**Official** England in New Zealand

[Tim]

Well im pleased England got over the line at Eden Park. It keeps things interesting. New Zealand rarely lose at Napier so if England can even things up there, i'd back them to win in Christchurch too.

 

[Tim]

I think it was blatantly obvious with the dropping of Hitchcock, that the selectors made a stuff up there.

Flynn's gone quiet since his 149 so whether his selections a good call remains to be seen.

And im gonna say that Tim Southee will almost certainly be selected for the return tour to England.

 

[sportychic33]

In regard to speed, I've always wondered why Oram is only mid 120s. He's a big, strong and powerful guy and should be getting up around the 140k range I would have thought.

Oram has been bowling late 120s early 130s of late and seems to have an obsession with the slower ball which he is using slightly too often.
I think the reason why he bowls at this speed is due to two reasons, a) he only started bowling as what he calls "an emergency bowler" for CD in 1999/2000, therefore all his muscles had developed and weren't regularly used to bowling. Being an emergency bowler he would probably only bowl to contain and pick up the odd wicket, and so speed wouldn't be important. b) today he only bowls around 128-132kph as by the sounds of it he is trying to protect himself from sustaining any more injuries and also has to manage the injuries that he carries.

 

[Richard]

Well im pleased England got over the line at Eden Park. It keeps things interesting. New Zealand rarely lose at Napier so if England can even things up there, i'd back them to win in Christchurch too.

Lost to England last time we were there tho.

BTW, disappointed they seem to have stopped playing day\night ODIs at McLean Park. Was always up for spectacle of the year when you tried playing cricket under those lights.

Also, wonder if we'll get any more cases of freak swing, where bowlers who never normally swing the ball in their life get it to swing, like Chris Harris and, in 2001\02, Paul Collingwood?

 

[Silver Arrow]

O'Brien in, Patel and Flynn left out.

 

[Silver Arrow]

Vettori has won the toss and elected to bowl first

 

[Richard]

O'Brien in

Oh lawd.

Ah, Brent Bowden to stand in his first game of the series. NZC evidently like him standing in McLean Park ODIs against England, he stood in the game in 2001\02 too - his only one of the series.

 

[morgieb]

Gun song though.

AWTA.

 

[Richard]

England, incidentally, are unchanged. I was perhaps expecting Swann to come back in, in a straight reversal of the decision to pick Mascarenhas instead of him last game. But no: the "you won us the last game, go and do the same again" mentality presumably in motion.

 

[Somerset]

Jeetan Patel must be getting pretty frustrated with his treatment amongst the New Zealand side, takes 2/14 at Wellington and is made 12th man for the rest of the series. O'Brien in, oh dear. Spectators on the short square boundaries at McLean Park better watch out when he comes on!

England $1.80 favourites for the game btw.

 

[Somerset]

England, incidentally, are unchanged. I was perhaps expecting Swann to come back in, in a straight reversal of the decision to pick Mascarenhas instead of him last game. But no: the "you won us the last game, go and do the same again" mentality presumably in motion.

I think both sides left out their off spinners on the basis of the smaller square boundaries. Swann has looked rather average at his appearances at the bowling crease so far anyway.

 

[Richard]

Jeetan Patel must be getting pretty frustrated with his treatment amongst the New Zealand side, takes 2/14 at Wellington and is made 12th man for the rest of the series.

Exactly the sort of thing that results in players signing for rubbish like the ICL.

 

[Richard]

I think both sides left out their off spinners on the basis of the smaller square boundaries. Swann has looked rather average at his appearances at the bowling crease so far anyway.

He has, and I fully supported him being left-out at the stupidly-shaped ground of Eden Park. To my knowledge, though, McLean Park is much more normal, though not MCG-esque.

The weather, incidentally, is superb - hopefully no delays today.

 

[Somerset]

Exactly the sort of thing that results in players signing for rubbish like the ICL.

Personally I wouldn't blame him for going, at least he'd be playing more games than not, rather than the other way around.

 

[Natman20]

Has anyone noticed the cricinfo title says "NZ win toss and bat first" although they chose to feild random

EDIT: Now they change it

 

[Somerset]

He has, and I fully supported him being left-out at the stupidly-shaped ground of Eden Park. To my knowledge, though, McLean Park is much more normal, though not MCG-esque.

The weather, incidentally, is superb - hopefully no delays today.

Its not that normal, very short square of the wicket with long straight boundaries. I remember Sehwag hitting a ball for six way into the main grandstand a few years back with an effortless flick off the pads.

Agree regarding the weather, though it is Napier.

 

[Pratters]

Rauf 50th ODI... players will be hoping he doesn't make the headlines though.

 

[Somerset]

LOL England doing their best to add to their series runout tally.

 

[Richard]

Rauf 50th ODI... players will be hoping he doesn't make the headlines though.

Let's hope Rauf can celebrate his 50th game by putting in a much-improved performance from the last game.

Meanwhile, Cook is almost run-out from the 2nd ball. Mills gets some inswing, as you'd damn well expect. Watch out for flying stumps at some point here.

Seems to be a mark on the ball.

 

[Richard]

Haha, Nasser Hussain: "the lights here aren't great". Understatement of the year. I'm so, so disappointed we're deprived the phenominal spectacle of a Napier day\night game.