The first Test between the Black Caps and the West Indies has ended in a draw, after the last day was abandoned due to rain. It's the second day out of the five that has been abandoned due to poor weather, which raises the question - why would you play the first Test of the summer (and we use the word summer tentatively...) in Dunedin, not known for it's weather at the best of times? Sure, the University Oval is a great cricketing ground despite it's small size, but they should have held off and given Dunedin one of the Tests later in the summer, when they would be more likely to get five good days in. Not to mention that most of the students would be back by February, and that would mean a packed ground.

Aside from the weather, the cricket played has produced some positive aspects, and a couple of not so positive aspects. Firstly, the switching of Daniel Flynn and Jessie Ryder has been a great success, with both batsmen scoring plenty of runs in the first innings. John Bracewell must be wondering why he persisted with Flynn down the order, when he is clearly a better player coming in at three - and the same can be said of Ryder moving from three to five, where he too looks a lot more comfortable.

Tim Mckintosh looked OK, but didn't appear to offer any more than Arron Redmond would have opening the batting. Time will tell whether or not he can make a career for himself opening for the Black Caps. His opening partner, on the other hand, is on the fast track to joining the scrap heap. Jaime How has once again failed to score any runs, which has called his position in the side once again to question. We know he has the talent, but he'll need to get himself out of his slump very quickly.

The bowling was average at best, and was lacking someone who could put real pressure on the West Indian batsmen - aside from Daniel Vettori, of course, who was his usual impressive self. We are definitely missing someone with out-and-out pace like Shane Bond, and it's starting to show. Mark Gillespie failed to make the most of his opportunity (once again...), and unless he pulls out a blinder in Napier he will surely find himself back on the outer. He does have some pace, but fails to find consistency with his line and length, causing him to go for plenty of runs. The only thing in his favour is his batting ability, which while not outstanding is a hundred times better than Chris Martin's. Then again, he's not in the side to bat - he's there to take wickets.

The West Indies showed that they're not here to play games. They batted well, and gave some of our batsmen a bit of a working over with the ball, proving they are a dangerous side for anyone who takes them lightly. If the next Test can go the full five days, they are a real chance of beating the Black Caps.

The Black Caps already look a better unit with Andy Moles as coach, though, and while there are a few things to work on, we're confident Moles can get them back on the right track.

The next Test starts in Napier on Friday.

Given that we looked at the top 10 best Test batsmen last week, we thought it would only be right that we look at the top 10 best Test bowlers this week.

Once again, this list speaks for itself - you only have to look at their stats to see why they make the list.

Here we go:

10.
Dennis Lillee (Australia): 70 Tests, 355 wickets, 23.92 average, best figures - 7/83

Lillee set the standard for quick bowlers during the 1970s with his extreme pace and fiery attitude. His career looked to be over when he suffered from a stress fracture to his back, but he fought his way back and continued where he left off. His partnership with Jeff Thomson, another Aussie pace man, was one of the most devastating pace attack during the 70s. Lillee held the World Record for Test wickets (355) when he retired in 1984.


9.
Waqar Younis (Pakistan): 86 Tests, 373 wickets, 23.56 average, best figures - 7/76

The master of reverse swing. Younis was known for his extreme pace and his ability to get reverse swing, which became a lethal weapon for Younis - as did his in-swinging yorker. Like Lillee and Thomson, Younis developed an extremely dangerous bowling partnership with fellow pace man, Wasim Akram, and the two consistently ripped through some of the best batting lineups.


8.
Malcolm Marshall (West Indies): 81 Tests, 376 wickets, 20.94 average, best figures - 7/22

Marshall is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, and his average of 20.94 is the best of anyone who has taken over 200 Test wickets. Unlike most fast bowlers, Marshall was considered short - especially when you look at the other great West Indian pace men. Regardless of his height, though, Marshall was very quick - and indeed, very dangerous.


7.
Sir Richard Hadlee (New Zealand): 86 Tests, 431 wickets, 22.29 average, best figures - 9/52

Finally, a New Zealander worthy of making a cricketing list. The first player to surpass 400 Test wickets, and he held the World Record at the time. Hadlee was a master of bowling, and a very handy batter as well - making him one of the greatest all-rounders to play the game. He slowed his action as he got older, and became a lethal swing bowler to counter the lack of pace. Makes New Zealanders proud to have someone who could challenge the best of all time...


6.
Curtly Ambrose (West Indies): 98 Tests, 405 wickets, 20.99 average, best figures - 8/45

Following in the veins of the great West Indian pacemen who came before him, Ambrose became one of the great pace bowlers of the 1990s. Like all great fast bowlers, Ambrose worked in tandem with Courtney Walsh, as the two become synonymous with wicket taking. His average is second only to Malcolm Marshall's.


5.
Wasim Akram (Pakistan): 104 Tests, 414 wickets, 23.62 average, best figures - 7/119

Like Waqar Younis, Akram became a master of reverse swing, and when combined with his pace he became a lethal opening bowler. There was nothing more devastating for a New Zealand cricket fan than watching Akram and Younis rip through our batting lineup - which they did with what seemed like ease. Akram was also a handy lower order batsmen, and an even more devastating one day bowler (he holds the record with 502 ODI wickets).


4.
Courtney Walsh (West Indies): 132 Tests, 519 wickets, 24.44 average, best figures - 7/37

Walsh became the first bowler in the history of cricket to surpass 500 Test wickets, something only four other bowlers have done since (Warne, Muralitharan, McGrath and Kumble). He held the world record for wickets until taken over by Warne. Walsh may not have been the best batter (the only guy that could be considered worse is Chris Martin...), but he sure made up for it with his bowling.


3.
Glenn McGrath (Australia): 124 Tests, 563 wickets, 21.64 average, best figures - 8/24

Anyone who's best figures are 8/24 has got to be doing something right. McGrath became best known for his ability to get his line and length spot on, time after time. He wasn't the fastest bowler by any means, but he used his skills incredibly well, and in doing so became just as lethal with line and length as the pace men did with speed. Australia will struggle to replace him in the years to come.


2.
Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka): 123 Tests, 756 wickets, 21.96 average, best figures - 9/51

Murali is the highest wicket taker of all time, with his incredible haul of 756 - and counting. However, much of his career has been tarnished with allegations of chucking - something that we think drops him from the number one spot. He is an extremely talented spinner, but we can't shake the fact that we feel he chucks (we almost left him off the list all together...). In the end, we decided to put him at number two - because of the fact that he hasn't actually been banned.


1.
Shane Warne (Australia): 145 Tests, 708 wickets, 25.41 average, best figures - 8/71

The absolute master of spin. Love him or hate him, you can't argue with his ability - and he doesn't chuck. Warne re-invented spin bowling, and brought it back at a time when pace bowling dominated the game. He may have had a few problems off the pitch (OK, a lot of problems off the pitch), but when he was playing he was one of the most competitive players ever - and he could turn a game with just one delivery. Just watch the clips below, and you'll see why he is considered the greatest bowler of all time - at least, in our minds.

The [New Zealand] cricket season is upon us, and while the Black Caps may be struggling for form at the moment (the same could be said for the Aussies, too...) there's nothing better than spending your summer watching cricket in the sun.

What else are you going to do during the rugby off-season?

So, we thought we'd turn this week's Top 5 into a Top 10, and count down the greatest Test batsmen off all time. We tried limiting it to only five, but when you see our list, you'll know why we couldn't leave anyone off it...


10. Michael Hussey (Australia): 26 Tests, 2502 runs, 69.50 average, 9 100s/9 50s (and counting...)

This may be a surprise pick for some people, but Hussey is a batting master. He became the fastest player to reach 1000 Test runs (166 days), and he sits in second place behind Sir Don Bradman with the second highest Test average - 69.50. He may have started his international career late, but he's certainly making up for lost time.


9. Ricky Ponting (Australia): 120 Tests, 10239 runs, 58.50 average, 36 100s/40 50s (and counting...)

Like Hussey, Ponting is one of the best batsmen of the modern game, and could quite easily go on to score the most Tests runs of all time (if Sachin Tendulkar's impending retirement is to be believed...). Ponting makes batting look easy, and does it with the added pressure of captaining the side as well - which not all batsmen can cope with.


8. Sunil Gavaskar (India): 125 Tests, 10122 runs, 51.12 average, 34 100s/45 50s

While not exactly known for his batting flair, Gavaskar is considered one of the greatest opening batsmen in Test history. Gavaskar had the ability to keep the score ticking along beautifully, and would go on to hold the record for the most centuries in Tests for 20 years, with 34 centuries. His ability against pace attacks is believed to be amongst the best of all time.


7. Sir Viv Richards (West Indies): 121 Tests, 8540 runs, 50.23 average, 24 100s/45 50s

Richards is widely regarded as one of the greatest attacking batsmen ever, and he did it all without wearing a helmet - scary, when you consider who he was facing (Lillee and Thomson, to name a couple...). He has the record for the fastest ever century in Tests, coming of just 56 balls. Basically - he set the standard for all big-hitting players today.


6. Steve Waugh (Australia): 169 Tests, 10927 runs, 51.06 average, 32 100s/50 50s

Another of Australia's legendary batsmen. Waugh had a fantastic ability to stay calm when things weren't going so well, and this helped him go on to score 32 centuries throughout his career. Like Ponting, he also bore the responsibility of captaincy for much of his career - something he excelled at. He was the cornerstone of the Australian team throughout his time in charge.


5. Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies): 93 Tests, 8032 runs, 57.78 average, 26 100s/30 50s

At the young age of 22, Sobers scored a then world record 365 runs in a Test against Pakistan - a record that would last for 36 years until Lara surpassed it. Sobers is regarded as one of the best all-rounders in cricket history - he was very handy with the ball in hand, bowling either left-hand spin or fast-medium. There's not to many players around today that can say they can do that...


4. Allan Border (Australia): 156 Tests, 11174 runs, 50.56 average, 34 100s/63 50s

Border is considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time, and for good reason. Border's total of 11,174 Test runs stood as a record for 11 years, until Lara surpassed him in 2005. Border also holds the record for the most Tests in a row, with 153. He is widely regarded as Australia's greatest captain.


3. Brian Lara (West Indies): 131 Tests, 11953 runs, 52.88 average, 34 100s/48 50s

Lara has twice held the world record for the highest individual score in Test cricket. First with 375, and then again with 400 after Matthew Hayden briefly took over with 380. Scoring the highest score isn't an easy task, but to do it twice means you've got to be a class above everyone else - and Lara was just that. He held the record for the most Test runs until just recently, when Tendulkar took over. Full of West Indian flair, Lara truly is something special.


2. Sir Don Bradman (Australia): 52 Tests, 6996 runs, 99.94 average, 29 100s/13 50s

We already know most people won't agree with this, because he is widely regarded as the greatest batsman of all time - but we think that award has to go to Tendulkar. Bradman's record speaks for itself, but we think Tendulkar has achieved more, and, more importantly, against much tougher opposition. Plus, the Don choked - he only had to score four runs to bring his average to 100, and he got nothing. You can say he would have got more had he played longer, but the fact is he didn't - and you can't take 'could'ves' into account.

We're just saying.....

1. Sachin Tendulkar (India): 152 Tests, 12037 runs, 54.22 average, 39 100s/50 50s (and counting...)

He is the best in the business, and his record shows it. He is now the highest run scorer of all time, has the most centuries in Test cricket, and has set the standard for every person who ever picks up a cricket bat. We know Bradman's record is phenomenal, but we think the fact that Tendulkar has gone on to score over 12,000 Test runs cements his place as the greatest of all time.

We fully expect people to disagree with our Top 10, but we're more than happy to hear your thoughts on our list - let us know what you think in our forum.

Photo credit (Flickr) - vighi

The Black Caps have somehow managed to save themselves from [complete] humiliation in the first Test against Bangladesh, with a three wicket win over the home side.

This was a Test the Black Caps should have won easily, but they struggled against the spin attack of the Bangladesh bowlers, and even struggled to dismiss the tail end of the Bangladesh batting lineup.

Going into the last innings the Black Caps needed 317 runs to win, and it was going to take one hell of an effort for them to chase down the total. It was always going to be possible, but several of the Black Cap batsmen would need to do their job [for once].

Aaron Redmond, Jaime How and Jesse Ryder all chimed in to get the innings off to a good start, with Redmond going on to make 79 in what was a good platform for the middle order.

Vettori came in as night watchman when Ryder got run out at the end of day four, which turned out to be the best decision the Black Caps made the whole Test. Vettori and Redmond continued to push towards the 317 run target at the beginning of day five, and everything was going well until Redmond got himself caught only 21 runs away from his first century.

Then, the wheels began to fall off.

(What? Off the Black Caps? Noooooo.)

Taylor went cheaply, before McCullum was given out lbw in what could easily be the worst decision of the century. The ball pitched way outside leg, and it wouldn't have even come close to hitting the stumps. Not that that's relevant when the ball pitches outside leg, but it just made the decision that much worse. It's yet another case for the need to have video umpires step in when poor decisions are made.

The Black Caps looked to be falling into old traps, and with only Vettori, Oram and Flynn left (of the notable batsmen...) the game was hanging in the balance.

Fortunately for the Black Caps, Daniel Flynn came out and played the best innings of his short career, as he and Vettori got the Black Caps back on track and heading towards the winners circle.

Both batsmen were eventually dismissed (Vettori 76, Flynn 49), but they had already done enough to secure the win.

Flynn showed a lot of patience as he helped tick the score over just enough to keep the Black Caps on target. It was by no means the most exciting cricket to watch, but in the scheme of things it was what was needed at the time.

Vettori was without a doubt New Zealand's best player, as he chalked up his second half century of the match, and took nine wickets - becoming only the second captain in history to score a fifty in each innings and take four wickets per innings. That's impressive.

The only problem is that he usually bats at 8 or 9, and he's easily our best batsman at the moment. Says a bit about the guys above him, really...

Bangladesh will rue their chance to beat an established Test playing nation, but they did not play as well on the final day as they had throughout the previous four days. Their field placements were somewhat unusual for a team that needed to take eight wickets in the final day. They have a lot to do to keep improving, but improve they will.

With one more Test to go, it's hard to see the Black Caps performing so poorly again - specially as Bangladesh will be hurting from the loss, and are a team that thrives on confidence, which will be at a low now.

One thing's for sure - if the Black Caps don't improve significantly (SIGNIFICANTLY, LADS) then some changes may well be around the corner. It's time to start impressing the new coach - whoever that may be.

Photo from Flickr - HNM_1977

The All Blacks have moved to 3-0 for the year, as they once again demolished the English defence on their way to a convincing 44-12 win.

It was a much stronger effort than the week before, and while there are still a few things to work on, they're at least moving in the right direction with the Tri Nations opener only two weeks away.

But the win didn't come without a heavy price. Both Richie McCaw and Ali Williams left the field early in the first half, both with what appear to be ankle injuries. The full extent is not known yet (we'll update you as soon as we find out), but they early prognosis is that Richie may miss 6 weeks - which is terrible news for the All Blacks.

The All Blacks continued to improve their attacking game, and made the English backs pay for some weak defence for the second week running.

Richard Kahui had an outstanding debut, both on attack and on defence, and scored the game's opening try. It really was a great effort from Kahui, and now puts a lot of pressure on Conrad Smith for the center position - although we expect to see Smith back in the #13 jersey for South Africa Test.

Still, nothing like a bit of healthy competition...

Dan Carter continued his fine form, and was a real handful on attack. What is often overlooked with Carter, though, is his defence - which is absolutely fantastic for a first five. He's everywhere, and makes tackles all over the field. And, he's not afraid to mix it with some of the bigger forwards.

He scored a try (through some terrible defence, admittedly) and finished the night with 22 points - and a perfect 7/7 with the boot.

The other notable mention goes to Adam Thomson, who made a big impact around the ruck, especially with McCaw off injured. Thomson got himself involved wherever he could, and was unlucky not to be awarded a try late in the game - he's has been a great find for the All Blacks.

Brad Thorn had another great night, and was outstanding in the lineouts - which were greatly improved on from last week. That's good news heading into the games against the Springboks, who are lineout masters.

Anthony Boric also got some game time with Williams leaving the field, which will do his confidence the world of good.

England had their moments, but were ultimately let down by poor defence and discipline in the rucks. For the second week running Mike Tindall found himself in the sin bin, which cost his team a try late in the second half.

Their only standout player (to us, anyway...) was half back Danny Care, who should some real pace around the field - especially his quick taps, which kept the All Blacks back peddling.

In the end New Zealand ran away with game, and showed a much better performance from last week.

South Africa will almost certainly provide a much tougher opponent in two weeks, though, so there'll be no relaxing yet.

Hopefully Williams (and McCaw, but that's sounding extremely unlikely...) will get over his injury in quick time, because he'll be sorely missed if he can't take the field.

Game Summary:

All Blacks 44
(Kahui, Carter, Nonu, Luaki, Cowan - trys)
(Carter (3 pen, 4 con), Donald (1 con)).
England 12
(Care, Varndell - trys)
(Barkley (1 con)).

After the All Black's had to grind out a tough win against the Irish in atrocious playing conditions, it was great to see them fire a few shots against the English on Saturday night. While the performance was by no means perfect (they pretty much went to sleep in the last twenty minutes...) it's a good confidence booster for the team as they look towards the Tri Nations next month.

England came out firing on all cylinders, and looked to out muscle the All Black forwards - which they actually did for the first ten minutes. But after that initial burst, the momentum began to swing in New Zealand's favour, and they punished some poor English defence and discipline.

The All Black backline was outstanding on attack, and made the English defence look average - at best. Ma'a Nonu was on top of his game against the weak defence, and his distributing skills showed us that he's developing into a very good second-five. In the past, he'd have tried to do everything himself - but he showed us on Saturday that he's working hard on his game. His combination with Conrad Smith is strong, and they are looking like our best midfield pair.

Conrad Smith, Sitivini Sivivatu, Mils Muliaina and Dan Carter all scored for the All Blacks, while Carter had a great night with the boot, kicking 7/7.

Topsy Ojo scored England's two tries, both of which were opportunistic (but well taken, nonetheless...). Speaking of Topsy Ojo - have you voted on his name, yet?

The All Black forwards were not at their best, and really struggled in the lineouts - both Andrew Hore and Kevin Mealamu have some work to do on their throwing skills. The English were far from their best, too, giving away a lot of penalties in the ruck, and Andy Sheridan was sin-binned late in the first half.

Anthony Boric and Stephen Donald both made their debuts off the bench, but didn't really get the time to show us much. Sione Luaki didn't have the best night when he came on - his ball carrying was poor, and he made some pretty basic errors in the short time he was on the field.

The ref was average (again...) and made some bizarre calls against both sides. Why can't the Northern hemisphere ref's call open-style games? We'd rather see Stu Dickinson ref than another Brit - what does that tell you?

It was a good 60 minute performance by the All Blacks, but they'll need to work hard on staying in the game for the full 80 - especially when it comes to Australia and South Africa, who you can't afford to go to sleep against, even for a minute.

If they'd stayed awake for this game...well, the The All Black's could have put fifty points on the English.

In the end, the 37-20 score line was impressive, but we'll be expecting to see a better, complete 80 minute performance in Christchurch on Saturday night.

New Zealand Cricket - what is going on?

Ranked at #3 in the world in One Day Internationals, there is just no excuse for the shocking display we've seen from them in the past few weeks. We're sitting here in the Attic shaking our heads, desperately trying to figure out where things have gone wrong - and why...

The series against England started so promisingly for the Black Caps. Yes, the first game was rain affected - but that hasn't stopped New Zealand losing in the past. We actually held on for a solid draw in that First Test, and deservedly headed into the second match level-pegging with England.

In the First Test, New Zealand scored 546 runs in total, and lost 16 wickets. Not only is the total number across both innings respectable, but it's consistent.

They scored 277 in the first innings (not great, but you can work with it...), and were 269/6 in the second. With Vettori and Flynn at the crease, New Zealand were looking likely to exceed 600 runs in the match. Nothing to knock your socks off, but from a New Zealand Cricket fan's perspective - well, you wouldn't complain, put it that way.

And then...well, it would be unfair to say that the wheels fell off the Black Cap's wagon. To be accurate, we really need to describe what happened in terms of numbers - that is, the number of splinters left after the wagon exploded in a spectacular cloud of smoke, dust and fire. And low scores. And low wicket hauls. And dropped catches. The numbers, to be frank, are just scary.

The Second Test started extremely well for New Zealand. A first innings total of 381 was more than solid, and Taylor's 154 not out was absolutely stunning. There were positives in the opening department, too, with How putting a smile on our faces for the first time since Mark Richardson (a.k.a The Wall a.k.a Defense, Defense a.k.a Pretty Boring, Really, But Damn Solid) retired.

The bowling started well, too. Vettori lead from the front taking a five-for, and England were bundled out for a paltry 202 - 179 runs behind New Zealand, and the prospect of an in-form Vettori on a crumbling pitch.

We've mentioned the exploding-wagon-thing - there really is no other way to describe it, and this was the turning point of the series. New Zealand relinquished control, lay down on the ground, and let England get stuck in to them.

England, after being bowled out for 202, summoned the mental toughness to come out and bowl with excellent discipline and control - and bundled New Zealand out for 114.

114.

114.

It doesn't matter how many times we say it here in the Attic - we just can't get our head around it. That one score, and the whole series went. How top-scored with 29 - what more can we say?

England still needed 292 to win, and the media had New Zealand placed as favourites. We even thought New Zealand would do it. But we forgot one small detail - that mental toughness England had earlier displayed? Well, apparently New Zealand have none of it. They had runs to defend, a bowler-friendly pitch (despite the heavy roller) to do it on...and yet they managed just 4 wickets.

Danny - what happened?? 1/111 just isn't good enough - and from the captain, no less.

Strauss batted himself into imperious form, and Pietersen, Bell and Collingwood all had valuable knocks. Chasing 294 in the fourth innings of a game, and doing it with ease - there aren't too many better ways of re-instilling confidence in a shaky batting lineup.

And re-instill it did. Test Three, and England strolled out and scored 364 - Pietersen helping himself to a hundred, and Ambrose and Broad scoring half centuries. O'Brien bowled well to take 4 wickets, but the early pressure the New Zealand bowlers applied was let go - England's middle-lower order adding 166 valuable runs, demoralising New Zealand even further.

And their fans. Don't forget us.

To be fair, when New Zealand walked out to bat, they did do better than their miserable 114 in their previous outing. They blasted 123 in this innings, potentially putting their batting demons to rest. There were plenty of highlights - Redmond grafted out a single, and McCullum was at his blistering best during his 8 minute stay. Flynn got a duck, but he did last 3 balls - and that's better than lasting 2. All of Oram's hard-hitting skills were on display during his 7 runs, walking of with a strike-rate of 26.92, and a job well done. Chris Martin finished not out, but unfortunately couldn't get off the mark. Unusual, but it can't all be positive.

After New Zealand had compiled their 123, Vaughan decided that a lead of 241 was enough to enforce the follow-on. A risk, you say? No, no - not against New Zealand. 232 runs later, New Zealand had lost their 20th wicket, and the match by an innings and 9 runs.

So much for all the work they put in for that 123.

So - 2-nil to England, and a hugely emphatic win to close off the Test series.

We'd like to be positive, and say that there are things New Zealand will have learned from the loss. But we honestly don't think they will. The problem is, there's talent within this Black Caps unit. A heap of it. Jamie How has an excellent career ahead of him, and will fight for his wicket with his life. Ross Taylor is reckless, but showed what he can do when he gets it right, and the middle-lower order batting has always been strong.

And we don't even need to mention McCullum - the best wicket-keeper/batsmen in World Cricket right now.

Vettori is a world-class spinner, and Tim Southee has shown a heap of potential. He has real talent with the ball, and showed (when England were in New Zealand) that he'll fight to the end - even if it has to be with the bat.

But they won't learn, because what they need is application. Daniel Vettori said so himself after the Test Series loss - you need 4 or 5 guys to stand up and perform to win a test, not just 1 or 2 - and that's what has happened. The odd good performance, mixed in with some really, really bad ones, and a complete lack of concentration and determination.

John Bracewell won't be helping. He's stated his intention to leave, and in doing so has forced New Zealand cricket into a holding pattern. He's not doing the job, and yet the team can't move on to bigger and, potentially, better things because, incredibly, he's still there.

Why? Stand down, John. Do The Black Cap's (and all of their fans...) a favour - move on, and let us get on with a new regime. Admit that things haven't gone well, and clear out so that someone else can give it a shot. 3rd in the world at ODI's isn't bad - but at what cost? If anything, New Zealand's performances in Tests are getting worse. With the talent available to New Zealand Cricket, there's no way they should be performing so badly in Tests.

And what of 20/20's? A side that prides themselves on their success in ODI's should surely be able to make the transition to the 20 over game. And yet - 7 losses in a row, the latest one being the 9-wicket (nine...) loss to England. You can't tell us that's not a coaching issue...

So, New Zealand Cricket - where to now? We in the Attic will not be satisfied with an ODI Series win from here - that just will not fly any more. We can accept that there was a period where New Zealand cricket suffered after the loss of some of their big names, but it's not an excuse any more. The players coming in have shown that they're more than capable of performing - the best is just not being drawn from them consistently enough.

We've heard a lot of talk about long re-building periods - and quite frankly, it's rubbish. New Zealand and England are very similar sides on paper right now, and have similar amounts of talent at their disposal. New Zealand have a far better wicketkeeper-batsmen, and a better spinner in Vettori. The batting line-ups are fairly evenly matched, with a slight edge going to England, just for the sake of experience. Having said that, New Zealand bat deeper than England.

So why the complete white-wash? And why the shockingly bad loss in the 20/20, after all the talk of switching to New Zealand's preferred format - the shorter version of the game? Well, it doesn't get much shorter than 20 overs - so why so poor?

So many questions have been raised in the Attic this past week or so, and we keep coming back to the same conclusion - Bracwell must go. NOW.

That, and someone should invent 1-over cricket. As long as the Black Caps continue to sustain their performance for 12 deliveries, they'd be in with a shot.

For the past few years, All Black fans have been subjected to the controversial rotation policy of Graham Henry. It was a rare sight to see the same team play consecutive Tests, and at times it was hard to gauge what Henry was thinking.

Just when a combination seemed to be working, it was changed - leaving the fans (and, no doubt, the players...) wondering just what was going on.

The rotation system didn't work - the World Cup is testament to that.

So, as the All Black's prepare to face-off against England on Saturday, it's great to see the same starting fifteen for the second week in a row. The only change has been forced - John Afoa's knee injury means Greg Somerville replaces him, and Sione Luaki comes onto the bench in place of Adam Thomson.

The conditions in Wellington halted any open play, and forced the All Blacks to play a tight forward game. The backs had limited opportunities in the wet conditions, and were unable to get out of second gear. It's fantastic news that Henry has kept the same combinations, as it will give us a chance to see them progress - rather than see a completely different lineup start from scratch.

And would we have been surprised? Hmmm...

The All Blacks jersey is for the elite of New Zealand rugby, and therefore should go to the best player available - especially against the top tier sides. The time to blood new players is against sides like Samoa, Italy, Tonga and Canada (we're not saying these sides aren't good - we're just saying they're not rated among the best...).

It's early days yet, but it seems as though Henry has moved on from his rotation policy, and is looking to build a top-15 to play week-in week-out. The other lads in the squad should be trying to get a spot on the bench - if their chance to play arises, they'll be able to take full advantage.

England have selected a strong side to face the All Blacks, which is a rare thing these days. We've become accustomed to them sending a 2nd (or even 3rd) rate squad to New Zealand, but it seems this time we're going to get a decent Test Match. The All Blacks won't be able to take this game lightly - if they do, England might just surprise them...

England's side looks like this:

1. Andy Sheridan
2. Lee Mears
3. Matthew Stevens
4. Tom Palmer
5. Steve Borthwick (c)
6. James Haskill
7. Tom Rees
8. Luke Narraway
9. Richard Wigglesworth
10. Charlie Hodgson
11. David Strettle
12. Olly Barkley
13. Mike Tindall
14. Topsy Ojo (we've said this before, but...the best name in sports ever?)
15. Mike Brown

Reserves: David Paice, Tim Payne, Ben Kay, Joe Worsley, Danny Care, Jaime Noon, Matt Tait

Conditions couldn't have been worse for the All Black's opening clash against the Irish on Saturday night - wet, windy and freezing temperatures meant that anyone hoping for an expansive game (yup, that was us...) was in for a disappointing night.

What we got, though, was anything but disappointing, as the All Blacks and Ireland fought it out in the miserable conditions.

As the rain began to fall it became clear that it was going to be a night for the forwards to show their skills, and both packs did just that. The All Blacks were up against a solid Irish pack (7 out of the 8 were part of the Munsters pack that won the Heineken Cup), and it was obvious they had their work cut out for them...

...but they stood up in fantastic fashion, and dominated the forward battle - their pick-and-go was some of the best we've seen in some time. They completely controlled the ruck, and kept the Irish on defence for much of the game.

They also dominated the Irish scrum (Tialata stood up to play his best game in a black jersey), and had the edge in the lineouts too, which was unexpected against the likes of Paul O'Connell and Donnacha O'Callaghan. The All Blacks managed to win 4 against the throw - well done lads, a fine effort.

Richie McCaw was outstanding in defence, leading from the front and causing trouble for the Irish around the ruck. While many have been questioning his captaincy skills lately, his workload on the field is fantastic. And, he's just signed on to stay in New Zealand until the end of 2011 - first Dan Carter, and now Richie...2011 is shaping up quite nicely.

Rodney So'oialo looked at home in the number six jersey, and had an impressive work rate around the field. Jerome Kaino was quiet, although the conditions didn't help his running game. If we get dry conditions in Auckland, we'll be able to see him at full effect...goodie.

Adam Thomson had limited game time off the bench, and was unfairly penalised for collapsing the maul - one of the most stupid laws in rugby? We agree.

The Irish forwards had to work hard on defence all night, and towards the later stages of the game it began to tell.

They were out-shone in the scrum and lineouts by a more determined All Black pack, and when they used the ball...well, they looked good, but as so often happens in Northern Hemisphere rugby, they spent too much time kicking the ball away. Don't get us started...

It's no wonder the Northern team's don't want the new laws brought in - they don't like running the ball! Oops, we started...

To Ireland's credit they played a solid game, and were still in it at 11-11 with about twenty minutes to go. Once Nonu scored, they really did fade away - chasing the All Blacks is never easy, and it's something Ireland have always struggled to do.

If they can build from their loss, though, they might be able to give the Aussies a run for their money. We hope.

The backs never really got going (can't blame them, really, with the weather the way it was), although the two times the All blacks did attack they scored tries. Conrad Smith set up the first of them after a fantastic line break, leading to Sitivini Sivivatu scoring in the corner - it was his 22nd try in 22 Tests. Not bad.

Dan Carter made a break in the second half that led to Ma'a Nonu sliding over for the All Blacks second try of the night. It was a good team try, John Schwalger showing some terrific handling skills to offload a pass to Nonu.

Paddy Wallace scored Ireland's only try of the night, which was really thanks to the All Blacks terrible kickoff work. It let them down a couple of times, and needs to be remedied in the coming weeks.

The second half was dominated by the sound of Chris White's whistle (didn't he just love the sound of it?). He made some simple errors, and turned the second half into a stop start affair - not what you need when the weathers doing a good enough job of that already. Referees at this level should be of a higher standard than what we're seeing - White missed some pretty basic calls, and made others that were, quite simply, wrong. The All Blacks would be better off if they never saw an English ref again...

The sooner the new laws are introduced to Tests, the better. Faster, attacking rugby is better rugby. Try disagreeing with that - we dare you.

Over all, it was a solid start to the All Blacks campaign in 2008. Despite the miserable playing conditions, they ground out a tough win against a solid opponent. They still have plenty to work on for the English Test on Saturday, but as far as wins go - we'll take it.

England have not had the best run since the World Cup (losing to Scotland in the Six Nations?? We needn't say more...) but like so many other sides, they seem to step up against tough opposition. The All Blacks will have to be on top of their game, but if they are, and if their backs can get going...it could be a long night for the Poms, and not nearly long enough for us.

The All Blacks begin their 2008 Test season this Saturday, beginning against the Irish in Wellington.

Both teams were announced yesterday, and it really is shaping up to be a great Test. The All Blacks will want to start their season off with a bang, and Ireland will be looking to make history by beating the new-look All Blacks - a draw in 1973 is as close as they've been.

Graham Henry has chosen to go with as many Super 14 combinations as possible, which will (he hopes...) help gel the team together. It's still early days yet, but we think we'll see the coaches play around with a few different combinations - it'll take some time for the players to familiarise themselves with one another.

Crusaders teammates Andy Ellis and Dan Carter (yes folks, he's here 'til 2011), make up the halves, with Hurricanes midfielders Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith playing outside them in the centers.

With Conrad getting the nod at center, Mils Muliaina returns to fullback - forcing Leon MacDonald to the bench. Add Anthony Tuitavake (making his debut) and Sitivini Sivivatu to the backline, and the All Blacks have themselves a very attacking force.

Ireland - and England, for that matter - should be nervous.

The biggest change sees Rodney So'oialo move from his traditional position of number 8 to the blindside, replacing his long-time teammate Jerry Collins. This makes way for Jerome Kaino to return to the All Blacks after missing out on the squad last year, and it seems that the coaches have gone for the old 'smash-em-up-the-middle' approach.

Ali Williams will team up with Brad Thorn in the locking department, and they should be pretty used to that by now. They've been the two standout locks in the Super 14 this year, and they rightly deserve their selections. The fact that they are both veterans now only adds to their worth in the team.

It's a new-look front row, with Anton Oliver and Carl Hayman both in Europe, and Tony Woodcock injured and therefore unavailable for the Irish Test. This means John Afoa and Neemia Tialata will start at prop, while in-form hooker Andre Hore seals his place in the starting 15. They'll have their work cut out for them - the Irish pack has quite a formidable feel.

Anthony Boric, Adam Thomson and Stephen Donald will all make their debuts off the bench, topping off their fantastic Super 14 campaigns - good luck lads!

Here's the line up:

1. John Afoa
2. Andrew Hore
3. Neemia Tialata
4. Brad Thorn
5. Ali Williams
6. Rodney So'oialo
7. Richie McCaw (c)
8. Jerome Kaino
9. Andy Ellis
10. Dan Carter
11. Anthony Tuitavake
12. Ma'a Nonu
13. Conrad Smith
14. Sitivini Sivivatu
15. Mils Muliaina

Reserves: John Schwalger, Kevin Mealamu, Anthony Boric, Adam Thomson, Jimmy Cowan, Stephen Donald, Leon MacDonald.

Ireland have also named their starting lineup for the Test on Saturday, including 8 players from the Champion Munster team and Brian O'Driscoll as captain.

Glad Tana isn't there, Brian?

Heres their starting 15:

1. John Hayes
2. Jerry Flannery
3. Marcus Horan
4. Paul O'Connell
5. Donncha O'Callaghan
6.Denis Leamy
7. David Wallace
8. Jaime Heaslip
9. Eoin Reddan
10. Ronan O'Gara
11. Tommy Bowe
12. Luke Fitzgerald (if he gets over an ankle injury in time)
13. Brian O'Driscoll (c)
14. Shane Horgan
15. Robert Kearney

Reserves: Girvan Dempsey, Paddy Wallace, Peter Stringer, Shane Jennings, Mick O'Driscoll, Tony Buckley, Rory Best.

When I got out of bed this morning, I tuned in to Breakfast to find out the state of the England vs. New Zealand cricket Test that's currently being played at Old Trafford.

Live television coverage starts here in New Zealand at 10pm, and the day's play wraps up at about 5am. Call me uncommitted, but I headed to bed just after midnight. England had gone to lunch sitting in a comfortable position, with Strauss and Vaughan batting nicely, but still along way off what would have been a very unlikely (and record breaking, for the ground) win.

I watched the sports news, heard the result, turned the TV off, and went back to bed. It was funny, really - I'd obviously been sleep-walking, and having a nightmare at the same time, because the news had told me that England had won by 6 wickets, with a day up their sleeve.

Half an hour of trembling under the sheets later, I got out of bed and accepted that I hadn't been dreaming, and that England had actually won.

And I was late to work, too.

We here in the Attic aren't sure what happened in that Test. New Zealand had a 179-run first innings lead, and England had a ton of pressure sitting squarely on their shoulders. Yet England's bowlers stood up, and rolled the sorry-looking Black Caps for a paltry, pathetic, useless, miserable (OK, we'll stop...) 114. Terrible from New Zealand, and a spirited fightback from an English side that was staring down the barrell of a heavy loss.

Still, New Zealand were well in the drivers seat. Thanks to their first innings total, England had 294 to chase down to win the game - and they'd have to set a new highest run-chase at Old Trafford to do it, too. England might have shifted some momentum their way, but the prospect of Vettori on a crumbling pitch kept the favourites tag with New Zealand.

And maybe that's what did it. There was no underdog status to overturn. Instead, there was an expectation to fulfill - and that's something the New Zealand Test side is not at all used to.

Maybe, too, it was the heavy roller that Vaughan decided to use before play began. It certainly seemed to extinguish the Vettori-flame - he finished with the unflattering (and unhelpful, from New Zealand's perspective) figures of 1-111 from 35 overs.

The closer England got to victory, and the more solid Strauss looked on the way to his match-winning 106, the more the pressure got to New Zealand. O'Brien should have had both Collingwood and Bell, but fumbled two fairly straight-forward return catches.

And that sums up New Zealand's day...should have.

O'Brien should have taken both catches. But he wouldn't have needed to had his batsmen performed better, and set England at least 370 to win. And England should have had to score that many. Even then, New Zealand's bowlers should have been able to bowl England out for less than 294. They really, really should have.

But they didn't - England did bowl New Zealand out cheaply, they did chase down the record score, they did win, and they do take an unasailable 1-0 lead with one match remaining.

And I'm going back to bed.

Heading into the second Test, England and New Zealand were level-pegging. New Zealand, perhaps, had their noses in front - but only slightly. Either team had the opportunity to do apply pressure on day one at Old Trafford, and New Zealand was the team to do it.

At the end of the first day, shortened because of bad light, New Zealanded walked off looking comfortable on 202/4, with Ross Taylor sitting pretty on 67. And there was more to come. He pushed on in day two, and brought his second international hundred up off 130 deliveries.

He and Mills, batting at 9, combined for a demoralising 7th wicket partnership, with Mills scoring his maiden Test 50. Mills was dismissed for 57, off just 85 deliveries, and Taylor ended the innings unbeaten on 154 from 176 deliveries - a strike rate of 87.50, and an excellent innings.

New Zealand finished on 381, and then made serious inroads into the English top order. O'Brien removed both the openers, and Vettori served up 19 overs of pure pressure - and was rewarded with two wickets. Given what we saw from Vettori on a less-than-two-day-old pitch, how much of a handful will he be if this game goes the full length?

Day two ended with England on 152/4 - although one of those wickets was the night watchman, Sidebottom.

It's precarious for England. They've got a fair amount of work to do to score another 229 runs, and the momentum is definitely with New Zealand. Vettori is on top of the game, from both the perspective of the captaincy and as a bowler.

Before this series started, there was a lot of talk about playing 'exciting' and 'positive' cricket from the English camp. Funny, really - England's 152 runs so far in this match have come at a rate of 2.57 runs per over. Sure, there's been some tight bowling from New Zealand - but can we pick it up just a bit, please?

In the first match, too, England's run-rate was poor. 319 runs, at 2.86 runs an over, is hardly 'exciting'.

Compare that run-rate to the one New Zealand achieved during their 381 in the first innings - 4.2 runs per over. Compare, too, the top score (so far) from each team. With so much of the game to go, the totals (Taylor - 154, and Strauss - 60) are not entirely relevant. But the strike rates - oh boy...

Taylor scored his 154 off 176 balls, a strike rate of 87.5. Strauss's 60 came off 140 balls, at a rate of 42.85. Not exactly blistering.

Taylor faced only 36 extra deliveries in his innings than Strauss - and scored 94 more runs.

And should we even bother to look at Vaughan's strike rate of 22.55 over a period of 172 minutes? Best not to, we think.

These statistic's are astonishing. For a team to tout themselves as 'positive', and then come out and be this sluggish with their batting...

It would be understandable (almost...) against a rampant Australian attack. But England are facing, essentially, a re-built, second-string bowling attack from New Zealand. O'Brien is only in the side because Southee isn't playing - and even he is a rookie. Mills is solid, and Oram is generally reliable, but there's no real superstar amongst the seamers. Shane Bond has been lost to the cash-cow of Indian cricket, and New Zealand are yet to find a replacement that is up to his class - and will probably struggle to do so for some time.

Vettori, admittedly, is world-class, but he doesn't open the bowling. If there's ever a time to take the attack to New Zealand, it's before the slower bowlers come on. Yet, at the 31 over mark, England were 76/1, and crawling along at 2.5 runs an over. No top order collapse is needed to slow England down - they seem happy to dig in and do it themselves.

Cricket fans are used to this from England - they've never really had a flamboyant batting line-up, and slow-and-steady has generally been how they've played the game. And that would be fine...

But the fact that England started their summer with promises of positive intent - well, it's left us (and many, many English fans, we're sure) scratching our heads, and wondering -

When will the foot go down, England?

The second cricket Test between New Zealand and England starts tomorrow night (New Zealand time), and an interesting situation presents itself.

Neither team goes into the second Test with the upper hand, and neither team brings any real momentum from the first Test. Both teams had a century maker with the bat (Oram and Vaughan), and both teams had a stand-out bowler (Vettori and Sidebottom).

It was a fairly straight-forward draw for both England and New Zealand, and neither team was under any real pressure at any stage. Whilst it was a good game of Test cricket (other than the rain), we can essentially look back on it as a warm-up - because it's a two-match series now.

And so we turn to Old Trafford, and it's (traditionally) fast and bouncy pitch. The nerves of fronting up at Lords (and it's [overwhelming] Honours Board) will be gone, and it's time for both teams to get serious.

Both teams have a lot to work on. New Zealand's top order is still a concern (give us strength...), and England's middle order showed signs of vulnerability in the first Test that should worry them. Both teams had solid bowling performances, but there's no doubt that both teams could improve here.

Southee's been hit by a virus and is in doubt for the second Test, and Hoggard (broken thumb - cheers, Harmy) has been replaced in the squad by Chris Tremlett. Tremlett would be an interesting prospect on the bouncy Old Trafford pitch, but it'll be hard for England to change the team that performed so solidly at Lords.

Iain O'Brien and Michael Mason will fight for Southee's position if he's unavailable, and whilst he didn't set the world on fire at Lord's, it would be a huge blow to New Zealand if he can't play. Southee is young and inexperienced, but he has real all-round potential. He gets good pace and bounce with the ball, and with the bat...well, 77 off 40 deliveries on debut says it all, really. The Black Cap's coaching staff will want to develop and progress that talent as soon as possible...

...so you'll just have to get better, Tim.

Win this Test, and you can't lose the series - that'll be the message to both teams, and with such a solid start to the series both England and New Zealand will be looking to take things to the next level.

And that, sports fans, can only be good for us.

...because it really has ruined what would have turned out to be an absorbing first cricket Test between England and New Zealand at Lords. Like any good International Test the match has swung both ways and, had London been spared the rain, an entrallining final day would have been on the cards. As it stands, however (world-record heroics from either side withstanding), the final day (rain or not) looks to be a write-off. New Zealand are sitting at a comfortable 40/0, just 2 runs behind England's first innings total of 319, and will look to bat for as much of the day as possible. With a result an extremely unlikely outcome, it's time to look at the individual performances from the match so far, and look forward to the rest of the [rain-uninteruppted, please] series.

New Zealand's first innings batting was - well - not good. It could potentially have been worse, but the real test for New Zealand was always going to be how the new-look top order held up.

And it didn't.

Redmond was perhaps (who are we kidding - he was) overwhelmed by the occasion, and a 5-ball duck ensued. New Zealand's other opener, How, managed only 7 runs, and a familiar tale then followed for New Zealands top order. Marshall scratched out 24, and Taylor's innings of 19 can only be described with a wry smile, and as 'interesting'.

Cue another familar tale from New Zealand - a middle-lower order wag. McCullum, fresh from the shores of India and the excitement of the IPL, played 'within himself' to score a gutsy 97 from 97 balls. Yes - we said 'within himself'. Oram and Vettori both contributed, with Vettori falling 2 short of another Test 50.

Statistically, there's yet more familiarity for New Zealand - the top 4 batsmen managed just 50 runs (an average of 12.5) between them, with the next 4 batsmen scoring 182 (averaging 45.5 each). A fantastic statistic from the perspective of the middle order, but when you consider that extra's contributed 34 runs (16 short of New Zealand's top 4) - it's a real worry.

James Anderson began the rot, and finished with 3-66. Sidebottom, though, finished off the pesky New Zealand tail and ended with the excellent, excellent figures of 4-55 - at an economy rate of 1.94. Justifiably Englands Player of the Year for 2007? We think so.

Interestingly - very interestingly - England's scorecard reads almost the opposite to New Zealand's.

England's top 4 - 233 runs between them at an average of 58.25. Compare that to New Zealand's top 4 total of 50 runs, and the New Zealand players involved have some personal examination ahead.

England's next 4, however - a total of just 47. That's an average of just 11.75 runs per wicket for England's middle order, with Bell, Collingwood and Ambrose all failing to put anything meaningful on the board.

It's funny, really - as much of a problem New Zealand has with their top order, we here in the Attic think England's problem is worse. New Zealand usually don't get themselves into a position of dominance with the bat, and so when the middle-lower order fire it's an encouraging fightback - it ends the innings on a positive note for New Zealand, and an innings like McCullum's (and, to a lesser extent, Vettori's) does a good job of demoralising an opposing team who probably feel like they're making speedy inroads.

Woe betide the English fan, however, who see's 230 runs put on by the top 3, only to see the other 8 batsmen score 66 between them. All that expectation - dashed. That fantatsic postion that effectively had New Zealand on the ropes - lost. England were in a position to score in excess of 400, and put themselves at least 150 runs ahead of New Zealand - and lump a whole lot of pressure on them, too. At this stage, with New Zealand at 40/0 - well, they'd still be over 100 runs off Englands first innings total, and there'd actually be pressure on them going into the last day. Instead, the two sides are effectively starting day 5 from scratch, with a draw the only real result possible. Sure, with the amount of rain that has fallen on Lord's in the past few days, a draw was probably the only likely result anyway. But that's the point we're making - when you're short on time in a match, pressure is everything. And England have failed to capitalise on a potentially pressurising position.

Top marks to Vaughan, though - a fantastic century under real pressure. Not from a match perspective - his opening pair made sure his position was a comfortable one. But from a career perspective - Vaughan has silenced (if only temporarily) those critics who have been calling for an end to his reign. There were glimpses of the Vaughan that any cricket fan would pay to watch, and those glimpses are extremely encouraging signs for the England side - especially with a series against South Africa to come this year.

Strauss and Cook, too, deserve a mention. Both scored in the 60's, and laid the foundation for their captain to play his dominant hand. Strauss is another one who is under real career-pressure, and he continues his surge back towards his best.

New Zealand's bowling - Daniel Vettori, take your hat off. After an innings of 48 that steadied the batting ship, he took 5-69 in the second phase of his captain's hand - his best bowling figures against England and, along with Vaughan, he writes himself onto the Lord's Honours Board.

Martin and the young Tim Southee bowled well, and provided Vettori the pressure he didn't necessarily need, but certainly used. Oram, too, bowled well - that nagging, undriveable length bagging him 2-45.

And finally - Stuart Broad. What a talent England have uncovered, and what an exciting prospect for the future of cricket. He showed glimpses of real class with the bat and ball and, with some experience and maturity, is sure to become a fantastic allrounder for England in the coming years.

So, all freak-occurences aside on the final day - we now cast our eyes towards the second Test, starting on May 23rd.

Some serious questions need to be asked - by both teams - before that match gets underway. Can New Zealand find a way to solidify their top order, and provide a proper platform for their powerful and effective middle order to launch from? Can England make the most of their in-form top order, and push on towards a big score, rather than a solid one?

What are your thoughts, sports fans??

As we look forward (and I mean, really look forward) to the first cricket Test between England and New Zealand at Lords, pause for a moment and spare a thought for two players - Aaron Redmond and James Marshall.


28 year old Redmond makes his International Test debut tonight (New Zealand time) on the biggest stage in cricket - a Test Match against England at Lords. Not only has he been handed the job of solidifying the long-term weakness of New Zealand's top-order batting (thanks, John) - he has to do it against an English team rearing to go at the start of their summer. And did we mention that it's at Lords?

And Marshall, too - spare him a thought. He'll be thrust into the number 3 position, another major on-going weakness for New Zealand - although his job might be made easier by the water-tight technique of Redmond.

Daniel Flynn, the hard-hitting Northern Districts rookie, also makes his Test debut - although coming in down the order will mean less initial pressure on him. He'll be hoping New Zealand have finally found an answer to their top order woes - with a solid foundation, Flynn has the potential to have an exciting impact coming in at 6. Throw into that middle order the returning Oram and, of course, the explosive McCullum, and we could have some exciting Test cricket ahead.

If the top order can manage to get to double figures, that is.

England, whilst missing the services of Flintoff, will field a very strong side - and New Zealand should be concerned.

Sidebottom was nothing short of spectacular during the tour to New Zealand, and with the confidence of 'England Player of the Year 2007' behind him, he's sure to make life very difficult for the New Zealand batsmen.

England's top order batting looks more-than-solid. With Strauss, Cook, Vaughan, Pietersen, Bell and Collingwood forming a nice blend of attack and defense in the top 6, it's hard to see how New Zealand's bowling attack is going to make significant in-roads.

And, if they do, they've learned the hard way that England's middle-lower order is no longer the fragile, splintered tail that it was.

Mentally, this match will be both tough but exciting for New Zealand. They've won 8 (yes, 8) out of the 91 Tests thay've played against England, but one of those, possibly New Zealand's greatest Test victory ever, came at Lord's in 1999. Could that be the motivation New Zealand need to turn true underdog status into their 9th Test win against England?

Chris Martin won't need any extra motivation, though - his young bowling partner, Tim Southee, has scored more runs than him in a single Test innings. Come on, Chris - it's time to get that avearge above 3.

He's one to watch, is Martin - if he decides he does want that average up, things could get very, very explosive.