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3rd test - England vs New Zealand

He's probably cost England the game, though Butcher and Thorpe are moving things along nicely at the moment.

England 109-3
 
Bugger, Mark Butcher has just been given out lbw on the stroke of tea.

This time, shock horror, it was the correct decision!

England 130-4 at tea.
 
Cairns is looking solid.

England need 150 to win with Thorpe and Flintoff batting, Jones an Giles in next.

In the balance.
 
It is very much in the balance, but it's definately the Kiwis' game to lose.
 
England 214-6.

Geriant Jones has just got out.

This one is going all the way.

COME ON ENGLAND!!!
 
Looks like England have it now they only need 25 runs and Thorpe and Giles are still there.
 
England have wrapped up a 4 wicket victory and a 3-0 series whitewash. Thorpe finished it off nicely with an unbeaten century.
 
Fantastic stuff. Completely against the odds at the start of the day, brilliant bowling, 5-29 this morning. Looked dodgy with 3 down but Thorpey is the best in the world at digging in and winning in adversity. Brilliant stuff. onwards and upwards.

MOTM - Graham Thorpe
Men Of Series - Mark Richardson and Steve Harmison (again)
 
Well that's the harder series out of the way the Windies should be a walkover again.
 
NZL test cricket - R.I.P

Taufel, test umpire - R.I.P

"fourth day kiwi blues" , very much alive and kicking............
 
You could give the far superior team some credit instead of moaning about your own........
 
well while we are talking about cricket i just want to summarise that Tuffey is gay.
 
Originally posted by Serge@Jun 14 2004, 01:23 PM
well while we are talking about cricket i just want to summarise that Tuffey is gay.
Interesting that Tuffey is gay

Oh what is wrong with our team????? We should WAIT until we have beaten significant opponents cosecutively before we put our mouth in it. Do they sell Rexona in England???? Maybe that is why we are losing?
 
Just my thoughts on the English team.........

Batting is pretty strong, with a good mix of young and old. Have a wicketkeeper who is more then capable with the bat, and a highly prized allrounder. The real difference between the two teams was the ability of the two middle orders - Englands far outscoring ours, in what was expected to be our strong point........

Wicketkeeping was a little rugged at times, mixed in with some excellent catches.
Should be around for a while yet.

Bowling wise Harmison is world class, with Flintoff a game breaker. Jones impressed me in the first test. However the rest are pretty ordinary, and finding a good spinner is a must, if this team wants to compete with the likes of the Aussies. Were only tested by the NZL top order, who did pretty well against them. With the strength of other teams further down the batting order (and at the top) they could have well been spanked for 500 runs + by better sides. This would be my only concern for the Poms, they would be as toothless as NZL were if Harmison was to be injured for any length of time.......
 
1 Trescothick - world class opener
2 Strauss - clearl has the quality. needs to concentrate and repeat his debut form
3 Butcher - most reliable player for last few years. getting on. 2 years left
4 Vaughan - world class batsman and captain
5 Thorpe - best batsman of his kind in the world
6 Flintoff - best all rounder in the world with bat and ball. world class
7 G Jones - top quality batsman. atheletic, spring heeled keeper, needs to tidy up keeping
8 Giles - solid. average spinner. good batsman at 8
9 Hoggard - if he is swinging it then one of the most dangerous bowlers around. If not then he is very average
10 S Jones - HAd he not bust his knee so horrifically in AUS then he'd be one of the best in the world by now. Yet to get above 90mph since injury
11 Harmison - Best pace bowler in the world at the moment. 2nd in rankings behind Murali, top wicket taker in 2004. Pace, bounce, consistency, wickets, he has it all.

___

On the verge...

Collingwood - best fielder, needs to prove his batting
Key - fat ******* with inability to concentrate in test arena. quality player clearly in county games
Bell - young guy. quality batter. one to replace Butch perhaps
Read - good wicket keeper. dodgy batting. Jones rightly ahead of him
Clarke - all rounder, pretty decent with bat and ball. not close to freddy.
Anderson - game breaking bowler, slightly erratic but always gets wickets
Saggers - 32 yo. swing bowler. solid. played his last test on sunday.

Distinct lack of spinner which is a big problem. Otherwise we are looking **** hot at the moment. Bring on the ashes.
 
Forgot to mention the other component to cricket - fielding..........

On this front the English need some work. Too many dropped catches - wouldn't want to give the likes of the Aussie batsmen too many lives........
 
Our fielding does need to be improved, I agree.

All part of preparing for the Ashes.
 

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