**Official** England in New Zealand

[Richard]

Pretty sure I have more Test runs than Martin.

TBF, I have more ODI wickets than Owais Shah too.

 

[Matteh]

Could it be that it's never happened?

Apparently, no-one who has scored 50 on debut has ever taken a single wicket in the game.

Gough hit 60 something and took 4 iirc.

 

[Retox]

http://content-nz.cricinfo.com/england/engine/match/63648.html

Matteh wins

 

[Richard]

Gough hit 60 something and took 4 iirc.

65 and 4-47.

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

So hang on, did Southee score more runs than Sinclair for the series?

 

[Richard]

In 1 unbeaten innings, he slogged 6 more runs than Sinclair managed in 6 innings over the series.

The sort of thing, like Mark Boucher coming on (after Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Jacques Kallis and Nico Boje have toiled for 153 overs for a single wicket) to get slogged to mid-wicket in his 2nd over, that makes you question why you ever bothered, really.

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Unbelievable, Sinclair just can't buy a run.

 

[Leslie1]

Sinclair has to rank right up there as the most overrated batsman in history.

Or, God must have rested when he scored his double tons.

 

[Dick Rockett]

Well, congrats to England for their series win

Of course I'm disappointed we lost, but tbh when you consider that after the T20s most pundits were idiotically predicting a whitewash in both series by England I'm happy that we took a test off them. Fact of the matter is that it was two poor first innings that lost us the series. Both sides enjoyed one big innings, but England managed more par scores than we did. Well done our bowlers who weren't rated as anything more than pie-chuckers before the series began, but our batsmen have some work to do.

Man of the summer - Ryan Sidebottom. Great to see a bowler with good pace, swing and control enjoying some success and tipping the modern balance sheet away from the batsmen slightly.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

The New Zealand batsmen's strike-rate this series was 54.05.
The England batsmen's strike-rate this series was 43.20.

Who said he who dares wins?

Did you see McCullums 2 dismissals this test? Daring is fine, but just swinging the bat = idiotic.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Southee and Martin must be the worst pair I've seen bat together since Mullally and Giddins.

Southee=Mullally?

 

[Leslie1]

Southee=Mullally?

In a few years' time it'll be Southee and another superstar-in-waiting Corey Anderson. That record with Astle and Cairns will be shattered to pieces when our top order batting lineup will once again give these two youngster the chance to win a test chasing mammoth totals.

 

[Leslie1]

And it will be once again be England the recipient of some brutal hits, but of course we will ultimately go down fighting lol.

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Was just thinking today how dire an effect ICL, IPL, Bracewell, NZC and injuries have had on the team.

We should be starting the England tour with

1. How
2. Player X
3. Fleming(c)
4. Vincent
5. Taylor
6. Oram
7. McCullum
8. Vettori
9. Franklin
10. Bond
11. Martin
Coach: Anyone else.

Madness. Injuries to Franklin and Ryder aside, heads should be rolling.

 

[Tim]

This wasn't a batting fluke by Southee, he's done this at age group and domestic level. Unfortunately he only seems to manage it every now and then but if he can get it together more consistently then look out.

Having said that, he's only 19 and he's had a brilliant debut test match so well done to him.

Sinclair will almost certainly get the chop, and I think despite getting a half century Bell will be out too..who does that leave, who knows?

I guess Cumming and Papps will come in to calculation again, I think we could see at least two of: Hay, Todd, Broom and Nicol making the tour in the middle order. And unfortunately, I think James Marshall may have scored runs at the right time to be selected.

 

[Tim]

Here's who I think the selectors will be mulling over ahead of next week..these are all the players who i think will be discussed not just my preferences.

Openers:

Matthew Bell
Craig Cumming
Jamie How
Michael Papps
Tim McIntosh
Aaron Redmond
Martin Guptill

Batsmen:

Mathew Sinclair
Peter Fulton
Ross Taylor
Greg Todd
Greg Hay
Neil Broom
Rob Nicol
James Marshall
Daniel Flynn

All-rounders:

Jacob Oram
Grant Elliott

Wicketkeepers:

Brendon McCullum
Gareth Hopkins

Bowlers:

Daniel Vettori
Jeetan Patel
Kyle Mills
Mark Gillespie
Chris Martin
Tim Southee
Bradley Scott
Leighton Burtt
Iain O'Brien
Michael Mason
Richard Sherlock

Uncertain:

Jesse Ryder
James Franklin

Alright, pick your 15

 

[Days of Grace]

Are you seriously suggesting we have only two allrounders to choose from?

Dire times indeed.

 

[Tim]

Well you could probably class Daniel Vettori as an all-rounder now I think.

 

[99*]

Squad of XV

How
Bell
McIntosh
Fulton
Taylor
Hay
Oram
Elliott (replace with Ryder when fit)
McCullum (Hopkins for the first matches during IPL)
Vettori
Patel
Mills
Martin
Southee
Gillespie (replace with Franklin if/when fit)

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Well you could probably class Daniel Vettori as an all-rounder now I think.

Vettori's batting and bowling > Elliott's so yes.

TBH Elliott doesn't strike me as an all-rounder at all. If he is, then Ryder is, Taylor is, Pietersen is and so on. He is a (questionable at first class level) Batsman who can bowl some little trundlers if needed.

Don't know what sort of injury Franklin has had, wonder if it's allowed him to work on his batting. He is more of a chance of making all-rounder I think.