Match starts at 10:45 BST.

Wedensday's predominent weather forcast is for light rain.

LINK TO WEATHER BBC - Weather Centre - 5 Day Forecast in Celsius for Birmingham, United Kingdom Correct at 04;25.

New Zealand need to win this, and England need to keep up there momentum. So it's hoped the weather forcast changes.
Please post match comments on this thread.

__________________
Ern

Well it's rain delayed and interupted.

They kicked off at 3.00pm I beleive, reduced to 29 overs (now dropped to 24 after another rain break). NZ won the toss and no surprises, they elected to field - rightly opting to chase, an important consideration in rain affected matches due to the possiblities of an ever changing target.

England are at 77-3 after 13 overs, bearing in mind they started off thinking they had 29 overs to bat in, see the disadvantage to batting first in these conditions?

New Zealand really ought to win this - they have the big advantage of chasing down whatever target England set with all the confusion of timing their innings correctly due to the reducing overs.

It's not really any contest between these two sides when NZ really ought to win easily, it's not a reflection of the true abilities of either side.

England should hope that they get another rain break so that 24 overs goes under 20, this is a nonsense really.

Make that 80-4 after 14.

I would imagine the rain will win out in the end.

Some good batting by Wright earlier but some of the running between the wickets has been schoolboy stuff not international.

Goodness knows what Duckworth Lewis will bump our score up by.

And now they tell us there will be a half hour break in between the innings. Why? It's not like the players have put in much hard work today. The spectators have sat there for the whole day waiting for some action. You have to wonder who they play this game for, it's obviously not for the people who pay to watch it.

Latest from Cricinfo: Cricinfo - 2nd ODI: England v New Zealand at Birmingham, Jun 18, 2008 101-4

__________________
Ern

I would imagine that with 121-4 after 18 we should be looking at about 170 after the 24 and then whatever is given on top by D/L.

Is it me or is Styris looking a shadow of the player he was about a year ago?

Will D/L add anything if NZ get their 24 overs? I guess it will because England originally started out expecting 29 and then their innings was shortened, right? I get very confused by D/L sometimes!!

__________________
Money won't buy you friends. But it gets you a better class of enemy.
Spike Milligan

Well i presume we should be given some as long as we bat them out as we were expecting to bat 29 overs.It confuses me too but logic says that if you think you have longer to bat you wouldn't go as hard as early.

Yes, that's correct. England made 162, and New Zealand have an initial target of 166, though that may be reduced if, as Cricinfo reports, an over has been lost from their innings due to rain. Cricinfo believes it is now a 23 over game but we are still waiting for the target. Cricket used to be a simple game, didn't it?

Update: Yes: 23 overs, target is 160.

__________________
Money won't buy you friends. But it gets you a better class of enemy.
Spike Milligan

Well, New Zealand know exactly what they have to do in exactly the number of overs they have to do it in. If they lose from here they really are Turkeys.

Andersons served up his usual mixture of rubbish, too short, too wide, too far down leg side etc. Broad's been unlucky, two insides edges go for 4, but then get's his man by sticking to the same line and forcing him to play a false shot.

And as I speak, Anderson comes off and Collingwood comes on, this is their answer to McCullum - pace off, keeper up, bowl wicket to wicket with accurate mixed up deliveries, keep him in his crease and stop him wandering down the pitch. Make it as hard as possible for him to free his arms.

So far it seems to have been fairly effective. McCullums dismissal is key for England here.