150 - 1.

Still time for england to fuck up, but so far it's been too easy for them. Kiwis just standing round waiting for something to happen.

Christ, when am I going to learn to keep my mouth shut?

You beat me to it...

England are going to win, and Collingwood isn't going to get a bat, or at least not a substantial innings. He'll be dropped for the next test I reckon, and perhaps encouraged to have that shoulder op sooner rather than later.

Squad for the next test:

Strauss
Cook
Vaughan
Pietersen
Bell
Prior/Key/Shah*
Ambrose**
Flintoff/Tremlett/Anderson***
Broad
Sidebottom
Panesar

* Could be any of these; I have a hunch it'll be Prior, who's in the runs for Sussex.
** Will be given another chance, but needs some runs soon.
*** England's attack lacks a big man sending them down at pace. Harmison's not doing enough for Durham (and is gone for good, I reckon). Flintoff to play if he's fit; otherwise Tremlett. Anderson's too wasteful, and not different enough to Sidebottom, but may get one more chance.

Hmmmmm.

This has gotten quite interesting.

Collingwood's in now, but this is a poisoned chalice: if he fails, he gets dropped, but if he doesn't he won't have scored enough runs to justify retention for the next test.

QUOTE:
"As of this morning, none of them have averaged 40 this year."

Strauss has averaged 53 in test cricket this year. He's also scored 120 more runs than any other England batsman.

Sky were lying then, because that's what one of their stats said.

/buck passing mode/

No doubt a gritty 20* by Collingwood will show he's got his touch back...

Edit: Is anyone else listening to the commentary on TMS? It sounds like it's coming from a yurt on the Mongolian steppes the way the wind's howling through the mikes.

Actually, you can add Bopara to my list of possibilities for the no. 6 spot: he's getting stacks of runs for Essex, and can act as the fifth bowler. On the other hand, he had a torrid time in internationals over the winter.

Fair points by the Strauss fan club. My anti-jinx on England works again, bah.

That'll teach me to rely on Agnew for authoritative comment. Strauss clearly owes him money or something. Not that I make out much of the commentary with that gale blowing.

Talking of the Mongolian steppes, some inspired bowling from international Division 5 in the Jersey tournament.

Apparently tournament favorites Afghanistan were disappointed to find a small island between France and England. They were expecting Hoboken and Atlantic City.

Collingwood was out, wasn't he?

Hawkeye had the ball hitting close to the top, but aye he was lucky. Bell was luckier- he scooped an easy return catch to O'Brien who dropped it.

Boycott says: "Strauss is playing like a left-handed me".

In other news, your predictions work better on the other side of the Pond.

Windies now 62 for 3; Clark with both wickets this morning (and Windies' 1, 2 and 3 in each innings).

Windies shouldn't have gotten them mad.

86 for 6, with Chanderpaul the last to go.

172-7, not all over yet.

Jinxed. Sammy out.

I can see Powell and Edwards thrashing a few boundaries, but I can't see 100 runs for the last 2 wickets.

To some extent, I think Anderson suffers from over attacking fields. Sure you don't want to be setting defensive fields for your opening bowler, but I might consider sticking an offside sweeper back after about 10 overs or so, and certainly when you bring him back for later spells. He will usually bowl wicket taking balls, they just cost too much. So maybe try and make them cost more? He can't have bowled as many bad balls as MacGill for Australia but he had a man or two back (defensively, they weren't going to take any catches) and went for far fewer.

How many runs went through third man for NZ today?

I was right about Collingwood.