**Official** England in New Zealand

[Prince EWS]

Both teams have all the time in the world, if the blackcaps though think we can block for two straight days we are kidding ourselves. This innings is on Fleming's shoulders. I said it before this could be his legacy.

All set up for a Sinclair double hundred IMO. He's certainly capable and he's certainly due. Show 'em what your made of, Skippy.

 

[Richard]

Lucky you haven't turned-up after he's out this time hey?

How you feeling BTW?

 

[Somerset]

Well that's Lunch.

21 overs, 42 runs, 1 wicket. Imagine both teams will be not-happy-but-not-unhappy with that. As far as a close match goes, probably an ideal start.

Agreed, I don't think New Zealand will be too unhappy to be only one wicket down. Disappointing that the wicket was How's, mind. I think the next session, if New Zealand can dominate and say score 1/90 from it, will worry England a little with the nature of the surface and Anderson's mishap yesterday.

 

[Prince EWS]

Lucky you haven't turned-up after he's out this time hey?

How you feeling BTW?

I can't jinx him this time - Fox aren't covering the game now that the Shield final has started.

Still not feeling the best. Pretty sure I have some sort of food poisoning. Subway aren't as fresh as they think - twice I've been sick after eating it in the last month.

 

[Richard]

I can't jinx him this time - Fox aren't covering the game now that the Shield final has started.

FFS, James was saying about that yesterday. Not got radio coverage?

Still not feeling the best. Pretty sure I have some sort of food poisoning. Subway aren't as fresh as they think - twice I've been sick after eating it in the last month.

Never eaten at Subway in my life, and never eat anything bar chips and onion-rings at pretty much any fast-food restaurant.

Never had food-poisoning yet myself.

 

[Somerset]

All set up for a Sinclair double hundred IMO. He's certainly capable and he's certainly due. Show 'em what your made of, Skippy.

Top marks for optimism.

In case anyones wondering, in New Zealand's second innings of test matches, Sinclair's scored just 342 runs @ 20.11.

 

[Richard]

Fleming's second-innings record is decidedly sub-par too.

Are there any Kiwis who have a good second-innings record of late?

 

[Prince EWS]

FFS, James was saying about that yesterday. Not got radio coverage?

Yeah I'm listening to RadioSport. I have actually heard Sinclair scoring runs live though, so the jinx factor isn't there.

I don't really mind so much, as they've at least replaced it with cricket, and I often listen to the Shield updates on the radio while I watch Tests/ODIs/other sports - it's just a role reversal for me.

 

[Brett Dale]

I think Vettori has done okay lately.

 

[Prince EWS]

Top marks for optimism.

In case anyones wondering, in New Zealand's second innings of test matches, Sinclair's scored just 342 runs @ 20.11.

Shooshie.

 

[Richard]

Don't worry, Soms is probably jinxing Sinclair's second-innings record.

BTW, what'd'you think of Matthew Bell?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Fleming's second-innings record is decidedly sub-par too.

Are there any Kiwis who have a good second-innings record of late?

Fleming's is the highest in the current team (from 2000 onwards):

Others:
How 26.8 (went down to 23.5 now)
McCullum 25.4
Bell 23.3
Oram 22.5
Vettori 22.4
Sinclair 20.1
Mills 11.3
Taylor 6.0
Martin 2.0
Gillespie 0.0

And this team is supposed to do a world record chase...(though Vettori, tbf, averages 46.4 in his last 10 second-digs)

 

[Richard]

Haha impressively swift my Norwegian friend.

Don't think their "supposed" to though TBH. Even Tim Evans isn't optimistic, so their chances must be near 0 surely?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Haha impressively swift my Norwegian friend.

Don't think their "supposed" to though TBH. Even Tim Evans isn't optimistic, so their chances must be near 0 surely?

This morning I could have got odds of 2.60 on the NZ win.

Was tempted to chuck £100 on England @ 2.40. Didn't though, due to Anderson and being a coward.

 

[Richard]

Pah, coward. Ever turned your ankle yourself?

 

[Woodster]

Do any of you NZers (or anyone else) know what club cricket is like in Wellington ? I've never been abroad specifically to play cricket and need to do so before I get too old, and rather than going to Aus, like many people from the UK appear to do, may try NZ instead. Like the look of Wellington and believe there not as many big spiders there !!

 

[Richard]

****, Broad is having troubles with running-on-the-pitch in his first 2 Tests, and with 4 different Umpires too.

 

[Richard]

DROPPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FFS, Collingwood drops more than he should. And that's the 2nd time this game he's missed 1 off Broad.

 

[Woodster]

That was a regulation chance, especially for a fielder of Collys quality. Amazed he spilled that, good over from Broad.

 

[Somerset]

Shocking drop from arguably England's best fielder....Bell's getting worked over at the moment though, I wouldn't be surprised if he offered another chance pretty soon.