**Official** England in New Zealand

[grecian]

Better be the last ball he bowls in Test cricket for a while. Twonk

 

[chalky]

There's no provision for that. The laws state everyone must bat. Martin is not your usual rabbit, he's truly hopeless. He can't lay bat on 40mph throwdowns. Just bowl full and straight FFS.

And now Southee whacks another healthy six, and oddly that's Lunch. Shouldn't we play to a finish now?

I thought you could get an extra 30 mins if a result was possible

 

[Richard]

I just thought you played an extra 30 minutes on the end of any first or second session if a team was 9 wickets down in any innings of a First-Class game.

Maybe it doesn't apply to the fourth-innings.

 

[Richard]

Better be the last ball he bowls in Test cricket for a while. Twonk

The saddest day of my cricket life (bar the evening 5 years ago when I heard Ben Hollioake had been killed) was when Dominic Cork got a 7th ball of an over wrongly called by some idiot Umpire, I forget who it was. Sure enough, the ball was cut for four by Rahul Dravid and I thought "I bet that's the last ball he bowls in Test cricket". And it was too.

 

[chalky]

Don't agree tbh. As one of the commentators said - that's the game these days. Don't come out in the middle if you can't take it.

Still a gentleman's game to some extent for me - especially out of order as the result is not in question and , as has been stated numerous times, full and straight would have probably done the job anyway.

 

[GIMH]

My marks for the England squad in this series, the next wicket can do nothing to change them:

Cook - 5/10 - A couple of starts but didn't get the 100s that are expected, and never really got going
Vaughan 5/10 - Pretty poor with the bat, the fact that he has skippered us to an away win gives him some points
Strauss - 6/10 - Abysmal in 3 innings, 2 starts, and then a series-winning innings when his career was on the line. Hopefully that innings was a return to form rather than a pressured one off.
Pietersen - 6/10 - Pretty disappointing until this last Test, played one of his most important knocks if not his best.
Collingwood - 6/10 - Some starts with the bat and played his part in us levelling the series with his support of Ambrose, also took a few wickets
Ambrose - 6/10 - Decent enough start, if nothing special on the most part, very good century, series could be over by now but for that
Broad - 7/10 - Improving with every over, looks like he could be the real deal with the ball, let's see, but for now, I am impressed. Handy with the bat yesterday as well.
Sidebottom - 9/10 - Excellent, only one poor spell as far as I can remember, and the series was won by then anyway (I am of course talking by the start of the day)
Hoggard - no score because he was dropped somewhat harshly
Harmison - 1/10 - Poor
Anderson - 4/10 - Excellent spell to dismiss the NZ top 5 at Hamilton, I could have bowled better since then.
Panesar - 6.5/10 - Quiet series for Monty, has kept it tight and finished with a few wickets today, will do his confidence a lot of good.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Don't agree tbh. As one of the commentators said - that's the game these days. Don't come out in the middle if you can't take it.

Think it's just a form of bullying with batters as rank as Martin is tho. He really is very, very ordinary indeed but he's got such a huge heart he isn't likely to back away to leg & is liable to get crusted. No-one wants to see a bloke hurt, so think the bowler should use a little common sense.

Looks like Rudi had a word with Anderson, actually, which was good to see.

 

[Richard]

Listening to Wherever You Will Go by The Calling will be so much sweeter this evening than it was after the Third Test in 2001/02.

And what's more, this time I'll be choosing to listen to it, rather than hearing it for the first time thanks to Sky.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I just thought you played an extra 30 minutes on the end of any first or second session if a team was 9 wickets down in any innings of a First-Class game.

Maybe it doesn't apply to the fourth-innings.

Only applies to Tea not Lunch. Why i dont know

As for Andersons bouncer, did Martin bowl one at Anderson maybe? If so then its fair game

 

[Richard]

Even then not quite IMO. Anderson > Martin with the bat fairly comfortably.

FFS, will people stop calling McCullum the new Gilchrist?

And who said this: "all the hard work makes moments like that worthwhile"?

 

[lord brown]

Correct me if i'm wrong but did Courtney Walsh launch a bouncer barrage at Devon Malcolm at some point in the nineties?

 

[Richard]

Certainly did, Sabina Park 1994. Disgraceful performance from both Walsh and Umpire Ian Robinson for not intervening.

 

[Goughy]

I really didnt like that bouncer from Anderson. Would be interesting to know if he meant it.

If it was, I dont know what the logic was behind it or what he wanted to achieve.

 

[Richard]

There's only 1 thing you could possibly hope for if you were deliberately bowling short at Martin when you need 1 wicket to win the series: intimidate\hurt. Not on at all IMO. I actually didn't spot Koertzen having a word with him but I'm glad if he did.

 

[JBH001]

Don't agree tbh. As one of the commentators said - that's the game these days. Don't come out in the middle if you can't take it.

You are kidding, arent you SS? If not, that is one of the more inane remarks I have read in quite a while.

 

[JBH001]

Think it's just a form of bullying with batters as rank as Martin is tho. He really is very, very ordinary indeed but he's got such a huge heart he isn't likely to back away to leg & is liable to get crusted. No-one wants to see a bloke hurt, so think the bowler should use a little common sense.

AWTA. Especially because, as BB says, Martin does have a big heart and is unlikely to back away.

Tbf to Anderson though, I doubt it was intentional. Just cant land it where he wants to.

 

[Richard]

Players back into the field, the game should be done any merment.

 

[Richard]

Only applies to Tea not Lunch. Why i dont know

How exceedingly odd. And even more odd that I've never noticed it before.

Damn, MSP to bowl first-up after Lunch, was hoping it was going to be Sidebottom.

Can Martin keep MSP out mewondereth?

YES HE CAN!!!!!!!!!

 

[lord brown]

Yes he can!!!

 

[Smudge]

Martin could move up to number 10 by the time he's 40 if he keeps improving like this...