**Official** England in New Zealand

[Richard]

Get on with it now Dickinson. Some of us have had to put up with your hyperbole over it and can't watch it.

Some people have bed to be heading to. I'm not staying up till 3AM wiring this up and that up, while pegging it back down to watch the game, when I've got to be up at 9 tomorrow.

And you've not noted the way others have been almost as enthusiastic about the thing? Not just my hyperbole.

 

[Somerset]

New Zealand will be very disappointed if England make more than 400 IMO given the ability of their final three batsmen.

Just a note on the pitch, whilst its obviously very flat, at least its held together this time (the previous test at Hamilton was the "crater" test against SA).

 

[Richard]

And yeah, the Ambrose sisters are pretty yummy. I dare say if some of us were at the Test, they'd be rejecting us as we type..

Can't possibly compare favourably with Carrie tho?

Or Jesse, of course.

 

[open365]

Best sporting interview i can remember in a long time, i'm thouroughly disapointed with the responses by the media so far though, especialy Ian Botham, in case he hasn't realised cricket /= the f****** army

 

[Richard]

Just a note on the pitch, whilst its obviously very flat, at least its held together this time (the previous test at Hamilton was the "crater" test against SA).

Beaten to it, Soms.

The reason why the pitch is like this is because a couple of years ago Hamilton was blocked from international cricket because the pitch was deemed too dangerous. This is it's first test match in a number of years and I think the groundsman decided to go on the cautious side this time around. He'll no doubt be disappointed with it, but it's probably better this way than both teams being shot out for 100 each or something.

 

[Jamee999]

Sidebottom isn't an incompetent batsman. On a slow pitch, he should be able to at least not get out for a bit, imo.

 

[Somerset]

Beaten to it, Soms.

Ah...didn't see that, haven't been able to catch much of the game/view on the forum since the first day.

 

[Somerset]

Sidebottom isn't an incompetent batsman. On a slow pitch, he should be able to at least not get out for a bit, imo.

You probably know a bit more about his batting but one 50 in 116 FC games doesn't give me much confidence in his batting ability.

 

[Richard]

No, indeed, it's been noted by more than one poster of late that it's a trifle odd how poor Sidebottom's First-Class record is, because he's shown exceptionally impressive sticking power this winter.

Believe it or not, in the Sri Lanka Tests he faced more balls than Kevin Pietersen throughout the series.

Ambrose gone 1st over after Lunch in exactly the same way as Vaughan. Should be over pretty sharp now.

 

[Somerset]

Ambrose gone already, good reward for Patel.

 

[Jamee999]

That's a nice delivery.

 

[PY]

Lugs, looks like we'll be giving away 100+ lead.

C'mon Harmi, with the bat son with the bat.

 

[Richard]

Harmison gone 1st ball, JP on a hattrick! Fleming 2 catches in 2 balls.

 

[PY]

Now there's a kiss of death.

 

[Jamee999]

That's a ****ty shot. Bowlers should not sweep.

 

[Somerset]

LOL - 2 in 2...who spiked the pitch at the lunch break?

 

[Richard]

That's a ****ty shot. Bowlers should not sweep.

Harmison always does.

Yeah, nicely done Youngmeister.

 

[Richard]

O0o0o0o0oh, JP bowls a leg-stump ball on a hattrick.

Disappointing, and now there's a small doubt over Harmison's decision.

 

[Athlai]

Nothing like a Test match breakthrough by Dave to lure me out of hiding.

 

[Richard]

HE'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!