Draco has scored more runs this innings than nos 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 have managed collectively. Still, consistency is the watchword. They have the character to get through this.

When did England last get 400 in a first innings?

Fucking hell, liquid bowling from Anderson.

Is that Jimmy "The All-Rounder" Anderson?

Blimey, identical ball does McCullum. This is really good stuff.

A 'michelle' for Anderson.

It's odd isn't it? A bowler who can look out of his depth at test level one week can look like a world-beater the next.

And another one.

He must have an arm like a traction engine!

And New Zealand follow on. Looks like Broad's decided to take up the bowling challenge...

That was all rather easy wasn't it? Especially considering England were 86/5 in the first innings.
Not sure whether it's a good England display or a woeful Black Caps display.

Credit to England for a good display, but it shoudln't be allowed to disguise the first innings top order failures, in particular, and nor should any of the bowlers take their places for granted with Harmison, Hoggard and (most excitingly) Simon Jones starting to bowl well for their counties. And Flintoff maybe ready to come back in, presumably for Collingwood.

I had hoped Adil Rashid would be having a better season for Yorkshire to give Panesar some competition for his place, but maybe he's a bit young yet.

Isn't Rashid seen (by Yorkshire, if not England) as a batsman who bowls?

Simon Jones didn't bowl in the 50 friendly with New Zealand yesterday alas.

The ECB have made a rod for their own backs here, really.

A few years ago, we all complained (legitimately, I think) that the selectors never showed any loyalty to players in a form slump and that too many players were capped and then discarded out of hand. The Fletcher era (and central contracts) have changed that. We've now swung too far the other way and players now seem cemented in place.

It's clearly ridiculous that Bell and Collingwood haven't been dropped. Being dropped from the side shouldn't be seen as a termination of the player's international career, just an opportunity to play themselves back into form on the county circuit and prove themselves worthy of a place in the lineup again. The fact that the selectors have shown so much loyalty to a select few players means that any attempt to drop them now sends a far more grave message than it should.

Regarding Rashid, my understanding is that, yes, Yorkshire see him primarily as a batsmen, but it's to their credit that they're giving him a decent amount of bowling and looking to develop that part of his game too.

"It's clearly ridiculous that Bell and Collingwood haven't been dropped"

From the one day squad? Collingwood is captain, bowls and fields very well. As for the test squad, as pointed out already, they played well enough in NZ. I think even under Lord Ted/Illy two bad games wouldn't have got them out of the team. Perhaps Cook might have gone though, given his run is longer.

P has a ticket for the 20/20 tonight. But she's not going becuase she's a bit tired.
ARHGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
(and no, I can't have the ticket, it's a corpy.)

I saw some 20-20 on TV last night. Much as it's nice to Hick still whacking it all over, it was crap and I forgot that I was supposed to care about Gloucs.

The West Indies-Australia test was good though. Decent looking Barbados crowd too.

I wonder what Moeen Ali, who would appear to have more than a passing devotion to Islam if his beard is anything to go by, made of the muscial sting of "Rock The Kasbah" being played whilst he was batting.