**Official** England in New Zealand

[Tim]

I said before the third ODI that Fulton should have been left out of the squad for the last few. He's totally out of form. I was hoping we'd get the win today so they could give Flynn a run in CHCH with less pressure.

 

[Smudge]

It's a shame I can't put James on ignore since he's an administrator. I'm sick of his constant utter negativity in regards to the Black Caps - yes, there was some bad stuff from Styris, Fulton and Oram but have a little bit of faith and get things in perspective, FFS.

Guess what, James? We're a small country on the cricketing stage and any multi-talented sportsmen end up in rugby rather than cricket.

Secondly, it may have taken the England bowlers 45 overs to find the spot, but find the spot, they did. Great effort from Wright to find yorkers in his first and only over, and it's a shame Vettori couldn't work out a way to squirt one away, but that's cricket.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Memories of Wellington 2005 were running through my head. With Mills in in the last over. We lost that match, only tied this one, but it might as well be a loss.

Vettori sent in Fulton ahead of Oram
Vettori started off too slow and didn't give How the strike
Vettori should have been runout which would have given the match to England surely
Vettori ran out How
Vettori couldnt even get the ball out of the infield do give the chance of atleast a 2 of the last ball

I love Daniel Vettori, but not today

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

It's a shame I can't put James on ignore since he's an administrator. I'm sick of his constant utter negativity in regards to the Black Caps - yes, there was some bad stuff from Styris, Fulton and Oram but have a little bit of faith and get things in perspective, FFS.

Guess what, James? We're a small country on the cricketing stage and any multi-talented sportsmen end up in rugby rather than cricket.

Agree.

James - Go get your Australian citzenship already!

 

[James]

Can't possibly agree, we needed what 60 odd with 7 wickets in hand going into the final 10.

Credit to England yes, it was good bowling, but we should have been able to chase it down IMO.

 

[NZTailender]

Should've couldn't didn't. It's over now and I'm enjoying the fact it was a good match to watch (at least, batting wise).

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

A good piss up tonight and I will have forgotten all about it.

Certainly a batting spectacle and thoroughly entertaining match. Although it is much better being neutral when there is a tie.

 

[Flem274*]

NZ ODI of the summer?

 

[Flem274*]

3rd umpire should be subjected to death by firing squad.

DWTA. After seeing the European punishments in history today, I vote he is hung, drawn and quartered.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

DWTA. After seeing the European punishments in history today, I vote he is hung, drawn and quartered.

Bracewell to get the scold's bridle as a precaution.

 

[Flem274*]

How hits the ball straight to the fielder so many times. If he only placed the ball a bit better, even drop and ran, his batting wouldn't bother me so much.

He is good in an anchor role, but when chasing 350ish, you really cant afford to have an anchor unless someone is going totally beserk at the other end.

Dippenaar-esque. Except not quite as good.

Thats the main issue most, including me, have with Jamie. Tbh hes almost like Sinclair in that regard, a tendency to hit the ball to the fielders more often than finding the gaps in the field.

So, with 40 overs left, New Zealand need 270 for the tie. Ryder goes to the 1st ball of the 11th. How, one feels, not the man you want coming in at this point.

Do you Kiwi guys fancy the idea of How coming in with 40 needed from 5 overs then?

That'd clearly be preferable, but I think it's fairly optimistic to expect to win without losing 7 or 8 wickets (obviously, if it's down to Martin, the chances of winning are remote).

How has to bat, really, and while as I said he's not the man I'd want coming in now, I'm not sure jiggling the batting-order would help.

Griegys, all of you

TBH I thought the same when he came to the wicket

 

[Flem274*]

Ah, 16toS, was wondering where you were.

On that note, too, surprised at the lack of Phlegm so far.

Phlegm was in the car listening on the radio when you posted this. Then Phlegm had to go to work....

 

[Brett Dale]

How the heck did we blow this one? that was crazy. Ten overs out we should of done it easy, then with a few overs left, the players wanted to do it in singles. The Blackcaps chocked big time.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Missed the end - was at nets. Shame. Sounds a belter. My knee's gone again though, in other news. I'm ****ed.

 

[James]

From Vettori:

Vettori admitted his side regarded the tie as like a defeat after they came so close to wrapping up with the series.

"It probably feels like a loss because it was a game we should have comfortably won from the positions we put ourselves in, but you've got give England some credit for the way they bowled in the last six overs," he said.

"We probably just threw it away in the last six and were lucky to get the tie in the end. It is a result-based game and after 44 overs we needed something like 42 from 36 balls and on that wicket it should be reasonably comfortable.

"But you can reflect over the whole game and the spectacle of it and I thought Jamie How's innings was one of the best one-day innings I've ever seen so I think cricket people would have loved watching that game."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/england/7254200.stm

 

[Somerset]

Well, what match! 680 runs yet neither side wins.

New Zealand choked, plain and simple. 26 off 26 with 6 wickets in hand on a great batting pitch, you should always win. Can't understand why Fulton came in ahead of Oram. Seems that neither side wanted to change their line ups to benefit their team (was surprised Shah came in ahead of both Wright and Mascarenhas in England's innings).

The third umpiring decision was clearly an error that should most definitely been avoided. Seemed like the decision was rushed and it was wrong as a result.

As far as Wright's final over goes, top effort. Surprised with an over of that quality he doesn't bowl more.

 

[Somerset]

Griegys, all of you

TBH I thought the same when he came to the wicket

Haha...at the time though, McCullum was struggling and I believed the last thing we needed was a player whos career strike rate was one of the lowest in the team - full credit to How though, what an innings. Proved me and the rest of his doubters absolutely wrong.

 

[Dick Rockett]

Meh, I don't get some of the wrist slashing going on in here. Although disappointed that we didn't win it, a tie was a fair result IMO. To all those who say NZ choked - get over it, the English picked the right time to put together some brilliant death bowling. Give them some credit for getting themselves back into the game.

As far as the controversial 3rd umpire call goes, I'm not bothered. Personally I find it ridiculous that the rules say the batsman should be out in that instance - he made his ground comfortably; whether his bat was in the air after it crossed the line is academic really. A technicality.

Give the players some credit for some marvellous batting and fielding, and dare I say it - even a tiny little bit of good bowling.

 

[Flem274*]

Haha, anyone being listening to the radio? There's some real gems on there. Some bloke has decided Vettori is rubbish and gets it easy and should be dropped.

Also, the third umpire Evan Watkins rang in-yes rang in himself, wasn't rung- and admitted he made a mistake with the Vettori run out. Good to see he has some integrity, not all umpires would do that I feel.

 

[Somerset]

Haha, anyone being listening to the radio? There's some real gems on there. Some bloke has decided Vettori is rubbish and gets it easy and should be dropped.

Also, the third umpire Evan Watkins rang in-yes rang in himself, wasn't rung- and admitted he made a mistake with the Vettori run out. Good to see he has some integrity, not all umpires would do that I feel.

LOL - I can't remember the last time Vettori had a below-par performance to be honest. He'd be the last player in the team that deserves to be dropped given the respect most teams show towards him.

Agreed regarding Watkin(or Watkins?), credit to at least admitting to his mistake even if it had the potential to be a game deciding one.