View Full Version : England v New Zealand 1st Test
The 1st Test in Christchurch was played on one of those drop in pitches & so all the English press were pretty interested in how it would play.
Well it had a lot of grass on it & we were put in to be 2/0 (yes that is the Aussie scoring- 2 out for no runs!) so we do pretty well to make about 228 with a Hussain century & then we roll them over for 147 & then I get my paper this morning & we're 120 something for 5 down & I'm thinking well it's a bowler's pitch so if can get another 80-100 runs hopefully we can bowl them out as long as the pitch doesn't flatten out.
So you can imagine my AMAZEMENT when I see the final score from the 3rd day & see we declared at 6/468 with Thorpe 200* & Flintoff amking his first Test ton.I think they said that Thorpe's was the 3rd quickest 200 of all time (not sure if they meant for England or in Tets).
Apparently the 2 of them went beserk they put on 281 alltogether & 165 off 28 overs in the afternoon.
This sort of thing might be common place to Australian fans but to an England supporter.....well you've gotta understand it all seems a bit unreal:D
Mind you they'll probably go on & knock the runs off now all 550 of them!:(
So Player if you're there whats going on?Has the pitch just lost it's bite or are you're boys not as tough as we've all been led to believe?
Santos L Helper
16 Mar 2002, 08:22
Andy (the dufus) Flintoff scoring a century shows that New Zealand cricket must be in disarray. This guy cannot bat!
Tourists are going to have to get used to drop in wickets in New Zealand, considering Auckland, Napier, Christchurch and Dunedin are all rugby grounds.
A Super12 game was played on this ground last friday, only four days before this test, so their really isn't much choice.
One of the saddest sporting things I have ever seen was when they put dozens of mini explosive charges to blow up (break up) the Christchurch pitch two seasons ago for the benefit of rugby, at the time it was prolly the best pitch in the world.
The only problem with portable pitches is that in the past they have tended to be to easy to bat on, with the worry that it may break up by day four, which is why this pitch was turned into a green top for day one.
AND look at the kiwi team Dipper
Cairns takes three quick wickets then breaks down.
Butler is playing his first test, and only got the nod because he is the second fastest bowler in New Zealand. A teenager in his first season of first class cricket.
Drum is a medium pace hack, I rate his sister Emily as a better player.
On a flat track when your bowling attack is Astle, McMillian and Vettori you know you have problems.
Unavailable Bond who broke his foot in Australia.
A few key injuries and you are into our very soft underbelly.
I have always rated your 1-5 as world class, it is just the rest of the team I always laughed at.
Mind you this test would prolly be over already if Gough was playing. :eek:
Trust me teams scoring massive runs against the New Zealand bowling attack this summer is old hat. Just wait for the all important third test when you have to be saved by the umps.
Forecast for day five: Heavy rain
Only 345 to win with 6 wickets in hand.
Did England declare to soon.
RoosLuver
16 Mar 2002, 11:18
I saw highlights on the news, how stupid going off early with bad light when it was sunny!!. Strange, very strange??
Kane McGoodwin
16 Mar 2002, 12:53
Apparantly Astle is playing a great innings with the support of the injured Cairns. Last I heard the Kiwis were within 180 runs from an unlikely victory.
Fastest ever double ton ever in balls faced for Astle.
5 dot balls going from 100-200.
Scoring at 15 runs per over.
Kane McGoodwin
16 Mar 2002, 13:00
Gilly has lost his title for the fastest 200 to Nathan Astle, who only too 140 something balls. But the Kiwis will probably lose the test as they were 9 wickets down.
Nathan Astle, fastest double century in the history of test cricket, and he still can not win the man of the match award.
What more does someone have to do. :eek:
He scored the 2nd 100 with 36 or so balls!! :eek::eek:
Swordfish
16 Mar 2002, 16:51
Originally posted by Santos L Helper
Andy (the dufus) Flintoff scoring a century shows that New Zealand cricket must be in disarray. This guy cannot bat!
And what of Steve Waugh then ??? That dufus ( pick a Waugh, any Waugh ) would kill to get a decent score I think his average in Sth Africa would be similar to that one G McGrath. Good on you Flintoff and long may you continue to blossom
The Old Dark Navy's
16 Mar 2002, 22:34
222 from 168 balls for Astle with 28 fours and 11 sixes. Still like Gilchrist's effort on South African soil against a better opponent.
Santos L Helper
17 Mar 2002, 15:00
Originally posted by Swordfish
And what of Steve Waugh then ??? That dufus ( pick a Waugh, any Waugh ) would kill to get a decent score I think his average in Sth Africa would be similar to that one G McGrath. Good on you Flintoff and long may you continue to blossom
Next time you wanna have a go you should know who your baiting, you idiot. I think the Waugh's are finished but Flintoff is, and always will be, a joke and a cricket hack.
I like the way you want him to blossom, I take it you mean into a bigger and fatter hack?
At least the Waugh's have proved themselves over many seasons as good or great players. Flintoff has proved himself to be an under achieving, pie eating dud.
London Dave
17 Mar 2002, 17:03
Think you are mistaken with Flintoff, Santos. I agree, the guy has done nothing up until the England /Indian tour. However, I reckon the guy is a test cricketer now. I watched a fair bit of the India test and ODI sries, as well as a bit of the lastest NZ tour. His bowling is actually good. He isnt the same dud you may have seen a previously. Maybe not a genuine all rounder, but his efforts with the ball in India showed a lot of ticker, and I still think the guy is capable of averaging 30 odd in tests batting wise. He is a bowling all rounder.
Comparing him 'favourably' to the Waughs is a bit rich, and whoever (Swordfish?) made the comparison is really not doing their argument any favours.
Santos L Helper
17 Mar 2002, 18:17
Originally posted by London Dave
Think you are mistaken with Flintoff, Santos. I agree, the guy has done nothing up until the England /Indian tour. However, I reckon the guy is a test cricketer now. I watched a fair bit of the India test and ODI sries, as well as a bit of the lastest NZ tour. His bowling is actually good. He isnt the same dud you may have seen a previously. Maybe not a genuine all rounder, but his efforts with the ball in India showed a lot of ticker, and I still think the guy is capable of averaging 30 odd in tests batting wise. He is a bowling all rounder.
Comparing him 'favourably' to the Waughs is a bit rich, and whoever (Swordfish?) made the comparison is really not doing their argument any favours.
Ahh Dave, some reasonable discussion at last. I agree that his bowling has improved, but he still didn't really set the world alight and his batting in India was generally apalling (in my view, and I watched all the tests). He's made a test century and suddenly people are claiming him to be the 'new christ' of English cricket. Well I really hope he is because that will keep you guys at the bottom for a while longer.;)
How long will you give him to average 30 in tests? I'm willing to wager a few pints with you that once he gets back to playing the strong countries he won't go over 25. Anyway good luck to him and I actually do hope he can continue, but I have my doubts.
cheers.
London Dave
17 Mar 2002, 18:59
apart from his hundred (against a 2nd or 3rd string attack) his batting has been hopeless. I'm just basing my assessment on what seems to be an improved 'mental' outlook. He actually looks like he knows he is good enough to play test cricket. He made a few valuable knocks knocks in the ODI's in india, making runs under pressure....doesnt directly translate to test performance but its a start.
As for his average of 30 odd....well time will tell, but I think he is capable of it. I think he averages low teens at present, off 20 odd games. How he goes for the rest of NZ and the summer over here will probably determine if he gets there or not.
I've never been a big fan of the guy, but the way he played his cricket in India has changed my opinion. He left England an overated fat dud, and returned a cricketer, imho.
well, give me 2 years for the pints then! Have to make em Guinness seeing its St Pats day today!
Yeah Santos I've never been a fan of the fat guy, mainly beacuse he struck me as cocky with nothing to back it up & some glaring technical deficiencies aligned to a lack of grey matter.
.....but to see firstly the way he has imporved his bowling is nothing short of miraculous.He's never gonna be a thoroughbred as a bowler but he bowls quickly off a shortish run & he hits the deck hard.Basically he's probably a good bowler to have on a lifeless pitch with little swing when the typical English swing bowlers aren't getting anything.
As for his batting well i'm not sure one Test ton has cured it but maybe the confidence it gives him will have a big effect.I mean let's face it you're a young bloke who's played a few Tests & you've got a top score of 42 & then you smash a nice hundred when you're side is 106/5 it's gonna increase you 're belief isn't it?
I think he has a massive weakness with spin though that's why the Indians sorted him out so easily, he's one of these jokers who has never understood what 'soft hands' means-they've been a few of these playing for England in recent years & some pretty good players of fast bowling amongst them such as Alec Stewart,Robin smith & Allan Lamb-put them in front of a spinner & they start pushing hard at everything & the close fileders think it's Xmas & they never learn(where's the coaches?)
As for this game it is very odd to have a pitch that starts off as a batsman's nightmare & finishes as flat as anything-I got the impression that last year's drop in pitch was too good for batting so they obviously tried to leave a bit of grass on this one to even things up, it made for a funny old game though.
Player,
in regards to MOM award I don't think Thorpe deserved it over Astle but then I don't think Astle desrved it either-it should have gone to Hussain-he may only have scored 106 but he made it in the worst batting conditions of the game whilst the ball was zig zagging artound like anyone's business.It was a really good Test match innings, Thorpe played most of his innings in good conditions & Astle played all of his on the flattest of pitches.
Mind you it was incredible I went to a mate's house after the pub & I was pretty pissed & I start talking a load of bollocks look round & Astle's added another 50.One of my mate's is sitting there when Cairns came in going they can win this & we we're like 'yeah whatever you ****ing idiot' when it was down to about 100 he's going do you beleive me now?Well still being pissed I was still 'no chance it's just a matter of time before one of them holes out' but in the cold light of day the next morning i realised how close they'd come.Another 10 overs of humpty & it could have been all over-it could only have happened to England that's for sure.