**Official** England in New Zealand

[KiWiNiNjA]

A shame McCullum couldnt get going at Eden Park. He can be even more explosive with the parks dimensions.

 

[Neil Pickup]

To change the subject entirely, what's the deal with that grass-cut pattern?!

EDIT: Could we please stop bowling anything in the short/legside region to Jesse?

 

[DCC_legend]

Thought it was pretty cool tbh.

 

[Richard]

EDIT: Could we please stop bowling anything in the short/legside region to Jesse?

That requires skill that in my experience is usually beyond James Anderson.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Sorry, I simply refuse to believe that anyone can be considerably better than O'Diren. I know Hitchcock's bad, I certainly do, but the worst he can be is as bad as him.

Bollocks. O'Brien bowled better in the last test at the Basin Reserve than Hitchcock has at any time in his career. O'Brien gets a bad rap just because he's not international class. He cleans up at domestic level whilst Hitchcock hardly gets a game.

I know who's the better bowler - the guy who's taken 182 first class wickets at 24.39 (though 34 wickets at OD level for 33.14 isn't great) over the guy who's taken only 14 first class wickets at 53.35 (132 wickets at OD at 26.11 is a better record, but over considerably more games than O'Brien. These stats alone show that O'Brien's a better class of bowler than Hitchcock, but my own eyes do that job too

 

[Richard]

Well as I say, I've yet to see Hitchcock bowl (probably for the best, I know).

I'm more than prepared to believe O'Diren is the better at the First-Class level, but the one-day? I question very much so.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I'm more than prepared to believe O'Diren is the better at the First-Class level, but the one-day? I question very much so.

Ah, but which is a reflection of the overall ability of a bowler? O'Brien's first class stats are good enough for him to be considered. Sure, he played badly in South Africa, but he bowled pretty well against Bangladesh - better than Mills, yet he's still being pilloried for the South African performance.

However, ideally O'Brien would not be playing internationals, but given our current injury problems he deserves to be in the queue somewhere and certainly ahead of Hitchcock. Personally, I'd pick Southee, Hiini or Aldridge over O'Brien and I'd pick O'Brien, myself or any other player over Hitchcock.

 

[Richard]

Ah, but which is a reflection of the overall ability of a bowler?

One-day performances are a reflection of the ability of a bowler in the one-day game; First-Class performances are a reflection of the ability of a bowler in the First-Class game.

Simple as.

On reflection, 39 from the first 10 has to go down as a major triumph on this ground.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

One-day performances are a reflection of the ability of a bowler in the one-day game; First-Class performances are a reflection of the ability of a bowler in the First-Class game.

Well, Hitchcock got two wickets in the 20:20 the other night despite bowling ****e because two guys got caught at long on/long off. Certainly his bowling hadn't improved for those two wickets. Them's the breaks that'll come along more often in OD cricket (like Bopara hitting two full tosses to mid wicket/square leg). **** balls don't take wickets in First Class, though they will more often in OD. Hence, FC averages are slightly better for judging a player than OD averages, in my opinion.

 

[Richard]

How hits Broad in the air straight to backward-point. Nothing ball, nothing shot, no lack of wicket.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Love Paul Collingwood.

In other news, BBC Sport are having such a slow night that they're printing my thinly-veiled abusive text messages. Joy.

 

[Richard]

Well, Hitchcock got two wickets in the 20:20 the other night despite bowling ****e because two guys got caught at long on/long off. Certainly his bowling hadn't improved for those two wickets. Them's the breaks that'll come along more often in OD cricket (like Bopara hitting two full tosses to mid wicket/square leg). **** balls don't take wickets in First Class, though they will more often in OD. Hence, FC averages are slightly better for judging a player than OD averages, in my opinion.

Crap deliveries don't all that often get wickets in OD games either, TBH. Average ones do far more often tho.

It's a given that FC cricket > OD cricket. But when judging a OD player, it makes sense to judge them on their OD, not FC, performances.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Hmmmmm, Taylor and Ryder

 

[Richard]

In other news, BBC Sport are having such a slow night that they're printing my thinly-veiled abusive text messages. Joy.

In other news, the New Zealand Cricket selections of music are more bizarre than elsewhere.

Another one gone as Ryder hits Anderson down square-leg's throat.

 

[Neil Pickup]

An even nothinger ball makes it three down. Operation bowl short at Ryder's legs has finally succeeded. 3/40 and we're actually in the game...

 

[Mixmasterreece]

Poor start from NZ.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

........or not

 

[Neil Pickup]

Having just seen SKY compare Anderson's pitch-maps for the second and third ODIs, the question of why it takes two days off for an International cricketer to figure out that spraying the ball around like a watercannon isn't a good idea.

Why can't England think on their feet?!

 

[Richard]

3/40 and we're actually in the game...

Depressingly familiar. We win this game, and suddenly Mustard and Wright are promising players again, Shah, Bell and Collingwood are brilliant again. Just like it happened in 2001\02 (with names like Hoggard, Giles, Vaughan, Foster... and of course Shah and Collingwood).

 

[Richard]

Having just seen SKY compare Anderson's pitch-maps for the second and third ODIs, the question of why it takes two days off for an International cricketer to figure out that spraying the ball around like a watercannon isn't a good idea.

Why can't England think on their feet?!

Ever thought that no-one's that stupid? It's not a question of not thinking, it's a question of not having the ability to put the ball where you're aiming. Anderson can only bowl this well every now and then, he can't do it game after game. He'll spray it more often than not, not because he lacks intelligence, but because he lacks skill.

It truly baffles me how anyone can think that something which is obvious to just about everyone watching (ie: bowling the right lines and lengths is good; bowling the wrong lines and lengths is bad) is not known by the players and the management.