**Official** England in New Zealand

[superkingdave]

hope its a draw tbh, obviously don't want England to lose but don't think they deserve to win after being dominated for 3 & 2/3 days. Obviously wouldn't begrudge NZ the victory if they do win, they have been much the better side.

Cook continuing his good catching form though! In fact its a pretty good catching display from the whole side tbh

 

[Bahnz]

Will be very ironic if Englands 'go slow' in their first innings to avoid losing the game deprives them of enough time to chase a total down and win.

Looks a fine performance by Sidebottom.

Actually I reckon that it was the slow batting tactic that has allowed them to get into a winning position. As negative as their batting was, had they gone at 3-4 an over, they would of finished on or around New Zealand's score, and the kiwi batters would've just cautiously played out the match. Of the first 6 wickets, only Bell and Oram were out not trying to up the run rate.

 

[Flem274*]

Who the **** does McCullum think he is? I'm tired of commentators calling him "world class" and going on about him, when he clearly still does not have a clue if he isn't chasing a target or batting in Tests.

Well done, Fleming, you've got out for the 40th time after you looked set. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. You won't average 40, because you're simply not good enough, and you're a bad example for younger players.

It's just like us to blow a commanding lead. What's really bad is that it doesn't even surprise me. I look for the collapse; I know it's coming.

Frustrated.

Mind you don't bang your knee with all that jerking.

And to say that about Fleming is atrocious, you're calling our best performer this season in tests a waste of space? GTFO.

I've got an idea for you, how about you ring up Doug Golightly next week and moan about the world to your hearts content. Or watch some Rugby WC '07 quaterfinal highlights.

 

[TT Boy]

Disappointing collapse today but the intent was good. I'm going to reserve judgement on our performance until England bat. I suspect it was a mix of too much attack and the pitch starting to deteriorate.

Nothing wrong with being aggressive but after your side has just lost a spate of wickets and the score is still nowhere near safe, slog sweeping second ball and then attempting to cover drive balls which are almost destined for first slip is fairly ********.

 

[TT Boy]

hope its a draw tbh, obviously don't want England to lose but don't think they deserve to win after being dominated for 3 & 2/3 days. Obviously wouldn't begrudge NZ the victory if they do win, they have been much the better side.

Cook continuing his good catching form though! In fact its a pretty good catching display from the whole side tbh

Hoggard's catch was pretty awesome, especially for a guy who’s not the best mover.

Hoping England go for the victory. No reason why they shouldn't.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Wow. Certainly didn't expect to wake up to this after watching the first session & the end of our innings after luncheon.

Nothing like a Test match breakthrough by Dave to lure me out of hiding.

I've heard McCullum call Patel "Dave" or "Davey" throughout, could some kindly kiwi soul explain that one to me, please?

I'll be there; 5 day passes for $60!! Can't say no. I probably have to work on Thursday, Friday and Monday, so Saturday and Sunday willl have to suffice; with maybe the last hour's play on Thursday & Friday.

Jesus, you blokes don't know you're born. Had to stump up £50 for the 4th day at The Oval last year.

Will be very ironic if Englands 'go slow' in their first innings to avoid losing the game deprives them of enough time to chase a total down and win.

I'm not so sure it has, NZ's collapse has been in no small part due to them forcing the pace. Fleming rattled along a a decent lick seemingly effortlessly, but since then it's been a different story.

Even if we pick up the last two wickets cheap on the morrow I'm not convinced we'll have a whole-hearted stab at winning it.

 

[Precambrian]

I think KP with his attacking blade holds the key for England. If he doesnt click, its gonna be Black Caps.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Jesus, you blokes don't know you're born. Had to stump up £50 for the 4th day at The Oval last year.

I very much do know I'm born having been (and even occasionally paid) to see test cricket at grounds all over England and Australia and paying far too much to do so. I do happen to realise that $60 for 5 days is a veritable bargain compared to the UK/Aus. I forget what I paid for to see England vs Australia at Lord's back in 1993, but I would expect it would still have been more than the GBP5 it would cost you to get into the Basin Reserve even back then.

 

[PY]

There's £100 tickets at the Oval, and you get nothing except your seat.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I very much do know I'm born having been (and even occasionally paid) to see test cricket at grounds all over England and Australia and paying far too much to do so. I do happen to realise that $60 for 5 days is a veritable bargain compared to the UK/Aus. I forget what I paid for to see England vs Australia at Lord's back in 1993, but I would expect it would still have been more than the GBP5 it would cost you to get into the Basin Reserve even back then.

****. Just realised that it'll be 15 years this summer since that game. I remember it like yesterday; sledging Merv Hughes from the cheap seats and egging on both Poms and Ockers to give each other a bit of verbal. Good times.

 

[pasag]

Haha, wow. Didn't see this coming in a million years. Well done Sidebottom, what a champ. Won't expect too much from the English batsmen tomorrow though, whilst they have the momentum, they aren't the best pressure-handling side in the world. Should be fantastic day's cricket either way.

 

[Richard]

Wow. Certainly didn't expect to wake up to this after watching the first session & the end of our innings after luncheon.

Ditto. Kinda wish I'd stayed on CW.n really, but needs must. Highlights on now.

TBH, I can think of many more Tests that we at some point looked like winning which we emphatically did not deserve to. Slow batting in the second-innings chasing a massive first-innings score, followed by a collapse in the third-, is pretty much my idea of the perfect Test. The catching this game has been nothing short of outstanding, probably the best catching performance I've seen since 2000 and 2000\01, and to see teams rewarded for taking all their chances on pitches like this is quite judicial as well IMO.

That said, I'm far from confident as things stand. If NZ can collapse, chasing quick runs yes, but we're going to have to do that to some extent tomorrow, so we certainly can too. Vettori and Patel could yet save the game completely, but even if they were to put-on, say, 20 in 10 overs we'd certainly still have a chance and it'd be indecent for us not to go for it. And while I haven't seen MSP's wickets, so I don't know how much he was turning it, if he got it to turn so will the Kiwi spinners, and that'll certainly make life very difficult indeed.

Either way, hopefully we're in for a fascinating final day. Kinda amusing to see the numerous (including from myself) "looks like heading for an easy draw" posts just a few hours ago.

 

[Prince EWS]

had they gone at 3-4 an over, they would of finished on or around New Zealand's score

DWTA, so very very much.

 

[Richard]

Ben meant, of course, "had they gone at 3-4-an-over and by some miracle still managed to bat 170 overs". It was never very likely. Apart from the fact that they'd have got 650 if they'd done that and would now have plenty of time to take the 2 wickets they'd now need.

 

[Somerset]

Bit speechless really, didn't think even New Zealand could collapse that badly on this pitch. Have yet to see the highlights of the final session but appears as though Sidebottom was brilliant. Raises the question why he was stuck playing county cricket for the last six years...

I don't have high hopes of New Zealand winning or even drawing the match TBH, and unless Vettori, Patel and Martin can extend the lead to 300-320, I think it will be England's game to lose.

 

[PY]

Haha loving England and NZ fans each thinking the worst of their side. It's like who can knock themselves down the furthest.

 

[Richard]

Have yet to see the highlights of the final session but appears as though Sidebottom was brilliant. Raises the question why he was stuck playing county cricket for the last six years...

Well, for part of it it was because he wasn't terribly good, and there were better seamers at his own county. He joined Notts in 2005, and when the likes of Plunkett (who can bat, a little bit, but can't bowl) and Mahmood (who can't bowl... at all... really... and is highly unlikely ever to be able to) were picked ahead of him there's some air of extreme mystery there.

Nonetheless, had he been picked in 2005\06, 2006 or 2006\07, I honestly wouldn't want to vouch for how successful he'd have been. The cricket-balls used in 2007, when he finally returned, were the best cricket-balls we've seen since 2000, the first time they've really swung like they should in this country since then. And he came back to Test-cricket at Headingley, a very seam-friendly ground. These two factors gave him a head-start, and allowed him to get a foot in the door in a way he might well not have done otherwise.

On that subject, BTW, just noticed that Sidebottom wasn't that far away from having 2 hattricks this match. Had he got a wicket with his 1st, rather than 3rd, ball of the second-innings, he'd have had one before he got one, so to speak.

 

[Richard]

Haha loving England and NZ fans each thinking the worst of their side. It's like who can knock themselves down the furthest.

Confident, then, Peter?

 

[Richard]

Sheeysh, that Hoggard catch was a damn good one wasn't it?

EDIT: and the Cook one off Fleming wasn't too bad either, though obviously nowhere near as good as the one in the first-innings. Poor Fleming, caught twice sensationally then very well by Cook in the same game.

Hahaha EDIT again: the Strauss one off McCullum was one I've seen missed plenty of times too.

EDIT three: that Cook one off Sinclair was pretty much as good as the Fleming one in the first-innings.

 

[Richard]

And while I haven't seen MSP's wickets, so I don't know how much he was turning it, if he got it to turn so will the Kiwi spinners, and that'll certainly make life very difficult indeed.

Well, the Mills one did turn, though that wasn't the major reason for the dismissal. And the McCullum one was over-ambition, and the Taylor one... well, I don't know WTF he thought he was doing.

So still doesn't appear this surface is turning overtly. But going after spinners remains difficult.