England in New Zealand

[Sureshot]

He's not scored a hundred in 28 innings. That's his chance KP.

Awful dismissal. Well outside his body and well in front of his body.

Having watched the highlights i was impressed by Ambrose. Not the smoothest innings, nice and aggressive though. Strong cutter of the ball, though the bowlers did like to put it in wide to him.

Aim for tomorrow is 400. Another over is an advantage.

 

[lancashire666]

strauss shouldnt be in the team! he was dropped for the tour of sri lanka because of poor form, hasnt played any meaningful cricket between that tour and this one (even harmison buggered off to south africa to get a couple of games, strauss sat on his arse and became a sky TV pundit!!!!)
so if his form wasnt good for sri lanka it shouldnt be good enought for new zealand! the fact that they think it is shows a total lack of respect for new zealand thinking that playng with 2 half cooked players in harmy and strauss would be good for a win! we has a very good opening session, but when both openers went KP was under hugh pressure because he would get a single off the 1st or 2nd ball of an over then watch strauss defend the next 4 and he wouldnt get much strike and the run rate was around 1 an over at that time! i thought KP would get out befour strauss by trying to play a big shot of some kind due to the pressure he was under playing with someone totally out of form, i was actually a little bit happy when strauss played a ball about 3 miles in front of his body and got out as i thought bell would do well, i was very wrong.

well done ambrose, hope he gets his 1st ton tomorrow morning, lets hope a early ton in his test career dosnt mean he will start dropping simple catches like prior did.

and also gotta say, i was disapointed one of the openers didnt go on and get a good score, but cant complain about vaughan getting out, it was a great ball from mills, a total jaffa

 

[King Pietersen]

strauss shouldnt be in the team! he was dropped for the tour of sri lanka because of poor form, hasnt played any meaningful cricket between that tour and this one (even harmison buggered off to south africa to get a couple of games, strauss sat on his arse and became a sky TV pundit!!!!)
so if his form wasnt good for sri lanka it shouldnt be good enought for new zealand! the fact that they think it is shows a total lack of respect for new zealand

Haha, you're an idiot. Strauss played more Cricket than Harmison between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Strauss played a whole heap of games for Central Districts making a hundred in the last game of his Central Districts spell, proving that he is on form. Yes, Strauss's shot was very poor and he should have done better in the past 2 innings but he looked very good in his first innings of the series making 43 from 130 balls, he did aswell as anyone in that first innings and in my eyes deserves his place on the tour. Also, Strauss may not have made a 100 in a while but he's had scores of 96, 77, 54, 43, 55, 50 and apart from the 43, those scores were all when he was in the worst form of his life. Seriously, just give the bloke a chance, he averages just under 40 in Test Cricket, that proves his talent, he will come good.

 

[Leicester Fox]

Good knock by Ambrose and we might finally be seeing a century from an Englishman. Sad that we're relying upon the keeper for runs again. The top order failed again, I don't know what makes them think they can keep getting away with it because any other side in the world would have made changes by now but we still think they deserve their places. I can't believe there isn't a batsmen in England who wouldn't be able to perform better than these lot are. Maybe Prior in as a batsmen! Don't expect runs from Broad tomorrow either, he didn't get any in hif first few ODI innings and it will take him a few to adjust imo. Anyway why aren't we batting Bell at 6, he's a machine there and it will let Colly bat where he normally bats.

Carberry should be in this summer for sure, he's someone who I would actually feel comfortable with opening. Anyone know if he's agressive or boring? I feel we ned some agression at the top like we had with Tres.

 

[Animator!]

Right my take on the whole days proceedings.

Vettori made the wrong call at the toss, not that it really mattered with how we batted. But having read reports that Vettori made his mind up having seen the pitch the day before whilst it was green.

Vaughan and Cook at least started well. Gave us a good base to start from. Vaughan got an absolute jaffa but looked as class as always, so I'm hoping he gets that breakthrough innings soon which I have no doubt he will. Cook just had a go at defending one he didn't need to but he's still young, learning and has a big future.

Strauss' was absolutely dreadful. Awful shot at an awful time. He should have gone out with more responsibility to make sure that we didn't lose another wicket quickly. Poor all round really.

Bell got a good ball, I suppose. It was a case of sometimes you hit them for four and sometimes you nick them and it's just the nature of the game. I was very disappointed with KP. He seemed to get sucked into this little battle with Gillespe in which KP's ego gave it up. He just seemed to want to get after Gillespie too much after the couple of short balls and ended up driving at a ball he shouldn't have. It's time for a big score, or at least something to suggest he still has plunged in form.

Collingwood and Ambrose were both fantastic. As much as I don't like watching Collingwood because he is inevitably boring in Tests because he's a grafter at six but he does a good job for us. Very valuable. Ambrose batted well again today, not without fault and could have been out once or twice but he's still there and he scored runs. We looked totally different when he came out and forced the issue rather than letting the bowlers bowl. So long as he manages to keep up a tidyness with the gloves he looks to have the batting nouse required.

Hopefully Ambrose can go on and get this ton, hopefully a ton twenty or thirty. I'm expecting Collingwood to go on to get a ton as well, whilst Broady will also hopefully chip in with a few runs.

 

[Steve Moore]

I think we need to see 1 of these 2 make a huge ton, 180-200 today

 

[lancashire666]

Haha, you're an idiot. Strauss played more Cricket than Harmison between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Strauss played a whole heap of games for Central Districts making a hundred in the last game of his Central Districts spell, proving that he is on form. Yes, Strauss's shot was very poor and he should have done better in the past 2 innings but he looked very good in his first innings of the series making 43 from 130 balls, he did aswell as anyone in that first innings and in my eyes deserves his place on the tour. Also, Strauss may not have made a 100 in a while but he's had scores of 96, 77, 54, 43, 55, 50 and apart from the 43, those scores were all when he was in the worst form of his life. Seriously, just give the bloke a chance, he averages just under 40 in Test Cricket, that proves his talent, he will come good.

right back at you

info from ckicketarchive.com

16 players appeared in First-Class matches for CentralDistricts in 2007/08:
GEF Barnett; BJ Diamanti; BBJ Griggs; GR Hay; BE Hefford; PJ Ingram; TI Lythe; MJ McClenaghan; EJ McInnis; KD Richards; RJ Schaw; RR Sherlock; MS Sinclair; EP Thompson; TI Weston; GH Worker.

as far as i know strauss didnt play ANY first class cricket between the sri lanka and new zealand tour, he has also NEVER played for central districts! he did however play 5 Liast A matches for Northern Districts in which he had an average of only 35.80 and 6 T20 games which he has a low average of 20.33, and only once did he pass 50 in thoses matches 11 matches, not excatly great form really.

so in conclusion, strauss hasnt played any MEANINGFUL cricket between the 2 tours, he should of been playing first class cricket somewhere like harmison did, but he chose not to

so in your words

haha, you're an idiot

 

[King Pietersen]

Central Districts, Northern Districts, same difference . Sorry about the idiot comment, me=pwned.

 

[Will_NA]

Red Light District capitulates them all.

I was pretty darn happy with the start. Vaughan got a literally perfect delivery. Cook fended at one he shouldn't have and so did Bell. KP's ego did get the best of him with Gillespie but I wouldn't have it any other way. We wanted him to be at is atacking best and that's what happens when he is.

Strauss drive was poor and he still did not look comfortable driving. Even when he got a 4 down the ground, he looked slightly off balance. I'm actually looking forward to Broad and Jimmy's partnership.

Anderson's been unfairly written off in my eyes. He was by far and away our best bowler against India and bowled well in Sri Lanka. He has got the talent.

I feel asleep at the fall of the 5th wicket so I didn't see Ambrose bat but I'm glad he took the attack to the bowlers. Overall, England's day and they've done especially well after being 130 odd for 5. I expected to wake up and see NZ with a 50-run lead.

 

[irottev]

Strauss got a hundred in the warm up game. Why wouldn't they have picked him?

KP got a good ball from Gillespie, it seams in and took the top of off-stump. Credit to the bowler. Pietersen was well and truly done.

I just realized why Ambrose is playing well against us. Because he's an Australian.

 

[Leicester Fox]

100! Lucky, Oram had im in all sorts but oh well, a century from an Englishman, best enjoy the moment because they're so rare.

 

[irottev]

From an Englishman? He's an Aussie!

Apparently he left Australia because of Gilchrist and Haddin. He must have been really serious about playing cricket.

 

[Leicester Fox]

He's English coz he play for Ingurland, and he just got out, an Aussie would have gone on to get 200.

 

[Sureshot]

Strauss got a hundred in the warm up game. Why wouldn't they have picked him?

KP got a good ball from Gillespie, it seams in and took the top of off-stump. Credit to the bowler. Pietersen was well and truly done.

I just realized why Ambrose is playing well against us. Because he's an Australian.

I think the problem is still revolved around the fact Strauss was picked for this tour in the first place. He didn't do much for Northern District in the (one-day and T20) games he played in, did he? He still has the technical flaws, and I think if anyone uses their nous they would get him out. Because as a captain Vettori has 3 areas to work on with Strauss. The big problem is still the fact that he didn't really do much to prove his worth to the team after he was dropped.

A shame about Ambrose, but he did really and got the three figures. It's a much better test wicket. Something in it for bowlers and for the batters. Sidebottom could be lethal on here. You'd hope Anderson would get something out of it too.

 

[Leicester Fox]

Broad out, told you not to expect any runs from him. He's a man for pressured situations anyway, don't think he really knew what to do. I want to see us smash a few guick runs because Collys with the tail and get some bowling in before I go to bed.