**Official** England in New Zealand

[wpdavid]

Hoggard would have loved these conditions, wouldn't he.

 

[Athlai]

Wow Oram, makes you wonder why we put Gillespie in the team at all. We have a 3 man seam attack that works wonders already.

 

[Pratters]

On Ambrose, I reckon that he should have avoided slashing like he was before he was settled a bit more and to get through the difficult swing period. It looked like he was coming to bat like he was on 90 mentally forgetting the old adage that you start every day anew. New Zealand had been bowling well too. What we now see is New Zealand having the possibility of a) rolling England over, b) New Zealand merrying away through the day with the bat. Collingwood is left though, so let's see what happens, though I am not too confident of England making more than 330 here.

 

[Richard]

Hoggard would have loved these conditions, wouldn't he.

You-hou'd think so, wouldn't you?

If there was ever a time not to drop Hoggard, now's it.

 

[PY]

Re: Hoggard, you can't help but feel he would have been devastating with Sidebottom in these conditions.

 

[Richard]

On Ambrose, I reckon that he should have avoided slashing like he was before he was settled a bit more and to get through the difficult swing period. It looked like he was coming to bat like he was on 90 mentally forgetting the old adage that you start every day anew.

Absolutely spot-on. Precisely the oppposite of how he played yesterday.

Hope it doesn't become a habit.

 

[GIMH]

First few overs vital here...thinking we can get to 400 but could just as easily be 320 AO

 

[Richard]

Re: Hoggard, you can't help but feel he would have been devastating with Sidebottom in these conditions.

Even England sometimes have good fortune with their terrible selections.

I know Kev thinks it'd be a disaster if Anderson got a bagfull here and to a great extent I agree with him, but it'd be hard to be too upset if it helped us save this series.

 

[Richard]

Suddenly, things looking rather easy...

And a missed chance from Martin. FFS.

 

[Pratters]

Suddenly, things looking rather easy...

Yeah, it is not swinging much at all after the difficult early period.

 

[Richard]

Goooooonnnnnnnnneeeeeeeee. Well bowled Gillespie, bears similarity to the Pietersen dismissal.

 

[Athlai]

Gillespie is the oddest bowler. Like Franklin but almost as if he doesn't have a stock delivery at all.

 

[Burgey]

Goooooonnnnnnnnneeeeeeeee. Well bowled Gillespie, bears similarity to the Pietersen dismissal.

Did he play around a straight one with a big gap between bat & pad?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Maybe a bit worrying how easy Sid & Monty are making it look out there. Monster just hit a cover drive for three that was not at all bad.

Bollox, jinxed it. Sidebottom holes out with an attempted pull.

 

[NZTailender]

Love Gillespie

 

[Richard]

Did he play around a straight one with a big gap between bat & pad?

No, was beaten by an inswinger that he should nonetheless have done better to.

Cracking catch to get Sidebottom. This should be over very soon. Yes, it was. MSP gone.

 

[Athlai]

Patels wickets.

 

[Richard]

Love Gillespie

His 2 Tests so far have gone really similar. Bowled crap early, bowled better later, but got a few tailenders. Feel for Oram, though - really deserved more than that.

 

[BoyBrumby]

342 then. Competitive, but we need a good bowling performance to back it up. A lot rests on Sidey, stating the obvious as that may be.

 

[NZTailender]

Gilllleeeesssspppieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!