England find it Tuff
Day One At the Oval
In overcast conditions but what was a good pitch, New Zealand won the toss and chose to bowl. Many questioned Daniel Vettoris decision, but it paid off when in the 4th over Daryl Tuffey bowled Alastair Cook for just one. Michael Vaughan got in and got set, with him and Mal Loye having a good partnership.
Tuffey was out of the attack in the 14th over, replaced by Chris Martin. Yet another stroke of brilliance by Vettori as Martin bowled Loye to break their 11 over partnership. Ian Bell then came in and Vaughan hit his first boundary in the 22nd over. but Bell was out in the next over, bowled by Tuffey, it was Daryls second of the session.
New Zealand found the early breakthrough
Vettori brought himself into the attack in the attack but was getting frustrated, Vaughan hitting a couple of shots to the boundary. But Vettori made a major breakthrough when he had Michael Vaughan trapped lbw for 25. That was the end of the session, England having a terrible session finishing 78-4.
Afternoon Session
The afternoon session couldnt have gone worse for England from a batting perspective. Mark Ramprakash was out after Hamish Marshall caught his sweep. Tim Ambrose came in but only lasted 4 balls when his block shot fell straight into the hands of Daryl Tuffey.
Kevin Pietersen made a start and was looking comfortable before a shot he tried to guide to third man deflected into the hands of Vettroi, Martin was the bowler. Than an over later Vettori claimed his second victim. Hoggard sclicing the ball to him off the bowling of Daryl Tuffey.
Overcast conditions didn't help England
But that wasnt the only wicket in the 35th over with Stephen Harmison being bowled by an outstanding Tuffey in his second ball. At this stage Monty Panesar was the only man left.
But the Sikh put up an excellent fight, rallying with partner Ryan Sidebottom to make a final wicket partnership of 22 before Panesar was run out on 11. That brought the England Innings to a close, finishing on an appaling 113 after only 39 overs.
New Zealand 1st Innings
What Englands batting lacked, its bowling certainly made up for. Stephen Harmison had a dream over, first bowling Lou Vincent in the second ball of the innings. Then bowling the highly dangerous Stephen Fleming in the next ball, both for ducks. Hoggard followed with a maiden, but that was the last full over of the day when rain set in at about quarter to three and ending whatever hope of cricket in the day.
A day of mixed emotions for England, on one hand they will be very disappointed at the atrocious batting performance, but on the other hand, they will be very pleased with the flying return of Stephen Harmsion and Matthew Hoggard
Scorecards
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The Lions Have Come Out To Play
England made a massive turn around in Day 2 to put horrible New Zealand batting and poor bowling to the sword.
Day 2 started off with a bang for the Kiwi's as they put Englands bowlers to shame in the morning session. Stephen Harmison and Mathew Hoggard were hoping to continue their good form but they soon realised what they were faced with when Harmison got smacked for 9 in his 2nd over of the day. That definitely gave an indication as to what the day would be like. Galvin had enough after the fifth over and brought spinners Panesar and Vaughan into bowl. The partnership was very economical, but was of no threat to Marshall and McMillan in the centre.
Soon Hoggard and Harmison once again had the ball in the hand, but could make no use of it. Hamish Marshall did though, he smacked a six in the 20th over to reach his fifty, the Auckland man reaching the first milestone in the game in only 68 balls.
The Kiwis were relentless, smacking every bad ball to the boundary, but soon Hoggard and Harmison tightened up and allowed no more than 5 runs in an over for the last 9 overs of the match.
New Zealand finished the session on 90 for 2.
The afternoon session was quite the opposite of the morning session with wickets galore. In the 35th over England broke the massive 100+ run partnership between Craig McMillan and Hamish Marshall when the former was caught by none other than the captain Michael Vaughan for 24. Panesar replaced Ryan Sidebottom an over later and danger man Marshall was soon following McMillan, 21 runs short of a century after being bowled by Monty.
Monty wasted no time in celebrating the huge wicket of Hamish Marshall
Englands mood was made even better when Ross Taylor was dismissed for a duck, Tim Ambrose making a good catch off Stephen Harmisons bowling. Than the dangerous Brandon McCullum was gone for one. Two overs later and the captain was walking back to the pavilion, bowled for yet another duck, the Kiwi innings disintegrating. Then two wickets in two overs with Sinclair and Daryl Tuffey the next to go.
In came the worst batsman in the world, and he showed some lost form when he and Shane Bond kept the English bowlers at bay for 10 overs before Martin was caught at silly point, but not before making is record score in test cricket, 19 was the score the Christchurch man made before falling foul to good spin bowling. New Zealand after a good start, completely fell apart in the Afternoon Session and after the first innings lead by only 41 runs.
England couldnt finish the remaining 4 overs of the session unscathed. Mal Loye with another disappointing innings lasting only 11 balls before he was caught playing a block shot in silly point for a duck. The England selectors will have to think long and hard about his further involvement in this series.
The Evening Session was all England and in a crucial session the three lions stole the show. Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan saw off the early threat of Daryl Tuffey and were going nicely. Cook cut away and started hitting the boundary.
Daniel Vettori couldn't break the 3rd wicket partnership
Soon the partnership was up to 50 and both players were in nicely. It seemed a completely different partnership than the last innings and after Vettori brought himself into the attack and couldnt take a wicket Cook reached his fifty in the 27th over. He made the total in a spritley 79 balls. New Zealand couldnt find the key and the pair didnt play a bad shot all session. McMillan was brought in 4 overs before the end of play but couldnt make a breakthrough. England finish the day on 108-1, they lead by 67 runs going into day 3.
Scorecards
