England vs New Zealand, 2nd test at Headingly

First topic message reminder :

Thread for the build up & match


New from the NZ camp is that BJ Watling's knee has ruled him out, meaning he'll join Bruce Martin on the sidelones. Brendon McCullum will keep wicket, while Martin Guptill will return to the side and bat #6.

Daniel Vettori trained well yesterday, so is expected to play in place of Martin

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/8706188/Watling-ruled-out-Vettori-likely-for-second-test
Likely NZ XI:
Fulton, Rutherford, Williamson, Taylor, Brownlee, Guptill, McCullum, Vettori or Bracewell, Southee, Wagner, Boult

Yes Broady!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NZ didn't need to lose an opener cheaply. Reckon when Swann comes on will be the really tough part for them , but if balls are going to jump at them like that we might see a few more fall to the seamers.
Good start for Broad.

Well, at this rate NZ will be around 80-4 at close of play...then they can sit in the pavilion and enjoy watching the rain tomorrow.

Swann time . This will be interesting.

Lead down to just 428...getting slightly nervous now.

Weather is meant to be alright tomorrow they reckon, cloudy which would help us

Didn't take Swann long to get started...close lbw but out.

Eight to go. NZ will need a lot of rain to escape this I reckon.

Crikey! Swann gets Williamson lbw for just 3...needed a bit of a discussion as it was marginal.

NZ 40-2.

I hope I didn't put the mockers on him with my previous post.

Two stroke players in now. Not sure they'll be too comfortable just trying to keep Swann out. I think there will be an attempt to hit him off his length , but that will be fraught with danger.

Bet Taylor tries to get after Finn.

another one for Swann, he hasn't bowled that well to Rutherford but this one just drifts in a bit and it's a simple bat-pad catch for Root and short-leg. NZ 65-3 and in real trouble now...

65-3. NZ will really need to rely on the weather tomorrow!

COME ON ENGLAND!

Tea Day 4.

NZ need 400 to win. That clearly isn't going to happen but they can still hold out for a draw though, esspically if the weather starts to help them.

Yup with Taylor at the crease and conditions changing they should be good to get a draw. Maybe he'll start to hammer it and get them the win.

39 overs to go, but the light will probably be too bad to complete them.

The weather may yet save NZ.

trebellbobaggins wrote:Yup with Taylor at the crease and conditions changing they should be good to get a draw. Maybe he'll start to hammer it and get them the win.

Steady on trebell! I know you like to be optimistic, but thats a bit OTT even for you...

Smithy has been fun though. "Williamson is the best player of spin" : gone; "Rutherford looking well set" : gone. Keep em coming smithy.

Batting looks fairly easy out there now.

A draw looks achievable from here. Could they pull off a world record?

Think England know the game is up. These 2 just too set, heads beginning to drop.

Yup , all over. Probably the two best ever showing their dominance again,

Suppose England should just accept the inevitable...

Can they just concede now?

Shake hands, congratulate NZ and move onto the Ashes

Yup.

Think the time has come to drop a few. Cooks had a good run, but the decline of this team is his responsibility.

I've just heard they are going to reverse the previous result because of this too and give NZ our place In the ashes.

Fantastic series NZ. Good win. Go win it for us!

Bing serious though., RT is playing himself in here and a draw isn't out of reach.

Decent partnership building here, and even the best efforts of Trebs isn't getting England the breakthrough. Take Swanny off now, bring him back after an over or 2. He likes taking wickets in the first over of the spell.

Yeah - Swann's been going for a few just lately and Anderson isn't looking too threatening at the moment.

Worsening light could see Root and Swanny bowling until the umpires call it a day.

NZ could make some hay out there.

If England cannot get over the line due to whatever reason, blame Cook as well as Trebs. He was far too sunny yesterday regarding England's prospects.

The light metre is out, and its spin from both ends. Joe Root is on.

If England had declared at lunch, or even 30 minutes before, they could be in a more commanding position by now.

BBC forecasting heavy rain tomorrow for the Leeds area. The weather could yet save NZ, provided they don't lose more wickets today.

Gritty 50 for Taylor, who seems to be leading this NZ rearguard action and giving them a very real hope of holding out for a draw.

NZ now 130-3, with 21 overs still to go (depending on the light).

Taylor taking one on the body from Finn. Finn had done this to Taylor in the first innings before getting him out.

Finn struggling a bit with his line and length here.

Oof! Very close there as Swann very nearly has Taylor caught. Umpire gives him out but NZ review and are proved correct.

Lack of intensity or interest at the moment by England. We've let this one go.

Knew straight away that Taylor was fine, he wouldn't of done it that quick otherwise.

Need a wicket before end of play. We can't screw this up can we???

Breakthrough from Finn!

Brownlie out for 25 and NZ 141-4. Real aggressive short ball that he just couldn't get away from.

Still some work to do though.

Six wickets to go then. Not a lot of overs left though I'd wager.

Yes Finn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally a breakthrough, but too little to late with the runs NZ need and the quality of their lineup.

Dunno...there's another hour left, assuming the light holds. The rain seems to have decided to avoid Headingley, so NZ are on their own for now.

Martin Guptill completed a poor test match when he edged a non-turner from Swann to slip. McCullum and Taylor together, NZ's last recognized pair.
Not any more, as Taylor is bowled by Swann!.

Swann gets Guptil who looked about as comfortable as I do when I bat usually. Then Taylor with a lovely bit of loop.

I maintain you don't captain by weather forecast. Particularly when there's no need to chase the game. 460 in almost 5 session is fair enough.

In terms of NZ batting, all that this test series proved is that Ross Taylor remains their best batsman by a long wey. Everything else has been a disaster.

Tim Southee knows just the one way to go about his batting. Thrashing Swanny down the ground for 4, but that looks like the end of the day's play, with almost 6 overs still remaining.

England in prime position thanks to Swann. Weather is bad for tomorrow though, so those 4 wickets may be elusive. If only we had an extra hour of play...

Mike Selig wrote:Swann gets Guptil who looked about as comfortable as I do when I bat usually. Then Taylor with a lovely bit of loop.

I maintain you don't captain by weather forecast. Particularly when there's no need to chase the game. 460 in almost 5 session is fair enough.

Of course weather can't be the most significant basis for the decisions. However, considering the kind of track and the kind of opposition batting and the kind of bowling quality that England have, I don't think 470 was par for the course. Think England batted a touch too long, and hopefully they won't have to regret that.
Its a home series, between the 2nd ranked ant 8th ranked sides. A 1-0 series win should not mean the world to England so as to go to all such conservative extents.

msp83 wrote:Decent partnership building here, and even the best efforts of Trebs isn't getting England the breakthrough. Take Swanny off now, bring him back after an over or 2. He likes taking wickets in the first over of the spell.

Poor from me, I've been back in the nets.

Southee and the B Mac in the house. We're sure to see some wallops tomorrow if they get out there.

a drab practise game this has turned into.
watching swann's skills on english pitches deemd unhelpful to spin was the only joy in the highlights package.

Swann will go down as the most underrarted of the best spinners in any generation...because:

a)he is an offspiner
b) he doesn't have a mystery ball:
c) he doesn't have a congenitally diabolical arm
d) and he is from England..the nation that is not meant to produce great spinners