**Official** 2004 Natwest Series (Eng, NZL, WI)

[Arjun]

In a series where the side fielding second wins three matches in a row, 237 may not be enough. Looks like the team needs a devastating spell from Harmison.

 

[MoxPearl]

i agree... harmison will b the key....

 

[SpaceMonkey]

In a series where the side fielding second wins three matches in a row, 237 may not be enough. Looks like the team needs a devastating spell from Harmison.

Trust me the bristol pitch is the worst pitch in england for batting 2nd on, it just gets lower and slower as the game goes on. 237 (with the bowlers we've picked) is gonna be a very hard score to get.

 

[Swervy]

In a series where the side fielding second wins three matches in a row, 237 may not be enough. Looks like the team needs a devastating spell from Harmison.

by that logic..even if england had score 437 you would think it wouldnt be enough.

Anyway..looking forward to seeing how Mahmood does today

 

[MoxPearl]

for the nz people.. do u like how sky has there music video before the game starts again.. like nz owning with the high speed cameras in slow mo to music...

They do it really well

 

[Arjun]

No wicket for 68, this atack is rather innocuous, except for Harmison. I hope Mahmood gets his full 10 overs- as someone said, it will help him a lot. Flintoff should also get a few.

 

[superkingdave]

No wicket for 68, this atack is rather innocuous, except for Harmison. I hope Mahmood gets his full 10 overs- as someone said, it will help him a lot. Flintoff should also get a few.

Flintoff won't get any, he's injured

 

[MoxPearl]

This must be astles highest score in awhile lol

 

[Arjun]

Flintoff won't get any, he's injured

Then why was he playing? There's no way a dominating team would play a player who's not fully fit, even if he's an all-rounder and they're playing him as a batsman. If Gilchrist was injured, would the Australians play him as a batsman? I doubt it. Any player in that team carrying an injury won't stay in the team.

 

[Arjun]

Much as the english were unlucky, I would not blame it all on luck. The bowlers let the team down, by some very unimaginative and powerless bowling. The only exception was Harmison, who bowled quite well, except for his ninth over. Sajid Mahmood was a failure, but the more experienced bowlers were not far better- Collingwood, for instance, was worse. Some imaginative bowling- slower balls, changes in line and length, seam movement, enough stuff to draw the batsmen forward, all this could take a few wickets.

 

[superkingdave]

Then why was he playing? There's no way a dominating team would play a player who's not fully fit, even if he's an all-rounder and they're playing him as a batsman. If Gilchrist was injured, would the Australians play him as a batsman? I doubt it. Any player in that team carrying an injury won't stay in the team.

I don't know why he was playing, maybe because the selectors thought he would be quite useful with the bat!

I think Gilchrist would have a shot at getting in to the Aussie team on batting alone and there isn't currently a better middle order ODI batter for England than Flintoff

 

[Adamc]

Then why was he playing? There's no way a dominating team would play a player who's not fully fit, even if he's an all-rounder and they're playing him as a batsman. If Gilchrist was injured, would the Australians play him as a batsman? I doubt it. Any player in that team carrying an injury won't stay in the team.

England played him purely as a batsman, simply because he is one of the best one day batsmen in England even when not fully fit. Today's performance justifies that I think.

 

[Adamc]

Fleming inventing new ways to deny himself a century. First he goes for an impossible single on 99*, Marshall gets run out at the other end. Then, still on 99, chips it to midwicket! Well played though.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Fleming inventing new ways to deny himself a century. First he goes for an impossible single on 99*, Marshall gets run out at the other end. Then, still on 99, chips it to midwicket! Well played though.

You had to feel for him tho, he got stuck on 99 for like 10 mins after the run out cos the new batsmen kept keeping the strike. Poor batting by them really but they had clearly won the game by then so perhaps you can forgive them

 

[nibbs]

New Zealand beat England.............again. This made me very happy.

 

[tooextracool]

Trust me the bristol pitch is the worst pitch in england for batting 2nd on, it just gets lower and slower as the game goes on. 237 (with the bowlers we've picked) is gonna be a very hard score to get.

and how true that turned out to be!

 

[tooextracool]

Sajid Mahmood was a failure, but the more experienced bowlers were not far better- Collingwood, for instance, was worse. Some imaginative bowling- slower balls, changes in line and length, seam movement, enough stuff to draw the batsmen forward, all this could take a few wickets.

paul collingwood....experienced bowler?
and seam movement depends more on the wicket(and the new ball) than it does on the type of bowler.
and yes sajid mahmood bowled complete rubbish....whether it was the pressure of the big stage that got to him or the type of wicket he played on, i expected more from a bowler who took plenty of wickets on those dead wickets in the sub continent.

 

[tooextracool]

on a side note, another failure for michael vaughan......hopefully the selectors take note of this and give him a warning, AFAIC if he fails to come up with a single big knock this series he should be dropped from the side, captaincy does not give him the freedom to take his place for granted.

 

[Langeveldt]

Well I have watched Mahmood quite a bit in the NCL, and I was not surprised by his display today... International cricket is a hard school and he has a lot to learn.. I hope he enables me to eat my words a la Steve Harmison...

 

[marc71178]

No its more to do with the position his side was in when he came to the crease...57/3.

Erm is that not in part due to the conditions?

Flintoff did not attack from ball 1 for a reason...