**Official** England in New Zealand

[_Ed_]

...spoke too soon.

 

[Richard]

Goooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!! MSP gets an early wicket for the first time this series. Plumb as they come.

 

[Jamee999]

Goooooooooooooooone

 

[Richard]

Welcome to your very last Test-match innings Stephen Fleming.

I so hope he scores, even if he can't score 162*.

 

[_Ed_]

I'm going to be holding my breath through most of this Fleming innings.

I hope he goes out with a good one.

 

[_Ed_]

Also, nice stuff there from England. Good bunch of blokes.

 

[Richard]

How did he miss that? Nothing ball, no turn, no real turn throughout this innings, just a straight ball that was hitting the stumps.

Broad going for the short route here. How odd. *Cue Bell hitting it straight down long-leg's throat*

 

[Richard]

After 16 balls, finally the 1st run after Lunch.

Phew, Fleming not far from being caught for a duck, but that's him off-the-mark with four.

 

[JBH001]

Ugh, cant believe Bell is on 35. Thats what comes of letting Anderson have the new ball. Would have been better if Broad had opened with Sidebottom (although hindsight is a wonderful thing...). He will probably go on to make a 100 now. Ugh and double ugh.

 

[Richard]

Broad has no use for a new-ball TBH. Just not enough of a pitch-up bowler.

Broad will probably give you a tight spell 6 or 7 times out of 10, but should never take wickets. Anderson will go for plenty often but will probably get you new-ball wickets 2 or 3 times out of 10. It's a lesser-of-two-evils thing.

Apparently, Bell now facing MSP for the first time this series.

 

[JBH001]

Depends on the surface and the conditions. He normally is a seam up and back of a length bowler, but like he showed in NZ 1st innings he can swing it around too if conditions are suitable for him (though with the sun burning the clouds off in Napier that may not be the case today). However, to get Bell out, all you need to do is bowl well and not serve up four balls to get him and his confidence moving. That is what Anderson seems to have accomplished. Still, reckon Hoggard will return for him (as he should) in England. Anderson, like Bell, is not really test class.

 

[Richard]

Barring Strauss-esque turnaround performance from Anderson, I'll be disgusted if Hoggard doesn't return for him in the opening Test of the summer.

Fleming into double-figures.

 

[Richard]

Stephen Fleming > Mark Richardson, easily. Plain madness that Richardson will end-up with a better Test-match average.

 

[_Ed_]

Blimey, that was hit hard. Well fielded.

 

[NZTailender]

Committing myself to watching every ball of Fleming's innings.


And he's just cut a beautiful four.

 

[Richard]

Blimey, that was hit hard. Well fielded.

Although, Pietersen not looking in good nick. Good job it's the end of the tour. Pietersen's hamstrings are starting to look like worries of the Vaughan-knee variety.

Another four to Fleming.

 

[NZTailender]

Love Lloyd's accent. He could say absolutely anything for all I care and I'd still listen.

 

[Richard]

Heard he was a very harsh critic of this bloke TBH.

FFS, someone tell Stuart Broad to pitch the bloody thing up. Complete waste of energy, bowling short when you're trying to win a Test.

 

[_Ed_]

2nd run off the bat from Bell since Lunch.

 

[NZTailender]

Fleming looks as though he knows exactly whats going to be bowled to him here.