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

[Days of Grace]

Thoughts on Taylor? He got a hundred in one of the ODI's, but apart from that has been unable to kick on. More knowledgeable folk than I, does he look that different to how he was before he had a break? Is it a mental thing? Does he just need more game time. I don't think he looks bad, he just seems to keep finding ways of getting out...

...So, what's changed?

He'll be fine.

 

[Athlai]

Taylor has had an acceptable series. Never kicked on but hardly a total failure.

 

[wpdavid]

Crikey, reading some of the posts on this page you'd think that the match was quite evenly poised. Last I checked England are circa 400 behind, their two most experienced batsmen gone, leaving us with 3 guys with about a dozen caps between them plus the inevitably brief appearance of Bell before we get to the keeper and the bowlers. Plus the general consensus is that bowlers who do their job properly will find some joy in this track. Likeliest scenario is that McCullum will have to decide whether to enforce the follow-on at some point before tea tomorrow.

Great for the Kiwis though, and their admirably sane posters on CW.

 

[Jezroy]

...So, what's changed?

He'll be fine.

Taylor has had an acceptable series. Never kicked on but hardly a total failure.

Thank you - I now believe again. In Ross.

 

[Jezroy]

Crikey, reading some of the posts on this page you'd think that the match was quite evenly poised. Last I checked England are circa 400 behind, their two most experienced batsmen gone, leaving us with 3 guys with about a dozen caps between them plus the inevitably brief appearance of Bell before we get to the keeper and the bowlers. Plus the general consensus is that bowlers who do their job properly will find some joy in this track. Likeliest scenario is that McCullum will have to decide whether to enforce the follow-on at some point before tea tomorrow.

Great for the Kiwis though, and their admirably sane posters on CW.

We've been hurt before - so many times.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Crikey, reading some of the posts on this page you'd think that the match was quite evenly poised. Last I checked England are circa 400 behind, their two most experienced batsmen gone, leaving us with 3 guys with about a dozen caps between them plus the inevitably brief appearance of Bell before we get to the keeper and the bowlers. Plus the general consensus is that bowlers who do their job properly will find some joy in this track. Likeliest scenario is that McCullum will have to decide whether to enforce the follow-on at some point before tea tomorrow.

Great for the Kiwis though, and their admirably sane posters on CW.

Hope you weren't meaning me. I am just glad that this looks like ending in a result instead of another boring anti climax draw. We face an uphill battle but they have the talent to get back in the match and the pitch is one you can score runs on if you apply yourself.

 

[_Ed_]

We've been hurt before - so many times.

Exactly. We've had plenty of fantastic day ones and day twos, only for it all to spectacularly turn to custard in our second dig. It's happened far too often for us to get too carried away with our admittedly fantastic position at this point in this game.

 

[NZTailender]

A revelation, indeed. The biggest question I have about Martin now, is why doesn't he take more wickets in domestic cricket? His recent domestic record has been very ordinary.

Probs the same reason Warne didn't take many in domestic matches...

 

[NZTailender]

Probs the same reason Warne didn't take many in domestic matches...

Yeah I compared Martin to Warne big whoop wanna fight about it?

 

[Flem274*]

Bruce Martin looks like a gun bloke tbf, and he's a real spinner who can hold a bat, not a batsman pretending to be a spinner, a fielder pretending to be a spinner, or just a pretend spinner.

Won't be a world beater by any means, but he's fast becoming one of my favourite players.

Plus he's called Bruce. Who gets called Bruce these days? What a hero.

 

[Prince EWS]

Probs the same reason Warne didn't take many in domestic matches...

Bruce Martin was selected in the Test side at a young age before he'd fully developed his game and then spent a decade playing too much international cricket to play regular domestic cricket? You learn something new every day.

 

[_Ed_]

Plus he's called Bruce. Who gets called Bruce these days? What a hero.

 

[Flem274*]

Bruce Martin was selected in the Test side at a young age before he'd fully developed his game and then spent a decade playing too much international cricket to play regular domestic cricket? You learn something new every day.

I reckon he's TH tbh. That **** hasn't surfaced all series and Bartin finally debuts. Coincidence? I think not. Explains the Vettori hate and he's basically gone out there to rip it as hard as he can because he knows if he turns the ball he's in the side forever.

Plus I reckon I saw "Bruce Martin" putting a tape measure in his kit bag the other day.

 

[Mike5181]

Bruce Martin looks like a gun bloke tbf, and he's a real spinner who can hold a bat, not a batsman pretending to be a spinner, a fielder pretending to be a spinner, or just a pretend spinner.

Won't be a world beater by any means, but he's fast becoming one of my favourite players.

Plus he's called Bruce. Who gets called Bruce these days? What a hero.

I've liked the way McCullum's utilised Bruce Martin in this series as well. You can tell just by watching on TV that he has full confidence in Martin doing a job for him, and backs him 100%.

This Bell/Compton partnership is massive for England. Root hasn't scored many runs at all in this series, and Bairstow hasn't had much cricket. As talented as they are, that inexperience is definitely something for us to target tomorrow morning. Compton in particular could bat all day if we don't get him early.

 

[Flem274*]

I've liked the way McCullum's utilised Bruce Martin in this series as well. You can tell just by watching on TV that he has full confidence in Martin doing a job for him, and backs him 100%.

I've been impressed with McCullum's field changes in this series. He hasn't yet gotten the performances out of the bowlers that Taylor did but tbh a lot of the errors are in the bowlers courts. Southee in particular has regressed from the winter.

 

[BeeGee]

The frustrating thing about the batting today is that it still gives England a chance to win the test.

Had we scored 500+ that chance would've been obliterated, but they do have reason to believe now.

What a huge job for Bruce Martin tomorrow.

Not frustrating at all, imo.

England having a chance of winning the game significantly increases NZ's chance of winning. If we had batted England out of the game they would have shut up shop and we would never be able to take 20 wickets.

All the pressure is on England. They have to go for the win.

 

[BeeGee]

Crikey, reading some of the posts on this page you'd think that the match was quite evenly poised. Last I checked England are circa 400 behind, their two most experienced batsmen gone, leaving us with 3 guys with about a dozen caps between them plus the inevitably brief appearance of Bell before we get to the keeper and the bowlers. Plus the general consensus is that bowlers who do their job properly will find some joy in this track. Likeliest scenario is that McCullum will have to decide whether to enforce the follow-on at some point before tea tomorrow.

Great for the Kiwis though, and their admirably sane posters on CW.

HaHa, yeah it's funny.

I can understand the Kiwi supporters being a little pessimistic, but when I read cricinfo's headline for the game... "NZ edge ahead". So scoring 443 and having the opposition 50 for 2 in reply is edging ahead? You can bet that if the tables were turned, the headline wouldn't have been "England edge ahead".

As you point out, a huge factor here is that the two wickets that have fallen are England's two best batsmen. The two batsmen I was most afraid of.

 

[Prince EWS]

Raised an eyebrow at you calling Trott one of England's two best batsmen until I realise you just meant out of those actually playing.

 

[BeeGee]

NZ's fate is in their own hands. If they bowl well and are patient they'll have reward. If they bowl poorly and allow England to get on top and score quickly, it'll be a long day in the field.

 

[BeeGee]

Raised an eyebrow at you calling Trott one of England's two best batsmen until I realise you just meant out of those actually playing.

Indeed.