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nzherald.co.nz reporter Michael Dickison is gauging fan reaction from the third cricket one-day international between and Black Caps and Australia from Seddon Park.
20.49: Fans are leaving Seddon Park in droves, dejected, as Australia cruises toward victory.
Kelly and Michael, from Hamilton, were on their way out with 20
overs to go.
"Australia's going to win. We were injury depleted. But we'll get over it," Kelly said.
Stewart, from Tauranga, said he would stay till the end but had no hope.
"I feel dejected. It would be better if Australia weren't cruising along like they're going to win. They've always got an attitude, with arrogance. We had injuries. It's arrogance versus inexperience," he said.
Andrew Whelan, who was supervising a group from Hamilton's St Peter-Chanel school, said the dads were wanting to leave, but the kids were out playing cricket on the hill.
"They don't care about the time. We were hoping that they were going to be tired, but it's not happening soon enough."
The kids were probably playing out of sight so they would not have to go home, Mr Whelan said.
But with an intermission rendition of YMCA, the thousands still at Seddon Park got on their feet and danced. They danced when Australian captain Ricky Ponting was out as well.
"It's still a good day," Mr Whelan said - and the others agreed.
19.20: Police and Red Badge security are refusing to give any information about crowd control, but spectators are visibly heating up as the evening goes on.
A trio walked along the boundary fence egging spectators to chant and throw their bottles into the air.
Many obliged, and hundreds of bottles floated into the air - some onto the field. But the men walked off, muttering, "you guys are weak".
Aussie supporter "Boomerang Bob", meanwhile, is complaining that his "Go Australia" flag has been stolen.
"Bad sport, eh. They'll be sorry when we win," he said, by now highly intoxicated.
St John spokesman Craig Scott said there had been no more incidents since an incident previously reported, where a woman collapsed from exhaustion and had to be taken to hospital.
Some people were coming to St John officers with headaches asking for Panadol, Mr Scott said.
Security guards at beer booths say they have not yet turned anyone away for being too intoxicated - but at least a couple of people have been kicked out of the venue.
The biggest cheers came when a review ruled Shane Watson out. Crowds chanted, "out, out", and erupted when the decision was made.
18.10: Mass movement as New Zealand is all-out and players leave the field.
Everyone is up on their feet, for a stretch, or tiptoeing over piles of empty bottles, chairs, blankets and rubbish to get away.
Winding queues have formed out of all facilities, and the walkways and entrances are full of people.
Disappointment about the Black Caps' score is easily overcome by the common refrain - "it's just a good excuse to take a day off work and go on the piss".
Meanwhile, four Englishmen - Thomas Webster, James Jardine, Ralph Procter and Joe Tacchi - have shown up in op-shop frocks.
They thought droves of Kiwis would be turning up in fancy dress.
"The idea was we each take 15 bucks and buy each other outfits ... we've been given a lot of stick. We thought there would be more people in fancy outfits," said Mr Jardine.
As for the cricket, the group were supporting New Zealand, and thought they did well considering Brendon McCullum went out early, he said.
"Interesting cricket, but we were looking for the total experience. We just thought, 'when in Rome' ..."
When gathering for a photograph, people nearby commented the group should have no problem getting close together.
Another group sat by an impressive pile of empty bottles - but refused to take blame for it ("I'm a very respected person, and I shouldn't be seen right now...").
Hank, who denied any involvement in the graveyard of beer (though he did say "we're just warming up"), said the innings score was worrying. "We lost our way in the middle. We should have had more."
16.46: Mitchell Johnson may be attracting the most boos, but also the most requests for autographs. Among groups gathering behind him whenever he fields are throngs of boys reaching their hats out to be signed by Johnson.
He quickly signed as many as he could, picked up a boy's hat, and rushed back as play resumed.
Nearby, St John medical officers attended to a woman lying on the ground in a corner, a cup of chips strewn around her. She was carted away on a stretcher to an ambulance while, metres away, a television crew promoted a Lonestar Cafe prizegiving on the park's live screens.
At breaks queues build up for snacks and beer - and the most for loos, where more than 30 lined up to wait, impatiently, for a portable toilet to free up.
But with 15 at one site the park looks like it has enough capacity.
A security guard at the beer stall said the crowd had been tame so far - unlike rugby matches, where "they get pissed in 80 minutes". But "Gunner", from near Whakatane, boasted he was on to his fourth four-pack and was still "just warming up". The original plan was to drive back after the game, but that was not going to happen, he said.
15.56: More than 24,000 bottles of beer and 3000 hotdogs - plus gallons of cooking oil, and teams of cooks for corporate catering - have been brought in for the occasion.
Hape Williams, a fast food stall's manager, said the turnout was the best he had seen at the park - "well, it's Australia".
People were well-behaved so far, "but they're not drunk yet", Mr Williams said.
A supervisor of the day's beer supply, Darrel Hadley, said a whole container had been prepared for the crowd.
Each person can only buy four at a time - and this could be reduced to two later in the day if police and New Zealand Cricket request a change, he said.
Beer provided is Speight's Summit Lager in plastic bottles.
15.31: Police have already had to throw a man out as the grass banks at Seddon Park fill up completely.
Police refused to comment, but people nearby said the man had been warned repeatedly for being loud and drunk.
Organisers said that including the corporate boxes, there were now 12,000 in the park.
Melbourne man "Boomerang Bob" is trying to get crowd reaction by waving a banner reading, "Go Australia".
"People have been shit, but I'm pretty confident we [Australia] are going to win so it doesn't really matter," he said.
But after waving his flag for five minutes, and the crowd mostly ignoring him, he sat down again.
From Rotorua, Jimmy stood at the back with a beer but promised he would soon be heading down to the boundary to taunt Australian players.
"It's brilliant. It's a good opportunity to get four hours to abuse Aussies," he said.
"It's a game of two halves. I will get down there later."
Dennis Wallace, from Matamata, sat with his 2-year-old grandson Ashton. It was Ashton's second time at a cricket match, Mr Wallace said.
As for the Black Caps, there were not doing too well, but he was not worried.
"They'll be alright. Once Styris comes on, they'll be good."
14.38: Australia's Mitchell Johnson - who was fined for headbutting Scott Styris in the first ODI - has attracted a small crowd behind him as he fields near the boundary.
The crowd jeers whenever he fields a ball, and an extra security officer has come to stand behind Johnson.
Taunts include: "What were you trying to do? Make out with Styris?" - a reference to Johnson's timid headbutt last week.
