It's been a traumatic weekend. Mrs Inventory and I have been away at a conference, and the place that we were staying at had no wireless internet and no Sky TV!!! I mean, how much can a man take??!!
So I am really looking forward to the start of play on Day 3 at Old Trafford in Manchester. From what I heard, Ross Taylor played a gem of an innings, and he is already showing signs that he will be the lynchpin of the Black Caps's batting order for many years to come. And as today's play beckons, the bowling of Daniel Vettori could see New Zealand set up a useful first innings lead, if they can quickly break the Petersen/Bell partnership. There is an intriguing day (or night) ahead. And of course, if you fancy a change of pace, there's always Scott Dixon off poll at Indy in the morning. Spoiled for choice I reckon - and making up for lost time!
7 comments:
Can England afford the follow on?
that would be"avoid".
Two runs to go.
I have watched to lunch each day. Taylor batted extra well and How apart from one dicey shot against Panasar also batted really well as did Mills who finally showed he can bat a bit.
You may not have seen the two worst run outs (well almost) in NZ Cricket History. Oram dawdled and Vettori didn't ground his bat or his foot.
Still Vettori made up for it with his bowling and O'Brien was the surprise package. Broad was the only batsman who could hit the ball off the sqaure this morning as you probably saw.
Now NZ must bat well - score 250 plus and be able to declare by lunch tomorrow. Then it will only need the weather to stay fine and we will go one up.
Where the hell were you - I thought I was hard done by at Taupo over ANZAC weekend with no trackside but at least we did have some SKY channels.
pdm - was at a camp down at Waikanane - but I did manage to get a leave pass to watch the S14 semi!!
Anyway, excellent bowling performance by New Zealand overnight. If they can apply the same sort of presuure in the last innings, they should win - it would be the largest ever fourt innings chase in a Manchester test in the Poms were to get home. The way Vettori was getting the ball to kick and spin on day 3 suggests that batting on day 4 will be even harder! But what is it about New Zealand and the third innings?
What a pitiful batting effort. I watched until drinks after lunch before I thought I had better get some sleep so haven't seen the shot selection or Panesars bowling that apparently caused the collapse.
In the part I saw Panesar was very ordinary and I thought he was lucky to get How who again was batting very well. Although the ball would have hit the stumps and he was so far forward that 9 times out of 10 he would have been given not out.
Hopefully Vettori supported by the other bowlers can do the trick - we will probably know by lunch.
pdm - it looks like one of those tracks where the batsman is never really "in", which makes Taylor's first innings even more special. That ball in the first few overs last night that spun past Pietersen and which McCullum took head-high suggests that batting is going to be a real mission today. The pre-lunch session will be mandatory viewing!
Very disappointing ending for the kiwis, although after their second innings collapse they can consider themselves lucky they will still get a match fee.
Post a Comment