New Zealand vs England - Third Test

First topic message reminder :

Are we going to get a result? With decent weather, I think we will, and dare I say it to England.

The only change I can see is Bracewell coming in for the Kiwi's, although there was talk of England playing five bowlers, which I would be surprised at.

Broad is the only England bowler who has looked anything near his best, but with Jimmy who needs five wickets for 300, and Finn, who will hopefully pitch the ball up, things should improve.

Liam wrote:It seems like de javu with Ian Bell again. He desperately needs a knock because he's been very quiet recently. Always seems to pick up some form, go into a dreadful slump of form, only for a superb hundred to save/win a game. What's required from him tomorrow with the only other senior batsmen being Prior left. Would love him to go after Martin early tomorrow, use his feet and put him and NZ on the back foot. Don't see the point in allowing NZ to bowl to us tomorrow and get us bogged down.

Umm...3 Tests ago he scored a series winning hundred in India did he not? Has Cook been very quiet recently too having not scored a hundred for 2 Tests?

Carrotdude wrote:

Liam wrote:It seems like de javu with Ian Bell again. He desperately needs a knock because he's been very quiet recently. Always seems to pick up some form, go into a dreadful slump of form, only for a superb hundred to save/win a game. What's required from him tomorrow with the only other senior batsmen being Prior left. Would love him to go after Martin early tomorrow, use his feet and put him and NZ on the back foot. Don't see the point in allowing NZ to bowl to us tomorrow and get us bogged down.

Umm...3 Tests ago he scored a series winning hundred in India did he not? Has Cook been very quiet recently too having not scored a hundred for 2 Tests?

That was his first hundred last year though. As much as I don't rate him, I expect him to come good today.

New Zealand clearly have played the better cricket in this test and even in the series in general. They are in a great position to win this match and win a home series against England after 30 years.
Ian Bell has not performed consistently after the whitewash of India in 2011. Perhaps its time he really come to the party, the team has carried him for the last year and half, its time he returns the favor. Prior has been in terrific form, and young Joe Root has rediscovered some form in the first innings and showed again that he has it in him to bat out time if needed. I won't rule England out altogether as yet, but it seems a series loss to the 8th ranked test side is pretty much on the cards.

Only need to bat out another 85 overs....

Come on england. The win is on

If Broad has to bat before lunchtime, England are well and truely shafted!

Have we lost yet?

bell 17 of 119. omg

Bell and Root have lasted 10 overs so far...they need to be there when new ball comes and to see that off....

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:Bell and Root have lasted 10 overs so far...they need to be there when new ball comes and to see that off....

That is good work by these 2 players. They simply just need to repeat this feat 8 more times!

they look unmovable..


but we need trebbel to counter my optimism!!

whbere the heck is the wrong un..
Gone missing when it matters

mystiroakey wrote:bell 17 of 119. omg

He can make 50 off 300 and Id be very happy.

if he lasts for 300 i will be happy an all.

mystiroakey wrote:they look unmovable..


but we need trebbel to counter my optimism!!

whbere the heck is the wrong un..
Gone missing when it matters

You called m'lord?

I've been here, just lurking quietly. It didnt need me to comment on the state they got themselves into to be honest.

Msp is right, NZ played better. Eng need to hit back hard when they come up here.

Root 23 off 49 balls
Bell 23 off 149 balls

Boycott would be proud. Good old fashioned dog.

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:Bell and Root have lasted 10 overs so far...they need to be there when new ball comes and to see that off....

Now lasted 20 overs....

Love it. Dig the in boys, proper cricket

NZ just need 1 or 2. Particularly with our tail.

Would be very annoying if they bat very well and look unmovable until the last half hour of today's play in which either or both get dismissed and then England's remaining batting folds like a pack of cards!

50 partnership off 26 overs...

New ball taken. NZ will have two goes with it, pre and post lunch break

Hmm, think we can safely say Mr Root won't be opening anytime soon.

That was one hell of a good ball first up with the new ball from Boult, absolutely bang on the money. Root and Bell had been going well but that could be it unfortunately, I have no faith in Bairstow hanging around.

Just when i was planning on staying up for much of the night, this happens. Huge wicket for NZ and that probably will win the match. One more wicket before lunch and its game set and match.

Carrotdude wrote:That was one hell of a good ball first up with the new ball from Boult, absolutely bang on the money. Root and Bell had been going well but that could be it unfortunately, I have no faith in Bairstow hanging around.

Well the fact that hanging around isn't naturally really part of Johnny Bairstow's batting, it is unfair to expect him to last so long and this is made worse by the huge disadvantage that he hasn't had any proper game time out in the middle of a match since the South Africa test series.

Well both been given a life!

That was bizarre, 2 horror shots, 1 each from Bell and Bairstow, both dropped in the slips off successive balls.

Well that was comedy all round there. But those drops could well come back to haunt NZ.

COME ON ENGLAND!

Brownlie dropped a real "clanger" - so Bell survives

So with Joe rooted out by the new ball ,is it safe to assume a NZ win ? Or will we see a classic rearguard action by the rest of England's lineup ?

In a way it doesn't matter. Even if , say , Jimmy and Monty end up blocking out the last couple of overs , which would be an exciting finish , it would not change the fact that England have been largely outplayed by a fairly lowly rated NZ team throughout the series. Doesn't make them a rubbish team exactly , but it does take a lot of the gloss over the win in India , and leaves one wondering whether the side is really as good as we would all like to think...

I'm sure the BBC comments section will be filling up with the usual sack them all nonsense , but it is unlikely any changes will be made for the summer , except hopefully the return of Swann. Not sure there are any potential replacements ready to hand who might improve the team anyway...perhaps Tremlett ? Won't help the dodgy batting though.

Anyway good luck to Bell & co for the rest of the day - still some pride to play for.

Reportedly Bairstow should have been out twice as NZ failed to appeal when a yorker he dug out hit pad first...

One wicket down across the morning possibly represents a par position for England. But probably not as good as that considering how jittery the batsmen are against the new ball.

One wicket down after the first session, not a disaster. Gonna need to lose no more than 1 in this session though.

NZ's skiddy left arm pacer Trent Bolt is a early warning of what England will expect this summer when Messrs Starc and Mitchell Johnson hurl their express thunderbolts at England's hapless batsmen!

Not sure England will be too worried about Mr Johnson given his previous form against them. As for Starc he has his problems with injury at the moment.

Pattinson worries me more than those two. But it seems England are still capable of collapsing against any attack occasionally - and in fairness it is only occasional. Lot more 400 s than low scores recently (UAE excepted )

Problem in this series has been the bowling has also been a bit patchy. Team just hasn't seemed to be fully switched on at all. Was prepared to accept that in the first game , but I am rather surprised that they have been so poor in this third match. Hopefully they'll be happier back on home ground in the summer.

Bairstow gone now so a lot up to Bell and Prior...reckon NZ have their hands on this one now...

alfie wrote:Not sure England will be too worried about Mr Johnson given his previous form against them. As for Starc he has his problems with injury at the moment.

Pattinson worries me more than those two. But it seems England are still capable of collapsing against any attack occasionally - and in fairness it is only occasional. Lot more 400 s than low scores recently (UAE excepted )

Problem in this series has been the bowling has also been a bit patchy. Team just hasn't seemed to be fully switched on at all. Was prepared to accept that in the first game , but I am rather surprised that they have been so poor in this third match. Hopefully they'll be happier back on home ground in the summer.

Bairstow gone now so a lot up to Bell and Prior...reckon NZ have their hands on this one now...

Well if things don't get better back on home ground this English summer, the England cricket team may as well return back to the bad old days of the mid to late 1990's by having no central contracts and having a garbage bowling attack!

Bell out in the last over before tea.... Broad in next. Chances of surviving another 32 overs are very slim.

Prior has already been dropped and had the ball hit his stumps without dislodging the bails -he's going to need every bit of luck and skill available to hold the very fragile tail together for a whole session.

A wonderful inning,from Bell. A marathon. 75 runs from 271 balls. This inning was similar to that of ABD last year. But at last he is gone. England in real danger. 30 overs left and only 3 wickets. At last both eng and australia have struggled. I think after this eng will worry for ashes more than Australia because aussies struggled against spinners on turning tracks but eng struggled against pace unit of NZ. Australia will,be,happy because they have a strong pace attack. Before this series I was predicting an Ashes win for Eng but now I assume Ashes going to be interesting.

Drinks break - Broad batted 45 balls so far without scoring....

Fascinating end to a test. Both would deserve the respective draw/ win after al this...good fun.

50 partnership - all the runs scored by Prior....

Test cricket has been Interesting these days. We come out in a test match not only to see a win but also some classy batting, superb drives, strong defence, attacive field. All these expose real cricket. Cricket also gives us a message of,not giving up In odd condition. Innings like that of ABD and FDP last year and here BELL and prior here provide a strong example of not giving up. Though we are today prefering hit and miss T20 cricket today but the thrillness and excitement that a test cricket can give, I think a movie will also fail here. Superb cricket going here,at, Eden Park. Just wanna be there.

4 overs to go

Broad goes. Desperation time with Jimmy coming out

woohoo..one more to go!!!

Jimmy goes as well

3 overs to go. With Prior facing....