**Official** New Zealand in England

[_Ed_]

Damn.

I really hope Redmond has a decent knock in the final Test.

 

[GIMH]

Nice

Gotta go to the in-laws now...will see if I can wrangle the cricket on, if not, here's hoping we've bowled the Kiwis out for 72 and made 200-0 overnight when I get home

 

[_Ed_]

Nasser's still optimistic. "England still have a great chance" he says.

Would be an impressive comeback.

 

[Richard]

I'd venture to suggest our chances of winning this game are roughly zero.

We're not out of it, but our only realistic chance is to be saved by the weather. Unless this wicket simply flattens-out in an inexplicable way, as it did in 1999 (that, remember, was before the square was relaid).

 

[chalky]

Seems like a lot of empty seats today at Old Trafford, probably 1 of the reasons they are not getting another Test Match for 3 years.

 

[Richard]

It's funny, Old Trafford Tests in recent years have been excellently-attended, having been awfully so for the previous decade or so.

 

[Perm]

Redmond

 

[Richard]

Yes, at last. That is absolutely plumb.

 

[jammay123]

come on monty get taylor first ball

 

[Halfpast_Yellow]

Damn. I'm off to bed. Hope we can set England 350+ at least.

 

[Richard]

Bloody hell, lift there. Marshall hit on the bat handle, unusual.

You know what, I actually wonder whether bowling NZ out cheaply-ish here wouldn't be the worst thing we can do, as that'd then give NZ the chance to bowl us out which they might otherwise be denied by the weather.

 

[jammay123]

Stop being so pessamistic Richard theirs always a chance england could come back and the only way that is possible is if england bowl put New Zealand cheaply

 

[Perm]

How

 

[Top 6 on paper]

Yes, at last. That is absolutely plumb.

No more so than Ambrose was.

Infact less so, as it was closer to an inside edge than his was.

Just luckily it was a different umpire. Vettori should make sure he bowls from Taufel's end next time.

 

[Leslie1]

No batting collapse please. It's not easy batting out there. Windy, and turn.

 

[Richard]

No more so than Ambrose was.

Infact less so, as it was closer to an inside edge than his was.

Just luckily it was a different umpire. Vettori should make sure he bowls from Taufel's end next time.

Hair has given lbws in this match too, in case you've missed. And Taufel has made 2 errors himself, one with a bad out, one with a bad not-out.

 

[Richard]

Stop being so pessamistic Richard theirs always a chance england could come back and the only way that is possible is if england bowl put New Zealand cheaply

Have you seen how this pitch is playing?

Chasing 200 wouldn't be easy. Chasing 300 (and we'll be lucky if we're chasing something that small) I reckon would be near enough impossible.

 

[jammay123]

impossible is nothing

 

[Perm]

impossible is nothing

Or the other way around. Both work, and both are true.

 

[Richard]

Here's another one for you:

Optimism is disappointment.