimes you can't go back. I loved the first season of Shakugan no Shana, which seems many years ago now, but this "Final" instalment seems to have abandoned everything that made the original so good.

Amagami SS

2012-01-31T08:00:00+00:00

Another day, another dating sim adaptation, and Junichi Tachibana's got himself a small harem's worth of girls to choose from. Except that this time around, the series is set up in such a way that he doesn't have to choose. Lucky guy.