New Zealand v England Test series

[Matt]

Not been online for a few days. A thoroughly enjoyable series of which I saw almost every ball. Fair play to England, although it was a curate's egg of a performance. The batting order could do with a shake-up but otherwise the future looks bright.

I fear it's goodbye to Steve Harmison. He's obviously not comfortable touring - a la Trescothick - so perhaps he ought to knock it on the head.

Stuart Broad's continual development was a joy to watch and for me he should now be a fixture in the team.

Strauss, and to a lesser extent Bell, could not have timed their centuries this week any better. An in-form Strauss is a top class Test batsman and he's earned the right to stay in the team.

Michael Vaughan's place, with a series tally of just 123 runs at 20.50, ought to be under threat. He won't be dropped but needs to score some runs, sharpish. He should be dropped in the order for me.

The jigsaw has become much clearer now. The batting line-up, on paper at least, is top class, with Strauss, Collingwood, Pietersen, Cook, Bell AND Vaughan all with a Test average of comfortably over 40.

The word is Flintoff won't be considered for the NZ series in the summer and is more likely to come into contention for South Africa - in which case the obvious change to our strongest line-up would be Freddie for Anderson. I'd set them up like this:

1. Cook
2. Strauss
3. Pietersen
4. Bell
5. Vaughan
6. Collingwood
7. Flintoff
8. Ambrose
9. Broad
10. Sidebottom
11. Panesar

For too long we've been six down and all out, with four number 11s clogging up the lower order. Here, with Flintoff at 7, Ambrose at 8 and Broad at 9, we're considerably stronger. Flintoff would have to be used as one of three front-line seamers, supplemented by the spin of Panesar and Collingwood as the bits and pieces bowler.

Looks decent on paper but I'd have Hoggard in ahead of Anderson. Also, batting with Cook is where Strauss' problems started. They're both ****ing slow, unlike Tres so Strauss was getting out trying to force the play IMO. I think the order we had in NZ was about right but everyone on the whole was pretty ****e.

Not online for a few days? I thought you'd gone over to the dark side

[Shaggy]

Nope, had another hard drive crash.

Strauss has only been scoring slowly of late though, really. His strike rate in Tests is 50, which is the same as Bell, better than Cook, and only 4 shy of Trescothick. There's not much difference between batting 1, 2 or 3 IMO but Strauss would, for me, be better served opening with Vaughan dropping right down.

Won't happen like. Vaughan will continue to open regardless although I'm sure he's said in the past he'd prefer to come in at 3.

[Matt]

Vaughan's been up and down the order like a jack-in-the-box the last few years! I remember he opened when he went through that sublime spell the last time England toured Australia and I'm a fan of the old left/right opening pair.

You're probably right though, there's not much difference between 1-3 especially when someone always gets out early

[Shaggy]

Yeah the right/left combo is a good point.

[Matt]

Even though it hasn't made much of a difference to Australia with Langer/Hayden or even Tres/Strauss.

Hmm, picking holes in my own arguments

[captainfog]

Vaughan will come good. He needs to be in the side for his captaincy alone and his batting is an added bonus.

Vaughan
Cook
Strauss
Peitersen
Bell
Colly
Ambrose
Freddy
Broad
Sides
Monty

That is a ****ing strong batting line up. It can bowl as well. Consistency is the key.

[dww]

Nope, had another hard drive crash.

Strauss has only been scoring slowly of late though, really. His strike rate in Tests is 50, which is the same as Bell, better than Cook, and only 4 shy of Trescothick. There's not much difference between batting 1, 2 or 3 IMO but Strauss would, for me, be better served opening with Vaughan dropping right down.

Won't happen like. Vaughan will continue to open regardless although I'm sure he's said in the past he'd prefer to come in at 3.

On the Vaughn opening debate on TMS they were saying that at the start of the NZ series he said he would prefer to bat at 3, which was in contrast with tha past when apparently he has said to them he would rather to open. I guess it is about how things have gone for him in the recent past but I agree with you he needs to contribute more with the bat at the minute either in terms of runs or batting time as an opener.

[Asquith Wentworth-Rice]

Had an absolutely splendid time out in Napier. I got squiffy with the boys on the last night. Tremendous fun. They were all very humble with no heirs & graces. Ryan Sidebottom, despite being a Yorkshireman, really is a jolly good fellow. Hope his wedding day went well.

One also ought to see Collingwood on the beer - my word, he is bally tremendous.