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

[RxGM]

Wagner is not playing because he ripped his toenail off bowling vs derby, they are just giving it time to heal properly given the short turn around between matches, I dont think you can read to much more into it than that.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

This just in - Hesson busted by players after revealing of violent toenail fetish

 

[_Ed_]

Fulton. Left his rich vein of form at Eden Park, by the look of it.

 

[Bahnz]

Williamson gives his wicket away. Rutherford dicing with death outside the off stump. Good times.

 

[_Ed_]

Rutherford's gone from 10 (23) to 65 (68).

 

[Bahnz]

Rutherford playing a chancy but still impressive innings. Gets to his hundred with a massive six down the ground.

 

[BeeGee]

I like the cut of Rutherford's jib, but he's not an opener. Just like every other "opener" we've tried since Timmy Mac.

I think the aggressive opener route is the right way for him to go. He'll get out early, probably often, but if he can get past that we'll see some impressive innings.

Our top four look very fragile, but it's the best we've got.

 

[Kippax]

He really is an opener or bust tbf. The whole beauty of Rutherford in the first hour of red ball cricket is the fact there's five men behind the bat on the offside. Without that, behold his OD record.

 

[Nate]

Ruthers!

 

[the big bambino]

Anyone get a sighter of Roland -Jones? Swing or hit the deck? What sort of speeds does he hit?

 

[Bahnz]

Listening to it on the radio, it sounded like he was really struggling to maintain a good line and length, especially to Rutherford. However, he did have the hard task of bowling into the wind, which really didn't suit him from the sound of things.

 

[Kippax]

Highlights from England Lions v New Zealand - Day 1 - YouTube

 

[Cabinet96]

Anyone get a sighter of Roland -Jones? Swing or hit the deck? What sort of speeds does he hit?

Hit the deck low 80's from what I've seen. Kinda like Finn was when he first came on the scene, but more accurate.

I've only ever seen him with a white ball though.

 

[Cabinet96]

Anyway, this game is so huge for so many of the Lions players. A good performance from Onions could get him in the test side, as could a good one from Woakes. On the batting front Bairstow and Taylor are really fighting it out. Both have shown good form this season, and Bairstow seems to be the preferred man, but if Taylor really outshines him, it could be hard for him to be overlooked.

 

[Howsie]

Southee coming in ahead of Bracewell, interesting. Fully agree with it tbh.

 

[Days of Grace]

6 and out? Yeah, he should be coming in ahead of Bracewell, FFS.

 

[the big bambino]

Thanks Cabinet, Kippax and Bahnz

 

[marc71178]

Anyway, this game is so huge for so many of the Lions players. A good performance from Onions could get him in the test side, as could a good one from Woakes.

I think they're at best 5th and 6th in line, maybe lower if Tremlett is fully fit.

 

[Goughy]

Highlights from England Lions v New Zealand - Day 1 - YouTube

Perhaps it was the angle, perhaps it was the quality of the coverage, perhaps it was the brevity of the highlights but that attack looked pretty ordinary.

 

[Cabinet96]

Well, they may be slightly lower down the pecking order, but right now there are chances for those lower down to stake a claim. Finn was hardly inspirational in New Zealand, something which can be said for nearly all of his tests in the last two years, and Bresnan is only just returning from surgery. Tremlett hasn't made any real impression for Surrey yet this season, and will have to perform for a while before England can be confident he can replicate his 2011 success.

Personally I wouldn't be looking at giving either Bresnan or Tremlett game time for England yet. Let them do their work in the Championship for at least another month or two, Bresnan can come out for the Champions Trophy, and then see how they've been performing before the Trent Bridge squad is named. I wasn't particularly impressed with Finn in New Zealand, and for the reasons I mentioned in the domestic thread, I think Onions should get a go instead of him for the New Zealand series.