*Official** New Zealand in England

[Loony BoB]

To be fair the First Test side wasn't that bad though...

I'd agree if Tuffey was right, but you just need to look at the facts when it comes to him. You yourself said you expected him to be the pick of the bowlers - he just wasn't ready. Count his overs and you're done with him - no point in having a specialist bowler if he's not going to bowl a full set.

If Tuffey was fit and performing, who knows what would have happened in that first test. The only thing wrong with NZ was the bowling, and I felt he was the one who really let the side down. If he's included in the side, he sure as hell better bowl as many balls as Joe Average could down in NZ.

But yes, the first test side wasn't "that bad" - but NZ's performance wasn't "that bad" either, and at the start of the fifth day it was anyone's game. NZ had the game in their hands at more than one point. It wasn't the case at Headingly.

Beth: Styris your all time top pick? How long have you been watching cricket? x_x

 

[MoxPearl]

*** Points out the India series in NZ just over 18 months ago ***

Seriously u should read follow up posts before you say stuff like that

 

[MoxPearl]

can someone tell me what exactly is wrong with flemming injury wise ?

and what he can do about it ?

 

[Mingster]

Franklin and Butler to come in for Tuffey and Martin for me.

Tuffey's seam positioning is nothing short of embarrassing.

 

[MoxPearl]

hope it rains! :P

 

[luckyeddie]

hope it rains! :P

There were plenty of times on Friday I wished that.

 

[cbuts]

as soon is it was reveled that butler was fit, he should of came in. his pace is second only to bond, and its clearly something we are lacking.

 

[Loony BoB]

Franklin and Butler to come in for Tuffey and Martin for me.

Is Franklin playing in the UK? We don't want to bring in a New Zealander who hasn't been playing with the Duke ball. In fact, we should make our decision largely based on how well they're doing with the duke ball instead of just bringing in "the next best thing" without checking if they're able to handle it. Oh, did I mention Adams has a hattrick and an 8-for as well as a 50 or two in his league? Bring in Butler and Adams, I say. Adams because he's in form and knows how to handle the ball, Butler because of pure variety. I doubt they'll replace Martin, but those two should come in for Tuffey and Vettori. I feel a bit hard to pass by Mills seeing as he's been in the squad so long, mind you... maybe he'll come in for Martin for our trademark "just another 80mph bowler".

as soon is it was reveled that butler was fit, he should of came in. his pace is second only to bond, and its clearly something we are lacking.

I agree that we're lacking pace but I disagree that he should have been brought in immediately and played immediately. We should have brought in someone for Tuffey, and Butler should have been one of the considered options, but not the only one. Bringing in Butler for Bond is like bringing in Horne for Richardson. Same position, different results, and far less consistent/worthy. Still, right now, we don't have much choice.

can someone tell me what exactly is wrong with flemming injury wise ?

and what he can do about it ?

Fleming has a nasty bruise on his arm. But more to the point, he's got a constant groin-injury strain that's troubled him over the years. They give him injections, apparently, and I guess that's as much as I know about it. Still, it's not exactly anything new for NZ and it's been on-again-off-again over the years (if I remember rightly).

 

[tooextracool]

who says trescothick cant catch - 3 down

who did say that? hes our most reliable slip fielder!

 

[tooextracool]

Reminds me of the first innings - turn the TV over to Henman, 200-1 becomes 215-4 by the time it gets switched back..

it was interesting that first innings.....when henman was playing well england struggled and when england were playing well henman struggled.....
i didnt care if england struggled though, i really wanted henman to win !

 

[tooextracool]

Pshaw, he said it was a bad pitch, he didn't say it wouldn't produce a result. And you can't deny it's a poor pitch, the bowlers in the first two innings had all sorts of troubles. I haven't been watching the NZ innings, I just hear the huge English crowd screaming like mad and assume yet another wicket has fallen. Thank God I just found out one of them was Tuffey, but still...

id prefer a wicket like this that tests a batsman as compared to some of those poor dead flat rikki clarke can score 100 type wickets.....antigua?
to be honest the bowling in the first inning from both teams was pathetic to say the least....

 

[Loony BoB]

id prefer a wicket like this that tests a batsman as compared to some of those poor dead flat rikki clarke can score 100 type wickets.....antigua?
to be honest the bowling in the first inning from both teams was pathetic to say the least....

I don't know about that… you can go to Wellington where the ball does what the bowler wants it to, and the batsmen have difficulty getting high scores. I like bowler-friendly wickets where the bowler is completely in control, personally - I like the odd big shot, sure, but when it's the bowler in control then it gets really interesting, because you know there's going to be a result and you know that it's all down to skill. That tests the batsman. However, as in this case: Luck is not a good way to test a batsman.

 

[tooextracool]

Jones: Looked very nervous in the dressing room but didn't show it on the field. Outscored Flintoff by 2:1 while they were in despite apparently playing sensibly. Technically sound and deserved his hundred. His wicketkeeping still leaves something to be desired.

although his keeping did improve remarkably after he scored that century...took a fine catch of richardson.

Saggers: Two very important wickets in the first innings, bowled better than his figures suggest. Economical in the second innings, but a lack of faith showed in him by Vaughan, Flintoff coming on before him.

not really....i wasnt very impressed with saggers at all, and neither was vaughan apparently. he never really looked like taking wickets in that first innings and hes just way too similar to hoggard. 32 years old?too old anyways and im pretty certain that he'll make way for jones when fit.

 

[tooextracool]

Is it the pitch or is it England bowling in the right places?

a bit of both really....although i do think that some of the english bowlers finally got the message and decided to pitch it up early on.

 

[tooextracool]

btw i must say this.....i really do rate richardson even higher as a batsman after that innings, only a batsman of true class would have been good enough to even edge that ball.

 

[Loony BoB]

btw i must say this.....i really do rate richardson even higher as a batsman after that innings, only a batsman of true class would have been good enough to even edge that ball.

Yeah, I could watch Harmison bowl to Richardson all day. Those two were really players to watch - and even though it was a lot of dot balls and leaves, I found it thoroughly enjoyable to watch. Those two had real battles with each other, great cricket.

 

[meatspx]

Well, I'm sorry to say this, but Bracewell & Co made a complete c*ck-up of their selections. Almost as worse as the TVS Cup when we had Vincent/Nevin, and NO back-up batsmen. This is really dissapointing considering the importance of this series, and rather an embarrament when you have English friends :/

A squad of 15-16, with back-up players in club cricket would have been my pick.

My Squad of 16 would have been:
Richardson
Papps
Sinclair
Fleming
Styris
Astle
McMillan
McCullum
Cairns
Oram
Vettori
Tuffey
Bond
Butler
Martin
Bruce Martin

 

[meatspx]

Anyway, NZ need to score another 200 runs.....consdering the nature of Styris/Oram/Cairns, they should play attacking cricket.

Then maybe we can eeck out a draw.....no point in blocking it when scoring runs is against your nature and runs will increase the time needed for England.

200 runs off 45 overs for the run chase....will give us a chance to defend against a loss.

 

[Loony BoB]

Another down... but who comes in after Cairns?

 

[tooextracool]

SO nz are effectively 1 for 6....i like that score