New Zealand v England, 2nd Test, Wellington, 14-18 March, 2013

Henry wrote:Bruce Martin isn't a bad spinner at all. In fact, I reckon he's at least as good as Vettori (these days).

So how does B. Martin compare to the current crop of Aussie spinners?

Reminds me a little bit of Gary Keedy.

Another ultra-shit shot gets KP's wicket. Shit.

Never expose your tail to Shoaib.

England 7 down.

Boolsheit.

Brass Monkey wrote:Eh, what about this though, eh? Nearly 24 hours Test cricket. From an Anglo time point of view it's WI/Zim 1300ish til 2100ish, NZ/Eng 2100ish til 0400ish, Ind/Aus 0400ish til 1100ish.

Good times. Wonder if there's been 24 hours. Probably has. Probably watched most of it myself.

I remember a few months back there was three on at the same time and I was pretty much watching them all. Good times.

I've booked Friday off work. I wonder what the Guinness World Record is for consecutive deliveries of cricket watched without leaving your sofa....?

Broad's batting continues to nosedive. Along with his bowling.

Good stuff.

Gary 111 wrote:I've booked Friday off work. I wonder what the Guinness World Record is for consecutive deliveries of cricket watched without leaving your sofa....?

That's a fine idea - I wish I had thought of it. I'd probably have a heart attack though and some of the cricket has to be ODI now (SA v Pak) because WI and Zim are shit.

beamer wrote:

Henry wrote:KP hasn't been all that convincing. I maintain that he was a better batsman at the start of his international career than he is now.

Well, he's not so consistent these days and often takes a while to get into his stride, both in innings and tour/series terms. .

First year of Pietersen's Test career:

22 innings
890 runs
2 hundreds (158 vs Aus, 100 vs Pak)
5 fifties
42.58 batting average
68.04 strike rate

Last year of Pietersen's Test career:

22 innings
1071 runs
3 hundreds (151 vs Sri Lanka, 149 vs SA, 186 vs India)
5 fifties
51.00 batting average
66.11 strike rate

The memory. It lies.

When did Jimmy morph into Dan Vettori??

Huh? Prior is Vice Captain?

snoozoid collapse...but they have done Oz a favour gifting 2 wickets to Lady Di

Apart from one over from Broad, England bowled too short, as usual.

Wot Trev said - could've had them worse for wear were it not for the incessant need to bang it in.

Pearler to get rid of Taylor BTW, tailing in at 87mph

England's bowling's a worry, for me. Looks very ordinary - has done since SA absolutely bum violated them in the first Test last summer (was it the Oval?) - with only the spinners on spinny Indian wickets providing a cutting edge.

Finn does well in ODIs by being hard to hit, but that's really not helping him take Test wickets, where ironically, he's easier to hit as he's striving so hard to take wickets that he's moving away from the things he does well: bowl a tight line, at pace, a wait it out.

Someone's got into his head that he's the new "enforcer", so now he's got to bang the shit out of the middle of the pitch all day long to no effect. Because that served Stuart Broad so well, back in his "enforcer" days.

Still, NZ three down (albeit to two appalling strokes), and England should feel comfortably in the ascendancy - especially if they break through early tomorrow.

Though if they do, it won't be bowled or LBW as every delivery except Broad's one moment of quality would've missed the stumps by about two feet.

Gary 111 wrote:Huh? Prior is Vice Captain?

Taken over from Broad, as he's no longer an automatic prick.

Pick. Slip of the finger tongue.

Chivalry Augustus wrote:Pietersen is fine. He just doesn't play enough cricket to be sharp early on in the season. I appreciate though that there's a subculture of predicting a batsman's demise on here, simply to score I told you so points.

No such thing as I told you so points on here.

Pos-rep or neg-rep are your only rewards.

Gary 111 wrote:

beamer wrote:

Henry wrote:KP hasn't been all that convincing. I maintain that he was a better batsman at the start of his international career than he is now.

Well, he's not so consistent these days and often takes a while to get into his stride, both in innings and tour/series terms. .

First year of Pietersen's Test career:

22 innings
890 runs
2 hundreds (158 vs Aus, 100 vs Pak)
5 fifties
42.58 batting average
68.04 strike rate

Last year of Pietersen's Test career:

22 innings
1071 runs
3 hundreds (151 vs Sri Lanka, 149 vs SA, 186 vs India)
5 fifties
51.00 batting average
66.11 strike rate

The memory. It lies.

Mine doesn't - those two hundreds in 2005 were fluke-ridden. Dropped three times before he reached 40 against Aus, and that ton in Pakistan was of the "check if anyone's got a new leather jacket" variety, so often was he shelled - including on 96, going for the glory stroke, which he got next ball, and the perished the following ball doing the same thing.

He was always a batsman who rolled the dice and would "come off" on occasion and implode on others. Not much has changed. Except the hair. And that's for the best.

Dello wrote:England's bowling's a worry, for me. Looks very ordinary - has done since SA absolutely bum violated them in the first Test last summer (was it the Oval?) - with only the spinners on spinny Indian wickets providing a cutting edge.

Finn does well in ODIs by being hard to hit, but that's really not helping him take Test wickets, where ironically, he's easier to hit as he's striving so hard to take wickets that he's moving away from the things he does well: bowl a tight line, at pace, a wait it out.

Someone's got into his head that he's the new "enforcer", so now he's got to bang the shit out of the middle of the pitch all day long to no effect. Because that served Stuart Broad so well, back in his "enforcer" days.

Still, NZ three down (albeit to two appalling strokes), and England should feel comfortably in the ascendancy - especially if they break through early tomorrow.

Though if they do, it won't be bowled or LBW as every delivery except Broad's one moment of quality would've missed the stumps by about two feet.

Er, you seem to forget that your boys will be bowling to the likes of Warner, Cowan, Hughes (possibly but I hope to God not), Henriques and Smith. Jimmeh will run roughshod over our garbage. One world class batsman does not a Test batting side make.

*sighs* One comes on here and sees Dello being somewhat contrarian for contrarian's sake.

It's his job.

Here's the latest England 'form' batting lineup:

1 Kick Numpty
2 Callous Trucker
3 Ton-athon Chart
4 Peevin' Conceiter
5 You Mire Prat
6 Thievin' Tins (Cockanee pronunciation)
7 Image Ganderson
8 Raw Jute
9 Be In Hell
10 Stored Brew Wart
11 Pantyman Stare

'Trucker' stays as opener, as he is allowed the odd fail.

Whoosh... gone over my simple mind Jim Kerr.

Brass Monkey wrote:*sighs* One comes on here and sees Dello being somewhat contrarian for contrarian's sake.

If you can't handle the truth, stay out of the truth kitchen.

And don't order the oathcakes.