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**Official** New Zealand in England

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
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.
That's come from the fact he's struggled with lbws and bat-pad catches in recent times. What's important to note, though, is the fact that many of the surfaces he's played spin on in recent times have been much slower than those of '05 and '06/07.
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.
His shot today was far from sound in any way, shape or form. It was plain careless. Not soft, just poor.

And there's another one. That Ambrose let-off didn't cost anything much. Follow-on should still be saved though.
 

Tim

Cricketer Of The Year
jeez, Taylor looks dodge with his catching.. but at least he's holding most of them i guess.
 

chalky

International Debutant
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.
This is not a knee jerk reaction apart freom those 3 100s against pakistan a few years I can't ever remember Bell taking hold of series despite having a neigh on 4 year run in the side. I don't think either Bell or Collingwood will ever make the top echelon of international batting but at least Collingwood will get you some runs in tough circumstances something Bell just doesn't do.
 

Leslie1

U19 Captain
Vettori has made up for his dumb runout by producing THE MOST DEVASTATING SPELL IN LEFT ARM SPIN BOWLING SINCE (fill in a name here) :laugh:
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
This is not a knee jerk reaction apart freom those 3 100s against pakistan a few years I can't ever remember Bell taking hold of series despite having a neigh on 4 year run in the side. I don't think either Bell or Collingwood will ever make the top echelon of international batting but at least Collingwood will get you some runs in tough circumstances something Bell just doesn't do.
Collingwood has never once got any runs in tough circumstances - except when he's been dropped or wrongly given not-out, of course. He simply has the "northern tough guy" air that Bell doesn't.

Bell is a far better batsman than Collingwood, simple as. His Test career is disappointing to date, but it is not poor enough to be being dropped.
 

Leslie1

U19 Captain
McCullum, Vettori, Taylor = who is for MOT first innings? 8-) This is why it's so good to the point of ecstasy supporting Black Caps, they never dissappoint, they only over perform and gives nice surprises in a hamper while you moan about All Blacks.
 

Burgey

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That's come from the fact he's struggled with lbws and bat-pad catches in recent times. What's important to note, though, is the fact that many of the surfaces he's played spin on in recent times have been much slower than those of '05 and '06/07.

His shot today was far from sound in any way, shape or form. It was plain careless. Not soft, just poor.

And there's another one. That Ambrose let-off didn't cost anything much. Follow-on should still be saved though.
TBF, sometimes we concentrate too much on our own sides' problems but, just like WI v Aus late on day 3 in Jamaica, NZ have been superb today. Vettori has simply paralysed the batsmen, and O'Brien (who I must say I'd never seen, but because so many seemed to call him O'Diren I thought must be no good) has done a great McGrath impersonation. Fair play to them, imo.
 

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