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**Official** New Zealand in England

Nutter

U19 Debutant
If Freddie was fully fit and in reasonable nick, would any of you consider dropping a batsman and picking:

Flintoff
Broad
Sidebottom
Hoggard/Anderson
Panesar

or drop one of the bowlers like Anderson/Hoggard for Flintoff?
 

gettingbetter

State Vice-Captain
Wouldn't be suprised either way. Firstly, there is a constant want to go back to the same team that featured in the 2005 Ashes win, having 5 bowlers being integral to that win, so reverting back to such is not out of the question. But with Fredrick's batting form, which IIRC consist of a pair, a first baller and a few nigh run a ball teen innings...which all equates to him being unfit to bat at number 6 or unfit enough to drop a batsman.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Sidebottom, SP Jones, Flintoff and Panesar for SA. :happy: :ph34r:
Bit ambitious. Am guessing the PH34R might signify not-totally-serious, but if not, then the fact Jones has just quadrupled his First-Class wickets tally for the previous 3 years really shouldn't mean anyone's currently thinking of putting him back in the Test team.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
If Freddie was fully fit and in reasonable nick, would any of you consider dropping a batsman
No. Flintoff is not good enough to play as a front-line batsman, and nor is Ambrose, at the current time at least and very possibly for good.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Wouldn't be suprised either way. Firstly, there is a constant want to go back to the same team that featured in the 2005 Ashes win
I really don't think there is. The press exaggerated that idea ITFP, and if it ever did exist it was only very briefly in the late-2006 sort of time.

There's 5 players from that team who are now certain or near-as-damn-it never to play Tests again in Giles, Trescothick, Geraint and Simon Jones and Harmison. Bell should never bat at four, or above Pietersen, again either; and if Hoggard does play again I'd not be totally amazed to see him have a stop-start, bit-part career from now on. I also don't think Vaughan and Flintoff will play many more Tests together.

Cook is a like-for-like replacement for Trescothick, and Ambrose (or if not Ambrose then whoever's next) for Jones. But I've never been a massive fan of five bowlers and if five should ever be picked ahead of Collingwood or Shah I'll not be happy at all.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Fairly remarkably, we've looking like a prompt start today. How long it'll last is anyone's guess, but there's no covers on and no rain.

Still dark, very, though.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Game on.

First over complete. Short with no movement from either the seam or swing.
Nope, same mistakes bar 1 or 2 deliveries as yesterday.

Credit to Strauss and Cook for not chasing the game, all the same. Better than I'd have expected from Strauss. If he can make a few here that'll be a big thing for him and maybe, just maybe, I might start believing in him again.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Yeah, plenty of people (mostly old-timers) have gone on about that for a while. Seem to prefer slips in a row rather than slip, no slip, slip, slip or something like that.

Rain again, presumably we'll be off again before too long.

NZ have bowled too many no-balls this innings BTW.
 

stumpski

International Captain
Perhaps they should take an early lunch - it might save some time. At least they're playing in other matches around the country which suggests there might be better weather on the way.
 

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