*Official** New Zealand in England

[Neil Pickup]

Why not? Kabir Ali had a decent first Test, with 5 wickets at 28. He can also bat a bit. As for Tudor, he is an aggressive bowler who can bowl in the 140's regularly. He makes the batsmen play and looks to take wickets all the time. Besides, he also gets runs- he has quite a few first class hundreds.

Kabir looked horrible in the first Test to those of us who watched it.

Tudoe has a horrific attitude, gets injured more than Darren Anderton, and generally isn't very good.

Solanki is also rubbish.

 

[marc71178]

What do you think of this team? I suggest the same playing XI that won, say, the third Test in WI, with Collingwood, Kabir Ali (or Alex Tudor when fully fit), Strauss (or Solanki) and Batty as reserves in Tests, and Blackwell for Butcher, Solanki/Strauss for Hussain in ODI's.

I would be very surprised if it's not the same eleven that won the first 3 Tests.

The only one whose place is in danger would be Jones for me.

However the stupid thing about this England schedule is that I believe it is likely that about half of the first Test side will not have played a day in England since The Oval Test last summer!

 

[Craig]

How many day's are in between the last ODI and the first Test?

 

[meatspx]

http://news.google.co.nz/news?num=3...:news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/3674319.stm

Looking through these stories it seems like Fleming and Bracewell are rather confident. Too confident bordering on ****y for my liking.....like their attitude before the 3rd test against South Africa.

 

[Loony BoB]

I wouldn't say they're being ****y - they have to keep their team in good spirits, there's no use in downplaying themselves at the moment, the rest of the team need their captain to be confident. At the same time, he's showing respect to the English team, so he's not saying that they're better, he's just saying that the team has the belief, and we all know that New Zealand needs that belief to do well.

 

[Tim]

There's nothing wrong with showing confidence before a test series...as long as they play like they have threatened to.

I don't think any team is concerned about what Captains & Coaches say before a test series, but if you just leave them a friendly reminder that you're here to beat them then it can do no harm IMO.

 

[marc71178]

How many day's are in between the last ODI and the first Test?

Just over a fortnight I believe, and they have to get back from the West Indies as well.

Either way, New Zealand will (in theory) be better acclimatised than England.

I say in theory, because the weather is again not too good.

 

[Craig]

Then they probably wont get to play any cricket. Or if they do, it wont be much.

Perhaps one domestic 4-day game or a couple of domestic 1-day games (if they are scheluded in), even then, the England management would likely to ask Harmison, Simon Jones, Matt Hogard, and I guess Andrew Flintoff (he has had his fair share of injuries in the last 12-24 months) would be asked to rest until the NZ series begins.

 

[Loony BoB]

Anyone know how bad the rain is over at Fenner's?

 

[Neil Pickup]

Anyone know how bad the rain is over at Fenner's?

They should've played it at Exeter..

 

[Tim]

Good start for Papps....I know it was only a PCA side but he needs to achieve these sorts of scores consistently in the warm-up matches if he wants to make the Lords test.

 

[Loony BoB]

What? Where? WAS? Did I miss a game?

 

[Tim]

NZ won a friendly match against the PCA Masters side yesterday which featured a couple of international names like Jimmy Adams & Aravinda De Silva.

Papps got 95 & Fleming got 75 I think..fairly close game. Just a way to open the tour I guess.

 

[Craig]

Is there a link to a scorecard to it or not?

 

[Tim]

Couldn't find a scorecard...just a match report at www.nzcricket.co.nz

 

[Loony BoB]

Found another report of the match here, but otherwise I can't find anything using Google, either.

For those interested, although it's suffering from rain at the moment, today's NZ squad will be: Chris Cairns (captain), Mark Richardson, Michael Papps, Scott Styris, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Shane Bond.

 

[marc71178]

Anyone know how bad the rain is over at Fenner's?

No play all day already, so I'd guess bad

 

[marc71178]

NZ won a friendly match against the PCA Masters side yesterday which featured a couple of international names like Jimmy Adams & Aravinda De Silva.

Papps got 95 & Fleming got 75 I think..fairly close game. Just a way to open the tour I guess.

Sounds like it replaced the traditional game at Arundel.

It wasn't on any of the tour schedules I've seen, so I guess it's an opportunity to get some overs in in a very low pressure and low key game (a bit the University game will be if any play takes place!)

 

[Tim]

In the mean-time..NZ will be desperately hoping they get some game time against the University side tonight. Bond & Astle can play all the matches they like against selection sides but there's no way they'll be ready to take on England if they don't at least get some match fitness under their belt.

 

[Loony BoB]

In the mean-time..NZ will be desperately hoping they get some game time against the University side tonight. Bond & Astle can play all the matches they like against selection sides but there's no way they'll be ready to take on England if they don't at least get some match fitness under their belt.

I don't know about Bond, but I wouldn't say that about Astle. He's almost known for making good comebacks. Here's hoping tha trend continues...