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Winning a Test by an innings is not to be sniffed at. What exactly would you expect to smell? England didn’t exactly dominate the series like they dominated this last match though.
Overall, the team looks okay, but there are quite a few flaws, the most glaring of which is the middle order batting of Bell and Collingwood.
Ian Bell looked like England’s best batsman in Sri Lanka but didn’t really influence proceedings. In New Zealand he hit a hundred when it was least needed. In this series he’s been virtually absent.
Bell will stay, but Paul Collingwood is currently Mark Knopfler (he’s in Dire Straits). Like Bell he’s rather prone to the ineffectual fifty. He’s not been dreadful until this series and if he does get dropped it’ll be for a lack of hundreds.
We can’t escape the feeling that Tim Ambrose isn’t ‘the answer’ either.
England v New Zealand, third Test at Trent Bridge, day four
England 364 (Kevin Pietersen 115, Tim Ambrose 67, Stuart Broad 64, Iain O’Brien 4-74, Kyle Mills 3-76)
New Zealand 123 (James Anderson 7-43)
New Zealand 232 (Brendon McCullum 71, Jacob Oram 50, Ryan Sidebottom 6-67)
England win and take the series 2-0
I’m inclined to agree with you about the little foreign fella.
Something tells me that as soon as there’s some high quality fast bowling, he’s not gonna be up to the job.
Collingwood should go now, and I’d give Ravi a run in his place. He’s in the form of his life at the minute, and he can bowl too. He’s also from Essex, which makes him wonderful.
We’re all wonderful.
Don’t worry Colly, I HAVE FAITH.
Mark Knopfler. Or dear. Well, I suppose it was money for nothing.
ba dum cha. that was *really* painful.
Does feel recently that Ravi has nudged ahead of Shah in all forms of Englands squads… Can’t imagine them not changing something like that.
If Colly is Mark Knopfler, are Jimmy, Ryan and Stuart the Sultans of Swing?
(I’ll get my coat)
…and would that make Monty the spinball wizard?
*hands Mel her coat and fetches his own*
No. No it wouldn’t.
I’m sure changing band contravenes subsection 2, paragraph 4b.
I suspect that suggesting the Marshalls as Brothers in Arms is probably against the rules too. So I won’t.
DAMMIT! I always get The Who and Dire Straits mixed up.
There go my old-skool rocker credentials.
You are not alone Mahinda. I can’t tell the difference between Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and a pile of poo.
Go by colour.
Excellent advice KC – I shall apply the same system to Green Day and the White Stripes. Thanks!
Of course that won’t help you differentiate between Blacks Sabbath and Lace.
Don’t think you can push your pineapples to Black Sabbath (although I’m sure Ozzie would give it a shot)
One black is kind shiny and wipecleanable, the other reaches into your head and remove your soul in a flash. You can tell, I assure you.