**Official** New Zealand in England

[Leslie1]

Flynn could well go on to score 5,000 Test runs - he's still young, so anything is within in his reach. We just don't know. What is clear to me is that a) he should still be behind quite a few batsmen he has leapfrogged and b) he looked pretty awful last night.

I think we haven't seen enough of him to say he's an awful squad selection is all I'm saying. We haven't seen enough of Redmond either with our own eyes, and can we say he's awful too after this first innings?

(rant begins)
God damn selectors, should have selected Fulton and leave Flynn out of this test to develop his game. One good season learning his trade, U19 captaincy should not be enough to justify selection ahead of incumbent, it doesn't matter how thin our stocks are at home. I prefer them to pick a player who's developed his game at FC level (Fulton) for the first 2 tests. If Fulton had showed any form he would be in.

Now we are going to get another young player who's got potential getting found out because he's picked before he's ready. Taylor is a hit and miss already when he 1st got selected and now this potential mismatch.

HAY IS LUCKY HE'S AT HOME!
(rant ends)

 

[Leslie1]

Actually forgot Southee was still to come too though TBH which kinda detracts from the gag a little...

England has a worse tail than New Zealand. So the gag should be on England with Anderson and Panesar, both not worse than Martin, but not far behind.

 

[Burgey]

ANOTHER wasted opportunity! As Anderson fails to wait for what would've been an easy run-out if he'd just let someone get up to the stumps and underarmed it. Instead he shies and misses.

Two let-offs for Marshall.

Saw that missed run out last night - seemed no one gave him a call to say he had time.

 

[NZTailender]

Can't comment on the 99 against Sri Lanka

Run out going for the 100. Remember watching it.

 

[Nutter]

Pretty harsh on Flynn - I thought he actually played quite well, his two boundaries were very nice, unlike Taylor who was just... well... can't really describe it. You don't play like that even if you're 100 without loss in T20 cricket. Beach cricket maybe. Can anyone explain to me just WTF is going on with Rosco's head?

 

[99*]

Went to bed after James M got out, listened to the radio and fell asleep after Taylor's wicket. Waking up to find us only 6 down was a bonus, unforutnate for McCullum but now I hope Vettori and Oram (later Southee and Mills) will get us over 300 (somewhere near 370).

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Oram and McCullum to both score 80+
Vettori 40+

NZ to get close to 300

One down, three to go.

Exceptionally surprised yet, Dick Dick?

 

[Prince EWS]

One down, three to go.

Exceptionally surprised yet, Dick Dick?

 

[Bahnz]

Why is everyone being so nasty about Flynn? Admittedly he didn't make a score, but from what I heard (and admittedly I was only listening to the radio), he didn't look like he was having too much trouble before he was unfortunately bowled. Indeed, the commentators why quite complementary about him, and Andrew Miller rated his leg flick off Collingwood as the most elegant shot of the day.

 

[Prince EWS]

We haven't seen enough of Redmond either with our own eyes, and can we say he's awful too after this first innings?

I didn't say Flynn was awful though. I said he looked awful last night, and I said his selection was awful. Flynn's selection was awful before he'd faced a ball, and Redmond didn't look awful during the five balls he faced, no.

 

[Somerset]

Just watched the highlights, overall not that bad a position for NZ, and if Vettori, Oram and the tail bat us to 300-350, I don't think we should be complaining given the conditions and the inexperienced top order.

Thought Flynn looked good and was disappointed he couldn't bat for longer. Hard to judge Redmond given they showed him facing one ball on the highlights (his dismissal). Taylor played terribly, just a quick note on an interview during the week when he was asked if he thought his average form in the practice matches would be an issue, he replied with "No I'd rather score a duck in the warm-up than a hundred leading into a test". Seems really great logic now...

 

[Goughy]

I'm going to predict a 300 score, and say 311 ao.

300 + a disaster for England. <250 advantage Eng.

Inbetween for honours even

 

[Tim]

I reckon Tim Southee is going to be extremely dangerous in these conditions if he has the same seam presentation as he did when they played in Napier.

These are conditions that are also ideal for Martin and Mills, if they can't take wickets here, they won't take any this entire series.

 

[Goughy]

Is Oram fit to bowl?

If he is then if he bowls well this track could help him do something silly like 16-10-10-4

 

[Tim]

Yeah Oram every now and then seems to turn up and bowl superbly, but it's not often enough. Otherwise he's probing without ever being too threatening.

 

[Richard]

EDIT
z

 

[Richard]

England has a worse tail than New Zealand. So the gag should be on England with Anderson and Panesar, both not worse than Martin, but not far behind.

So?

 

[99*]

Looking a bit better today in England?

 

[Richard]

One down, three to go.

Exceptionally surprised yet, Dick Dick?

A bit surprised at McCullum getting as many as he did as he didn't really look terribly likely to bat that long. But I'd only be exceptionally surprised if it all happened.

BTW, congrats on reviving a nickname I haven't heard since first-school.

 

[Richard]

Looking a bit better today in England?

Not around here, it's been thick cloud without a hint of break where I am - even thicker than it was at Lord's yesterday. If we were playing here there'd be no chance of the light being good enough at any point today unless the cloud shifted.

Haven't a clue what it's like in London however.