**Official** England in New Zealand

[superkingdave]

Anderson to play for Auckland in a 4 day game this week...

apparently that was a pretty good catch? great to get rid of Flem

 

[MoxPearl]

Can we please get rid of the sky commentators... :S :S :S :S :S

 

[Mixmasterreece]

Great Catch From Cook !

 

[Somerset]

Only been watching for 20 minutes.

Fleming just gone to a fantastic catch from Cook. Sidebottom has bowled brilliantly from what I've seen so far.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Haha, Fleming absolutely smashed that.

 

[Mixmasterreece]

Anderson to play for Auckland in a 4 day game this week...

Seriously?

 

[Somerset]

Well, with 6 hours to go, I think it's time to do something novel: make so many fairly random predictions, the odd one's bound to be wrong... so here we are.

I reckon the match will have a result.
I reckon Kyle Mills won't break-down after 6 overs the way he did the last time he played England (and the first time he played anyone) at Test level.
I reckon Ryan Sidebottom, provided he doesn't bowl like he's obviously short of fitness, will take at least 6 wickets in the match.
I reckon Brendon McCullum will score whatever runs he scores at a very considerable strike-rate - maybe even close to or over a-run-a-ball.
I reckon Ross Taylor, if he plays ahead of Peter Fulton (which he shouldn't), won't score very many.
I reckon Kyle Mills' first (proper) and Mathew Sinclair's first meeting with England will produce interesting results, whether of the outstanding or abysmal variety.
If the pitch turns as some seem to think it will, I reckon Vettori and MSP will swarm all over their respective oppositions.

Pretty valid predictions, I don't exactly disagree with any of them bar the one regarding Taylor.

 

[superkingdave]

Seriously?

yeah according to Agnew he's playing tomorrow.

 

[slugger]

listening to crowe and doull go on about how to get sinclair out.. you just about feel .. they want him to get out... lol

 

[Mixmasterreece]

yeah according to Agnew he's playing tomorrow.

Well that seems a little strange.... you'd be pissed if you were the bowler who was bumped for Anderson

 

[Somerset]

Sinclair dismissed by Collingwood... 3/129 now so we definitely can't afford to lose any more wickets this session.

 

[superkingdave]

Harmison bowling dire again....all the pressure gone

 

[superkingdave]

How goes in the 90's, big wicket for England to pick up..another couple before the close and it will have been a decent day.

 

[Somerset]

Yup, he was shocking alright...good to see How cashed in before tea.

What a great over from Panesar and he deserved his wicket. Disappointing for How who played so well though.

 

[Somerset]

Anderson confirmed for Auckland in this article from blackcaps.co.nz

England pace bowler James Anderson will play for Auckland Aces in their State Championship match against Wellington Firebirds.

Lancashire right-armer Anderson will fill the gap in the Aces’ attack created by Kyle Mills and Chris Martin’s participation in the first National Bank Test in Hamilton.

The Aces are also without Andre Adams and Daryl Tuffey after their moves offshore.

Anderson follows in the footsteps of Old Trafford team-mate Mal Loye, the England ODI batsman who turned out for Auckland early last season.

 

[superkingdave]

Sounds as though pretty much every NZ batsman has got themselves out today. England have caught well and Sidebottom and Panesar have bowled tidily without getting too much assistance and Hoggard hasn't been great, Harmison predictably poor.

Can't afford to let up in the fielding stakes, hopefully we can get McCullum early cos he could take the game away from us.

 

[meatspx]

Oram out, NZ are in the sh*tter now. England will be happy dismissing us out now in the low 300's.

It's up to Taylor/McCullum/Vettori now.

 

[superkingdave]

Cook gets another catch, and by accounts all three were decent ones as well.

England just in front now

 

[superkingdave]

this partnership already getting dangerous here, need to break it before the close

 

[Days of Grace]

NZ really should look to score at least 400 here batting first. So, once again the lower order has to score the bulk of the runs.

Can only see score updates. How was Sinclair? Did he look scrathy again?