England's Road to Glory

[chris louie II]

Great stuff

[shefellover93]

Galvin Announces Second Test Squad


England manager Kevin Galvin has announced the second test squad to face New Zealand at the home of cricket, Lord's.

This is the first time that the first test of the summer hasn't taken place at Lords, but the North London crowd won't mind waiting a little for their first taste of cricket.

Galvin has made one change to his side before the test. With Dimitri Mascarenhas replacing Mal Loye but a number of changes in the batting order.

England team to face New Zealand

1. M. Vaughan ©
2. A. Cook
3. K. Pietersen
4. I. Bell
5. M. Ramprakash
6. T. Ambrose (WK)
7. D. Mascarenhas
8. R. Sidebottom
9. M. Hoggard
10. S. Harmison
11. M. Panesar

Bracewell Announces New Zealand Squad


John Bracewell followed suit and announced his squad just minutes after his opposite number Kevin Galvin
New Zealand team to face England
1. J. How
2. L. Vincent
3. H. Marshall
4. C. McMillan
5. R. Taylor
6. J. Oram
7. B. McCullum (WK)
8. D. Vettori ©
9. D. Tuffey
10. K. Mills
11. C. Martin

[shefellover93]

England do well all along the order


Morning Session
England won the toss on a hard Lord’s pitch with blistering sunshine and predictably elected to bat. A maiden in the first over was as good as it got for New Zealand in the opening exchanges as massive scores in the 3rd (9), 7th (10) and 11th (10) overs gave Daniel Vettori a headache, a mass of extras gifted Alistair Cook and Michael Vaughan a 50 partnership in the 11th over. Chris Martin replaced Daryl Tuffey in the 14th over but couldn’t make a breakthrough. The partnership reached 100 in the 21st over and all was going well for England.

Alaistar Cook hit a few good shots in his 100 partnership with Michael Vaughan


But Kyle Mills did get a wicket. Michael Vaughan not learning his lesson in the first innings. He chipped a catch to Daryl Tuffey in the 25th over and was out for 46.
Daniel Vettori brought himself into the attack and after two overs bowled Cook, the ball squirting past the left hander’s block to crash into his off-stump on 26. That ended the morning session. A massive 37 extras were conceded after only 29 overs.

MCC Members were happy with the day's progress



England kept going well after lunch and Bell and Pietersen reached their 50 partnership. But soon they were in trouble, first Bell had a block dropped at silly point. Than the ball looped off Pietersen’s glove and looped up into the air, only to drop safely at gully. The pair calmed down though and Pietersen reached his half century in typical fashion.

The Hampshire man making his milestone in only 49 balls after blasting a four in the 44th over. The same over the pair brought 100 up, but Bell was gone an over later after hitting it straight to captain Daniel Vettori off Daryl Tuffey’s bowling. Soon Pietersen was gone, after blocking one away from his body, the ball found the inside edge and cannoned into his leg stump. Ambrose came and went, coming down the wicket to Vettori but only managed to get stranded while Brendon McCullum whipped of the bails. Ambrose gone for nine. That was the last action of the afternoon session.

Daniel Vettori had Tim Ambrose out for only 9



The evening session was well balanced with some excellent cricket on offer. In the 62nd over a straight drive by Ramprakash squeezed through the tight slip field and was safe. ‘Ramps’ soon put this behind him to reach his 13th test 50. But two overs after his achievement he was out, trying to smash Kyle Mills over his head Ramprakash was caught by Jacob Oram, two new inclusions combining to take a crucial wicket.

Jacob Oram took the important wicket of Ramprakash


His partner Dimitri Mascarenhas went soon after, Lou Vincent taking a catch after a poor shot, Chris Martin the bowler to open up the lower order. Matthew Hoggard came in and played well with Ryan Sidebottom the night watchman. But he was out immediately after hitting a four in the 75th over, umpire Steve Bucknor deciding that the ball would have gone on to hit Hoggard’s leg stump after hitting above his knee roll. But Hoggard did make a good 34 runs before getting out.

New Zealand continued to struggle with the tail enders as Stephan Harmison came in after 6 overs at the crease together the partnership was worth 50. Sidebottom got onto his first ever test half century in the 85th over and wasn’t he delighted. The Huddersfield man took a lot of stick about his bowling performance in the first test, it seems that Sidebottom has swapped the ball for the bat! There was only one ball left in the day and that passed without incident as England finish the day on 460-8, with Ryan Sidebottom unbeaten on 52 and Harmison 32 not out.

Scorecard

[ToRmAtO]

Firstly this is a great thread.

But how on earth did Hoggard, Sidebottom, and Harmison score so many whilst the top order didn't (comparatively that is. Surely if Sidebottom hit 52 Vaughan and Kp should have made double-hundreds)

As I said great thread (like the use of pictures). Just wondering how you got the Sky scorecard?

[shefellover93]

Originally Posted by ToRmAtO

Firstly this is a great thread.

But how on earth did Hoggard, Sidebottom, and Harmison score so many whilst the top order didn't (comparatively that is. Surely if Sidebottom hit 52 Vaughan and Kp should have made double-hundreds)

As I said great thread (like the use of pictures). Just wondering how you got the Sky scorecard?

Well that can happen sometimes!

I made it myself in PS

[ToRmAtO]

Originally Posted by shefellover93

I made it myself in PS

PS?

Would you mind if I tried to do a thread like this?

[chris louie II]

Nice update

[Plum]

This is really good, well done

[shefellover93]

Originally Posted by ToRmAtO

PS?

Would you mind if I tried to do a thread like this?

Yo man, work away. I'd love for you to start something like this, but I'd advise take a different team/tour. I can't wait to read it!

[shefellover93]

Rain Destroys Second Day At Lord's

The morning was an evenly fought session which New Zealand shaded in the end. England started badly, Stephen Harmison caught by Hamish Marshall trying to hit over the top, Kyle Mills was the bowler.

Monty Panesar came in and it was clear that Michael Vaughan wasn’t going to declare, Ryan Sidebottom ended the England innings when he was run out in typical lower order fashion on 77, the big man making his first test half-century and it took New Zealand 88 balls to finally send him back to the pavilion.
England finishing the first innings 500 all out.

Umbrellas were going up as light drizzle started around Lord's


That started the New Zealand innings and it didn’t start well for the Kiwi’s, they lost Lou Vincent in the second over when he edged a catch to Alistair Cook, Cook taking a fine catch above his shoulder at third slip.

Matthew Hoggard used the conditions to his advantage when he had Lou Vincent caught at slip by Alistair Cook


But from then on New Zealand didn’t falter, and the partnership between How and Marshall went past the 50 mark in the 17th over, England tried everything against the pair, bringing on Panesar and Sidebottom to add a little variation, but the pair did very well, playing sensibly and skilfully that put New Zealand 63-1 at the end of the morning session.

Rain clouds hat were threatening earlier in the day came over Lord’s and heavy showers meant that that day’s play had to be called

Scorecards

[shefellover93]

Vicious Lions Make Pulp Out Of Rotten Kiwi's

Day 3 started brilliantly for England, when Vaughan brought on Panesar, he wasted no time in taking his first wicket. It took Panesar 4 balls to break the 2nd wicket partnership, bowling Hamish Marshall for 24. Craig McMillan came and went without scoring off 5 balls, Pietersen with the good diving catch off Panesar.

Jamie How kept going though, he reached his half-century in the 26th over off a big six. The New Plymouthman making his milestone in 82 balls. McCullum and How were making good progress when Stephen Harmison bowled a beauty in the corridor, How tried to drive off the back foot but succeeded only in nicking an edge for Tim Ambrose to smartly catch. How going for 53 in 93 balls.

The wicket signalled a middle order collapse, when first Ross Taylor, and then Jacob Oram went in the following two overs, both bowled. Taylor by Panesar and Oram by Harmison. Daniel Vettori came in and wasn’t looking comfortable, he edged a catch to Ramprakash in the 35th over, but the Surreyman couldn’t hold on. Next ball the Kiwi captain was gone though, clean bowled by Panesar.

Vettori looked shakey while at the crease


Daryl Tuffey came in and with Brendon McCullum was looking good, but he spooned another catch to Pietersen, Panesar getting his 3rd wicket of the innings. New Zealand couldn’t finish the session without losing their 8th wicket though. A massive wicket as Brendon McCullum was caught by Alistair Cook, Panesar yet again the bowler, getting his 8th test 5-for as McCullum went for 11 off 34 balls.

That ended the Morning Session, and England were sky high.

England took no time in taking the last wicket, Chris Martin chipping a catch to Ian Bell off Monty Panesar, New Zealand finish on 137, 363 runs behind England.

Ryan Sidebottom was pleased despite his poor series


Vaughan enforced the follow on and there was more drama as New Zealand lost two wickets in the 4th over. First, top scorer in the last innings Jamie How was bowled by Matthew Hoggard, and then the Yorkshireman took his second with the last ball of the over. Lou Vincent chipping straight to Panesar, and the Nottinghamshire man making no mistake. Craig McMillan came in and he looked in good nick, hitting a few fours to add some respectability to the Kiwi innings.

But on twenty he was clean bowled by Monty Panesar, it was Panesar’s 6th wicket and after 17 overs in the second session New Zealand were 31-3, England ripping shreds into their dignity.

They managed to survive the next 6 overs without losing a wicket and went into the tea break on 47-3. A massive 316 runs down on England.

The tea session was by far the most eventful of the test series. Panesar was smacked for 16 in the first over, including three consecutive boundaries, Vaughan stuck with him though and it paid off as in the 31st over he took two wickets in two balls. First Marshall was gone, missing a straight one, and then Jacob Oram came in, with Panesar acting as an off-spinner, bowled the perfect ball pitching outside the off-stump, and then spinning past Oram’s block and onto the top of his off-stump.

Another two wicket over came 5 overs later, this time Hoggard the bowler, first, a leg cutter outside off stump was chipped into the air by Ross Taylor, Stephen Harmison made no mistake at cover. Then 3 balls later Daniel Vettori lost his bails as an excellent in swinger removed the left-handers off-stump.

Then in the 40th over Brendon McCullum was making his way back to the pavilion in yet another spectacular Kiwi middle order collapse. It was Hoggard’s fifth wicket, the big man’s 8th test five-for

Daryl Tuffey was the next to go 2 overs later, Hoggard making a mess of the mans stumps, gone for only one. At this stage England only needed one wicket to secure a handsome victory. That wicket came in the 44th over. Kyle Mills and Chris Martin got themselves into a right mess and Mills was run out, Harmison making the quick gather and throw and Ambrose quick to whip off the bails.

England's quick bowlers lead the post-match celebrations

That ended the test and handed England the victory. England win by an innings and 261 runs with Monty Panesar the man of the match.

Scorecards

[chris louie II]

Easy, easy, easy

[ToRmAtO]

Has this thread died?

[shefellover93]

well nobody's commenting

[RatedR]

Wow, this good, like a Cricket 07 MM.