**Official** England in New Zealand

[Athlai]

Oh and Collingwood reached the 200 mark hitting it in our choirs direction. Certainly shut us up a bit.

 

[sportychic33]

Lou Vincent

objectively please?
Let's wait until How has played a few more games to make any comment.

 

[sportychic33]

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.

Have you posted that on every Forum you are subscribed to?

 

[Flem274*]

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...

Nah disagree TBH. The new ball is lively but it seems once you get past it you can bat for ages. It depends if England can bowl as exceptionally well as they did yesterday, which is why I'm so happy there is no Hoggard. Yes it is a huge chase, and it will be tough going, but we have two days and guys that are showing signs that they could be pretty good like How and Taylor and guys like Fleming, Vettori and to a lesser extent McCullum who are already proven at this level. It will be interesting to se how Oram goes if he gets a chance, if he can just survive and get in, which should be easier this time around, then he could be very dangerous.

Now that we've got rid of Anderson it should be easier, isn't it strange we saw off the class of Panesar and Sidebottom and managed to get owned by somebody unproven and not in the best of form before the match?

 

[sportychic33]

Nah disagree TBH. The new ball is lively but it seems once you get past it you can bat for ages. It depends if England can bowl as exceptionally well as they did yesterday, which is why I'm so happy there is no Hoggard. Yes it is a huge chase, and it will be tough going, but we have two days and guys that are showing signs that they could be pretty good like How and Taylor and guys like Fleming, Vettori and to a lesser extent McCullum who are already proven at this level. It will be interesting to se how Oram goes if he gets a chance, if he can just survive and get in, which should be easier this time around, then he could be very dangerous.

Now that we've got rid of Anderson it should be easier, isn't it strange we saw off the class of Panesar and Sidebottom and managed to get owned by somebody unproven and not in the best of form before the match?

Would love to see Oram get past 15 for a start. Looks dodgy early on with technique. Hopefully he doesn't face Sidebottom until he's well into the 20s. Though could any of you see Vettori or McCullum coming in slightly before Oram to give him a bit of a break after the bowling workload he has got through in the last 3 days?

 

[Athlai]

Phlegm mate it looks like we have about a 10% chance of winning this. If it happens we need the top order and middle order to fire, simple as that. If it comes down to McCullum and Vettori with more than 100 runs to get I reckon we're buggered.

 

[Flem274*]

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.

You weren't part of that buch singing the Exponents songs were you? It was awful

 

[Flem274*]

Phlegm mate it looks like we have about a 10% chance of winning this. If it happens we need the top order and middle order to fire, simple as that. If it comes down to McCullum and Vettori with more than 100 runs to get I reckon we're buggered.

It is a tough ask, but I'm alot more confident now that it looks like we might, might have a half decent opener. Fleming and Taylor so far have been good. I'm backing a draw TBH as it looks like England have lost a bowler and that will make things tougher for them.

There is just so much time in this match that neither team needs to hit the panic button.

 

[Athlai]

You weren't part of that buch singing the Exponents songs were you? It was awful

Nope but was part of the mob shouting abuse at Sinclair, more or less I suggested it and the drunks in front yelled it. Classy. Evidently it was a mixture of "Sinclairs a wanker." "Sinclairs a legend." "Sinclair can stay in the team, for now." "Gillespie dropped Collingwood, just like you're going to get dropped Sinclair."

and my personal favourite

"Score some runs Sinclair, score some runs."

"Collingwoods a wanker!" Was all me though, was mighty impressed when it really got going.

 

[sportychic33]

Nope but was part of the mob shouting abuse at Sinclair, more or less I suggested it and the drunks in front yelled it. Classy. Evidently it was a mixture of "Sinclairs a wanker." "Sinclairs a legend." "Sinclair can stay in the team, for now." "Gillespie dropped Collingwood, just like you're going to get dropped Sinclair."

and my personal favourite

"Score some runs Sinclair, score some runs."

"Collingwoods a wanker!" Was all me though, was mighty impressed when it really got going.

Bit Juvenile don't you think. . although I would allow it for KP.

 

[Athlai]

It is a tough ask, but I'm alot more confident now that it looks like we might, might have a half decent opener. Fleming and Taylor so far have been good. I'm backing a draw TBH as it looks like England have lost a bowler and that will make things tougher for them.

There is just so much time in this match that neither team needs to hit the panic button.

Na, no draw here mate. You'd get good money for that bet, $16 by my last check. England to win, 2 days to bowl us out, but I still reckon we will trouble them. The pitch shouldn't help em at all, went out at lunch and it looked solid as a rock.

 

[Flem274*]

Would love to see Oram get past 15 for a start. Looks dodgy early on with technique. Hopefully he doesn't face Sidebottom until he's well into the 20s. Though could any of you see Vettori or McCullum coming in slightly before Oram to give him a bit of a break after the bowling workload he has got through in the last 3 days?

Good point actualy. Vettori batting with someone who can stay with him could be a good gamble to take, it depends on the match situation. If we're going for a draw, normal order. If we have a sniff give him a shot.

 

[Brett Dale]

Have you posted that on every Forum you are subscribed to?

Yep!

 

[NZTailender]

objectively please?
Let's wait until How has played a few more games to make any comment.

His average is better than How's, Cumming's and Papps's since then. Not to mention Fulton and the Marshalls.

He was second best to Richardson since 2000, tbf, despite not being an opener.

 

[Athlai]

Bit Juvenile don't you think. . although I would allow it for KP.

Rate him, just harmless sledging really, us Kiwi's ain't got nothing on those Barmy bastards.

 

[Flem274*]

Na, no draw here mate. You'd get good money for that bet, $16 by my last check. England to win, 2 days to bowl us out, but I still reckon we will trouble them. The pitch shouldn't help em at all, went out at lunch and it looked solid as a rock.

The lack of bowlers helps us out alot. Especially on a strip of concrete. I'd like to reiterate we won't definitely win, far from it, I'm just saying that because there is two days left and the pitch isn't causing much dramas then all results are wide open.

 

[Flem274*]

His average is better than How's, Cumming's and Papps's since then. Not to mention Fulton and the Marshalls.

He was second best to Richardson since 2000, tbf, despite not being an opener.

Didn't someone with too much time on their hands do an average of Vincent with no minnows and FCA included?

Didn't turn out that flash IIRC.

 

[NZTailender]

The question was asked, I answered.

 

[Flem274*]

The question was asked, I answered.

We could be technical and discount him because he is a middle order player

Wish Bell could get his act together.

 

[Flem274*]

TBF I think people are judging Gillespie a little harshly here. He had a poor day catching but he has potential to be a decent seamer for us. Remember Peter Fulton 12 (36) in the BC series where we got the kick? Everyone was prattling on about how he should never play agiain and he went on to kick ass until recent times where he has unfairly been put at six.

Perhaps Heath would like to make some comments on this knee jerk behaviour?