**Official** New Zealand in England

[Smudge]

Fleming comes out swinging against Scyld Berry (audio file)

EDIT: Six minutes in...

 

[sledger]

Guys,

Im off to Lords tomorrow but obviously really worried about the whole rain situation despite the ***y drainage facilities now in place at Lords.

I am in row 11 of the Grandstand, does anyone know if the Grandstand will shelter us from the rain???

Thanks in advance.

depends which way the rain is coming in.

 

[Retox]

Fleming comes out swinging against Scyld Berry (audio file)

Cheers

 

[simmy]

depends which way the rain is coming in.

Let's assume no wind and vertically falling rain

 

[Nutter]

Hey do you guys know if the game's gonna be on Sky? And what time?

 

[Richard]

Master L

That'd make no sense. No-one ever uses title-followed-by-first-name. It's title-followed-by-surname that is the approved protocol.

CBA typing-out your entire name as was very, very tired yesterday evening BTW.

 

[Richard]

Hey do you guys know if the game's gonna be on Sky? And what time?

Obviously, every England game at the current time is, and it starts 10AM BST. In NZ, that will be 9PM.

 

[Richard]

NZ to draw the first test.

Rich to rant about the weather in 5....4....3...

Will wait until the damn rain actually falls before doing so TBH.

But seriously - while rain costing overs of a match is deplorable, bad disruption to the opening day of the international summer is one of the most frustrating things imaginable.

 

[James]

Does anyone know whether Fox Sports in Australia are doing the series?

 

[Pup Clarke]

That'd make no sense. No-one ever uses title-followed-by-first-name. It's title-followed-by-surname that is the approved protocol.

CBA typing-out your entire name as was very, very tired yesterday evening BTW.

Have always prefered the sound of Liam rather than Howgate tbh.

 

[Richard]

Aye, but if I was using your first-name I'd not bother with the "Master" title, y'see.

And as I say before - trouble when you have two people with the same name on CW (as with yourself and Camps) is you need some way of differentiating.

 

[Goughy]

Not happy with Anderson being prefered over Hoggard

 

[Richard]

Yep, I thought so! What have I been saying the last 6 weeks?

FFS, how can it be possible to still think Anderson a better bowler than Hoggard?

 

[FBU]

Yep, I thought so! What have I been saying the last 6 weeks?

FFS, how can it be possible to still think Anderson a better bowler than Hoggard?

Hoggard needed to take top order NZ wickets in the Lions game. That's his job opening the bowling.

 

[Richard]

If that were so, I'd have liked it if Anderson had been placed alongside him (instead of Onions or Swann) to see if he too would flunk or funk the challenge.

 

[Woodster]

Althugh I agree Anderson is very much hit or miss, there is some consistency in his selection, he currently has a position in the side and has anyone done enough to displace him ? He seems in decent form for Lancs so I don't think it's a massive surprise for him to stay in the side and have first crack at the Kiwis.

 

[Richard]

I think most people (not me) were expecting his form of the Third Test in NZ as well as all spells after his opening one (in which he took 9-10-3 or whatever it was) in the Second Test to see him dropped even if there wasn't anyone tearing-up trees. Let's not forget Hoggard did do one thing of note himself though, taking 6 for 50-odd in his opening(?) game of the season.

We'll see how it goes, but surely one more unimpressive performance - which really wouldn't surprise me in the slightest TBH - will see him jettisoned for the Second Test. Then again, maybe not.

 

[Woodster]

Yes Hoggard has taken 6for, but Anderson has also picked up 11 wickets in his 2 games at under 13 apiece.

For me if you select a player ahead of a similar player it is then unfair to give him only 2 games (one in which he took 5-73) before dropping him again. A run of games may inspire Jimmy, I am not suggesting he'll get that or that he'll take his game to another level, but maybe he deserves the chance to.

 

[Goughy]

Its the start of a new season and pecking order comes into play. The bowlers at the top of the list are selected.

Current form is only a minor concern (unless a vast difference), as is the last Test of the Winter series (unless an amazing performance took place).

What I find worrying is that Anderson has displaced Hoggard as one of the top 3 rated (Flintoff excluded) quicks in the Country in the opinion of the selectors.

That is clearly madness.

 

[Woodster]

If choosing from scratch, I would agree that Anderson shouldn't be in the XI. However, I don't think you can disregard what has happened in recent Tests, continuity in selection is what we ask for. Form probably doesn't have a massive bearing due to it being early season, but previous Tests, and selection in those, surely have a large bearing on starts this summer.