England v New Zealand 1st Test

[Craig]

Apparently this wicket is a belter, so NZ have won the toss and will bat first.

New Zealand team: MH Richardson, *SP Fleming, NJ Astle, CD McMillan, SB Styris, JDP Oram, CL Cairns, +BB McCullum, DL Vettori, DR Tuffey, CS Martin

England team: *ME Trescothick, AJ Strauss, MA Butcher, N Hussain, GP Thorpe, A Flintoff, +GO Jones, AF Giles, SJ Harmison, MJ Hoggard, SP Jones.

 

[JTR]

For those unable to watch it on telly ( :evil: ), you can listen to live radio commentary here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/

 

[Anonymous]

Definitely unhappy with Foxtel's non-coverage...... :evil:

 

[Iafeta]

Ditto Timbo. Ditto.

Watched some boring series in England, they seem to show every tom dick and harry over there but won't show their nearest neighbours. GRR!!!!

 

[Anonymous]

I think it must be because come Saturday there would be a clash with the Australia/Zimbawe series and they can't chew up both channels with cricket.

 

[Twizzle]

Are they not showing highlights on Fox ?

 

[ozbash]

New Zealand opener Mark Richardson repulsed the England attack for more than six hours on Thursday to put his side in charge on the first day of the first test at Lord's.

Playing rigidly within his limitations and relying primarily on pushes through the off-side to collect his runs, the compact left-hander contributed a painstaking 93 to his country's cause as the tourists finished the day on 284 for five.

Jacob Oram, playing his first test against England, ensured New Zealand's supremacy with 10 cleanly struck boundaries in the final hour during an unbeaten 64 from 75 deliveries.

After playing provincial cricket as a left-arm bowler, Richardson transformed himself from a tailender to his present status as New Zealand's most reliable batsman. He averaged 46.32 in tests before Thursday's innings and is the only Kiwi who has featured recently in the world's top 10-ranked batsmen.

Richardson survived a chance to Graham Thorpe at third slip after scoring 24 in the morning session and was put down by Ashley Giles in the gully diving to his left after tea when on 56. He was also hit a nasty blow in the ribs by Steve Harmison but allowed nothing to disturb his relentless concentration on the task in hand.

He put on 58 for the first wicket with his captain Stephen Fleming (34), opening for only the second time in 83 tests, followed by a partnership of 103 with Nathan Astle (64).

Astle, scorer of the fastest double century in test cricket, threatened to tear England's pace attack apart, striking 11 boundaries from only 77 deliveries before he fell caught behind off the persevering Andy Flintoff.

Two square drives off Matthew Hoggard hit with stunning power were the shots of the day and there was also a savage pulled four off Harmison, England's hero in this year's 3-0 series win in the Caribbean.


Oram Strikes

Astle's dismissal signalled a temporary turn in England's fortunes. Simon Jones, the pick of their attack in three spells of controlled hostility from the Pavilion End, followed up four balls later with the wicket of Scott Styris, also caught behind by Geraint Jones, who was dismissed for a duck in his first match against England.

Craig McMillan punched one boundary through extra-cover but managed only six from 52 deliveries before he was lbw to Hoggard, stabbing down too late on a straight delivery.

Oram, promoted in the order over wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum, scored his first runs against England with an involuntary edge through the slips but then began to look altogether more convincing as befits an impressive test average of 42.50.

He found Ashley Giles's left-arm bowling particularly to his liking using his height to loft an off-drive to the boundary followed by a sweep for four in the same over. Oram followed with a brace of fours to long-on in the next over from the hapless Giles, who was reduced to shaking his head in frustration after conceding 32 runs from his five overs.

Oram brought up his fourth test-half century with nine boundaries from only 54 deliveries, adding 106 for the fifth wicket with Richardson, before Harmison finally won an lbw decision against the Auckland opener when he was only seven runs short of his fourth test hundred. He had hit 17 fours during an innings lasting 266 balls and a mammoth 378 minutes.

 

[JoeD]

Its worth noting that most who saw it said that Richardson was robbed by Hair who missed an obvious inside edge when he gave him out LBW.

 

[edabomb]

Yea destroyed his chance at a 100 at Lords. How gutted could you get, especially when its his only chance to play there being 33ish.

 

[Twizzle]

Spot of bad luck for Richardson (the decision), but a good first day for the Kiwis.

 

[Anonymous]

The worst thing for Richardson is he's now passed 50 22 times and only got 3 centuries. Plus I think he has got over 70 12 or 13 times. And considering he would've faced 200+ balls in all of those innings, it must be devastating how he gets out short of 100 time after time. He's got Stephen Fleming syndrome. And this is the second time he has been out LBW in the 90s after clearly knicking the ball.

 

[ThrashViking]

Did anyone see the Chris Cairns ingings? :shock:
He has to be the most entertaining batsman around surely
He also passed Viv Richards record for the most sixes in test cricket

 

[ozbash]

what ?
a legitimate record against a legitimate team :shock:

 

[JTR]

I wonder if Foxtel will pick up the coverage of the Eng v NZ series now that the Zim v Aus series has been cancelled?

[-o<

 

[IanG]

I wonder if Foxtel will pick up the coverage of the Eng v NZ series now that the Zim v Aus series has been cancelled?

[-o&lt, post: [/quote"]

Who knows

 

[JTR]

Looks like it's on!

Fox Sports 2 at 9:40pm tonight (straight after the Super 12 final).
Still shows as Zim v Aus tomorrow night though... guess that is yet to be updated.

 

[ThrashViking]

Ritchie said the Cairns innings was the best he's seen in years, I would say Astle's 222 was far more impressive but Cairns display of power was brilliant and awe inspiring
England will start the day at 246-2 after NZ was dismissed for 386.
http://xtramsn.co.nz/sport/0,,4194-3367816,00.html

 

[Twizzle]

I need a cricket fix.

Its been a while

I'll even watch Pomms and Kiwis

 

[xXSANDYXx]

i think england will actually win this one :shock: and with the new talent, aka Strauss, it looks promissing, im quite amazed at his debut century :mrgreen:

 

[weasel]

Go England!

They need at least one more batsman to put together a big innings to be comfortable though, if they do they'll likely win, although the kiwis have a history of woeful second innings so even matching the Black Caps score might be enough to set England up for victory. Both sides are prone to dramatically collapse though, it could really go either way.