England in New Zealand

[irottev]

I suppose you've been vindicated by today's proceedings. I think what we saw earlier was not a bowler's wicket, not a batsman's wicket, but simply a fair and proper Test wicket, instead of something slow and flat. At its best the surface has zipped off a good length and there has been plenty of swing. The batting was bad, but more specifically, unaccountable. Batsmen who realised they didn't need to swing at every ball made more runs and at a sound rate.

Yep, i've been right all along. I'm always right though, so that's nothing new.

If this isn't a bating paradise then I don't know what is? Beautiful conditions too. Best day to bat by far.

 

[irottev]

Oh well, at least Fleming can go out and bat with freedom

Ambrose should really have been out there, but I can understand him getting the benefit. Wickets are really irrelevant anyway. Run-out ruler said he was out of ground just, but I don't think the umpire is allowed to use that.

 

[Themer]

Well Done England finally a batting performance to be proud of. Brilliant knock (173*) by Strauss some thing i wasn't expecting, saved his England career too.

 

[barmyarmy]

Bit strange watching how conservatively England were batting - I'd have liked to have seen us have 30 mins at NZ before the close. There's no way NZ would get 450, nor 500, let alone 550!
If weather intervenes or NZ are able to use the time to bat out a draw, some serious questions will have to be asked about the way England batted in that final session.
Anyhow congrats Strauss and they should now be able to tie up the series tomorrow or Wednesday.

 

[vaibhav mehta]

Tomorrow for Sure...
Anyway Two days will be Enough to wind up the Things...There won't be any Predicted rain in weather so no worries...
Strauss well Now I can bet on that guy for Upcoming series against South Africa..Thats called character when You desperate to perform no power of World can Stop you..
Thanks to whole England team after disappointing ODI series they have given something to cheer for us..

 

[cheese]

Bit strange watching how conservatively England were batting - I'd have liked to have seen us have 30 mins at NZ before the close. There's no way NZ would get 450, nor 500, let alone 550!
If weather intervenes or NZ are able to use the time to bat out a draw, some serious questions will have to be asked about the way England batted in that final session.
Anyhow congrats Strauss and they should now be able to tie up the series tomorrow or Wednesday.

Um, you guys won't need 2 days, just 2 hours (or 1 session).


CONGRATS ENGLAND!!!!!!!!! Your top order batsmen justified their averages and batted like a champ!

As for us......

Well, let's start pretending we are in the selection and coaching panel and do some post-mortem of where this side is.

Before England arrived, we were down in the dumps, lifted ourselves up a little bit from Tigers.

Ross Taylor was a 50 50, murmurs around a boy named Jesse, and a kid named Southee.

After one dayers, we were estactic, and took that confidence into test mode and batted like a champ to get 470. Since then we haven't passed 200 in the first innings of the next two test matches.

Positives?

Ross Taylor went from just an ODI player, to a permanent fixture like a Fleming in the top 4 batting lineup. Hell with first slip catches like that today, he'll take over Fleming's spot.

Southee booked himself a plane to England with the way he bowled (natural swing). 5-55 on a flat deck isn't bad. He'll enjoy English conditions even more, as they are conducive to swing.

Matthew Bell and Matthew Sinclair, get the f**k out.

Fleming retires, and we'll look forward to the new dawn of NZ batting woes which started since the 90s and never really recovered. Have we found a young batting lineup worthy of us keeping faith?

Ranking of the young guns for the future:

1. Ross Taylor
2. Jamie How
3. Brendan McCullum
4. Jesse Ryder - OH WHY??
-----------------------------

That's about it really.

What about you guys? What did you think will happen in the tour ahead. I'm going to try and stay up and watch the test matches, and reverse my work-time, since I work at home.

Another thing I would like to raise, should we think harder about dropping Vettori from the test lineup altogether? He's there to spin sides out and so far this series, he's got wow, 6 wickets from 6 innings. Hardly a world beater. If you say he's there to bat I'll slap you hard.

Chris Martin hasn't been that fantastic either, he's supposed to be our main strike bowler, yet a 125 km/hr average Mills took over that mantle. Martin for a strike bowler, against a brittle batting lineup, didn't get us enough wickets. Not even close to Sidebottom, whom he's matched up against.

I would like to see Southee develop the same unplayable outswinger stock delivery like Hadlee did late in his career as his wicket taking delivery. Still a bit inconsistent, but hey, asking too much now. Glad to see him bowl as much as he did though. Great learning xp.

 

[vaibhav mehta]

Fine post Leslie..Well done..But I don't think Anyhow you can rate R Taylor more than J How...
I really think that J How and Ryder are potentially strong then R Taylor...As J How has done one of the Strongest Come back..Ryder looks set for Future..
In comparison to both I think Talor has got Enough Chance..I am not saying Taylor is bad player but I think NZ will except more From other two in Future.

 

[Sureshot]

Possibly not. It's a shame Fleming is sick though. Not a nice way to finish your test career. Maybe batting at 7 (presuming he's well enough to bat) will give him total freedom and he can belt it around a bit and get that 40 average.

I think this game is all-over-rover. This can go down as 'that test match we lost in 1 session.'

And Sureshot, glad you finally agree with me about it being a batters pitch. It must be for Strauss to get some runs on it right?

My atheistic god is working wonders! I shall appease him by not praying!

Yep, i've been right all along. I'm always right though, so that's nothing new.

If this isn't a bating paradise then I don't know what is? Beautiful conditions too. Best day to bat by far.

It's a batting paradise when the sun is out. On days 1&2 it was a good surface, but it wasn't a paradise. If I remember rightly doesn't Napier often do this? Get better to bat on as the test progresses? It's not easy to judge given how day 3 was sunshine all the time and days 1&2 was cloudy most of the time.

I also have to say I was wrong on Bell about his performances. Congrats to him on his 1st test century in the 2nd innings. I had a good scour over his record and I'm not sure how I came to that conclusion.

So tonight's plan is, Strauss get to 200, then declare?

On Strauss, despite this innings, I'm still not convinced. If I had a good attack - like the one SA will bring with them this summer - I'd be disappointed if I couldn't get Strauss out before he gets to 50. This may be harsh, but a score on a track like that - even a double ton - doesn't allay my fears about the many technical flaws to his batting.

 

[Skater]

Strauss must have earned himself a crack at New Zealand again in May, surely. I have been very pro-Strauss since this slump began, as I feel he has what it takes and has done it before, unlike Harmison who can only do it on pitches that suit him. Strauss today reminded me of that 100 in 2005. It was against Australia, who obviously have a good attack!

 

[barmyarmy]

Apparently all this "playing for places" talk about NZ is rubbish. It seems that the squad for the England tour has been selected already and Bell and Sinclair are in.

 

[usy]

Paul Collingwoods test bowling average has dropped dramatically lately. He is just such a valuable player.

Last 8 bowling innings.
57.4 overs
10 maidens
192 runs
10 wickets

Victims include:

Dravid
Ganguly
Sangakkara

He is such a useful player. Can be a nerdler, can take the attack to the bowlers, great fielder and his bowling has been very useful.

yes, Paul Collingwoods is just an entertainer, great to watch both batting and bowling.

 

[barmyarmy]

Interesting approach this by England. Give NZ some confidence by giving them cheap wickets, waste the perfect overhead conditions, take time out the game and give NZ a chance to injure Ryan Sidebottom.

Edit - 30 mins gone, no boundaries and getting brighter by the second. What the hell is going on?

 

[barmyarmy]

Well the walking-wicket has just hit Anderson for 4 boundaries in a row! Frankly I don't care how well he bowled in Wellington; he is far too inconsistent to be in the England team and Hoggard should have played (in both games) instead of Anderson.

 

[Sureshot]

I wouldn't object to Hoggard playing over Anderson. You want someone reliable and you just don't know what you're going to get with Jimmy. Been an odd morning, New Zealands morning so far. Though Bell was lucky to survive an lbw shout from Broad. I feel Monty could be the key to wickets this afternoon and this evening. I'd even give KP a half dozen overs on this pitch.

 

[pal]

I feel Monty could be the key to wickets this afternoon and this evening.

You called it.