**Official** England in New Zealand

[wpdavid]

Well - the ring is on the finger, so to speak. No date likely to be set any time soon.

Well, congratulations anyway.

 

[Woodster]

No date likely to be set any time soon.

Very wise, congrats.

 

[Woodster]

Early indications suggest England will go with the same side, despite speculation that Swann may replace Mascerenhas. I for one hope the side remains the same.

For New Zealand, Flynn may replace Fulton and Patel for O'Brien. The latter of the two makes perfect sense.

 

[TT Boy]

Early indications suggest England will go with the same side, despite speculation that Swann may replace Mascerenhas. I for one hope the side remains the same.

For New Zealand, Flynn may replace Fulton and Patel for O'Brien. The latter of the two makes perfect sense.

I haven’t seen Flynn bat but Fulton is no number six and unless he is in the top four then he shouldn’t be around. Patel for O’Brien is also a no-brainer, regardless of pitch conditions, O'Brien is the epitome of mediocrity.

 

[Richard]

Just via a brief skim of domestic records, Flynn doesn't seem half the player Fulton is, it's mad how far down the order he's batted in recent times. Absolutely crazy.

If O'Brien plays ahead of Patel, provided this ground has any remote normality about it in terms of shape, New Zealand's selectors will officially have lost all sense. I don't remember Jade Stadium being anything remarkable in terms of oblong-ness, but nor did I remember McLean Park being so.

Even if it is decidedly-un-spin-friendly in terms of shape, I still can't believe Patel could do any worse than O'Brien. Or Hitchcock, of course.

 

[Jamee999]

Worth considering the 10-15 runs that Anderson saves in the field, as well.

EDIT: Ah, the convo has moved on. Anyway, I wouldn't change the team, but I reckon we do need a fourth specialist bowler - Collingwood is a fine 5th bowler, but Owais Shah shouldn't be called on for seven overs. Bowl Dimi or play a spinner...

 

[Richard]

TBH, while Mascarenhas >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Shah as a bowler (I've still seen nothing to suggest Shah > me as a bowler) I'm not sorry Shah bowled as many overs as he did in the most recent game, at all. Mascarenhas, like almost any bowler, would have got a pounding and that could only do his chances harm.

Hopefully once we get back into more "normal" grounds, Mascarenhas will a) still be playing and b) get given a proper spell and c) perform.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I'll offer a proper summing-up of his credentials after the last game of this series. I actually first thought of the matter after the Second ODI, and might have posted said thread then. Good job I didn't, else it'd have been lost in the "haha, see, he's now made 2 unbeaten innings, you're now complelely wrong".

TBF to Colly he wasn't actually dismissed by the bowlers in the first two ODIs either. & at least one of those run-outs wasn't his fault, stiched up by Bopara IIRC.

 

[Richard]

No, 1 of the dismissals in the first 2 games wasn't his fault. His abysmal series in Sri Lanka was, though.

 

[Jamee999]

TBF to Colly he wasn't actually dismissed by the bowlers in the first two ODIs either. & at least one of those run-outs wasn't his fault, stiched up by Bopara IIRC.

Shah. Ran Collingwood out, ran Swann out then ran himself out.

 

[bombdaddy68er]

What was with Geoff Rodden's falling out with the selectors? I never really seemed to remember Geoff as someone who spoke out - usually was more worried about looking cool wandering around the ground in his wraparound sunnies...

Hu r u?

well i know that hes gotta pretty bad reputation at otago cricket..and it hasnt helped brad in the past, poor bugga, he was standout at the national tournament...n i txtd him bout his nz u19 cricket **** and he kept quiet and changed the subjected

 

[NUFAN]

Is O'Brien playing? If so Eng for the win. If not NZ for the win.

 

[bombdaddy68er]

Shah. Ran Collingwood out, ran Swann out then ran himself out.

why does he even run out on the field to play?

 

[bombdaddy68er]

How about Kevin Forde?

inverz mug, no way

 

[bombdaddy68er]

Sinclair , Bell and Fulton have all been included in an otago invitational side to play warm up games against the English so I guess all of them are in the test side. Styris wasnt included so I guess he is not going to be recalled.

styris has retired from tests ay

 

[Richard]

Is O'Brien playing? If so Eng for the win. If not NZ for the win.

Teams haven't been announced yet, though the suspicion is that O'Brien will be replaced by Patel.

Either way, even a player as bad as O'Brien is unlikely to in himself alter the outcome of the match. Especially when James Anderson, who can be pretty much as bad on a bad day, is in the opposing line-up.

 

[bombdaddy68er]

Is this the return of Psxpro?

Dunno why you've left Greg Hay out of your squad there, top player. The rest look agreeable though I don't know much about Burtt or Rodden. Bowden has been bowling well but I've never seen him play so for all I know he's bowling medium pace on minefields. Heath being the Wellington bowling expert might know.

maybe hay as an opener, hu knows. we shall see

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Bowden has been bowling well but I've never seen him play so for all I know he's bowling medium pace on minefields. Heath being the Wellington bowling expert might know.

Bowden's okaaaay, but not great. He'll need significant improvement to press for any international honours. In his favour, he can bat (probably a decent #9), but his bowling is a little slow and one dimensional to succeed at international level.

Not too sure why everyone's bigging up Richard Sherlock. Wishful thinking I expect. Sure, he bowled quickly 3 years ago before all his injury problems, but I can't see him reaching that pace again after all his injury set backs, and he got torn apart over in Canberra. Nothing there to suggest he'll make it. I think whenever we see someone who bowls faster than 130kmh, we get a little bit overexcited.

 

[Mixmasterreece]

Bowden's okaaaay, but not great. He'll need significant improvement to press for any international honours. In his favour, he can bat (probably a decent #9), but his bowling is a little slow and one dimensional to succeed at international level.

Not too sure why everyone's bigging up Richard Sherlock. Wishful thinking I expect. Sure, he bowled quickly 3 years ago before all his injury problems, but I can't see him reaching that pace again after all his injury set backs, and he got torn apart over in Canberra. Nothing there to suggest he'll make it. I think whenever we see someone who bowls faster than 130kmh, we get a little bit overexcited.

Agree on Bowden, far too one dimensional with the ball to ever succeed in international cricket.

I think people get excited about Sherlock because he has all the tools to become a quality bowler for NZ. He's got reasonable speed, good bounce and can move the ball both ways. His issue is that he has never really played enough cricket to work on his consistency (due to injury). If he could make it through a season or two of domestic cricket I think that will change, and he will start bowling the right channels if properly managed.

If we can get Southee, Boult, Sherlock and Bennet up to a reasonable standard then it's going to change the canvas of NZ cricket. With a little quality depth we wont have to endure the annual "oh **** were ****ed, we only have 2 decent bowlers and they are both injured.... lets pick O'Brien'.

A couple of players I want to throw into the mix here are Nic Beard and Cameron Merchant. Beard has a future with NZ cricket, Merchant Im not so sure about, but I've seen the guy play a couple of times in the past and he's very impressive. Great hand-eye and actually moves his feet... his only problem is 'upstairs'.

 

[Blakey]

What's the weather looking like for today's game?