**Official** New Zealand in England

[Tim]

The difference is that NZ has a couple of guys like McCullum, Taylor and Oram who could potentially fire off a quick 50 runs whereas England only have Pietersen. The rest are very technically correct batsmen who'll hover back

 

[Richard]

A BOUNDARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
z

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Wow, wish I could still watch this game on the telly.

Hope Ambrose doesn't do what he did at the Basin.

 

[Zinzan]

Wouldn't be suprised if Ambrose and Broad get a good partnership going

 

[Raghav]

To be honest, I could see NZ suffering the same way in their 2nd innings. I think the batsmen are going to be dead set scared on this pitch now.

If thats the case, thank god we got score on board

 

[Richard]

Cricinfo quotes a bloke by the name of Ed:

Ed: "Just wondered how many chances Ian Bell gets ? Mathew Hoggard is dropped after just a handful of poor performances, but Bell seems to have endless selection guarantees ? Time for a change me thinks.."

That a poor decision was made dropping Hoggard does not mean another should be made doing the same to Bell.

ANOTHER BOUNDARY!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's raining riches here.

 

[Leslie1]

Go Broad! (Why am I supporting a young man not disturbed by the batting coach's advice about batting time)...

This pitch is so dodgy that it's not wise to just try and stay in. Because every third delivery from Vettori is unplayable and it's a matter of which ball has the batsman's name on it.

 

[Richard]

Wouldn't be suprised if Ambrose and Broad get a good partnership going

If so, Ambrose will owe Hair quite a bit.

Amazing that we've had the overwhelming rub of the Umpiring green so far in this game (probably about 4-1) and are still in a shocking position.

 

[sportychic33]

Wow, wish I could still watch this game on the telly.

Hope Ambrose doesn't do what he did at the Basin.

Echoed.
Not particularly wanting to go into Common Room as I completely riled a guy up about Vettori and wrote him off, so don't particularly want to deal with that.
Also the fact that they won't be watching it

 

[Manee]

Amazing that we've had the overwhelming rub of the Umpiring green so far in this game (probably about 4-1) and are still in a shocking position.

Simple maths. You play bad, more appeals.

 

[Richard]

Go Broad! (Why am I supporting a young man not disturbed by the batting coach's advice about batting time)...

This pitch is so dodgy that it's not wise to just try and stay in. Because every third delivery from Vettori is unplayable and it's a matter of which ball has the batsman's name on it.

Love to know where you've got this information about Andy Flower being responsible for the approach from. Or about it being so woefully wrong as it's being painted.

Notice how no-one - Broad included - has yet struck runs from Vettori? He's simply put a couple of rare bad deliveries from O'Brien (who has possibly been slightly disturbed by the left-hand bat) away.

 

[chalky]

Cricinfo quotes a bloke by the name of Ed:

Ed: "Just wondered how many chances Ian Bell gets ? Mathew Hoggard is dropped after just a handful of poor performances, but Bell seems to have endless selection guarantees ? Time for a change me thinks.."

I agree time for a spell on sidelines for Bell despite his 100 in New Zealand he has flattered to deceive for far too long now.

 

[Richard]

Simple maths. You play bad, more appeals.

Yeah, but normally the appeals that are out are still given out!

 

[Richard]

I agree time for a spell on sidelines for Bell despite his 100 in New Zealand he has flattered to deceive for far too long now.

Collingwood should be dropped three times before Bell is. Not that now is the time for either.

I've said it before - in times of trouble, panic is usually the preferable option, and it's madness.

 

[Days of Grace]

Ambrose was plumb, just before.

All this talk about the follow-on has largely been made irrelevant after some shocking bowling last over from O'Diren.

 

[Richard]

Can't expect someone to keep hitting perfect lines every single delivery. It has to go wrong eventually.

And the first change of the day sees Mills on.

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Echoed.
Not particularly wanting to go into Common Room as I completely riled a guy up about Vettori and wrote him off, so don't particularly want to deal with that.
Also the fact that they won't be watching it

Haha, shades of my uni hostel days. Everyone at this time of night in the common room was always watching bloody soccer

 

[Burgey]

This last 16 overs truly has been one of the most depressing I've ever watched from an England-fan POV. Not that wickets have been gifted, because they haven't - they've been earned. But rarely has such serenity as early in this innings been followed by such chaos.

AWTA, though the contrast between Pietersen's play of spin here last summer and even in 05 with his leaden footed efforts in this innings was amazing.

His bat was miles ahead of his pad to that ball he edged, which seemed unusual from what I'd seen of him int he past.

As for Bell, well it's not the first time he's been a model of technically sound, textbook-correct-yet-soft-under bellied mediocrity, and I suspect it won't be the last.

 

[pasag]

Vettori gets another. 5 wicket haul, well done!

 

[_Ed_]

And there goes another.