England in New Zealand

[Sureshot]

Good innings from Southee, 77* from 48 balls including 9 sixes!

We still won comfortably, another 120 runs were needed. Sidebottom was man of the series and easily so, 24 wickets at 17. Brilliant. The middle order was strong without being stunning. 3-7 all scored over 200 runs. 4 hundreds in the series. Vaughan continued his poor form this winter and this summer he is under pressure to get runs.

Big shout out to Stuart Broad too. Brilliant in the two games he performed, he has the perfect attitude for sport. He'll be a better No8 than Giles, probably won't be a genuine all rounder but I think he could average low 20s in Test cricket. Took a great catch to get rid of Patel also.

Panesar outbowled Vettori in this series. 6 wickets in this last innings to win the game on a placid pitch for the seamers.

1-0 down in a 3 game series and we win the series, well done England.

 

[vaibhav mehta]

Well England have won it with pride after 0-1...
Lots of points to talk as far as England is concerned..
Cook-Now time comes to plat a big Knock..You can't stay as an opener in the team with that Short innings...Vaughn-Well out of form but I am not worried about him..He has class and any day He'll score..Strauss-Well He deserve more then anything,Great Courage...Sidebottom-He'll be star for England in Future,He has impressed me most...Panesar-thats called a Learner.Only by last innings he has put vettori behind him,Well done..Broad--Great and Bright Future for England..

 

[Sureshot]

To be fair on Panesar it's not as though he was called upon and didn't answer the call. His series average is 30 which is good and it's not as though the NZ pitches were spinning and he wasn't performing. There was very little there for him most of the time.

 

[vaibhav mehta]

Well Actually Panesar impressed me because after first two match..He never gave up..Its touh when as prime spinner you won't able to take wickets as Panesar but He has done well in last Match..
Pansar is good learner..he has changed his speen and linein last ininng well..When bowler like vettori can't make big impact on the game then what can we except from Panesar????

Upcoming South Africa series will be decider for many things.....
1. Strauss---Is he really ready to play for England with his 100%
2. Sidebottom--Are you really star or its just one ininng???
3. Broad--can't you see future time when England gonna rely on you??Is he ready for that Challenge??
4. Anderson--Can you do somethng Consistent???
5. Vaughn--I am not worried for him..he can score on his day..
6. KP--He completed 1000 in 10 matches,2000 in 22 and 3000 in 33 test Matches..Is he really looking for 4000 in 40 odds Matches???
7. Ambrose--Time to show you can do long for England...

Series---If England win that I'll be most proud English Fan....

Anyway Well done England..My all Nightes are worth now..

 

[Manly]

I think Sidebottom isn't a "just one inning" man, he is consistent and just unlucky. Maybe not necessarily just in NZ, but his luck sucks! He got v. little luck with umpires' descisions certainly in the summer, but also numerous catches dropped (Prior) off of his bowling. Certainly consistent and his 24 (?) wickets in this series is testament to him and his persistence. I'm sure lots of people may have just given up and gone back into their shell, but he kept doing what he does best, and has been rewarded.

 

[Sureshot]

Since his comeback into the side Sidebottom has been our best bowler. He'll be our best bowler this summer too (barring injuries).

 

[King Pietersen]

Drop Anderson bring in Flintoff. Sorted. This then allows Freddie to bat at 7-8 and come in with no pressure which will allow him to play his natural game and hit some big runs. Dropping Vaughan would be stupidity, he may not be performing to his high standards atm, but he's a far, far better player than Ian Bell or Paul Collingwood. How Collingwood has such a good record I don't know, technically he has nothing on any of the other England batsmen. If we had to drop any of the batsmen it would be between Bell and Colly, Colly for me. He's not good enough to be England captain, Vaughan could get in the side on captaincy alone for me, best captain in the world.

Good to see us win a series finally though, hopefully we'll be able to build from here under Moores and begin to build for the 2009 Ashes to win them back. We've unearthed some top talent with Broad, Sidebottom and Panesar really starting to shine and we have quality batsmen that just need to find their feet and hit some form. Then with players like Flintoff, Hoggard, Harmison, Shah, Steve Davies as back-ups we have a very solid side. I think there's a good chance we'll win the 2009 Ashes; if we get another 5-0 drubbing though, Moores has to go.

My first choice XI would be:
Cook
Strauss
Vaughan
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Flintoff
Davies
Broad
Sidebottom
Panesar

This provides us with batting all the way down to number 10 really, as Sidey's not too bad with the bat. We have 3 top quality test match quickies, and the batting line-up stays in tact. I'd go for Davies over Ambrose aswell though, I don't think Ambrose is a good enough batsman to be successful against the best bowlers, and relies on short and wide balls to score any runs, Davies is the best keeper in England and deserves to be in the team. Anyone disagree with any part of my team ?

 

[lancashire666]

Drop Anderson bring in Flintoff. Sorted. This then allows Freddie to bat at 7-8 and come in with no pressure which will allow him to play his natural game and hit some big runs. Dropping Vaughan would be stupidity, he may not be performing to his high standards atm, but he's a far, far better player than Ian Bell or Paul Collingwood. How Collingwood has such a good record I don't know, technically he has nothing on any of the other England batsmen. If we had to drop any of the batsmen it would be between Bell and Colly, Colly for me. He's not good enough to be England captain, Vaughan could get in the side on captaincy alone for me, best captain in the world.

Good to see us win a series finally though, hopefully we'll be able to build from here under Moores and begin to build for the 2009 Ashes to win them back. We've unearthed some top talent with Broad, Sidebottom and Panesar really starting to shine and we have quality batsmen that just need to find their feet and hit some form. Then with players like Flintoff, Hoggard, Harmison, Shah, Steve Davies as back-ups we have a very solid side. I think there's a good chance we'll win the 2009 Ashes; if we get another 5-0 drubbing though, Moores has to go.

My first choice XI would be:
Cook
Strauss
Vaughan
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Flintoff
Davies
Broad
Sidebottom
Panesar

This provides us with batting all the way down to number 10 really, as Sidey's not too bad with the bat. We have 3 top quality test match quickies, and the batting line-up stays in tact. I'd go for Davies over Ambrose aswell though, I don't think Ambrose is a good enough batsman to be successful against the best bowlers, and relies on short and wide balls to score any runs, Davies is the best keeper in England and deserves to be in the team. Anyone disagree with any part of my team ?

god i hate to see statments like that lol, but it wont be another 5-0 thats for sure.

anyway, i agree with 10 of your team but id stick with ambrose as keeper.
i like the fact that broad would be batting at 9, that is a strong batting line up with real depth to it, the tail has been one of englands biggest weeknesses when it come to batting for a long time now, and sidebum isnt a total mug with the bat, he can at least defend and stay at the crease for 30/40 balls, so if he ended up batting with freddie he could have a swing, if it comes off then it would be great. i so hope flitoff gets back, england are a better team in batting/bowling and feiding with him

 

[vaibhav mehta]

No Actually I'll back up his Statement regarding to Ashes 5-0..
I still can understand that It was NZ but after 1 down it never easy to come out as Series winner..
Another points are England have found lots which they have always lacked of...
Like Wicket Keeper first of all..no Doubt Ambrose gonna do well in Future..
Sidebotttom has relived some worries about crucial wickets at crucial time..
Broad will gonna play huge part in Future....

I think England have realized some of their Strengths during the Series..Although 2009 is so so so Far and better not to comment..

Our Next Target will be crashed Kiwiz when they will visit us..
And then the biggest test South africa"""

 

[barmyarmy]

I read an article by Simon Barnes recently that said that England focus too much on the next Ashes and not enough on the present. The fact is that most England players would seem not to mind being ranked 8th in the world as long as Austalia were 9th.
We've got two big series against NZ and SA this summer and we need to show both teams plenty of respect and try to win the series without always thinking about how this will or won't affect our chances in the next Ashes...

 

[Sureshot]

We've got 4 more test series until the next Ashes. We have to focus on those first. This summer is a big one, in regards to Flintoff and how the likes of Broad progress. I wonder if we could see Rashid this summer?

I'm not sure why King Pietersen doesn't seem to rate Collingwood. He is Mr Reliable. Very good cricketer and wouldn't be anywhere near my list of players who could be dropped in the future.

 

[Animator!]

Vaughan got a rough deal. He got out about 3 times to absolutely unplayable balls. He looked in form a lot of the time. He found ways to get himself out once or twice he just got very unlucky being on the end of most of the jaffas for the whole series.

Same side that played in the last game to play in the first test of the summer. However I expect Anderson and Strauss to fall off the wagon by the time we reach South Africa. No doubt if Freddie canp we'll probably chuck him in the side in form or not.

 

[lancashire666]

We've got 4 more test series until the next Ashes. We have to focus on those first. This summer is a big one, in regards to Flintoff and how the likes of Broad progress. I wonder if we could see Rashid this summer?

I'm not sure why King Pietersen doesn't seem to rate Collingwood. He is Mr Reliable. Very good cricketer and wouldn't be anywhere near my list of players who could be dropped in the future.

i dont think we will see rashid this summer baring injury or total lack of form of monty, but i think he will be taken to india as the 2nd spinner and may get a game there as he is a decent batsman as well

 

[King Pietersen]

I'm not sure why King Pietersen doesn't seem to rate Collingwood. He is Mr Reliable. Very good cricketer and wouldn't be anywhere near my list of players who could be dropped in the future.

Mr Reliable if you need someone to just block in a pressure situation. If I had to drop one of the current top 6 Collingwood would be my first choice. I'm not doubting his successes at Test Level, but I just don't think he's anywhere near as good technically as the rest of the top 6. Ian Bell seems to be the one under the chopping block according to most, something i massively disagree with. He's technically the 3rd best player in the side behind Vaughan and Pietersen, and although he sometimes struggles in pressure situations he's a fantastically talented batsman and people forget that he's a really young bloke, only 25, so he's still learning his game and needs to stay in the side so he can develop further.

Also, you say Collingwood's Mr Reliable, he's not made a hundred in test cricket against a side other than West Indies in the past year. He also looked pretty out of sorts against NZ, deciding to just try and block when pressure was on. Hardly the way to get your side out of trouble, it just makes more pressure and makes him look crap when the flaws in his technique are discovered by the opposition. He's a good player, but I just feel that he's the worst of the top 6. Strauss hasn't been in great form, but i think his 177 has got him back some confidence and hopefully some form. The rest of the batsmen, Vaughan, Cook and Pietersen are all assured their places I think, they've done nothing to warrant being dropped. I've got nothing against him, and feel he deserves his place, but if Flintoff comes in and replaces a batsman instead of Anderson then Collingwood would be my choice.

 

[Sureshot]

Flintoff isn't good enough to replace a batsman. But then he isn't fit enough to be part of a 4-man attack.

Collingwood's batting was vital at Wellington.

http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru...=1;template=results;type=batting;view=innings

He's got starts in most of that time and still averages 38 during that time.

He will always be singled out because he isn't pretty, but he is effective. And offers brilliance in the field and is a handy bowler (averages in the 20s recently with the ball).