Charismatic

Yes, it’s that time of year again when we speculate about where in the order the New Zealand batting collapse will take place and there is a busy schedule this summer:

West Indies tour in December,
Pakistan tour in January,
There is a Twenty20 tri-series with Australia and England in February,
England tour in March.

All BlackCaps fixtures and fittings.

I'm just hoping at that point British media will stop prefacing Ben Stokes with "New Zealand born cricket player..." because we already have Jesse Ryder to do the drunken punch-ups.

Clappy

I have been looking forward to being in New Zealand for an England cricket tour for a very long time.

It is disappointing though that McLean Park in Napier still hasn't sorted its drainage out so the ODI that was going to be there has been moved.

Charismatic

I thought they "fixed" McLean park for the 2015 world cup but it looks like you are right, will be out of action for a while as they need to have a proper look.

chocolate cake

Yeah before then, this month NZ play a few ODIs and T20s in India, no tests though probably as well given the stuffing the Aussies and England have suffered recent tours there.
Speaking of the latter two, the Ashes kick off next month too.

Charismatic

Unfortunate .

Charismatic

After revelations today about the India series may I be the first to say that if any New Zealand player or staff member is implicated in match fixing or similar Spanish business they should never play in a league organised by or be involved with NZ Cricket again. Similarly if someone knew something and didn't speak out. The last thing we need is a repeat of the last cheating saga...

Charismatic

Bloody Ben Stokes.

Anyway good first day of ball-throwing, WI all out for 134. Wagner taking 7-39.

Charismatic

Kiwis are playing consistently (Don't change anything! Nobody even breath ) but WI look out of sorts batting in the test format.

Not yet good enough for Australia at home I fear .

Charismatic

A lot riding on the NZ bowling.

Charismatic

'strayas batting was too good for Nu Zillund.

So on to a small upstart team called England who apparently have been practicing (or "cheating"as we prefer to call it) outside the back of a pub garden using a dog to fetch the ball (dog under investigation by ICC for ball tampering but is refusing to answer questions.)

Now I expect no accidental lapses in patriotism over this series.

Clappy

Do you mean supporters like me or players like Ben Stokes?

Charismatic

He is a disgrace to himself and his country ... whichever that may be . He'd have to learn to call the running like a kiwi, doing the "yeah-nah" or "yeah-nah-yeah." It's a wonder New Zealand aren't run out more frequently really.

Sadly it looks like he is ineligible as he once played for England under 19s.

Clappy

I saw him with the English team at the ground in Hamilton last Sunday so expect to see him on the field this Sunday.

Regarding his legal issues - all that I have seen is the CCTV footage of him decking a bloke who is brandishing what looks like a beer-bottle at him.

My Kiwi lawyer friend says that that is assault.

My English brain says that it is the sort of late-night drunken street-violence that you know happens so look out for it and move out of the way when it starts. Nothing to see here.

I will wear an England shirt on Sunday so if they ever had an equivalent of the Norman Tebbit cricket-test in New Zealand I will fail it.

Charismatic

So, the ODI series goes down to the last match in Christchurch on Saturday .

Outstanding innings by Taylor but I'm not sure if he'll be fit to play again next weekend.

chocolate cake

Yeah, England lost that match collapsing from 267-1 with over 12 overs left to 228-7, 8 overs later. Some arrogance sending in Buttler early, and the rest of the middle order awful. As it was it was only a competitive total 335, after 18 taken in the last over.

With NZ 2-2 you'd have England favourites but another excellent innings by Taylor saw NZ comfortably home. Anybodies in the decider at Christchurch.

These games have been much more exciting than 20/20 stuff. Looking forward to the tests, England will need to play a damn site better than they did in Australia, pity the first test is at Eden Park, which is not a cricket ground.