**Official** New Zealand in England

[Richard]

Then what does it matter what the weather is like where you are?

Commenting on the irony. Feels really odd seeing bad light stop play 250 miles away while it's been so sunny and hot all day today.

 

[Flem274*]

Sidebottom is more than capable and Broad has real ability, plus he gives me the impression he doesn't think much of this NZ attack. Not that bad a tail, and NZ have certainly done much worse before. Giving Jones a century last tour was infinitely more painful.

Sidebottom isn't much and Broad is the only good one, quite good in fact. However the reality is they should have been dealt to for 315 at the very most.

And don't bother arguing, its 4am so that means I'm always right.

 

[Isolator]

I'm much more concerned about the technical flaws of the players than their talent.

I'd say it's more a case of most of them seeming to have absolutely no sense of purpose or intent while batting. I'd say that for even their better batsmen. Oram, Fleming, Astle etc. all look/ed totally vague more often than not.

 

[Flem274*]

I'd say it's more a case of most of them seeming to have absolutely no sense of purpose or intent while batting. I'd say that for even their better batsmen. Oram, Fleming, Astle etc. all look/ed totally vague more often than not.

And there's another problem...


Bedtime for me. Hopefully this is just another "NZ collapse" dream but I somehow doubt it.

 

[Isolator]

Sidebottom isn't much and Broad is the only good one, quite good in fact. However the reality is they should have been dealt to for 315 at the very most.

And don't bother arguing, its 4am so that means I'm always right.

Sidebottom is decent. And it's 10 pm, so that means it must be time for pr0n!

 

[sunilreddy]

NZ Batting Top Order started now. Tailender's are gone.

NZ bats bottom to top.

It's not a bad idea to play 11 bowlers. It would give more bowling options to Vettori.

 

[GIMH]

Totally take back my comment on Anderson with the bat, and I think I might a comment about him spraying it all over the park as well. Possible Greigy tbh, made up though because Anderson is a bowler I love seeing well, not because he's from Lancs (that helps, obv) but because he produces the most devastating balls and is just a thoroughly smashing bloke...

 

[chalky]

Arghh Anderson produces his 2nd good day of the series (double his usual average) & that will no doubt get him in for all of the South Africa series & thus we will see Kallis & co smash him to all parts.

Hopefully he gets injured in the ODI's before the Saffie test series.

 

[Jono]

Every wicket gets much much harder to keep getting though. Even eight is very different than ten, though the first eight is quite an achievement.

Apologies, turns out I was wrong on a few counts.

Firstly, McGrath took the first 7, not 8. Kaspa took the 8th, then McGrath took the 9th and Kaspa took the 10th.

And also, Warne never even got a bowl in that innings because McGrath was dominating so much.

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/match/64113.html

 

[Richard]

Pretty sure I recall Gillespie beating the bat countless times mind.

 

[Richard]

Arghh Anderson produces his 2nd good day of the series (double his usual average) & that will no doubt get him in for all of the South Africa series & thus we will see Kallis & co smash him to all parts.

Hopefully he gets injured in the ODI's before the Saffie test series.

That'll just mean he's got loads of credit in the bank and so will walk straight back into the series for the winter, probably not perform woefully enough to be completely ruled-out, and hence there'll be a danger of him being very-much-in-the-frame come next summer. And if that doesn't make you wince, nothing will.

I want him to play and (presuming he bowls poorly) get smashed against South Africa. If it helps cost us that series, so be it - I'd rather lose that than lose next year.

 

[GIMH]

How about hoping he bowls like he did today more often

It might be asking a lot, but it's surely better than wishing he gets carted everywhere

 

[Richard]

I'm only going to start hoping it when I start thinking it's remotely likely.

 

[Flem274*]

Really annoyed O'Brien finished with 4 wickets. Did he get a bowl against Panesar etc?

The commentators on the radio seem to have decided O'Brien has picked up the pace a bit.

I shall find solace in the hope that the pitch may flatten out for us a bit because then Anderson shall be going out of the park.

Wonder if our batsmen will look at the scorecard and wonder if How outperformed the rest of them because he bats with very good technique?

I'll stop whining now. I imagine Peter Fulton will be looking pretty smug right now.

 

[Flem274*]

I'm only going to start hoping it when I start thinking it's remotely likely.

You're a funny one Richard, You hope Anderson gets carted, you are furious that O'Brien gets wickets. Are you anti-improvement?

 

[GIMH]

What I recognise in Anderson is that he truly is capable of bowling brilliantly, much more so than Harmison IMO. I've read reasons as to his inconsistency, so yeah, maybe he will go through his career bowling great balls and then spraying it round. But hell, he clearly is capable of being a very good bowler, so I am going to be hopeful that he can turn it on more often. Might not be the most pragmatic way of looking at things, but generally that isn't how I look at things.

 

[Richard]

Really annoyed O'Brien finished with 4 wickets. Did he get a bowl against Panesar etc?

O'Brien bowled pretty poorly today TBH. Got his fair crack at Anderson and just couldn't get him out. Can't remember whether or not he bowled at Sidebottom.

The commentators on the radio seem to have decided O'Brien has picked up the pace a bit.

People say that ATT. Can't really remember what sort of speeds O'Brien was bowling at in SA, so I can't really know for sure. I think it's likely he's just bowling more accurately so looking like he's hurrying batsmen a bit more. People don't especially often add pace in a the space of few months at his age.

 

[Flem274*]

O'Brien bowled pretty poorly today TBH. Got his fair crack at Anderson and just couldn't get him out. Can't remember whether or not he bowled at Sidebottom.

Its not as though the rest were brilliant though. Our side lacks the killer instinct.

Would be quite funny if next year O'Brien and Anderson are running through sides.

 

[Richard]

You're a funny one Richard, You hope Anderson gets carted, you are furious that O'Brien gets wickets. Are you anti-improvement?

I don't think O'Brien has particularly improved, just bowled as he always had the ability to but had never looked like doing beforehand.

People often think I'm anti-improvement (or often a more simplistic term if they're thick, which isn't unusual either). I'm not. But I do wait much longer than most people before deciding it's happened.

 

[Flem274*]

O'Brien bowled pretty poorly today TBH. Got his fair crack at Anderson and just couldn't get him out. Can't remember whether or not he bowled at Sidebottom.

People say that ATT. Can't really remember what sort of speeds O'Brien was bowling at in SA, so I can't really know for sure. I think it's likely he's just bowling more accurately so looking like he's hurrying batsmen a bit more. People don't especially often add pace in a the space of few months at his age.

He is quite capable of 140-145 in domestic cricket iirc. In SA he bowed 135-140 I think.