New Zealand in England

[King Pietersen]

I'd probably agree with you if the game was close, but it was a complete walkover. We completely outclassed New Zealand, the batting line-up lacks runs at the top, the middle order looks significantly weaker with 2 Metre Peter in instead of Oram, the bowling was poor, especially from Mills who's seen as the frontline seamer. Vettori, Taylor and McCullum were the only saving grace for them, without those 3 New Zealand would be worse than Bangladesh. They desperately need Oram back, but as Bumble said, hamstrings don't heal over 24 hours, I can see us taking confidence from this performance and winning the 1st ODi, we did look very impressive in this game.

Also, what do we do with the line up ? Obviously we want Sidebottom in, but who loses out ? The extra batting of Dimi or the Spin option of Swann ? I wouldn't drop Shah or Bopara, and Collingwood certainly won't be dropped. It's going to be very hard for Cook and Sidebottom to find a way back into this side, especially Cook. Who would you drop ?

 

[lancashire666]

i dont think cook will get in for the first ODI, but i think sidebottom may make it, he deserves top get in to the team as he hasnt done anything to be dropped

 

[irottev]

Twenty/20 Internationals i've never taken seriously. I don't care about the result, i'm a bit disappointed it at least wasn't a good game. Not the best pitch for the occasion. Twenty/20 needs to be 180 plays 180.

If Oram is out then it's a different kettle of fish. He's one of our key one day players along with McCullum and Taylor. I'd give England a chance at winning a game if he's out. Heck it's a huge loss, England could win the first game when he's out and gain momentum. We can't afford these injuries. It's no laughing matter.

 

[Leicester Fox]

How can Cook be dropped for ODI's. If he does get dropped then send him back to his county side and ask them to play him in OD's not FC games, this country has a really bad attitude to ODI's which is why players like Monty and Cook don't succeed.

 

[Sureshot]

Monty isn't good enough in ODIs, he's an excellent Test bowler. Lacks the variation to be an effective ODI bowler, he's never going to be expensive but he never looked like grabbing a big haul.

Sunday's team will be interesting. Sidebottom plays, we know that. I'd drop Dimi for Sidebottom. I think England want to play Cook, to go: Cook, Wright, Bell to be the top three. But then both Shah and Bopara are in excellent form. I think one of those two will be dropped, probably the latter.

A complete demolition by us. I can't think of a negative in the performance. Credit to Peter Moores for letting the players play on Wednesday if their counties had a T20. It worked for Bell, he acknowledged as such.

 

[lancashire666]

you cant drop bopara!!!! he has got to be ahead of shah due to his current amazing form

 

[King Pietersen]

Cook's not a one day player. he's not consistent enough at ODi level. Our main problem is the lack of attacking instinct in the powerplays, Cook is the least attacking player in the squad, and I thought Bell was brilliant tonight, and that's how he should play at the top of the innings in 50 over games. Bell at 2 also allows Pietersen to come in at 3 and gives him an even better chance of making big scores and getting that average back up into the 50's. Unless Bell and Wright fail at the top of the order over the entirity of the series then it would be harsh to drop them. I think the team we had out tonight had fantastic balance, and with the added Sidebottom factor we look a brilliant side.

As for Monty. LOL. What has he done to deserve a call up ? Swann's been fantastic for England. Is a real character in the team and a fantastic all round player. He's good in the field and he can bat. He's a fat better ODi player than Panesar. Unless Panesar's flight and variation in pace improves aswell as his Batting and Fielding he has a chance. But at the current time there is no reason for him to come into the team. Swann offers a far better option.

My team would be:

Wright
Bell
Pietersen
Bopara
Collingwood
Shah
Ambrose
Swann
Broad
Sidebottom
Anderson

Only Sidebottom would come in for me. Cook's badly out of touch, and i've not been overly impressed with him in ODi's. Bell looked great opening the batting tonight, so stick with it, the partnership between him and Wright certainly worked, so keep with it. I'd then drop Dimi for Sidebottom.

 

[Sureshot]

I wouldn't Karl, but I think the England set-up want Cook in.

 

[lancashire666]

ah ok lol, thought that was your suggestion, i d agree that cook will probabley play in the ODI's, dont think england want him as just a test player.

oh, well done KP, remembered a keeper this time

 

[Leicester Fox]

I never said Monty deserved a call up, please don't make assumptions, my point about the attitudes countrys attitude towards OD cricket is that fans like you lot just assume they're not good enough completely unfairly. Monty and Cook had never had any experience for their countys in OD games because they like to rest the young players and then just play them in FC games. If Monty had played 50 OD games before he played his first ODI do you think he would have come in and bowled like he did? Of course not. The same is true for Cook who was thrown into the OD side with little experience because the counties don't play him in OD games half as much as they do in FC games.

Of course Cook can play in ODI's. He is more than good enough to do so, you don't have to bat like Luke Wright every time to be able to open, Cooks problem is he is still learning in this form because he's only played 50 OD games and half of these are international ones so he was never able to really learn his game and adjust to how to play in OD games before he was put in there. The exact same will happen for Rashid who's played double the amount of FC games he has OD and then you'll all say he can't cut it in ODI's completely unfairly then as well.

 

[lancashire666]

personally i think adil rashid is going to be more of a ODI player than a test player for england at first, but i do think he will make it into the test side

 

[Xuzuno]

You can't read much into this game. New Zealand have always been quite poor at Twenty20 matches.

I also remember when England won the two Twenty20 matches comfortably in New Zealand, and everyone thought England were going to thrash the Kiwis in the ODIs; that wasn't the case, was it?

 

[evertonfan]

Yeah I was just going to mention that myself Jeremy. I don't like the smugness that some posters have adopted and indeed the English commentators tonight. It was just a Twenty20 lads. It's a bit of fun in the International arena and it's importance is being blown way out of proportion by Stanford's millions. The real deal starts on Sunday when New Zealand will come into their prefered format of the game and I believe they'll bounce back strongly and win. I still think we'll be good enough to win the series, but to write New Zealand off is absolutely stupid.

 

[0601731]

unfortunately for the kiwis jacob oram is out for atleast 10 days,i dont see them challenging the english much,uless the england team plays very poorly which it does very often.

 

[angryangy]

I very much doubt Luke Wright would even be playing domestic cricket in Aus or South Africa with such appalling back foot shots. He might be all right against thoughtless bowling, but geez, send him home till he learns how to play. I know England have better.