**Official** New Zealand in England

[FBU]

I think Martin is upset about being left out of the ODI squad.

 

[Jakester1288]

How did day 1 end?

EDIT: I have found it, congratulations to Pietersen on 115 and to O'Brien with 4 wickets. Good work to Ambrose with 67 and Mills with 3 wickets.

 

[Days of Grace]

Went to bed around halfway through the second session last night. I guessed that Pietersen would score a century and that England at the end of the day would be about 280/7. I was proved correct. Hopefully NZ can get out the final three before England score 300. And then somehow, somehow, have a good top order performance.

I also have another theory on why NZ chose to bowl first. They are chasing the series, to level it, and thus you would want to be batting last, chasing a target. If they go down, they will go down in flames trying to get to the target. In essense, they have nothing to lose.

If England were in trouble batting last then they would simply shut up shop and it would be hard for NZ to force a win (particularly with our current lack of penetration). Thus, I think Vettori made the right decision.

Hopefully we are not chasing 500 to win in the last innings.

 

[Somerset]

Fantastic innings from KP, stepping up when it matters. It seems to be going along very similar lines to the Napier test in the series here in New Zealand this summer. Credit to O'Brien, continuing on from his efforts in the second test, and Mills.

Will be a very interesting second day, heres hoping NZ don't get bowled out for 200 and suffer a 150 run deficit.

 

[steds]

If by "to your east" you mean Liverpool, that's where I was, in work.

No. I meant proper country.

 

[Bahnz]

It will be interesting to see how McCullum goes tomorrow. If he can keep averaging in the mid 30's at number three, and if Gareth Hopkins can keep an average in the mid to high 20's down the order, I might just be prepared to take that for the medium term. And with the excellent Van Wyk only a year away from qualification, McCullum may well find himself playing cricket as a specialist batsman sooner than we all thought.

 

[Flem274*]

Rubbish? Coming right up. Idiots. Absolute idiots. Keep filling your team with toothless losers, morons. *************** this is ridiculous. And I've never seen Hopkins but I'll bet he'll be more effective than Marshall, Redmond and Flynn put together.

After this enlightened post that named O'Brien as a "toothless loser" he takes four wickets.

Hoping O'Brien gets the whole tail and a nice 7-fer.

Jamie How has a big night tonight, he's the most reliable bat in the top 3.

 

[Days of Grace]

Hoping that Redmond can get his test career underway properly tonight as well.

 

[_Ed_]

Hoping that Redmond can get his test career underway properly tonight as well.

Absolutely.

He's been prolific in the tour games and has looked promising at times in the Tests. Would love to see him get past 50 in this game.

 

[Richard]

Martin just doesn't have it, it seems. I'd be picking a bowling attack of Mills, Southee, O'Brien/Franklin, Oram, Vettori for the next test NZ plays.

How quickly things change! Just a couple of games ago anyone with any sense would've said the same with O'Brien and Martin swapped.

This is also the first time for a few games that Mills has bowled well.

 

[Richard]

Martin opening-up - that falls into the "inexplicable" camp. Why on Earth would you not open with Mills and O'Brien?

 

[Goughy]

Went to bed around halfway through the second session last night. I guessed that Pietersen would score a century and that England at the end of the day would be about 280/7. I was proved correct. Hopefully NZ can get out the final three before England score 300. And then somehow, somehow, have a good top order performance.

I also have another theory on why NZ chose to bowl first. They are chasing the series, to level it, and thus you would want to be batting last, chasing a target. If they go down, they will go down in flames trying to get to the target. In essense, they have nothing to lose.

If England were in trouble batting last then they would simply shut up shop and it would be hard for NZ to force a win (particularly with our current lack of penetration). Thus, I think Vettori made the right decision.

Hopefully we are not chasing 500 to win in the last innings.

Sounds good in theory but runs on the board put pressure on the opposition and signal intent. The ideal way to come hard at an opponent and take control of the Test.

A big total scored quick also gives a lot of time to win a game.

It also allows you to bowl last on a wicket that will be tough to bat on.

Also, given Englands history of collapsing when batting for draws, it would have exploited a traditional English weakness.

I see what you are saying just I think you are being far to generous and positive in your assessment of the decision

 

[Richard]

Dropped!

So Martin should've had Broad in his 2nd over, and McCullum at second-slip can't take a simple catch.

 

[jammay123]

brendon should have stayed behind the stumps

 

[99*]

Come on McCullum....

Martin can't buy a trick.

 

[_Ed_]

That's what happens when you play a keeper as a specialist batsman.

 

[jammay123]

for someone with a 'bad back' hes probably done more diving about than hopkins. i think it was a ploy to get him out of the gloves

 

[_Ed_]

for someone with a 'bad back' hes probably done more diving about than hopkins. i think it was a ploy to get him out of the gloves

Don't see why, he's a significantly better gloveman than Hopkins IMO and Hopkins is a bit of a liability with the bat.

 

[Richard]

Martin can't buy a trick.

That sort of thing is so annoying in its way - when someone who has been going badly gets it right and is let down by his fielders \ the Umpire.

It doesn't "always" happen the way some people say, else no-one who was failing to get wickets would ever start getting them again, but it's always such an injustice on the occasions it does.

 

[Richard]

Don't see why, he's a significantly better gloveman than Hopkins IMO and Hopkins is a bit of a liability with the bat.

Look forwards to Kruger van Wyk.