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Super Eight

Salamuddin

International Debutant
My attempt at an England team:

Bell
Joyce
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bopara
Flintoff
Nixon+
Dalrymple
Broad
Tremlett
Anderson


Bangers would fancy their chances of knocking over England imo.......England still start favourites, But hey.....if you can beat South Africa and India, I see no reason why you can't beat Engalnd.......
 

meatspx

U19 Cricketer
Just some randomthoughts from a NZer who likes to see England loose.

Botham was chirping on about opening with Flintoff and dropping Vaughan down to 7 behind Bopara (SP) (probably has been mentioned before on this forum)....Obviously the captain down that low is just silly, but Flintoff openingcould spark England into some sort of winning form. Perhaps Loye would have been handy in the squad for England (but that means Bopara would have missed out - the selectors would have not dropped Strauss).

It's better to go down guns blazing than just scratch around and loose early wickets anyway - might as well give something new a whirl. In any case Vaughan needs to go after the world cup (in ODIs anyway) - he's just useless. It's understandable to give him an extra 1-2 years to try and score runs in ODIs since he's a great captain and we all know he can bat due to his test record - but the time has come. You have to feel sorry for Joyce who should be opening in this current line-up rather than Vaughan.
 

PhoenixFire

International Coach
Flintoff is just in dire form at the moment, I don't think letting him open is going to do much. He has never been that good against swing and seam at serious pace.
 

Scaly piscine

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Flintoff is just in dire form at the moment, I don't think letting him open is going to do much. He has never been that good against swing and seam at serious pace.
Better against swing and seam than spin. Plus he's poor at milking singles in the middle innings, especially when he's just come in.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Hoping for NZ to put in a good display tonight against Ireland. Wanting Bond and Fleming to do well, they are the best to watch when everything is going their way.
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
Better against swing and seam than spin. Plus he's poor at milking singles in the middle innings, especially when he's just come in.
It's a really good point. When Flintoff came out, he allowed a number of dots to be piled up on him. Similarly with Collingwood, BTW, who I've seen do that a number of times when coming in after 30 overs down. His effectiveness seems much more limited if he doesn't come in between overs 15-25.

When you consider how the top 3 has been performing, I don't see much wrong with letting Flintoff go out there, see the ball and try to hit it. It's not as though there's been a lot going on with the new ball anyways.
 

_Ed_

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Hoping for NZ to put in a good display tonight against Ireland. Wanting Bond and Fleming to do well, they are the best to watch when everything is going their way.
I'm a bit torn...I'd like a comfortable win, but at the same time I think our middle order (Oram, McCullum spring to mind) really need some time in the middle.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I'm a bit torn...I'd like a comfortable win, but at the same time I think our middle order (Oram, McCullum spring to mind) really need some time in the middle.
The middle order getting a bat isn't a bad idea, so if we are chasing a small total or whatever then I don't think it would be a bad idea to promote Oram and McCullum up the order to #3 and #4, we know that guys like Styris have plenty of form under their belt.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
The middle order getting a bat isn't a bad idea, so if we are chasing a small total or whatever then I don't think it would be a bad idea to promote Oram and McCullum up the order to #3 and #4, we know that guys like Styris have plenty of form under their belt.
Take the game seriously, IMO. Ireland may be a pretty low-skilled side, but they know what they're doing, and they work together a lot more professionally than some of the professional sides really. Slip up against them and they will take advantage. Play your best batting lineup.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Take the game seriously, IMO. Ireland may be a pretty low-skilled side, but they know what they're doing, and they work together a lot more professionally than some of the professional sides really. Slip up against them and they will take advantage. Play your best batting lineup.
Undoubtedly, I wouldn't suggest that we take it anything but seriously. But if the situation arises where 50 or 60 more runs are needed, then I don't think it would do any harm to promote McCullum or Oram higher in the order so they can get some runs under their belt and time in the middle.
 

pup11

International Coach
I think for both Kiwis and the Aussies there is one area of concern and that is the lack of exposure their middle-order players have got out in the middle.


Though its always a good thing that your top-order is doing the job leaving nothing much for the middle-order players to do, but in a game where the top-order fails the lack of batting practice out in the middle could take its toll on the middle-order players in a crunch situation.
 

Tim

Cricketer Of The Year
If NZ win the toss it will be interesting to see what they do. Personally I think NZ should bat first, get a big score, gain some confidence batting first and then knock Ireland over in the 2nd innings.

They've got to have a go at batting first at least once before the games start becoming really critical. I think today is the day where if they get the chance, they've gotta bat first and get some confidence.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
If NZ win the toss it will be interesting to see what they do. Personally I think NZ should bat first, get a big score, gain some confidence batting first and then knock Ireland over in the 2nd innings.

They've got to have a go at batting first at least once before the games start becoming really critical. I think today is the day where if they get the chance, they've gotta bat first and get some confidence.
Definately should bat first if we win the toss, it would be folly to do otherwise. We need to get our middle and lower order into the action and if we chase 150 then they aren't going to get much of a chance to score some runs. Anyway I heard that Bond won't be rested tonight, hopefully he can get a few more cheap scalps.
 

meatspx

U19 Cricketer
If Ross Taylor is going to make a comeback against Sri Lanka and our middle-lower order isn't getting any time in the middle then it makes no sense for Hamish Marshall to come in and bat. If the game looks in good shape for us then he should not get a bat - throw Oram or McCullum up the order. Screw Marshall.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
If Ross Taylor is going to make a comeback against Sri Lanka and our middle-lower order isn't getting any time in the middle then it makes no sense for Hamish Marshall to come in and bat. If the game looks in good shape for us then he should not get a bat - throw Oram or McCullum up the order. Screw Marshall.
Seeing as how Marshall made a 50 in our last game and was impressive against Sri Lanka earlier in the season, I don't think he should be discarded that easily. I'm not a big fan of his but without Vincent our top order stocks are looking a little short, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep Marshall in there.
 

KiWiNiNjA

International Coach
The one area that I have concern over when it comes to NZ is still batting first.

Hopefully NZ can show that they can set a total, even if it is against Ireland. NZ cant bat second all the time so......

Anyways, hopefully NZ can win this game.
 

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