**Official** England in New Zealand

[sportychic33]

I fear (hope?) it shall be quite a while before we unearth someone with the looks to follow in Jesse's bloated footsteps...

Gillespie seems to be getting close. That guy needs some decent exercise.

 

[Richard]

Goughy paying you for all this advertising?

Think I'm becoming more keen on the idea than he TBH. Wish I'd thought of this ages ago.

 

[Prince EWS]

Think I'm becoming more keen on the idea than he TBH..

Haha, y'think?

 

[Richard]

All right, 1 last post at the start of the final session.

England to forge ahead but not forge out of sight for my money. Collingwood hopefully not to profit greatly from that miss, Oram hopefully to clean-up the tail.

 

[Richard]

Actually make that 1 more (my 900th this thread ) to say... Gillespie and Vettori to start the session, WTF?

Had to be Oram and Mills for my money.

 

[_Ed_]

I thought we would have a chance chasing 350.

So now I offer my congratulations to England.

 

[sportychic33]

Oram's 100th Madien in his Test Career.
Any bets on when he is going to break?

 

[NZTailender]

Gillespie gets Collers, that ends the day. Expect we'll pick up MSP or Jimmy tomorrow morning then get stuck into batting. Our chance of winning/drawing relies on the three people who are averaging 6 in the series - Bell, Sinclair and Oram. They're going to have to score big for mine, to take the pressure of Fleming, Taylor and Vettori - and McCullum & How to a lesser extent.

 

[slugger]

How was positive in the interview after play, he gave the impression NZ batsmen will play for a win, he basically said NZ want to have a series win.

 

[Somerset]

How was positive in the interview after play, he gave the impression NZ batsmen will play for a win, he basically said NZ want to have a series win.

TBH I can't see New Zealand batting for two days no matter what the pitch so they may as well play positively, which for Oram, Taylor, McCullum, Vettori in particular shouldn't be an issue.

Not necessarily that bad a result from a NZ point of view for England to bat until close, personally I would've had a bowl for 30 minutes especially given our start in the first innings. Thoughts on England declaring overnight? Or will Monty and Anderson resume tomorrow?

 

[Flem274*]

Have to say, that's pretty wishful thinking. And rather sadly, being New Zealand does seem to involve a collapse, if not all the time, then at least most of the time. Regardless of how difficult it is to bat in South Africa, our top order has been a shambles ever since Mark Richardson retired. Since the start of 2005, the average amount of runs we make for the loss of our first five wickets is just 141.2, with only one truly excellent effort, against Australia (5 for 355) at the very start of the period in question. Of the players in the top six from that match, only Stephen Fleming remains. To put that into context, in the same period, Bangladesh have averaged 121.9, with a similar top effort again against Australia (351). On average, our top six are just over 3 runs better than the Bangladeshi's. And people in New Zealand wonder why we aren't given any test matches these days.

I think, in the best case scenario, New Zealand will be chasing something around 350 in the last innings though I'm gonna stick my neck out and say that we'll be chasing 500. Either way, given the limitations of our top order, I just can't see us chasing anything over 200, no matter how dead the wicket is.

Not surprised you posted that.

TBH, this si a new batting order, bar Fleming. Now I know whenever we have an era change everyone assumes we're ****ed but really, How looks the best opener we've had since Richardson. Bell and Sinclair ain't much but Fleming and Taylor are good batsmen and How, Fleming, Taylor, McCullum, Vettori should not be troubled by Anderson and Broad. Anderson has bowled well but from what I've seen of him and from what the English in here have told me, thats one of the very few times he's bowled well in a test, and not to be disrespectful to a great performance but most bowlers could bowl well on this pitch on days one and two. Even Oram looked a menace.

If Hoggard was out there with Sidebottom, I woudn't be confident but as much as I love the awesomeness of Sidebottom I think if we keep him out on a flat wicket then we're halfway there. England might be amazing like we were at Hamilton but the chances aren't great. We're not i nthe box seat by any means but people seem to be inflating the direness of the situation. 10 wickets in hand, flat pitch, two days, 400 odd. As Rigor said, if this was day 1 you'd bat first for two days and set 400. The way this series has panned out, we're in for a ripper.

If we were on a greentop though it would be Englands game easily.

EDIT and just for those rolling their eyes at me, if the roles were reversed I'd be very nervous right now. 2 days is plenty of time for a run chase, and if the roles were reversed Bahnz, as good a poster as he is, would still be backing an English victory he's been through too much of the 90's NZ direness one feels, poor bloke.

 

[Bahnz]

If Hoggard was out there with Sidebottom, I woudn't be confident but as much as I love the awesomeness of Sidebottom I think if we keep him out on a flat wicket then we're halfway there. England might be amazing like we were at Hamilton but the chances aren't great. We're not i nthe box seat by any means but people seem to be inflating the direness of the situation. 10 wickets in hand, flat pitch, two days, 400 odd. As Rigor said, if this was day 1 you'd bat first for two days and set 400. The way this series has panned out, we're in for a ripper.

Bahnz, as good a poster as he is, would still be backing an English victory he's been through too much of the 90's NZ direness one feels, poor bloke.

That's the whole thing though... it's not a flat wicket. The ball (especially when it's new) is still doing plenty off the seam, and with the early cloud that's likely to be around tomorrow morning, all hell could break loss. I'm not saying that there's no chance that we could win, as we've already managed to post 400+ in this series, though on a much more benign pitch. But the simple fact is that it should be too many runs (indeed, it's been too many runs for every other 4th innings chase in history). And no this isn't just 90's inspired pessimism running rampant, and if the situation was reversed, I'd back us to win...as unbelievable as that sounds. Indeed, had we held our catches and dismissed England for 200, I would've given us an outside chance. Bloody Gillespie...

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

TBH, this si a new batting order, bar Fleming. Now I know whenever we have an era change everyone assumes we're ****ed but really, How looks the best opener we've had since Richardson. Bell and Sinclair ain't much but Fleming and Taylor are good batsmen and How, Fleming, Taylor, McCullum, Vettori should not be troubled by Anderson and Broad. .

More knee jerks from Phlegm. How's had one good summer - to call him the best opener we've had since Richardson is a little bit premature. Bell and Sinclair do have the goods to score runs as well. The difference is mainly down to the form the players are in, but if Bell or Sinclair get in, they'll score the runs we require. Now, I don't think this will happen but I'm on knee-jerk watch.

 

[Brett Dale]

I personally think Mark Gillespie has to be dropped, not only doesn't he look like a professional sports person, he doesnt play like one, that was terrible, it was cringe worthy, it was like David Brent trying to take a catch, now we are in a deep trouble. So have we got a hero, have we got a historical performance coming from one player that will go down in History, will this be the Innings that defines Fleming Career, I live in hope!!!

 

[Bahnz]

In an interesting twist that could help to balance things out a bit tomorrow, James Anderson tripped and turned his ankle in an aftermatch soccer game. He left the field on crutches and is an uncertain start for tomorrow. If he goes, then that effectively reduces the English bowling attack to Sidebottom, Broad (who bowled pies in the first innings) and Collingwood, given that Monty shouldn't be that much of a threat on this pitch.

 

[Brett Dale]

Have the Blackcaps got a Hero? Have we got someone who will create Cricket History and go on to have a performance that people in 50 years will talk about? Will grown men be crying? Will cricketer writers all over the world, gasp and write about how this performance will never be matched in the history of the game?

Will people talk about Botham's performance in 1981 and say this is better, will Bradman's name be mentioned? Will a player become a legend, will this be Stephen Fleming's legacy to the game? Will the tiny Nation of New Zealand, celebrate?

You see, New Zealand is facing defeat, in what so far has been a poor performance by the team, and a disgusting performance by Mark Gillespie, who dropped a sitter of a catch, that was so cringe worthy, I thought of David Brent's dance in The Office. Surly this player must be dropped.

So what does NewZealand have to do, they will be will be chasing over 420 to win, an impossible task, a Historical task, something that should never have happen, a one in a million change, crazy talk to even suggest it.

Well I'm suggesting it, I want a hero, I want my mouth to be wide open, I want to dance and scream, I want the impossible to happen, I want to believe in sporting miracles, I want to know that this can happen, just once as a sport fan in my life, I want to see something that cant happen, happen!!, you see this just wouldn't be a great upset, a miracle, this would be the greatest sporting comeback EVER!!!!!

So, Im allowed to dream, aren't I?, over the next two days, my fingers and toes will be crossed, I will be hoping against hope, that maybe, just maybe, something special will happen.

Let's hope that Dreams indeed do come true.

 

[Athlai]

Haha, loving the reactions. England just bowled too well for us, Anderson came in flying and Sidebottom is always tight. Hopefully we'll put up a competitive chase but the likelihood of the win is very low.

On a different note, I started a rousing chant of Collingwoods a wanker.

 

[Flem274*]

More knee jerks from Phlegm. How's had one good summer - to call him the best opener we've had since Richardson is a little bit premature. Bell and Sinclair do have the goods to score runs as well. The difference is mainly down to the form the players are in, but if Bell or Sinclair get in, they'll score the runs we require. Now, I don't think this will happen but I'm on knee-jerk watch.

Name me one test opener since Richardson that is better than How? None. They were all ****.

TBH you're taking this "Knee jerk" thing way OTT. Quite why you're having a big whinge at me saying How is better than anyone since Richardson when we've had some beautiful whinges in this thread by other posters that you haven't even pulled up. TBF I used to be pretty knee jerk last year but now I'm taking a step back first and assessing the performances over a period of time, otherwise i would have really put the boot in yesterday. I also believe it was either you or Athlai going on about Taylor and me being knee jerk about him being practically useless in tests before now and to an extent in FC matches and then, ironically, you lot start singing his praises after one innings

If you get to rate O'Brien with your Wellington eye patch on, I'm going to unashamedly back Jamie How to the hilt.

Now that I have that off my chest i would like it to be known that I'm absolutely stoked at James Andersons injury and no, I didn't sabotage him.

 

[NZTailender]

Collingwood is ace though.

 

[NZTailender]

Name me one test opener since Richardson that is better than How? None. They were all ****.

Lou Vincent