**Official** England in New Zealand

[Prince EWS]

To win: 191 runs in 27.4 overs (minimum)

/Turbinator mode off.

 

[jeevan]

Little faith in MSP then Manju?

Don't blame you BTW.

You were saying...

 

[Richard]

MSP to break his longest innings record?

(That's 43 balls, in his 1st innings, BTW)

 

[Richard]

No. Oram gets in on the act. Final margin 189 runs.

 

[chalky]

Neither of Gough or White played in 1999 (White indeed had been out of the team for 3 years). And Cork, ridiculously really, wasn't picked, Giddins, Mullally, Tufnell and Such being favoured. Nor was Croft in the frame, having had 3 wicketless Tests the previous summer.

This mirrors 1999 fairly well: Sidebottom is the Caddick - outstanding amongst rubbish. Mullally was mostly better than Harmison I guess, but he didn't have the flash-in-the-pan games Harmison had.

However, in 1999 we had Gough, Cork, White and Croft all to come back. And they did. And they came back brilliantly. No such comfort here.

Yeah that was my point those bowlers were availabale even if not selected and are far superior to anything we have available as a result we are reduced to blooding 20 and 21 yer olds with little or no 1st class experience.

We just have to hope Flintoff can get fit

FTR Gough played in South Africa in late 1999.

 

[alternative]

All over, god England is so dire without Flintoff.

 

[Richard]

Yeah that was my point those bowlers were availabale even if not selected and are far superior to anything we have available as a result we are reduced to blooding 20 and 21 yer olds with little or no 1st class experience.

We just have to hope Flintoff can get fit

Forgot him... he and Hoggard remain a hope. And I suppose there's Tremlett.

FTR Gough played in South Africa in late 1999.

Yeah, was meaning summer-wise. By the time that series rolled around, we were no longer bottom of the Wisden Championship.

 

[alternative]

To win: 191 runs in 27.4 overs (minimum)

/Turbinator mode off.

Gun .

 

[chalky]

Well done New Zealand comprehensive win well deserved.

 

[Richard]

So go on - I only got 1 answer previously.

Hands-up who expected Kyle Mills to be the difference between victory and draw (as he basically was) this morn?

 

[SpaceMonkey]

All over, god England is so dire without Flintoff.

Given Flintoffs form with the bat when he did play, i doubt he would have made much difference

 

[chalky]

Forgot him... he and Hoggard remain a hope. And I suppose there's Tremlett.

Yeah, was meaning summer-wise. By the time that series rolled around, we were no longer bottom of the Wisden Championship.

No Sidebottom??

We moved up places without playing? we should try that strategy now.

 

[Prince EWS]

So go on - I only got 1 answer previously.

Hands-up who expected Kyle Mills to be the difference between victory and draw (as he basically was) this morn?

I always have faith in Mills. So me I guess.

 

[Richard]

No Sidebottom??

Already mentioned him TBH. He's not a "hope", he's just taken a 10-for!

We moved up places without playing? we should try that strategy now.

Yeah, Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe.

 

[chalky]

Given Flintoffs form with the bat when he did play, i doubt he would have made much difference

He has to bat 7 & play in a 4 man attack - the question is can his body hold up to the work load?

 

[Jono]

Awesome to see NZ win, I really hope they take out the series now.

England really need to grow a spine. This wicket was hardly tough to bat on.

 

[Dick Rockett]

Haha, that was "o" for awesome, as David Tua might say.

And I have to ask, as I did during the ODI series, where is Scaly Piscine at times like these? I'd just love to hear his biased ranting on exactly why New Zealand's victory was due to fluke/luck/intervention of Satan/bad vibes/solar eclipse/lunar eclipse/bad clams.

 

[Richard]

Given Flintoffs form with the bat when he did play, i doubt he would have made much difference

I tend to hope NZ might've got less than 470 had he played TBH.

 

[Days of Grace]

Geez, England are rubbish!!!!!

Boy, I just wanted to say that.

And I will love having a look at the English tabloids in the aftermath of this match.

Typically, though, the NZ media will find something to bitch about, that's how dire they are.

Great win, one with many contributions. Test cricket is here to stay!!!!

 

[Chubb]

Man am I proud of my citizenship certificate right now! My housemates thought England were gonna win this easily and only I said NZ would still win after yesterday... I was in a club when I heard the score was 63-7 and from then, what a night!