**Official** New Zealand in England

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Yeah don't want to jinx it but would love to see How and Redmond set another platform, and if not Marshall to chip in. That opening partnership in the first innings really set the platform for Taylor to come in and play as he did.

 

[Craig]

DWTA mate.

If Marshall scores runs, then we might see him retain his place in the side. Do you really want that? We aren't after a big team score so I think we can afford him to fail.

Fair enough in the end. But if they are going to keep picking him, then this is his chance or not.

 

[Tim]

Daniel Flynn could potentially end up at #3 somewhere down the track but I think it's a good move to play him at #6 for the meantime and not over expose him.

 

[Leslie1]

Damn if Marshall scores a big one I think everybody on this board would cringe barring me. Anybody else a closet J Marshall-non-hater?

 

[_Ed_]

Acceptable session for NZ.

 

[Richard]

Haha, 3 overs in 15 minutes.

Think "acceptable" is a slight understatement, presumably a rather deliberate one.

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Who makes him out as bad?

Easily, easily New Zealand's best cricket commentator IMO.

I always seem to pick it up in the CW commentator polls? Think it's because of the NZ bias but he isn't as bad on that as he used to be and to be fair some of the NZ boys could use some talking up at times.

 

[Leslie1]

Daniel Flynn could potentially end up at #3 somewhere down the track but I think it's a good move to play him at #6 for the meantime and not over expose him.

I like Flynn at 3 and unless we're playing on seaming wickets, I reckon Greg Hay comes in at middle order and Flynn shifts to 3. We seem to have an abundance of middle order batsmen around atm pushing their claims, and not enough top 3 batsmen.

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Damn if Marshall scores a big one I think everybody on this board would cringe barring me. Anybody else a closet J Marshall-non-hater?

Me, ashamedly I think

 

[Leslie1]

I always seem to pick it up in the CW commentator polls? Think it's because of the NZ bias but he isn't as bad on that as he used to be and to be fair some of the NZ boys could use some talking up at times.

Doing my fair impression of Richard, but Richardson is our Ian Healy of NZ cricket commentary.

 

[Perm]

Greg Hay is a 3? I thought he's a middle to lower order batsman.

He's played most of his FC cricket at #5 AFAIK.

Still think he should have been picked for this tour.

 

[_Ed_]

Wow, I just noticed How's average is now 26.16. Been a while since we've had an opener who averages more than 25!

How's should get progressively closer to 30 in the next few months hopefully.

 

[Perm]

Daniel Flynn could potentially end up at #3 somewhere down the track but I think it's a good move to play him at #6 for the meantime and not over expose him.

He could end up at #3, if he does enough in domestic cricket to justify his selection in the first place.

 

[Tim]

Awhile ago at Radio Sport we did an interview with Mark Greatbatch and he reckons Greg Hay could even be an opener. Personally, I think he'll end up at #4 or #5 if he manages a good test record.

 

[Leslie1]

He could end up at #3, if he does enough in domestic cricket to justify his selection in the first place.

6 Tons in all forms of domestic cricket this season, 2 x 140s in list A, I think he deserves selection ahead of Hay who faltered when it mattered late when selectors are watching (Napier match between ND and CD)

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

He's played most of his FC cricket at #5 AFAIK.

Still think he should have been picked for this tour.

Maybe. But it's been the older players who have stood up on this tour so far. Hay should put more time in at first class level (like Southee). Still young isn't he?

Going with the experienced Marshall and not debuting Hay was the right call at the time. He has scored on this tour as well, sadly not in the tests yet.

And if Hay has been batting #4 and #5 in domestic there is no way he should be debuting at #3 for us in tests.

 

[Leslie1]

Hay is the same age group as Taylor... Not old, but not young by any means. In fact the U19s of 2004 batsmen are maturing at the right time now... thanks to greatbatch (who was the batting mentor for most of these guys)

Flynn (capt of U19)
Hay (only started two years ago but was under Greatbatch at CD)
Taylor
Ryder

All 23.

 

[wpdavid]

Thank f*** I missed the whole session.

I knew we'd struggle, but not to the extent that following on would be a real possibility at one stage. The way that successive centrally conratcted England players have deteriorated before our eyes over the last few years should beggar belief, if we weren't getting so used to it. At least there's no longer any debate about which of Bell or Collingwood should piss of back to his county. Both of them are so painfully out of touch this season, as they were for most of last year, that their continued presence in the side is absolutely untenable. I'm not 100% convinced by Shah & Bopara, but surely they must have more spine than those two.

 

[Laurrz]

Wow
Knew all the arrogance of the English media will bite em.. well i had this feeling

 

[James]

Perhaps we could see our own Andy Gale come in for the 3rd Test

He scored 150 against Surrey a couple days back