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Press “F5” get OBO updates. Most recent at top. Comment here, or mail freak@sportsfreak.co.nz Summary A good win for The England there, and the game in Napier should be a cracker (yes, we will be covering that one) The difference turned out to be the NZ middle-order collapse. Losing How and Ryder in successive overs was the killer blow. That exposed Styris who is clearly not giving a toss, and Fulton who has lost all form and confidence too early. Still, the fightback from Oram and Vettori gave the hosts some hope, but the meltdown from Hitchcock, who will never play again, proved crucial. Then there was the performance of the soon to be anointed Lord Collingwood of Durham, who shwed true class and leadership in guiding HMS England through to victory. By the way, Sri Lanka are well placed in Perth in the Adam Gilchrist hometown Testimonial Match. England 229/4; 44 overs Well it took them the whole over, but they got the 3 runs. Fittingly, the noble Collingwood gets the winning runs; 70* n 50 balls to alongside his 3 wickets. A deserver win set up by a good early bowling spell from golden-hair and an all too familiar middle-order collapse. The series is still alive. Like a drunk sheep, in the distance we hear the familiar siren of “Enger-land, Enger-land” etc.. England 226/4; 43 overs Hitchcock, most probably playing in his last ever ODI, bowls a no-ball chest-high full toss which goes for 6. The Free Hit goes for 2, and the following ball goes for a boundary; both shots over Hitch’s head. Then it is a reverse sweep for another boundary. Improbably, Hitch then bowls his last 3 deliveries at this level for no further pain, and we are getting one more over. And it is Oram… PCMBE has to be the Hero tonight. We wonder what award he will get for that… England 208/4; 42 overs Collingwood is definitely earning his nobility here, and is managing the chase well. He gives himself some room outside leg to put the Balding Mills through the covers. Then he hoiks the inevitable follow-up bad ball out past Fulton for 4 more. He has his 50. England will not lose from here. Remember where you read it first. 14 off the over. England 194/4; 41 overs That was a good spell from Coldplay, until the knee-high full toss on leg stump from the final ball, which Paul Collingwood helps on its way over a short boundary. If England hold their heads they will do this in a canter. England 184/4; 40 overs “CATCHET” says the keeper who has been let loose with the crayons. But it falls short of the fieldsman. But the fieldsman was Fulton; they are picking him out well now. Only 7 overs to go now. If England hold their heads they will do this in a canter. England 179/4; 39 overs Coldplay is back, and it is one of those single-a-ball kind of overs. Somewhere in England, Gary Naylor has woken up. “England have selected this XI specifically to deliver 80 or so off 70 balls with five wickets down. It also allows some freedom to Colly and Shah to bat aggressively knowing there's batsmen to come. If we lose from here, it's time to pack up and go home.” Gary, you can not do that. We have not had a proper test here since Saddam Hussein was still alive; you can not do that. England 173/4; 38 overs The run rate is over a run a ball for the first time. And for the first time today, there is a misfield in the outfield Sadly, it is by Fulton who looks so low on confidence at the moment. It might be doing him a favour to send him back to domestic cricket for the next week. Just as the pressure builds, Collingwood chips Mills over mid-wicket for 4. He is the key to this. England 167/4; 37 overs This Vetto
So what is likely to happen? Despite the triumphalism of Hamilton the odds are still even. For the visitors, surely, surely the Perth Sri Lankan will come in for the comedy clown Bopara. Bell, Anderson and Swann will probably retain their places although Anderson will need to grow up a bit. He has been as important a part of the dreamlike Cult Hero status of Ryder as having NZ’s most hated ex-cricketer bagging him has been. Ryder may have his deficiencies, but putting away medium paced bouncers on leg stump are not amongst them. For the hosts, recent history would suggest that Patel will play, if only because he missed out in The Tron. We will also keep our ear to the ground, and bring any breaking news about today’s player retirements as they arise. Note OBO updates during the first innings of this match will not quite be OBO; they’ll be every 3rd over or so. After the change of innings, and Jessie has had his sandwich of ham and must,,, it will be back to OBO fare.
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