***Official*** England in New Zealand series 2013

[wellAlbidarned]

Not so sure about that, it's just not swinging. Southee & Boult were hooping it around all over the place in the 2nd test in SL and it was late swing. Not sure it's a case of being toothless.

That's exactly what I mean though. Not swinging = toothless. It's happened in both tests now and swing is nothing to do with the pitch.

 

[BeeGee]

Looking more and more like a diabolical decision from McCullum.

The interesting thing is Cook would have bowled first as well. Good toss to lose.

NZ's bowling has been terrible, though.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I'm still a great believer in batting first in any test unless the pitch looks spectacularly fresh and green.

or if the opposition bowlers look spectacularly like Steyn and Philander

 

[Zinzan]

That's exactly what I mean though. Not swinging = toothless. It's happened in both tests now and swing is nothing to do with the pitch.

^ Right you are, I was confusing 'toothless' with 'heartless'

 

[wellAlbidarned]

should've waited until the end of Wagner's over to change the ball tbh. It'll be ruined once he's done with it.

 

[straw man]

It may be good when we bat first time around, however the best chance to force a result in Wellington is the pitch taking turn late in the game and that advantage now lies in Panesar and England. I'm still a great believer in batting first in any test unless the pitch looks spectacularly fresh and green.

I tend to agree. Nice day (absence of those Wellingtonian overcast swing conditions) and the groundsman had said the pitch would be fairly flat and slow. I would prefer to bat first - the way the pitch and weather are later in the match are unknown, but score runs right now when batting shouldn't be hard and then we'd be in a good position to take advantage of whatever happens later.

Though I don't think it's an indefensible position to bowl first.

 

[Cabinet96]

Tbf, we won't know if it was a crap decision to bowl first until about the 3rd day really. If the pitch hardly wears, then it could be just as good for batting in the 2nd innings of the match.

 

[_Ed_]

Starting to creep beyond ominous and into demoralising now.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

That looked a bit like me playing spin tbh

 

[straw man]

should've waited until the end of Wagner's over to change the ball tbh. It'll be ruined once he's done with it.

Nah Wagner's mastered the art of bowling with a scrambled seam but landing the ball on the rough side every single time to scuff it up. Clever. What will that man think of next?

 

[straw man]

Missed runout?

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Southee is definitely jumping outwards in his delivery stride. Not good. Couple of nice nuts there though

 

[straw man]

Southee is definitely jumping outwards in his delivery stride. Not good. Couple of nice nuts there though

Please, tell us more about what you like about Southee

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Please, tell us more about what you like about Southee

not bad with the wood either

 

[Jono]

So McCullum's pump up of Cook had the desired effect then? Made him think he's better than he is and suddenly Cook is throwing his wicket away

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

So pleased to have a more competitive wicket after that road we had in Dunedin..........

 

[straw man]

heh, we can make comments like that IF we manage to score 400+

 

[wellAlbidarned]

fmd southee how hard is it to jump straight. Can't see how Bondy has missed this.

 

[Mike5181]

So pleased to have a more competitive wicket after that road we had in Dunedin..........

I just find it boring. There's no contest between bat and ball at all.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

So pleased to have a more competitive wicket after that road we had in Dunedin..........

I just find it boring. There's no contest between bat and ball at all.

Yeah these sort of comments really need to wait until the other side bowls.