Excellent Test Match

[Mr Kiwi]

i think it might be half hour - though both captains probably have to agree

[R W S]

I'm clutching at straws for sure!! Still the Lord's pitch has held up well (as it did last year) & I expect more of the same type of performance tomorrow. Look out for the fabled Fleming captaincy tomorrow. The Kiwi's dont posses the bowlers we have - without Bond at least - so I fully expect us to win.

But I would. I'm an optimistic supporter!

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by R W S

The Kiwi's dont posses the bowlers we have - without Bond at least - so I fully expect us to win.

But I would. I'm an optimistic supporter!

Nothing wrong with that, RWS - join the club!!

To quote a great film 'hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies!' (but which great film? Answers on a postcard... )

[R W S]

Ahh .... Shawshank Redemption metthinks!

Supporting is more fun with hope and this England team has given more reason to be hopefull than any over the last 20 years!!

Plus I'm especially happy tonight because my local team won the Dutch FA cup today!!

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by R W S

Ahh .... Shawshank Redemption metthinks!

Supporting is more fun with hope and this England team has given more reason to be hopefull than any over the last 20 years!!

Plus I'm especially happy tonight because my local team won the Dutch FA cup today!!

Well done, you pass the basic film quotations exam!!

When you think about it, you could say supporting England at times is like 'crawling through a river of **** and coming out clean on the other side!!!'

Congrats on your teams success...let us hope for more cause for celebration tomorrow!!

[sostenurter]

Originally Posted by Kirsty Harris

Nothing wrong with that, RWS - join the club!!

To quote a great film 'hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies!' (but which great film? Answers on a postcard... )

Shawshank Redemption?

I think we should be optimistic - after all, England have dragged themselves back from worse positions than this twice already in this match. As I said before, depends on how Vettori does, and how the first hour goes.

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by sostenurter

Shawshank Redemption?

I think we should be optimistic - after all, England have dragged themselves back from worse positions than this twice already in this match. As I said before, depends on how Vettori does, and how the first hour goes.

Well done! Another graduate of Basic Film Quotations!!!

England certianly have dragged themseleves back from far, far worse postions in this match...at the start of play a win for England was pretty much out the window and down the hill....

[sostenurter]

Originally Posted by Kirsty Harris

Well done! Another graduate of Basic Film Quotations!!!

England certianly have dragged themseleves back from far, far worse postions in this match...at the start of play a win for England was pretty much out the window and down the hill....

On Thursday night, Saturday night and when Richardson and Astle were piling on the runs on Sunday, an England win looked very remote. But time and again we've dragged it back, to a position where I would say we are slight favourites. I think if you'd asked NZ last night, they'd have wanted to set a target of 50 or 60 runs more. Fleming won't be too happy with his side, and I think we'll see just how good his captaincy is tomorrow. No matter how good a captain you are, if your bowlers aren't doing their job, there's not a lot you can do.

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by sostenurter

On Thursday night, Saturday night and when Richardson and Astle were piling on the runs on Sunday, an England win looked very remote. But time and again we've dragged it back, to a position where I would say we are slight favourites. I think if you'd asked NZ last night, they'd have wanted to set a target of 50 or 60 runs more. Fleming won't be too happy with his side, and I think we'll see just how good his captaincy is tomorrow. No matter how good a captain you are, if your bowlers aren't doing their job, there's not a lot you can do.

Yep, it's been a gutsy effort by the team. There seems to be a really good spirit within the side just now, and that helps...

It's the main reason I think England WILL win tomorrow - but there will be some twists and turns along the way!

[Whips_off_the_bails]

It's hard to call. I'd say NZ were slight favourites, because they have the runs on the board and a potential matchwinner in Vettori - but he will have to bowl better than in recent times. Funny thing was that earlier in the match he far out-performed Ashley Giles, but yesterday Ashley redeemed himself quite a bit. However, this could be an ominous sign that the wicket is getting more difficult.

Although on paper NZ are slight favourites, as I said, I just have a hunch that England's fourth innings fighting qualities will show through. In recent times, unless we lose the game in the first innings, we have a quite good record of winning.

Also remember the Christchurch Test Match in 1997, when England successfully chased 305 to win the match (thanks to a century from Atherton and unbeaten forties from Crawley and Cork). The Kiwis certainly will!