**Official** England in New Zealand

[Richard]

Interesting, a noise as How plays and doesn't middle Hoggard but neither bowler nor wicketkeeper appeal.

 

[Mixmasterreece]

This is a knee jerk but Bell needs to go. Rob Nicol instead.

If he were to be ruled out of the next test cumming would come in without a doubt.

 

[Richard]

This'll inevitably look awful if he gets out in a second which could quite conceivably happen but... Fleming looking extremely good here.

 

[Goughy]

This'll inevitably look awful if he gets out in a second which could quite conceivably happen but... Fleming looking extremely good here.

Technically he is looking ordinary but he seems to have so much time. Looks in good form and has an eternity to watch the ball onto the bat.

 

[Richard]

Right, MSP on. Now we see how much this surface is gonna turn.

BTW Kev - who's that avatar? Incidentally, Fleming only fairly rarely looks technically convincing, to me at least. The impressive thing about him has always been the look of class he shows, which has certainly been on display so far today.

 

[Goughy]

See if Monty can avoid getting cut, as he is prone to be

 

[andruid]

Strange that Harmison and Sidebottom are apparently bowling at nearly the same pace, any explanation cos I have always assumed rom the hype that Harmison was a 90+ mph bowler.

 

[Burgey]

Strange that Harmison and Sidebottom are apparently bowling at nearly the same pace, any explanation cos I have always assumed rom the hype that Harmison was a 90+ mph bowler.

Score please?

When I read your post, I thought you said "a 90+ mph howler", which may or may not be appropriate .

 

[Goughy]

Strange that Harmison and Sidebottom are apparently bowling at nearly the same pace, any explanation cos I have always assumed rom the hype that Harmison was a 90+ mph bowler.

He can be. He is bowling way below top pace at the moment. Attitude and action issues.

I dont think they are terminal though.

 

[Richard]

Strange that Harmison and Sidebottom are apparently bowling at nearly the same pace, any explanation cos I have always assumed rom the hype that Harmison was a 90+ mph bowler.

Simply that bowlers don't always bowl at the same speed. Harmison more often than not will bowl a fair bit quicker than Sidebottom, but Sidebottom has been a fraction up on his normal speed and Harmison 10mph or so down on his highest speeds.

 

[Goughy]

BTW Kev - who's that avatar? Incidentally, Fleming only fairly rarely looks technically convincing, to me at least. The impressive thing about him has always been the look of class he shows, which has certainly been on display so far today.

John Jackson. Interesting life

 

[Richard]

Score please?

As of this post, 85-1 off 24. Harmison just bowling a maiden.

 

[Richard]

Right, MSP on. Now we see how much this surface is gonna turn.

See if Monty can avoid getting cut, as he is prone to be

Well in his whole 2 overs so far, there's 1 ball that's turned a bit (though not as much as How made it look like it had) and there's been nothing short. Good start.

Now Collingwood on. Never a particularly good sign when a part-timer is on in the first session of a Test, but Collingwood isn't the worst. FFS, "Collingwood isn't even slow-medium" according to Martin Crowe - he bowls close to 80mph!!!!!!

I hate people who judge bowler speeds on something other than the speed they bowl at.

 

[Richard]

Well, after plenty of swing in the first 4 or so overs, that's been a very, very bad session indeed for us. Not merely the lack of any form of bite from the bowlers for most of the time, but far more significantly that Bell injury.

I can't ever recall a player being injured so early in a series. I hope we get the X-ray result sooner rather than later.

 

[Goughy]

Yeah, decent start from Monty. Will need to get more threatening as the Test progresses but did his job well in that first session.

Depressing to think that the first session of the first day of a test a spinner is on bowling flat and defensively. But hey.

Will be a tough grind for both sides.

 

[Pup Clarke]

I think a good way of working out bowlers form is the pace they are mostly operating at, Hoggard was about 3-4mph off and seemed to be bowling an awful lot of cutters especially to Fleming, Harmison was also a good 5mph down, I'd have thought that the wicket he took would have pushed his pace and aggression up.

 

[Brett Dale]

87/1 at lunch, this is a batsman paradise.

 

[Brett Dale]

Great news for Ian bell, they are now saying its only a bruise, and he may be able to bat.

 

[Richard]

Sheeysh, that's much better than it looked. Seemed like quite a nasty injury at first, and you don't often get a bash like that and emerge relatively unscathed either.

Shocking start after lunch incidentally.

 

[Richard]

How To Take Your Time Getting To A Test Half-Century by Jamie How. I guess having never reached the mark before you can forgive his slight nervousness, and maybe even over-caution. The bowling's been good from the 3rd over after lunch tho.