Test series vs New Zealand

[Yorkshire Blue]

Apart from Ambrose & Sidebottom, and I suppose a vastly improved ground fielding display England just can't take any positives from their performance in Hamilton.

I've been a huge advocate of Vaughan as skipper, but I wonder because of the split captaincy if he has "lost" the team.

Harmison was woefully under prepared and I wonder how much longer England can keep up with his under par performances. IMO time for Broad to play, and also Shah for Strauss, he has been on the periphery of the team for long enough and deserves a run in the side.

I hope England have learned a valuable lesson and bounce back in Wellington, but I have my doubts. With all due respect to Mills, Martin & Oram, that is a fairly innocuous attack.

Oram is definitely innocuous, but Martin is easily test class and I think Mills would be a decent 3rd or 4th seamer. Both Martin and Mills (and Vettori) would walk into the England team at the moment.

I still think Sidebottom bowled pretty ordinarily despite picking up 10 wickets. He just looked better because the other two were so out of form.

Also England's ground fielding was OK, it was their catching which was excellent.

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

NZ's bowling attack suits the conditions that it generally gets at home and, I hasten to add, the early-season conditions that they will find in England when the reverse tour takes place in May and June.

They may look innocuous, but NZ generally put the ball in the right place and let the ball (and pressure) do the work for them. Sidebottom did the same thing, and performed much as Hoggard has over the past 7/8 years (and didn't in this Test!).

The sooner our bowlers start putting the ball in the right areas, the sooner we will start getting back to winning Test matches again. In it's heyday of 2004/5, the pace attack of Hoggard/Harmison/Flintoff/Jones generally put the ball on a good length on or just outside off stump, with Harmi and Freddie putting a few short ones in as a surprise tactic. I would suggest Jimmy Anderson as an alternative to Hoggard for the Second Test, but at the moment his radar is all over the place (as it wasn't in his breakthrough World Cup of 2003) and the only change I can see the selectors making is Broad for Harmison.

 

[number11]

NZ's bowling attack suits the conditions that it generally gets at home and, I hasten to add, the early-season conditions that they will find in England when the reverse tour takes place in May and June.

They may look innocuous, but NZ generally put the ball in the right place and let the ball (and pressure) do the work for them. Sidebottom did the same thing, and performed much as Hoggard has over the past 7/8 years (and didn't in this Test!).

The sooner our bowlers start putting the ball in the right areas, the sooner we will start getting back to winning Test matches again. In it's heyday of 2004/5, the pace attack of Hoggard/Harmison/Flintoff/Jones generally put the ball on a good length on or just outside off stump, with Harmi and Freddie putting a few short ones in as a surprise tactic. I would suggest Jimmy Anderson as an alternative to Hoggard for the Second Test, but at the moment his radar is all over the place (as it wasn't in his breakthrough World Cup of 2003) and the only change I can see the selectors making is Broad for Harmison.

I see both Hoggard and Harmison have been dropped for Broad and Anderson. Whilst our bowling was not great, changing half the attacak and yet leaving a badly underperforming batting line up unchanged seems a little unfair on the bowlers. If I was Shah I would have to seriously think about quitting test cricket....Im sure he has better things to do then ferry drinks and gloves to underperfoming batsmen.

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

As suspected Mrs BB is not impressed !

Can't argue with what number11 has said really. Shah must be monumentally hacked off.

 

[canveyshrimper]

I see both Hoggard and Harmison have been dropped for Broad and Anderson. Whilst our bowling was not great, changing half the attacak and yet leaving a badly underperforming batting line up unchanged seems a little unfair on the bowlers. If I was Shah I would have to seriously think about quitting test cricket....Im sure he has better things to do then ferry drinks and gloves to underperfoming batsmen.

I am a touch baffled by the ommission of Hoggard, although he seriously under performed at Hamilton, normally conditions in NZ should suit him. Again I also feel sorry for Shah, although I have my doubts about whether he is test class or not, he certainly deserves a run in the side to establish himself.

 

[Pubey]

major changes in the bowling department but none in the batting? i seem to remember it being the batting which screwed us over!?

 

[number11]

I am a touch baffled by the ommission of Hoggard, although he seriously under performed at Hamilton, normally conditions in NZ should suit him. Again I also feel sorry for Shah, although I have my doubts about whether he is test class or not, he certainly deserves a run in the side to establish himself.

Indeed, if you could chose where to fly Hoggie into bowl then it would be in NZ. Ive not read anything about the pitch, other than New Zealand are considering bringing Gillespie in so I presume it will be a seamers wicket. By leaving Hoggie out Moores / Vaughan / selectors are basically either saying he is not fit / ready to bowl, is out of form or past it. If the first two, then why the hell pick him for the first test, when surely he will be in better shape now. If the latter than its harsh.

This to me is admission that they got the team wrong for the first test. Going into a test with a 4 man attack and 2 not ready as they arrived on tour late is poor selection. I wouldnt be surprised if Moores is not around for the next ashes as I dont think his choping and changing and selections ahve been very good*.

* Im slightly confused these days as to the structure of the selection process in light of the Schofield report. Used to work pretty well to me when it was left to Fletcher and Graveney.

 

[C C Csiders]

major changes in the bowling department but none in the batting? i seem to remember it being the batting which screwed us over!?

Although from 160 or was it 180/5 to 470 all out also suggests a badly misfiring attack.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Well done Ambrose and Collingwood.

Ambrose counter-attacked superbly. Whilst he may have played and missed regularly, he also regularly hit the boundary boards particularly when given width. His technique looked a little suspect at times, and I think teams will work him out (he looked a little dodgy against the short-pitched stuff and got squared up too often), but he showed plenty of character and put away the bad ball which combined will take you quite some way.

England dominated the first and third sessions, but NZ dominated the middle session. My money would be on NZ dominating the fourth one and getting Ambrose early and running through the tail.

There appears to be a little in the pitch if you put it in the right areas (something NZ patently failed to do first thing) and it will be interesting to see what England's "freshened up" attack can do.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Just watched the last hour or so, and agree about Ambrose. Good counter attack from him & Collingwood, and probably overall England will be happier at the close of the first day. After putting England in Vettori would have hoped to have at least 7 or 8 down. Ideally England will want to put 400 on the board, but with Broad and the tail to come it will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow.

Wonder how Ambrose feels going to bed tonight 97 not out in his second test match.

 

[MrB]

Thought I'd wait up after lunch and watch Cook and Vaughan make it to 100, that worked out well! Great innings from Ambrose though, good to see some grit down the order for once.

Surely Strauss's time is up now? Unless he gets a ton in the second innings (and how likely is that?) I can't see how they can justify his selection again.

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

Thought I'd wait up after lunch and watch Cook and Vaughan make it to 100, that worked out well! Great innings from Ambrose though, good to see some grit down the order for once.

Surely Strauss's time is up now? Unless he gets a ton in the second innings (and how likely is that?) I can't see how they can justify his selection again.

Well, Strauss does seem to have a God-given right to play! Even his selection for the tour beggared belief - when selected he had played exactly 0 first-class innings from when he wasn't good enough to go to Sri Lanka. Then, with Shah having done pretty well when selected in ODIs and the one Test match he played, he gets dropped again. When Bopara is dropped after SL, Strauss waltzes straight back into the team.

The match is very evenly-poised, even with England dominating the final session. Great counter-attacking from Ambrose, with excellent support from Collingwood, but still the top five have not gone on to get a big score after Cook, Vaughan and Pietersen all got starts. That is starting to become a real worry, but with the pair at the wicket and Broad to come, I hope that we can do what NZ did to us at the start of the second day in Hamilton.

 

[Uncle Leo]

England the favourites at 6/5, with the draw 11/8 and NZ 10/3. Can't say I'd be rushing to back us at that price.

 

[Pubey]

Thought I'd wait up after lunch and watch Cook and Vaughan make it to 100, that worked out well! Great innings from Ambrose though, good to see some grit down the order for once.

Surely Strauss's time is up now? Unless he gets a ton in the second innings (and how likely is that?) I can't see how they can justify his selection again.

i did the same... yeah surely Strauss is on borrowed time now

 

[MrB]

3 wickets in the first session so far, think we really should have been pushing for 400 here.

 

[Bluesmanager]

Anywhere between 350 and 375 and I'll be happy. The pitch is getting faster as the day goes, could be something there. Wish we hadn't dropped Harmy now, he could use this pitch.

NZ 9-2. Anderson's loving this.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Interesting morning session.

Whilst the talk of England's batting this morning will be Ambrose getting to his century, the real story was yesterday's hero only adding 5 to his overnight score and England falling short of the score they should have made. Sideshow continues to impress with the bat, adding as many in leg-byes as off the bat and that was a useful partnership he had with Colly, but all in all that was a disappointment.

However, the bowling looked a lot fresher as we were treated to a rare sighting of good Jimmy. If Anderson has a future with England, it is as a new ball bowler, and he looked the part today bowling excellently and ripping out the Kiwi openers. The question will be, have England replaced one Harmison with another? Like Harmison, he's clearly got the ability to do it, but he needs to produce the goods more often.

 

[MrB]

I hope I'm rewarded for staying up after lunch today!

 

[MrB]

Go on Jimmy! 31-3. Nobody is going to doubt the dropping of Harmison now, let's hope Broad can also prove his selection right at first change.

 

[canveyshrimper]

I would say that Anderson is a more like for like replacement for Hoggard rather than Harmison.

Seems like a good bowling performance by England to bowl them out for 198. Now England's batsmen really need to put the runs on the board. Two innings completed before the end of day 2, on what appears to be a good track.