Story England...... 2004 onwards....

[S_Harmison]

First off all ill just let you know that there will be no screenshots included in this diary, this is because i have the PS2 versio of the game and therefore cant post them, but please dont overlook this diary because of this fact as it should be really good.

I decided not to limit myself to a certain test match or tournamnet because i want to see how far i can take the england cricket squad, i want too see new talent comming through and existing talent improving, maturing and becoming great.

Englands first hurdle of 2004 comes in the shape of the Kiwis, England will take part in a 3 match test series agant the New Zealanders during February, They should prove a good test of character for the england boys and there new captain Micheal Vaughan.

The Engand squad for the test series looks like this;

S Harmison
M Hoggard
I Blackwell
M Butcher
A Caddick
N Hussain
G Jones
A Flintoff
A Giles
S Jones
M Saggers
R Sidebottom
A Strauss
G Thorpe
M Trescothick
M Vaughan
D Gough
D Cork
P Collingwood
G Batty

The New Zealanders have brought over;

S Fleming
M Sinclair
N Astle
S Bond
C Cairns
C Harris
B McCullum
C McMillain
I Butler
J Oram
K Mills
S Styris
S Tuffey
D Vettori
C Vincent
C Navin
R Hart
M Horne
P Wiseman
M Richardson

The three matches will be played on home grounds;

February 1st - The Oval
February 6th - Lords
February 11th - Headingly

All live covarage will be shown on Sky Sports 1 but come allong if you can and cheer the lads on!

 

[m_vaughan]

looking forward to it mate!!

 

[m_vaughan]

I decided not to limit myself to a certain test match or tournamnet because i want to see how far i can take the england cricket squad, i want too see new talent comming through and existing talent improving, maturing and becoming great.

yup. even i have been doing dat.

 

[S_Harmison]

England arrive at a great pitch today as they visit The Oval in their Test Series against New Zealand, Sky Sports managed to catch up with Durham quickie Steve Harmison as he arrived at the ground.

Sky Sports: Steve, how do you rate your chances against a very strong New Zealand squad here today?

Harmison: Well i havent seen the actual team they will be putting out but i think we can give them a good match today and for the rest of the series.

Sky Sports: Is it true that you strained a muscle during net practise a few days ago?


Harmison: No no, definitely not, everything is in great working order.

Sky Sports: What will englands game plan be for todays match?

Harmison: Well i cant speak for the team but i will be looking to take a few early wickets and restrict the run rate of the opening batsman, ive played here before and know the pitch pretty well so i should have a good spell bowling today.

Sky Sports: Steve thanks for talking to us.

Harmison: Pleasure.

After that interview with Englands fast bowler we cut to a view of the pitch up close and a voice over:

Voiceover: A nice picth here at The Oval today, a tinge of green will help the early bowlers get a bit of movement but overall a batting pitch, Nice sunny day today with no chance of rain and a mild temperate, whoever wins the toss will be batting first i expect.

England:

1) Micheal Vaughan (c)
2) Marcus Trescothick
3) Graham Thorpe
4) Andrew Strauss
5) Andrew Flintoff
6) Geraint Jones (wk)
7) Paul Collingwood
8) Ashly Giles
9) Steve Harmison (1)
10) Simon Jones (2)
11) Matthew Hoggard

New Zealand:

1) Mark Richardson
2) Lou Vincent
3) Steven Fleming
4) Nathan Astle
5) Craig McMillain
6) Scott Styris
7) Chris Cairns
8) Robbie Hart
9) Daniel Vettori
10) Daryll Tuffey
11) Shane Bond

The toss is taken and New Zealand win it but bizzarely choose to bowl first, England will be looking to make a good high total in their first innings against the Kiwis,

Sky Sports cuts to a break... All the action and the first ball when we come back!

 

[S_Harmison]

Welcome back to what should be a great day of cricket, Englands opening batsmen follow the umpires out onto the pitch and the New Zealanders follow, they will be fielding first againt Micheal Vaughan and Marcus Tresothick, both experienced and able batsmen.

England get of to a disastarous start losing there two opening batsmen in quick succesion.

Micheal Vaughan edged a wide ball to Daniel Vetroi at 3rd slip and went for only 5, the Bowler was Shane Bond.

Marcus Trescothick followed on 12 as he edged another ball from bond onto the middle stump which flew out of the ground.

Strauss and Flintoff couldnt get anything going and were both run our for 8 and 3.

Jones and Thorpe brought the 50 up for england before Thorpe completley misread a faster ball from Bond which took out his off stump, he went for 35.

Jones edged to Astle in the slips for 12, the bowler was Styris.

Things werent looking good for england when Giles arrived at the crease, Styris clean bowled him first ball....

Englands saviors, Harmison (7) and Collingwood (18) were at the crease as England reached 100/7

Collingwood hit the first six of the series which was quickly followed by a hatrick of six's by Harmison and a few balls later another six came form Collingwood, the supertrooper lower order batsmen were on fire.

Collingwood reached his Half Century from 28 balls with 5 fours and 2 six's. This was quickly followed by another six.

Collingwood was dropped on 58 by Astle on deep cover, it was an easy catch which slipped out of his hand.

Harmison was caught at Long On by Tuffey, bowled by Cairns, he went for 35.

The Harmison - Collingwood partnership was broken on 93 runs.

Collingwood and Jones both get more Six's to their name beofre Jones is caught on 12 by Vettori in the slips, bowled by Tuffey.

Hoggard smashes his first ball for 6 and it goes into the stand but gets a dodgy LBW shout against him from Vettori on is second, he goes for 6.

Englands First Innings: 192 All Out. Collingwood 64 Not Out.

England fell apart there but were held together at the seam by a great Collingwood - Harmison Partnership, not a high total for New Zealand to chase but we remain optimistic.

 

[S_Harmison]

After an abismall first innings by England, New Zealand are chasing a total of 192 and an eager Steve Harmison is warming up on the pitch as the rest of the team comes out to applause, the New Zealand openers stretch at the crease and there first innings get underway.

An over enthusiastic Harmison pelts a high speed delivery down the leg side and the first ball of the innings goes for 4 byes.

Ashley Giles is brought into the attack to great effect as he bowls Vincent out for a duck, pitch on the leg side the ball is left by the batsmen but cuts back in and takes leg stump.

Giles takes his second wicket a few overs later, an LBW shout against Fleming, pitched on the left hand side of the line and starighted up into the pads. The Kiwis two opening batsmen go for ducks.

New Zealand 6/2

Giles takes a third wicket, a full pitch leg spinner which took an inside edge to the wicket keeper. Richardson goes for 3.

Nathan Astle goes for a duck, Hoggard with a nice line and length is edge to Thorpe at third slip.

New Zealand 9/4

McMillain smashes Ashley Giles' leggy for a one bounce boundry, The New Zealanders first four of the series.

Giles strikes again, pitched wide leg side again, spun in and hits leg stump, Styris goes for 1.

New Zealand 20/5

Giles takes another leg side pitched wicket, batsman goes for a sweep and it top edges to Geraint Jones behind the stumps. McMillai goes for 9.

New Zealand 27/6

Giles takes his sixth wicket of the innings, a mean leg spinner which is edged to the slips, Cairns goes for 7.

New Zealand 34/7

New batsman Daniel Vettori is dropped in the slips on 0 from Harmison.

Giles gets him next over though and takes his seventh wicket, edged to Jones on 0.

Captain Micheal Vaughan makes up for his poor batting performance by taking a wikcet of his own, Hart gets caught LBW by Vaughans off spin, he goes for 2.

Giles rounds of the innings with Bond going for a Golden First Ball Duck and New Zealand finish on a terrible 34 All out.

New Zealands First Innings: 34 All Out

England look favourites after an excellent display of spin bowling on a non responsive pitch.

 

[m_vaughan]

34 all out??

 

[S_Harmison]

England arrive for the second day here at The Oval and Sky Sports coverage starts with Ashley Giles being interviewed on his great display yesterday.

Sky Sports: Ashley, you werent very confident at the crease yesterday as you were bowled first ball but you made up for it by taking an extraordinary eight wickets on a seamer friendly Oval pitch, what are your feelings on the subject?

Giles: Yea, being bowled first ball wasnt a clever thing to do at all, especially the ball that did me, i really don know what came over me but i made up for it with a strong bowling performance.

Sky Sports: The fielding was of a high standard yesterday also, do you think this influenced you at all?

Giles: To a certain extent yes but i was just concentrating on genrating spin and pitching into the right areas, Geraint Jones played well yesterday and the slips were also performing to a high quality.

Sky Sports: What will Englands game plan be at the crease today?

Giles: Well Yesterday we gave away to many soft wicket by attacking the straight ball or being run out, we will be concentrating more on getting in before we start to play our shots, we wont be blasting away form the start thats for sure.

Sky Sports: Well Ashley thanks for talking to us, have a good game.

Giles: Thanks.


The pitch has firmed up more sinse yesterday and will be more spinner friendly so i dread to think what havok Ashely Giles will be wreaking today, he will be leading the attack no doubt with a high pace bowler, either Steve Harmison or Simon Jones supporting.

Englands two openers make thier way onto the pitch for their second innings followed by the fielding New Zealanders.

In contradiction to what Ashley Giles said earlier Micheal Vaughan smashes a four from the first ball and is consiquently edged to the slips on 6, caught by Fleming bowled by Bond.

Thorpe smashes his first ball for 4 and is then edged to Fleming on 8, bowled again by Bond.

Strauss takes tings slowly but misjudges a bouncer from Bond and is caught by Vettori and goes for 9.

England 26/3

Flintoff goes first ball, Edged to Fleimg by Bond.

Jones hooks his first and seconds balls for six.

Trescothick comes back into the crease for the first time sinse the second over and is ran out for 3.

Collingwood cant repeat his magic in the seccond innings as he is clean bolwed by Bond on his first ball.

Jones hits two more six's and brings up the 50 for england.

England 54/6

Jones is then run out for 30

55/7

Harmison goes for 0 on his first ball by Bond, he is caught LBW.

Styris gives away 4 byes.

Giles is caught on 6 By Vettori, bowled by Tuffey.

Englands innings end as Hoggard goes for a first ball duck, he is caught by Fleming, bowled by Tuffey.

Englands Second Innings: 70 All out.

New Zealand Chase: 229 in second Innings.

England were bowled out for a very low total but still make an aggragate score of 229.

 

[S_Harmison]

Originally posted by m_vaughan
34 all out??

I know, i couldnt really belive it either, not in a test match, i didnt really understand how Giles was getting the spin but hey...

 

[S_Harmison]

New Zealands seconds Innings are about to begin and they chase a relavtively low total of 229 but if they perform like they did in there first Innings then they might struggle.

Vincent (11) and Richardson (27) make a partnership of 38 before Harmison pace seaming gets the better of Vincent who clips a bouncer and Jones behind the stumps takes a simple catch to dismiss him.

New Zealand 38/1

Richardson follows soon after on 36 as he inside edges a Hoggard fast ball into his stumps, he looks disapointigly at the mess he has made and then leaves to make way for Nathan Astle.

New Zealand 49/2

Astle only makes 19 as he edges to Thorpe at third slip from Harmison who takes his second wicket.

New Zealand 70/3

Fleming is next to go on 4 as a Harmison yorker goes through his defense to uproot middle stump.

New Zealand 70/4

McMillain (20) and Styris (11) are at the crease as the New Zealanders make 101

New Zealand 101/4

McMillain goes for 31, Giles catches him LBW with a lovely inswinging leg spinner.

New Zealand 112/5

Styris makes 54 before being stumped by Jones as Giles decieves him into playing a front foot sweep, the ball spins away from him and Jones takes his wickets.

New Zealand 155/6

Cairns (5) and Hart (17) are both decieved by Giles' spinning abilitys and he clean bowls both of them

New Zealand 177/8

Vettori only manages to make 20 as he is caught on the boundary by Jones off Harmison.

New Zealand 197/9

Tuffey (6) and Bond (9) made a partnership of 15 runs which took the New Zealand total up to 212 before Bond edged a Hoggard ball onto his middle stump which was uprooted and brought the match to and end.

New Zealands Second Innings: 212 All Out

New Zealand Needed: 229

England won by 17 runs.

Sky Sports catches up with Matthew Hoggard as he leaves the picth:

Sky Sports: Matthew, a tough test today but England came through it to win the match, you contibuted 6 runs and 3 wickets to Englands overall performance, how confident do you fell going into the second match?

Hoggard: I think we'll just be going into it with the same confidence as this one really, obviously it was a boost for us to have won but we are a pretty level headed team and we wont let it go to our heads.

Sky Sports: If you win the next match you could win the Series, do you think that there is a posibility that the Kiwis could pull one over on you?

Hoggard: Defininately so, in cricket anything can happen so its a possibility yes but saying that they may have another abismal innings and go for a very low score or have a dreadfull days bowling so were remaining optimistic on the matter.

Sky Sports: Well Matthew thanks for talking to us and good luck for February 6th.

Hoggard: Thanks, bye.


Well England have scraped victory here thanks to a great bowling lineup but i feel that we need to stop people going for ducks and low scores in the next match. First Match figures up later.

 

[S_Harmison]

England Vs New Zealand - The Oval - February 1st - 2nd - 3rd

Batting Figures:

England:

~~~~~~~~Runs Per Innings~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~1st 2nd Total~~~~~~~
M Vaughan:.......5 6 11
M Trescothick....12 3 15
G Thorpe...........35 8 43
A Strauss...........8 9 17
A Flintoff............3 0 3
G Jones.............12 30 42
P Collingwod......64 0 64
A Giles...............0 6 6
S Harmison.......35 0 35
S Jones.............12 7 19
M Hoggard.........6 0 6


New Zealand:

~~~~~~~~Runs Per Innings~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~1st 2nd Total~~~~~~
M Richardson......3 36 39
L Vincent............0 11 11
S Fleming...........0 4 4
N Astle...............3 19 22
C McMillain.........9 31 40
S Styris..............1 54 55
C Cairns............7 5 12
R Hart................2 17 19
D Vettori............0 20 20
D Tuffey.............3 6 9
S Bond...............0 9 9


Bowling Figures:

England:

~~~~~~~~Wickets Per Innings~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~1st 2nd Total~~~~~~~~
M Vaughan:........1 0 1
M Trescothick......0 0 0
G Thorpe............0 0 0
A Strauss...........0 0 0
A Flintoff............0 0 0
G Jones.............0 0 0
P Collingwod.....0 0 0
A Giles...............8 4 12
S Harmison........0 4 4
S Jones..............0 0 0
M Hoggard.........1 2 3


New Zealand:

~~~~~~~Wickets Per Innings~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~1st 2nd Total~~~~~
M Richardson......0 0 0
L Vincent............0 0 0
S Fleming...........0 0 0
N Astle...............0 0 0
C McMillain.........0 0 0
S Styris..............2 0 2
C Cairns............1 0 1
R Hart................0 0 0
D Vettori............1 0 1
D Tuffey.............1 2 3
S Bond..............3 6 9

 

[m_vaughan]

good work mate!

 

[duffarama]

Yes, I like the commentary.

 

[S_Harmison]

i decided to stop this diary and do an ashes tour in australias because i was playing on medium not hard and was bowking them out too easilly so look forward to my upcomming ashes tour.