NZ happy by winning a test against Aussies

New Zealand celebrated "an early Christmas" Tuesday with

front-page media praise for a rare cricket victory over Australia and disbelief that chief wicket taker Doug Bracewell was not man of the match.

"Ho Ho Hobart, Christmas cheer for Black Caps", trumpeted The Press, the New Zealand Herald hailed "Doug the destroyer, six of the best" and the Dominion Post described Bracewell as the "Wizard of Oz".

The New Zealand Black Caps had been largely written off by their own fans following their nine-wicket thrashing in the first Test which extended a 26-year winless run in Australia.

But the dramatic seven-run win in the second Test in Hobart to level the series spun the sentiment around.

Captain Ross Taylor's remark that the historic win "was for the New Zealand public an early Christmas present" was pounced on by the media as the victory slogan."Christmas cheer for Black Caps," said The Press as Radio New Zealand rated the drought-breaking win as "one of the most remarkable" in New Zealand's cricket history".


Bracewell struck when New Zealand were on the ropes with Australia only requiring 82 runs with eight wickets in hand to take the match. Three wickets in 15 balls to remove Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey on his way to match figures of 6-40 thrust the 21-year-old speedster into the limelight in only his third Test.


The Press hailed him as a "budding superstar" and the Dominion Post said the match turned on Bracewell's "magical spell" to secure New Zealand's first triumph in Australia since 1985 when Richard Hadlee was in his prime. "The result doesn't suddenly make New Zealand world beaters. But it does show what is possible with skill, perseverance and heart," wrote Herald columnist David Leggat.

But the celebrations carried criticism that match-winner Bracewell was overlooked as man-of-the-match in favour of Australian century-maker David Warner. The award was decided by a public phone-in vote instead if the traditional selection by a panel of experts and 60 percent voted for Warner. "That's just ridiculous," tweeted former Black Iain O'Brien comparing a century for the losing side against a six-wicket bag for the winning team. Another former international Andre Adams added a touch of sarcasm with his tweet saying he supposed "Doug's spell of 6-26 off 9 didn't have any impact".

New Zealand should improve themselves: Ross Taylor

Skipper Ross Taylor said Sunday well-beaten New Zealand had to work harder to be competitive against Australia to save the two-Test series in Hobart later this week.
The abject Black Caps were routed for 150 in their second innings and trounced by nine wickets in the first Gabba Test inside four days with debutant James Pattinson giving a man-of-the-match performance with five for 27.
It was a poor showing by the eighth-ranked Kiwis, spilling crucial catches to allow Australia to score 427 in the first innings and then capitulating before the pace onslaught of 21-year-old Pattinson.

The Kiwis have to quickly regroup ahead of Friday's second and final Test of the trans-Tasman series at Hobart's Bellerive Oval, if they are to return home with any positives ahead of their next series against Zimbabwe next month.
"You've got to give credit to James Pattinson, he put the ball in the right areas enough times for us to nick it," Taylor said.
"But we've still got to be harder on ourselves as a batting unit. Not only this morning but on the first day there were some soft dismissals and Australia didn't have to work that hard for their wickets."
Taylor, who had a poor match with scores of 14 and a first-ball duck, said before the start of Sunday's play his team still felt they were in the contest at 10 for one.
"We've just got to be harder on ourselves. We know Australia are going to come at us hard again in Tasmania. We need to play a lot better than we played today," he said.
Of his own form, Taylor said: "It's a lot easier as captain. When you're a player you can probably go a little bit insular, but as a captain you've got to lead from the front.
"This is not going to be the last Test match that I don't score any runs in.
"I've been in this situation before, you still need to back yourself. There's another Test match and we're not out of this series, we can still draw it."
After the loss, the Black Caps said they had added seamer Brent Arnel to their squad.
"We feel it's important to add a bit of bowling depth," coach John Wright said. "Brent has been bowling well at home and offers us another seam option.
"The conditions in Hobart are likely to be slower so he comes into the frame."