I've already been on the phone to the ECB offering my services as mentor to Golden Child during both Ashes series.

It is quite amazing what happens when he stops trying to be this 'enforcer' character and aims to hit the top of off-peg. I mean, who knew that would be successful?


Problems for NZ with Watling and Martin out of the second Test. Looks like Guptill back in with McCullum taking the gloves and Dan Vettori in for his first Test in almost a year.

Bell recovered, England squad unchanged.

England's last three wickets knocked over in the first half hour with the ball moving about this morning.

Eng 354 All Out.

Frankly, this is pathetic from Cook.

England seem intent on just batting the game out. No wonder fans are drifting away from Test cricket when it serves up this sort of torpor

Just because England got the win doesn't mean that the way they got it was right. 350 was more than NZ were ever going to get, then the game ends on Monday and nobody frets about the weather yesterday. Cook following a long-line of uber-conservative captains.

He'd fit in at Lancs.

Someone needs to explain to the England top order that this isn't Test cricket any more.

Going to end up giving Buttler - the one lad who can take a game away in a flash - about 10 balls. Should have been in ahead of Ravi-Bop

Close. He got 16 balls.

Managed to smash 47 off them mind. Imagine what he could have done if he'd come in at 5 or 6.

Told you he could turn a game...
Some of the shots were incredible. The one where he set himself for the flick over fine-leg, the bowler followed him and he flicked it over short third man instead... what the actual bejaysus?
Kudos too to young Rooty for his first ODI wicket, trapping Kane Williamson lbw with a cock-botherer.

I'd forgotten about the pair of t20s we've got against NZ. 25th and 27th of this month, apparently.
Pietersen is back for the second of them. Morgan to captain, Barry Gallons called up.

So the Saffer is back, the Irishman is captain and the Zimbabwean gets called up.

Having an empire once upon a time is really starting to pay off for us now, isn't it?

How does Dirtbag keep getting selected???

The great philosophical question of the age.