Live Test Match Blogging / Ed Hawkins / 15 May 2008 / 5

Ed Hawkins blogs from Lord's as the first Test of the summer gets underway.

17.20 MATCH DRAWN
It was fitting that this first Test was brought to an end by more grim light, which has cast a shadow over Test cricket's reputation since the first day. In an era when Twenty20 threatens its popularity the five-day game was desperate for an exciting finish, although the fact that the ground was only a quarter full if there had been one was another damning indictment. The pulse never raised because England, two quick wickets aside just after lunch, never really looked capable of gathering enough momentum to carry them to an unlikely victory. And in the end they may have been grateful for Saturday being such a washout - with New Zealand's lead at 227 with four wickets left, a challenging total could have been set for the hosts if there had been more time. That is something for punters to focus on for the rest of the series. New Zealand have shown plenty of fight in this Test, not least in the first innings when they defied England's bowlers to post a decent score. England, who are [1.27 to win the series with New Zealand [8.4] and the draw [4.5], will be pleased to head to Manchester on Friday for the second Test where their bowlers will get more out of the pitch. That is if they can get on the field. It's grim up north, too.

17.05 New Zealand 269-6
McCullum has returned and departed again, which banishes any doubt about his participation in the second Test at Old Trafford, which starts on Friday. There are some black clouds behind us here and it would be a blessing if everyone was put out of their misery. By the way, for those who need Tufnell's comments earlier being put into context, have a look at this https://youtube.com/watch?v=amAv9uOh2cM&feature=related

16.42 New Zealand 252-4
Jacob Oram has just gone to his fifth Test century with a dreamy cover drive. His second 50 came in just 53 balls. It underlines what England are up against in this series, even if these last few overs are meaningless in terms of this match. New Zealand's strength is in their middle and lower order and if England do not get at them earlier enough when batting is still tricky, they could suffer a more frustrating afternoons like this one.

16.21 New Zealand 213-4
We have a winner! Not in this Test of course but for worse international fielder. Simon's emailed this link. https://youtube.com/watch?v=iGqTayhu5QM "The best bit is when the guy throws him the ball from two yards and he drops it," he says. And while on the subject of mickey-taking, we couldn't be without this guy https://youtube.com/watch?v=4xD3ESrwnzs&feature=related

16.05 New Zealand 200-4
Play has resumed. A minimum of 24 overs will have to be bowled, I understand, before they can call it a draw. New Zealand lead by 158. It would take something quite remarkable now for there to be a result. So just for fun, England [230] and New Zealand [610].

15.45 New Zealand 199-4 TEA
GeordieRacer has emailed a video of a hilarious Monty effort in the field. Watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSPJzStGmk4 He also says: "a couple of years back there was a spin bowler for the West Indies called Omari Banks (thanks to my colleague for name) and the commentators, and some of his team-mates, found his bad fielding quite hilarious. Bet it would have been different if he were an Aussie!" No offers on the draw now. Game off!

15.25 New Zealand 179-4
Gooders has been on the email (hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk) to suggest Bobby Peel was a "piss poor" fielder. For those of who you don't know who Peel was, he was a fine England all-rounder but was best remembered for being banned from playing for Yorkshire in 1897 by Lord Hawke after taking to the field drunk and then urinating on the pitch. "Lord Hawke put his arm round me and helped me off the ground ... and out of first-class cricket cricket," Peel said. "What a gentleman".

15.08 New Zealand 162-4
Not breaking news ... McCullum has not suffered a break and there is no decision on if he will bat again.

15.06 New Zealand 162-4
With 60 overs gone, the game is slipping away from England. On past averages - which wasn't good enough anyway - they should have had five wickets by now. Okay, effectively they are five down with McCullum injured but we'll do things by the book thanks very much. They are out to [20] now. On the subject of who the worst fielder ever to have played Test cricket, it was rather fitting that just as I was typing that last post, Phil Tufnell appeared on my shoulder. Incredibly he had the gall to criticise an England man for fumbling. He'll be positively spitting now as the slips have missed a chance given by Oram.

14.52 New Zealand 150-4
There was going to be a quiz question set today but because the cricket is still interesting, we'll stick to all things bat and ball. Instead, let's have a heated debate - although I'm not sure how hotly disputed this one will be. Simon wants to know whether Monty Panesar is the worst fielder to have ever played Test cricket? "He can't throw the ball - it's totally pathetic. Why hasn't someone told him to flex his wrist?" Avoiding all gags about learning to flex his wrist in the bathroom as a teenager, let me know your views at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

14.33 New Zealand 134-4
I'm alarmed to report that news has reached me that Phil Tufnell has used the phrase 'game on' on Test Match Special. Tut, tut, Tuffers. Anyway, what is Tufnell doing on such a programme renowned for gravitas? I remember many years back when I ghosted a column for the great man and he was tremendously tricky to coax copy gold from. Once I phoned him to take his views for a piece and he was doing the washing up. Half way through he dropped the phone in the bowl. And when I got hold of him again, I asked 'what do you think the series score will be?' 'Well, we are always win at Headingley don't we?' 'They're not playing at Headingley' I replied. McCullum has gone to hospital for an x-ray.

14.12 New Zealand 120-4
McCullum, with his aggressive style, could be described as a player who follows the mantra "all power to your elbow". If so, he could be in trouble here. He looks in a spot of bother after taking a nasty blow on the elbow from Broad. England's price has dipped slightly as we wait to see if he can continue . . . yep he's retiring hurt. Down comes England's price from [5.5] to [4.9]. Now, most observes will say 'let's hope he's ok' and 'no one likes to see that'. Let's not kid ourselves that punters all over the land who have backed England are absolutely rubbing their hands with glee. Maybe even doing a little jig. Or giving two fingers to the television saying 'Ha! Ha! Take that McCullum! You won't stop me winning a hundred quid'.

13.58 New Zealand 118-4
Stuart Broad has bucked the trend with England's second wicket in nine overs. And look at that England price come down on the match odds! Chopped in half from [11.0] to [5.1]. It's not McCullum though, it's How. Unfortunate that he has a surname which presupposes he has lost his wicket. How? Caught Cook bowled Broad 68. There are 69 overs left today.

13.53 New Zealand 115-3
Just finished my pudding. Pecan pie. Amazingly that was the first time I've had it. Ever. And I guess in the next few minutes I'll discover if I have a nut allergy given I've just chomped down about ten walnuts. Call 999 if I start posting absolute gobbledegook. People with nut allergies are fascinating, aren't they? They roll around on the floor, froth at the mouth and have puffy faces. My brother's wife has one (an allergy, not a puffy face) and it is serious enough for her to carry around the antidote (not sure that's the right word, it's not like she's been bitten by a cobra). Anyway, it hasn't impacted adversely on their marriage. In fact, they're probably happier because of it. Every time she nags him he threatens to force feed her a Snickers.

13.14 New Zealand 113-3 LUNCH
There'll be a few tummies rumbling at lunch because there is still tension in this game. Sorry to sound like a broken record but the key to a result really is England taking wickets in groups. For example a couple of wickets in the first few overs after the break could see their price halved, particularly if one of them is Brendon McCullum, who could very quickly take the game away from England. He has been playing in his usual aggressive style, which may not worry England too much. Just before the break he decided to wander across his stumps to attempt to flick a Stuart Broad ball to leg and was fortunate that he was outside the line when struck on the pad. This match has not died yet. England [9.2], draw [1.12].

New Zealand 109-3
The interesting thing about the third wicket was that it fell in the 35th over. What's so fascinating about that you say? Well, our stats show that a wicket falls every 12 overs in the third innings at HQ over the last five Tests. So it was only one over out. England need to take wickets more regularly. If the trend continues there won't be enough overs in the day given there are 75 left. England will have to take wickets twice as quickly to give themselves a chance. They are [7.2] at the moment.

12.45 New Zealand 99-3
Agreed Geordie Racer, Game On was never the same again when the original Matt left. Who can forget the immortal line when he accused Martin of being a Judas. "You ... you ... Judith!" The great shame was that Ben Chaplin, the original Matt, clearly reckoned Game On was beneath him but went on to make the truly appalling film The Truth About Cats and Dogs, which, hold on to your sides, was full of "hilarious misunderstandings and unintentional deception". Unintentionally deceived was about how most viewers felt after watching it. Panesar has snared Taylor by the way.

12.28 New Zealand 79-2
GeordieRacer says: "Couldn't agree more about that "game on" comment, although it was a cracking sitcom. Was disappointed when they replaced Ben Chaplin with that other geezer, though. Has anyone noticed that the ginger guy from Game On is now in the Enterprise Car Rental Ads? Hard life being an actor."

12.07 New Zealand 72-2
Michael Vaughan's desire for wickets in clusters when you look at the record of the bowling team in the third innings in the last five Tests at Lord's. Only two sides have been bowled out. One of those was Sri Lanka who batted for a whopping 199 overs in May 2006. Over that period a wicket has fallen every 12.2 overs, which would not be good enough for England today. With 26 overs gone and two wickets down, the trend is continuing.

11.51 New Zealand 55-2
Game on. That has to be one the most vomit-inducing sayings in modern society don't you think? It's reserved for those who have neither the intelligence nor the wit to come up with something original when there is a seismic shift in a sporting contest's proceedings. Of course there's a game on, we know that otherwise we wouldn't be watching. If Sidebottom hadn't just removed James Marshall, they wouldn't have abandoned the match would they? Anyway, England are in to [7.4] now. But the really interesting thing is that England, who have been grumpy because it hasn't been swinging, insisted the umpires change the ball - just like New Zealand did yesterday - and hey presto, with the first ball of the new one Marshall was trapped in front.

11.29 New Zealand 47-1
Aaron Redmond has edged Anderson to Strauss at slip. England's price fell from [22] to [11] after that wicket. Interesting to note that Anderson (Nursery) and Sidebottom (Pavilion) have switched ends from last night, hoping they can get more movement. Now, let's see if England take wickets in clusters like Vaughan has asked ...

11.18 New Zealand 43-0
The draw has just got shorter - [1.05] now. I wonder if those taking the cash are aware that potentially there could be another 94 overs bowled today. That's an awful lot of cricket. Certainly England are capable of bowling the Kiwis out in 55 or so of those to leave them with a run chase. The questions that need to be answered are: will the ball swing for England this morning? Michael Vaughan said last night he was disappointed the new ball didn't bend like New Zealand's second cherry. And, would England go for a total if they needed five an over?

11.09 New Zealand 40-0
One rather innocuous over in from Ryan Sidebottom and the excitement levels have dropped further. This has the potential to be quite a dull day if England do not take wickets "in clusters" as Michael Vaughan said. But do not fret, there will be plenty of entertainment here. I'll come up with quizzes, amusing anecdotes and interesting stats. And if that doesn't work I'm even prepared to nip down to nearby Kilburn to buy some mind altering drugs and see what effect that has on the blog. Email me at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk. For the record, these are the prices: England [12], New Zealand [260] and the draw [1.09].

DAY FIVE 10.56 New Zealand 40-0
It's New Zealand's to lose at a sunny and empty HQ here today. So who better to sum up the situation than Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, who had this to say last night: "Yeah, I suppose dangers lurk -we haven't batted as well as we could have in Tests. First session will be important, not as important as the 16 overs tonight though. I thought Jamie How and Aaron Redmond handled that well, it was a real confidence builder for the dressing room. If they can do that in the first session tomorrow and do the same sort of thing it probably kills the game because realistically the only way both teams can be drawn into it is if we bat poorly."

19.05 New Zealand 40-0 CLOSE
England's lead has almost been eroded and as a consequence they can be found at [11] on the match odds market. The quick wickets they had hoped for tonight just didn't come - nor did they look like doing so - so tomorrow morning they must come, and fast, if those odds are going to shrink. If the Kiwis can survive the first ten overs, there is probably no way back for England. I'll be back here tomorrow anyway, hoping for some excitement. Do join in the fun again.

18.45 New Zealand 26-0
Monty Panesar has had three appeals for leg before turned down, two of them justifiably. The other looked stone dead against Redmond. And bless him, poor Monty looked as though he was about to cry when Taufel shook his head.

18.24 New Zealand 17-0
The New Zealand openers, How and Redmond, are having a comfortable time of it at the moment. Only one play and miss so far in five overs. Sidebottom has been the worse culprit -too often the batsman has not needed to play shot

18.03 New Zealand 0-0
Of course we should also bear in mind that if NZ are offered the light, they'll grab it

17.55 England 319
England have a lead of 42 and the market makes them [5.6] for a victory. It would certainly be unlikely one. However, that price could come down quite dramatically.The New Zealand top four is shaky because of a mixture on inexperience and poor form and they have a tricky spell to survive tonight. Again, let's try and think what the situation could be in 20 minutes time. New Zealand 10 for two? What is for sure is that England will come out and give it a real go.

17.40 England 317-8
Make of this what you will, but as soon as Vaughan reached his century the sun broke through the grey clouds above the Grandstand, allowing him to bask for a moment. His celebration seemed to involve quite a lot of relief. No fist pumping, or joyous leap, just his bat raised, high, fast and straight - as if he was imagining ramming the words of his critics above him in the press box. Sidebottom is out, bringing Monty Panesar to the crease.

17.30 England 300-7
Inevitably, it is getting slightly gloomier at Lord's. The wind is blowing some darker clouds in from the east and one can see the lights in the pavilion and hospitality boxes. However, as the cheers rings round for England passing 300, it would be quite astonishing if England were to take the light. Having failed to make use of the new ball (again) New Zealand cannot hope to win and England know it. There are 23 overs still to be bowled tonight, which could bring some entertaining quick runs for the hosts or a tricky spell for the Kiwi batsmen.

17.15 England 290-7
Michael Vaughan is approaching what would be a cathartic century given the strain he is under. He has 88. It will be his 18th Test ton, his sixth as captain and his 13th in England.

16.50 England 269-7
Given my previous with Bumble, I'll have to plump - no pun intended - for Beefy. After all, I overheard him getting overexcited in the dining area. "Let me tell you, er, right, that, er, there's more chance of ducks and pigs flying over this stadium . . ." Now I'm no expert on ornithology - although I was a member of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds when a nipper (how sad, thank Christ I got into betting) - but the last time I checked, I thought ducks had flight pretty much taped. Broad is out, by the way, for a breezy 25.

16.40 England 261-6
Gooders has been in touch with this offering: "Speaking of Bumble - he's just dropped a massive clanger on Sky. Comparing dismissals of Collingwood and Ambrose to Vettori (one a standard slow left armer and the other a quicker ball) he started a quiz question about which ball was the quickest. There was a clue at the bottom of the screen which showed the quicker ball was 2mph, er, quicker, but Bumble carried on insisting it was the other way around - much to the amusement of Athers and Nass. Still, it begs a trickier cricket speed question. Who is slower? Bumble or Beefy?" What do you reckon? - hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

16.31 England 255-6
I feel it is my duty to report that Barry Richards, the former great South Africa batsman, has had his hair cut. Or should that be sliced. For when Barry lets it grow, it looks as though he has a loaf of bread on his head. Such was my fascination, and indeed my flat mate's, with Barry and his farmhouse white that we formed the 'Bread Head Fan Club'. Barry is only vice-president, however. The crown of bread-head king goes to Trevor Penney who has small bakery on his bonce. Back to serious matters, Michael Vaughan has gone to the top of the top-bat chart with 65.

16.00 England 239-6 TEA
Barring Trent Bridge, Lord's is the only ground where the written press and television/radio commentators share the same dining facilities. So you get used to standing next to Sir Ian Botham in the luncheon queue or eavesdropping on a conversation between Geoffrey Boycott and David Lloyd. I had a brief chat with Bumble just now -over the size of the tea plates, actually - which is always a pleasure because we got off on the wrong foot a few years back. In a column in the Racing Post I suggested his eyebrows could be tied together like shoelaces. He didn't take it well. "Say that to me in a pub and you'd have to be carried out". I apologised, of course. Everything's fine between us now although I doubt if we'll ever go for a pint.

15.32 England 233-6
The new ball has been taken, which could help New Zealand finish off England without conceding a lead. However, they must bowl better with the second cherry than the first. It took them 40 overs to get their first wicket.

15.21 England 223-6
I've got the calculator out and come up with the following scenario for how New Zealand can win: if England are bowled out for parity with, say, 30 overs remaining today New Zealand would have to score at four or more an over to set England 260 to win in, give or take, 50 overs on the final day. It would represent a gamble by Daniel Vettori but he has had a punt before. Remember he set England 300 to win in the first Test in March. It paid off. They bowled them out in just under 55 overs. However, I'd say [50] is about right a Kiwi comeback. Other news here is that Vaughan has his 50 (told you he was a pressure player ) and that Ambrose may not have been offering a shot.

15.11 England 212-6
Looking at Ambrose's dismissal again on television it has to be said that Simon Taufel has made a terrible rick. He was struck well outside the line and it is a mystery as to how the umpire has raised his finger. No matter, life would be terribly dull if no-one ever made a mistake. How would Sir Alan ever fire any one on The Apprentice for example? It must also be written that England's struggles will do little to cheer those hoping for a positive result. Realistically, only a big, and fast, total from the hosts today could have prevented the draw. I'm going to go away now and see if I can come up with a scenario as to how the Kiwis can win.

15.00 England 208-6
Well, I take it all back about what I said of Collingwood's scoring rate. He is positively racing along with a strike rate of 50 . . . not any more he's not. Daniel Vettori has had him caught at slip. England [5.5]for victory and the Kiwis [60] . . .oooh, hang on Tim Ambrose has gone first ball now. We've real excitement here. New Zealand cut again to [46]. I can't type fast enough to keep.

14.47 England 203-4
Vaughan needs another five runs for his highest score this summer against proper opposition and another 25 to surpass Strauss, who is [1.63] for top-bat honours. Vaughan is [2.30]. The England captain might just have had the slice of luck often required for a big score. He looked to be plum leg before against Chris Martin, but, rather cannily, fooled umpire Steve Bucknor into thinking he was hit outside the line.
* Please send any comments or questions to hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

14.20 England 180-4
Following on from the point made at lunch, and the rather hopeful statistic that if England increased their run rate to 3.5 they could boast a lead of 135, it is worth noting that England have actually slowed down. Before lunch the run rate was 2.8. Now it's 2.2. The wicket of Ian Bell will not help, either. Paul Collingwood is in now and we can expect a pretty strokeless afternoon if he remains at the crease. Indeed, expect the draw price to dip well below the [1.22] on offer current. England are out to [5.5] now and New Zealand - remember when we were confused about the [120] - are available at [60].
* Please send any comments or questions to hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

14.00 England 175-3
I had a wander around the ground at lunch. There was an overriding sense that a lot of spectators got up awfully early this morning to get to the ground - because they must have got dressed in the dark. Trousers of lime green, pink and mauve were all spotted. Plus, one chap wearing a red, black and orange striped number. He must have risen before everyone given he was decided to come in his pyjamas.

13.00 England 160-3 LUNCH
Players don't think like punters. We will be thinking 'why aren't England scoring more quickly and going for the win?' In the dressing-room they will be thinking 'nice and steady, lads'. The reason for the difference of opinion is because England's first job is to ensure they do not lose this Test. And the wicket of Kevin Pietersen just before the break will have reinforced that view. Indeed, you could argue that Pietersen's dismissal has done as much as the poor light on day one to consign this game to a draw. England will need to score quickly for the rest of the day to give them a chance of getting themselves in a winning position. Without KP, their best and quickest scorer, that possibility is more remote. Come to terms now with the fact that there will be no recklessness after lunch, nor further down the line will there be a generous declaration. The best-case scenario for draw layers is that, over the rest of the day, England increase their run rate from the current 2.8 to 3.5 which would give them a total of 412 and a lead of 135 before the close. Then they would declare. But then I might be guilty of thinking like a punter there.

12.50 England 152-2
Just a word about Michael Vaughan. There has been a lot of talk about the England captain being out of form and (heresy!) how he's not worth his place in the team. Yet his first-class average for Yorkshire is not quite as bad as the headlines may have led you to believe. It's 31.66, which although not good is certainly respectable. I know I had a little pop earlier, but what is most surprising about the hype surrounding Vaughan's form is that he has never had a good record in county cricket. Even before he had played for England, he didn't score the runs he should have and people pointed to that as a reason for him not wearing the Three Lions. When he made his Test debut in South Africa before the end of 1999, Vaughan had averaged just 27 in first-class cricket for Yorkshire that season. But what Duncan Fletcher, the coach at the time, had spotted was an international-class temperament. He was a player who could thrive under pressure. Vaughan is under pressure for runs today. I reckon he'll get some. He's available to back at [4] for top England bat.

12.40 England 148-2
Andrew Strauss has been trapped leg before by Jacob Oram for 63 just as a person sat behind me here said it was "full your boots time". Kevin Pietersen strides to the crease. He is [2.04] to score a 50 and given he averages 80 at Lord's that price may attract some interest. KP will be extra keen for runs today to boost his Indian Premier League valuation. The word on the grapevine is that is the Mumbai franchise who are desperate to sign him, although for considerably less than the $4m fee which has been touted.

12.06 England 125-1
We've lost 153.2 overs and 559 minutes in this game because of the weather. So why do the players, after just over an hour's work, need a little breaky-wakey so they can have a drinky-winky? In the words of Allan Border "It's not a f****** tea party".

11.50 England 121-1
Cook has edged behind from Chris Martin. And it just shows what a difference a wicket makes to the market. From a whopping [200] New Zealand have come right in to [110]. They will fancy another one, too with Michael Vaughan walking to the crease. Did anyone see Vaughan's performance on day one in a Sky piece trying to take off Dragon's Den? Vaughan was pitching for the support of Test cricket. Ooooh it was tremendously clever. Vaughan was wooden, uninspired and unsure. Just like his batting so far this season.

11.41 England 105-0
The 100 partnership between the composer and the chef is their first together after 23 attempts. Their previous best was the 95 for the first wicket against India in Nagpur. By the way, please feel free to email me at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk.

11.09 England 91-0
Despite only two runs being added, New Zealand have drifted to [120]. Er, why? Has to be worth a nibble. Bear in mind that although Cook and Strauss look well set in terms of the runs they have next to their names, they're starting from scratch in terms of seeing the ball, working out the pitch and confidence and concentration levels.

11.01 England 89-0
We've waited three days for weather like this. It is a beautiful day for batting. And HQ is packed and partisan. So wouldn't it be typical of England to make a mess of things? Even though New Zealand have bowled poorly, it is questionable whether they should be as big as [90]. When betting in-running it is always important to think 'what could be the score in five overs time?' If you reckon the Kiwis might have prised a couple out, then there is no harm risking a small interest on those big odds. If you are right, you'll be able to take a small profit.

10.55 DAY FOUR
On the tube home last night I was faced with one of the most awkward situations a man can find himself in. I was sat next to a girl who began crying uncontrollably. The noises she was making were quite incredible. She blubbered like a coffee percolator. And made the gurgling sound you get when trying to suck the last dregs of a banana milkshake through a straw. What does one do? Sit there and pretend you haven't noticed? The lucky bloke opposite had his ipod in so had an excuse. God I wished I was him. Do I offer her a tissue? Say 'there, there it'll be all right', sentiments which could be entirely hollow if her whole family had just fallen down a mineshaft. Finally, I found a solution. "Look," I said. "If you've laid the draw at Lord's, there's still plenty of time left. I mean, 180 overs!" It didn't work. But she'll be happy this morning. The sun is out, the sky is blue. Lord's is a picture. Almost brings a tear to the eye.

16.50 England 89-0 - PLAY ABANDONED FOR DAY
That's all she wrote........sorry everyone, there will be no more play today as the rain has returned and they have called it off. To be honest it's more of a relief than anything - all the hanging on was doing no one any good, least of all the spectators, all two of them who were left braving it. Thanks for your company today, and you'll be pleased to know Ed Hawkins will be back on Sunday. The weather forecast is much better for Sunday and Ed will talk you through it all. For the record, the draw is now [1.28], England are [4.8] and a New Zealand win is [80]. Bye for now.

16.50 England 89-0 - RAIN DELAY
Hands up anyone who has ever been to Lord's in May? Hands up those who would ever go again. Thought so - it's among the coldest places on earth, up there with Huntington racecourse and the Antarctic, not necessarily in that order. The draw's now down to [1.31] while England are [4.1]. Inspection didn't happen. God knows if there'll be any more play today - Lord's must be worried - their refund policy is 100% if there is no more play.

16.35 England 89-0 - RAIN DELAY
Oh it gets better.....hahaha....Hoggard's thumb was broken by a ball from Steve Harmison in a county game on Friday, apparently. Now I know it's good to stay one step ahead of the competition but that's ridiculous......wonder if it was a wide.......

16.30 England 89-0 - RAIN DELAY
Double whammy for England - still no play and now the news that Matthew Hoggard has broken his thumb - what a rookie error! Oh well, that solves one problem for the selectors at least - unlikely to be any changes to the side for the next Test. Another inspection due at 4.40 - if that doesn't work, I am not sure there will be anyone left to see what play there is later, if any......

16.09 England 89-0 - RAIN DELAY
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Of course we could pass the boredom by some reckless wagering. New Zealand at [75] anyone? No, didn't think so. It's still tea and it's still gloomy. Draw is [1.37]. I'll be suspicious if play suddenly resumes once the Cup final is done. God's an Englishman, not a Welshman!

3.20 England 89-0 - RAIN DELAY
I refuse to get excited until I see the players in the middle, BUT the covers are coming off. I know, I know......the clouds still look threatening overhead and the chances of play still look remote for a while yet. I will, of course, keep you informed.....

3.10 England 89-0 - RAIN DELAY
It's raining again, believe it or not. No signs of a break in the weather yet, so we're probably looking at an early tea and hopefully back on by 4pm. Hopefully, I said.

Fans are now watching the FA Cup final on the big TVs here......By the way, the other two race courses with no letters of the word RACES in them? Plumpton and Huntingdon........Draw backers from this morning can now take a healthy profit (despite what I said) as it's now [1.33] while England are almost [4] and New Zealand are now a laughable [75]. I still think an England win is possible though - am I the only one?! Keep those opinions coming in - hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

2.30 England 89-0 - RAIN DELAY
This is getting annoying now. Reminds me of Wimbledon - waiting for half an hour while the court dries and then as soon as the players come out, the rain starts again. Various weather reports are suggesting that this could be the case until about 4pm and the umpires are going to look again just before 3pm.......England are now [3.1] with the draw inside [1.5].

1.50 England 89-0 - RAIN DELAY
Have to say it's looking a bit brighter around Lord's, which can only be good news, and indeed it looks like it may have stopped raining. It's still going to take some time to get the covers off, and drain the excess water so we are unlikely to be back on for at least half an hour or so - if, that is, the heavens don't open again. The draw's hovering around the [1.6] mark, while England are likely to move to [2] if they don't get playing again soon. Remember we can play until 7pm though, if the weather allows.

1.35 England 89-0 - RAIN DELAY
It won't have escaped your attention that today is Cup final day, with Portsmouth and Cardiff City duelling for the trophy and a place in Europe. Now when I was younger, Cup final day was always a beautiful, sunny day. At least that's how I remember it. Today is rubbish.

However, I was also thinking, Alastair Cook is an interesting price to be England's top runscorer in this innings. He is the obvious favourite at 2.42, but given that he already has 53 runs in the bag, it's quite surprising that he isn't odds-on. The forecast for the last two days is much better, by the way, just in case you were thinking that this was becoming a rain-fest.

1.20 England 89-0 - LUNCH - RAIN DELAY
Theoretically, play should begin again in a few minutes but it's still pretty murky here so it's not looking great and we're not going to start on time - surprise surprise. On the other hand, Jon has emailed in with two of the four race courses - Ludlow and Goodwood - good work. Two more to go......Not surprisingly, the draw is shortening all the time, now into [1.56], while England are now [2.82]. This is getting a bit frustrating now....

12.35 England 89-0 - RAIN DELAY
No sign of the whopping hover-cover coming off just yet as the rain continues to fall and lunch is due to be taken - I've always wondered what Test cricketers eat at lunch - surely they don't have a big dinner? - I'd be asleep for the hour afterwards. And you would feel sick two hours later when the Cup Cakes and Fondant Fancies come out for tea. Bet the England bowlers are tucking in though......

The draw is coming in all the time, now on offer at [1.62], while England are on the drift. I would not get too carried away just yet, though. England are still in a decent position.

Time for some lunch myself - back soon.

12.10 England 89-0
Uh-oh....looks like it's raining again. Umpires are consulting and we have another break. The weather is playing havoc with the prices, as England are out to [2.46] now, with the draw in to [1.65]. I've got one question, though. Why is Steve Bucknor wearing sun cream?! Is he the world's most optimistic man? The break shouldn't be too long.....

11.50 England 76-0
My God I'm hungry. I can do something about it, though, unlike the players, who have to wait until drinks or even lunch to top themselves up. It's something no one ever talks about in cricket - how difficult it is to concentrate when all you can think of is cakes.....mmmm, cake.....
Decent start from the New Zealand bowlers but Strauss and Cook look in pretty good touch, so look for the price on England to come in pretty soon. At 2.36, you might not get better value.

Meanwhile, I have a trivia question for you all. This one's horse racing. Name the four race courses in England that do not have any of the letters R-A-C-E or S in. Email me your thoughts on hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk - no prize, but a knowing nod in the direction of the first one to get the right answer.

11.20 England 68-0
Good news, we're about to get under way - the covers are off and the players are on the field. Got to love the drainage at Lord's - right, let's see what England can do in these conditions. The ball should swing early on, but the pitch itself has been pretty good. The draw is favourite at [1.8] while England begin the day on [2.34] and New Zealand are [28]

11.15 England 68-0 START OF PLAY DELAYED
In their last 10 Tests at Lord's England's average just 280 for their first innings when fielding first. Makes the [1.86] on England to get 425 or more look pretty tough. That said, the average was brought down by three horrible low scores - last time they played New Zealand at Lord's, they made 441, so perhaps it's not that impossible. The draw is now [1.79] but don't worry too much about that for now. Plenty of time left.

11.00 England 68-0 START OF PLAY DELAYED
Guess what? A combination of bad light and a few spots of rain mean that play will not start on time. Just looking at my monitor, I see that Sky are already filling their time with a kids' match in nearby Regents Park. Dare I say it, the match looks more entertaining than this one.....did I say that out loud?.....The draw has come in a bit to [1.82] while England are now [2.3] and the New Zealanders are [30]

10.40 England 68-0
Morning everyone. The talents of Ed Hawkins are in much demand elsewhere today I'm afraid, but I will do my best to keep you entertained and informed today - anyone too upset to cope, please email me at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk and let me know your recipes for survival.

Well, it's a pretty grey day today at Lord's, which should make the New Zealand bowlers feel a bit more optimistic as they need a couple of early breakthroughs to get back on track. As Ed was saying yesterday evening, the draw looks way too short but it's already on the drift, now at [1.97] - three days to go and as long as we don't lose too much time, then a result is more than likely. England know that one good day of batting will set them up nicely, so they will be pretty tempting at [2.12], while New Zealand are [32], a price that will fall quickly if one or two wickets fall. Ah the drama. Those annoying umpires are already examining the light - kiljoys.

17.49 England 68-0 BAD LIGHT STOPPED PLAY
England have taken the light just when they were looking really dominant. They may not come back out.

17.35 England 65-0
JC has been back on with a query about Tony Lewis, former England skipper and face of the BBC coverage in the 90s. "It's a good job Tony Lewis isn't still on the circuit - all the air would be displaced out of the press box. I should clarify that when I say on the circuit, I mean cricket broadcasting circuit, not life circuit. He might have died but I'm not sure, in which case he could always do adverts on the tube like Bob Monkhouse I suppose." The bad news is Tony is not here, the good news is . . . He lives! He lives!

17.08 England 29-0
Play has resumed. New Zealand are currently [13.5] I wonder if that might be worth a sniff, purely because Cook and Strauss are starting from scratch. Indeed, Jacob Oram is on from the Pavilion End and might make decent use of the slope. Oram picked up two wickets here last time and although the memory is foggy, he was tricky.

17.04 England 27-0
Play has resumed. New Zealand are currently [13.5] I wonder if that might be worth a sniff, purely because Cook and Strauss are starting from scratch. Indeed, Jacob Oram is on from the Pavilion End and might make decent use of the slope.

16.56 England 26-0 BAD LIGHT STOPPED PLAY
Gosh, if I had a pound for every time I've written the word 'bad light' today I'd have, well, loads. During the downtime Daniel Vettori has been out in the middle bowling over and over again. I tell you, he looks pretty innocuous when there are no stumps or fielders. If Vettori does bring himself on immediately, keep a beady eye on Strauss, who has a terrible record against spin bowlers. The umpires are conferring as to whether play will restart.

16.35 England 26-0 BAD LIGHT STOPPED PLAY
They never made it out after tea and I don't think it was because the caterers served up something which the players could not drag themselves away from. Very gloomy here. The clue is the brightness of the lights in all the hospitality boxes around the ground. I've long had a bee in my bonnet about bad light. The solution is quite simple. If the light is bad, then spinners should operate from both ends. Only if it is genuinely dangerous should they then come off. Occasionally you'll get one side which is hard done by but over the course of a series it should work out evenly. Test cricket has never been as unpopular as it is now and with Twenty20 threatening its support-base the five-day game needs to do all it can to keep people happy.

16.09 England 26-0 TEA
Bad light has forced the players to take an early tea. Earlier Cook and Strauss rejected the chance to go off but now they've taken it with the interval so close. The first incidence raises an interesting point: what is the point of batsmen taking the light if they are only going to come back on again in a few minutes and, effectively, start their innings afresh? Anyone who watches cricket regularly knows that batsmen who were reasonable well set before will lose their wicket after an interruption. Not only do the eyes have to adjust to the ball again but confidence levels need to be restored. However, Cook and Strauss are now probably subscribing to the 'once off, stay off' view.

15.50 England 24-0
GeordieRacer has given me a confidence booster. "On the subject of this cryptic clue. I was thinking it was Jeremy something. But the only Jeremy I could think of was Jeremy Coney." But he's straight back to matters at hand. "Strauss is all at sea here, and with batting conditions still pretty tough, I am concerned about England". I read this morning that Bill Frindall, of TMS fame, was worried about Strauss, too. Although his reasoning slightly amused me. "He got 177 last time out and still wasn't moving his feet". Maybe he didn't have to. Strauss is [5.7] for top-bat honours.

15.36 England 15-0
Playing again so all is well. The answer to my conundrum, who is German-me bank was, of course Jeremy Lloyds, the fourth umpire. Can't quite believe no one got it. Jerry (the politically uncorrect name to call Germans) followed by me (say it all quickly) and then the rest is easy, particularly when Lloyds sponsor the Kiwi team. Mind you, I have had to explain it so it can't have been that easy. Email me at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk if you are disgusted by the obscurity of it all

15.32 England 15-0 BAD LIGHT STOPPED PLAY
An opportune moment to try and work out which England batsman will top score in the first innings, a tricky market at the best of times but particularly when we have seen so little of the players so early in the season. Historic records do little to clear things up. In the three Tests Strauss, Cook, Pietersen, Bell and Collingwood have played together, the honours have been shared between the composer, KP and Colly. Pietersen (80) has the best average of all the top six on this ground and Vaughan the worse (54). Basically, they all score runs here. You could discount Cook (two centuries at HQ, just to confuse you some more) and Strauss because they could get a good one with the new ball, Vaughan is in horrible touch while Collingwood (two tons!) could be troubled by his shoulder problem. That leaves Pietersen at [3.55] and Bell [4.3] with more solid credentials.

14.54 England 4-0
England [1.93] have drifted slightly as they begin their first innings and New Zealand [8.8] should feel reasonably pleased with their efforts. However, history is not on their side. On the 28 occasions that England have bowled out a visiting team for less than 277 in the first innings, they have won 18, lost four and drawn six. Also of note is England's record in second innings when fielding first against senior opposition here in the last ten years. They were bowled out for 110 v SA (98), 134 v WI (00), 275 v SL (02) and 155 v Aus (05). But here's the caveat. In 2005 they fielded first and made 441 against . . . New Zealand. They won that game, of course but lost against South Africa, beat the Windies, drew versus Sri Lanka and lost to Australia. The average of those innings is 223.

14.44 New Zealand 277
Back on again now. During the break I counted the number of times bad light has stopped play during the last four Tests at Headquarters. The answer is 16. Is it sad to find that really interesting? Whoops,Vettori's been bowled by Sidebottom. All out for 277.

14.38 New Zealand 275-9 BAD LIGHT STOPPED PLAY
The value, in terms of odds, of this latest stoppage was 0.24 because that was how much the draw price dipped as soon as the players started leaving the field. Worth knowing I suppose. The poor light is surprising considering England's dark-capped players could illuminate Wookey Hole in their resplendent new kit. So white and bright is it that from my psoition here in the sky, it looks like some sort of meeting of the Papacy. Vaughan, the only one wearing a white hat, would of course be Pope, standing at mid off pontificating. To continue the holy theme, JC, who emailed earlier, was not Jesus Christ, but in fact Jon from north London. Just thought I'd clear that up. I'm not that high up here, chaps.

14.19 New Zealand 274-9
Three consecutive fours From Vettori - who will continue to throw caution to the wind - has chopped almost a point off New Zealand's price [8.6]. In other news, JC has emailed (hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk) to express relief that I survived a potential Pringle-Smith sandwich at the buffet and I apologise for having flummoxed you on today's conundrum, which I'll give the answer to at the innings break.

14.10 New Zealand 260-9
They're back on and from the first ball, Sidebottom shivers Southee's timber. The draw price, from [2.36] when they were off the field, briefly touched [3] when Southee was trudging back. Chris Martin, the Kiwi bowler not the Coldplay singer, is in now in and barring a rush of blood to the head, won't keep England.

14.03 New Zealand 260-8 BAD LIGHT STOPPED PLAY
The consequence, unsurprisingly, of play being interrupted by misbehaving light is that the draw price is making a comeback. The slide is from [3.3] to [2.36]. I reckon that's a whopping overreaction in the context that we still have 11 sessions to go in this game. It should get shorter, too because it is pretty gloomy here and the breeze - blowing from behind the Mound Stand - is not strong enough to get the visible brighter skies in the east here that quickly.

13.44 New Zealand 260-8
There's been an alarmingly development here at Lord's. It's serious and has threatened the quality of this blog. They've changed the size of the lunch plates. In previous years they have always been ruddy great big things, which could have been used in medieval times to protect you from arrows and swords and other nasty stuff. Now, they're making us eat off half-size plates, which have been designed in the shape of an painter's pallet. I suppose that is supposed to impress me. Well, it doesn't. I want to make a pig of myself not a Picasso. Mind you, I saw Geoffrey Boycott queuing for his nosh after I'd finished mine and he'd piled it high with quiche, salmon and duck but then again he's always been good at compiling things. Bad light stopped play, by the way.

LUNCH 13.09 New Zealand 260-8
Punters share a common bond for desiring a crystal ball to tell them when a major incident in a contest is going to occur. Football bettors wish for a clue to when a goal will be scored, golf gamblers when a shot will be dropped or tennis tipsters a service break. Of course there are hints in all of those sports but there is nothing as cast iron as in cricket. This is the only sport where the rules and regulations, drawn up by the MCC when blokes had long beards and kept their trousers up with a neck tie, actually tell a bettor when to expect wickets and when to expect runs. All hail the new ball - due after 80 overs - which just before the lunch break brought England the wicket of Mills. It is a marvellous aid because punters can plan their bets according to the state of the ball. If it is more than 20 overs old lay the fielding side - or back the batting side - because more often than not runs will be scored and the odds of the team in the field team will shoot up quicker than Pete Doherty. Transversely if the ball is new back the bowling team because more often than not wickets will fall and the price of the fielding side will come down quicker than Mr Doherty again.

12.56 New Zealand 258-8
England have taken the new ball and second delivery with it, Sidebottom has bowled Mills. England [1.59]. Could finish them off before I've finished my lunch.

12.44 New Zealand 252-7
England are quite happy to give Vettori singles. Notice how the man is pushed out square on the boundary to allow him to take one whenever he fancies. It is so the hosts can have a pop at Mills. Although he is not the most romantic of batsmen to watch, he is far from ugly and could form a bond with Vettori which breaks England hearts. I don't think I could have squeezed any more Mills&Boon references in there. Off to grab some grub now because I'm worried rolly-polly Ian Smith will get there before me and scoff the lot.

12.30 New Zealand 246-7
Slightly turgid stuff here at the moment, which is why we might need to make our own fun for a bit - no Tom, 'German-me bank' is not Barclays because of it's "Nazi-logo connotations". Vettori and Mills are plodding on at the moment. But of course Mills getting out would make it more interesting because Vettori would be forced to chance his arm a bit for quick runs, which would no doubt have an interesting impact on the match odds market. Patience is our watchword.

12.24 New Zealand 244-7
After the popularity of yesterday's snakes conundrum - Robin from Brighton claims to have seen a cobra in an Irish zoo, by the way - today's offering is a quizzical one indeed. It works like this. If I was thinking of a protagonist in this Test and the clue was 14th to 15th Century fatty, the answer would be Stuart Broad. So, here we go: German-me bank. You need to be very open minded with the 'German-me' part - that is the guy's first name - it's word play, it's tomfoolery, it's punnery. Oh, what japes! He is not a player but could be a key figure in this Test. Answers to hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

11.52 New Zealand 222-7
Oram out. Important, important wicket for England. The hosts are now [1.67] with the Kiwis [8.6] and the draw [3.3]. Kyle Mills is in and although his average is only 12, he should not be underestimated. Besides, if he stuck around for a bit we could make lots of terrible puns together like 'Mills a boon for England'.

11.40 New Zealand 220-6
Now that we've worked out that New Zealand's last four wickets average 99 against England and the hosts concede an average of 97 for the last four on this ground in recent matches, it is wise to check out the New Zealand first innings runs market. They are [2.08] for 300 or more which the above stats suggest they should manage. Also, it's worth asking ourselves what price the Kiwis would be if they posted in that region. Let me know your thoughts at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

11.32 New Zealand 217-6
I'm considering submitting a paper to the British Medical Journal about the positive effects Viennese finger biscuits have on the brain. You can keep your fish, these things are genius. The average score of the last four wickets (in all innings) against England in the last five Tests at HQ is 97. More concern for England then. And it is beginning to reflect in the prices. England have drifted to [1.73] and New Zealand are in to [7.4].

11.05 New Zealand 208-6
England [1.6] could be forgiven for feeling slightly nervous. If they fail to break this partnership in the first session, they will be on the cusp of wasting excellent bowling conditions. And Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori will need no second invitation. New Zealand's last four wickets frustrated England in the three-Test series in March - on average they put on 99 runs. If they repeat that the Kiwis [7.6] could consider themselves to be in charge. See, I told you those biscuits would help.

DAY TWO 11.00 New Zealand 208-6
Good morning folks. I am lording at Lord's today. Now, now before you get jealous, we're all going to benefit. I will be provided with free coffee and biscuits throughout the day, a sumptuous lunch, afternoon cake (as much as I like) all while looking down on the tiny players from the orb that is the media centre, like some sort of deity. You will benefit from the above for the very reason that free coffee and biscuits throughout the day, a sumptuous lunch, afternoon cake (as much as I like) will give boundless energy to provide a blog bursting with stats, insight and entertainment. With that in mind, I'm off some replenishment.

17.51 New Zealand 208-6 CLOSE
England are unhappy. And so they should be. New Zealand have done well - mainly thanks to Brendon McCullum's 97 - in favourable bowling conditions and should post more than 250. The probablity that the Kiwis have edged it is reflected in the difference in prices between now and the start of the day. England's price [1.6] has been cut by 0.76, New Zealand's [7.2] by 3.8, while it is bad news for those who backed the draw [4], which has drifted by 1.98.

17.39 New Zealand 203-6
There's me stuffing great big handfuls of cake into my gob and McCullum's also made a fool of himself. Bowled Panesar for 97. Crumbs! And look at how New Zealand's price has suffered. Jumped more than 1.5 points back to [7.8], just 0.8 points fewer than it is was 100 runs ago.

17.34 New Zealand 203-5
Here's the most interesting stat of the day: I've only just had my first cake. That, in this game, is almost dereliction of duty. I had bought myself a whole pack of Chocolate Fingernails - much nicer than they sound, folks - to get through today and made myself about an even money shot to manage it. If that sounds short, you have to remember that sitting, watching and eating is the inherent right of man in his most basic form. Indeed, I am that man.

17.23 New Zealand 191-5
McCullum's cutting loose by taking 13 off a Monty Panesar over. And it has dented NZ's lay price, which will be good news if you backed them at [8.6] as suggested earlier . . . ooooh, there's another six from the same man, this time off Broad . . . so their price has come down futher. You can trade out at [6] now. Easy this betting lark eh?

16-55 New Zealand 149-5
If there are prime times to back New Zealand in this Test, one is now and the other is when their bowlers have the new ball. At [8.6] the Kiwis could be worth an interest because the partnership between Brendon McCullum and Jacob Oram is beginning to look dangerous. So far it is worth 45. Another 45 and their price will have dipped considerably to lay at shorter odds. Likewise if they took early wickets having posted a total in the region of 250.
* Please send any comments or questions to hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

16.32 New Zealand 131-5
Joe has emailed to ask whether NZ were exceeding expectations at 100-4. And the answer had to be yes. Had the visitors gone into the break only four down, they would have been confident of giving McCullum, Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori a platform from which to play their natural attacking games. The wicket of Flynn before tea made sure England were well in control. The Kiwis will be happy with 250 here.

16.32 New Zealand 124-5
Here beginneth the lecture. There was a huge gamble on the draw because of forecast rain on days one and three with many punters clearly forgetting some important factors. Firstly, that overs can be made up - play will go on until seven tonight - and secondly how the Lord's pitch drains. The MCC spent £1.2m on installing a scientific drainage system which is so good that last summer in the Test involving India after an absolute deluge flooded the ground, play started again in less than two hours. It is so important to think logically and not get swept away with the tide when betting on any sport, let alone cricket. The draw is now [5.6]. Here endeth the lecture.

15.55 New Zealand 104-5
Daniel Flynn has been bowled round his legs by James Anderson for nine. An unlucky dismissal. For the notebook later on in the series: Flynn looks like a strokemaker first and foremost and could be expected to prosper against an old ball or when the pitch is offering little for the bowlers. Unlikely to be a threat otherwise.

15.37 New Zealand 93-4
An interesting phase of play this. McCullum is trying to cut loose against Broad. He has taken steps down the wicket and pulled the ball away for two and previously he planted his front foot before playing across the line to the legside. It's a risky ploy with the ball still jagging around and tea just 20 minutes away. Any other batsman (apart from McCullum and Marshall) is [2] for top NZ bat.

15.25 New Zealand 77-4
Just when England were beginning to look as though they could waste these good bowling conditions, Stuart Broad has struck to remove James Marshall. It was an important wicket because the quicker they can get Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori to the crease, the less likely it will be that the pair will be able to cut loose and frustrate in their differing styles. England aare s short as [1.32] now with the draw [5.5]. At the tea break, if you'll forgive me, I'll be delivering a lecture on the pitfalls of backing the draw and letting the bet run.

14.57 New Zealand 57-3
Praise the Lord! SimonC has correctly identified that Greenland and Iceland are the other countries, apart from NZ, that do not have any snakes. GeordieRacer told us earlier that the other was Ireland. To be honest, it's a relief that's out of the way because it was beginning to drag on. He also wants to know "was Taylor still in Twenty20 mode for his ludicrous knock?"

14.30 New Zealand 43-3
Ross Taylor tried to smash his way out of trouble...and failed. So Brendon McCullum is at the crease. 'Supermac' is one of the most feared hitters in the world but it would be a surprise if he tried to play aggresively here. He must buckle down and see off this swinging new ball. He is skinny at [2.3] for top Kiwi bat. Let me know if you reckon McCullum can get his side out of trouble at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk. And send me your snake answers! No, Steve H from Surrey, Norway is not one of them.

14.24 New Zealand 41-3
Despite a relatively new reputation for runs - which incidentally began when NZ were last here in 2004 - conditions like today's at Lord's have meant batsmen have not had it all their own way. Particularly visiting willowmen. Look at these first innings scores since then: 201 India (2007), 192 Sri Lanka (06), 190 Australia (05) and 108 Bangladesh (05). You can lay New Zealand to score 225 runs or more at [1.6]

14.09 New Zealand 30-2
Jamie How has gone now and England's lay price has dipped to [1.61]. There's profit in that. Both wickets have gone to James Anderson, who is an interesting character. He claims to not understand why he is so inconsistent. How about the fact that when you let go of the ball James, you're looking at the ground? That alone dictates that some days it will go in one direction, and another day the complete opposite. If I walked around looking at my feet, I'm sure I would end up at A when I was aiming for B. If I drove a car looking at the pedals, I would end up at A and E

13.53 New Zealand 17-1
We shouldn't really be surprised that Aaron Redmond's eyes failed him. His father, Rodney, played one Test match and scored a century, but incredibly, retired because he couldn't get used to contact lenses. Not only blind then, Rodders but stupid, too. Presumably he had not heard of spectacles, so was he deaf as well? It does not bode well for his son showing the required mental ability to succeed in his first go at Test cricket. In fairness, Redmond's dismissal was a classic one for HQ early on. And if the ball continues to swing we can expect the Kiwi top order to struggle. That must make Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori value to top score in the first innings. They are [4.2], [5.1] and [6.2] respectively. McCullum hit 96 on this ground last time and Oram made 67 in the same game.

13.40 New Zealand 3-1
I reckoned that it would be worth backing England at [1.91] before play began and that first wicket has given punters the opportunity to lay off at [1.73]. Probably worth holding fire for a bit, though because batting conditions are tough and another wicket could be just around the corner.

13.32 New Zealand 2-1
Aaron Redmond has gone for a duck as James Anderson get ones to leave the right-hander, who is well held at slip by Cook. And congratulations to Anton from Essex who emailed in the lunch break to tell us that he was on England for highest first innings opening partnership. "By my count only three of NZ's last 20 opening partnerships have been 50 or over, eight of them in single figures." Worth remembering for the rest of the series that stat

13.23
Play begins. Tremendous news

13.00
At last! A correct answer to the snake-countries conundrum. Well done GeordieRacer who has correctly identified Ireland as one of only four countries in the world which has no snakes. St Patrick, so legend - another word for 'lie' - has it banished them with a stick. GeordieRacer also tells us that he's "been laying the England win but it looks like they're gonna play now so might switch my allegiance. Can't see the NZ batting order lasting long in these conditions." Never mind that Geordie, what about the other three countries?

12.36
Adrian has been on the email, asking one of the most pertinent observations of the day, and possibly the series."They say the camera puts a few pounds on you but Ian Smith! Has he not moved from that chair since he was last seen over here." It's a good point. Smith was saying earlier in his pundirty stint about how he had been sunbathing in Regents Park since arriving in the UK. What he didn't mention was that he fell asleep and was only awoken by people in wet suits frantically throwing buckets of water over him and poking him with a stick. But as soon as they realised he wasn't a beached whale they went away.

12.33
The email for banter and all questions relating to snakes is hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk Apparently some of you have been having trouble sending your thoughts, mainly because I posted the wrong address a bit earlier on. Funny that

12.19
I hope I'm not going to be accused of being 'out of order' but what an absolute cow Mother Nature is. Raining again. Typical woman. She's shown us a bit of leg, wink-wink, a come hither look and then claimed she's got as headache. Lunch being taken

12.05
It should be a good toss to win for England. The new ball, under grey skies and with moisture rising, should zip around. And that means England will be expecting to make early inroads. After the initial slump in the home side's price, it has steadied at [1.91] and that has to be worth taking with the potential for collapse, in terms of the New Zealand batting and the odds. A couple of wickets should allow punters to trade out for a profit. Long term, of the 26 captains that have won the toss and fielded at HQ, 11 have won with nine draws and only six losses. More importantly, there have been some atrocious guesses regarding the question about which countires in the world do not have snakes. Tim from Barnes should be put in a pit full of adders after suggesting England.

12.00
England have won the toss and will bowl. And unsurprisingly their price dipped from [2.04] before the toss to as short as [1.81] after it

11.40
Did you know that New Zealand is one of only four countries in the world which has no snakes? I know, I can't believe it either. Mind you if you've ever been down under - Australia or New Zealand - they are incredibly tight on immigration. Nothing gets past their officials. Interrogating tourists over whether they have a banana in their luggage is like sex to these people. Now, back to the snakes. A big clap to the first person who can correctly name the other three countries. Send your answers to hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk. And for those wondering what relevance this has with the cricket ... it's stopped hissing it down.

11.25
There will be an inspection in 20 minutes with the umpires and the groundsman, Michael Hunt - tthere' s a name you don't want to try to say too quickly

11.10
David Gower has just told viewers that visiting teams raise their game when coming to Lord's. This is the most irksome of cliches that pundits trot out and one which must put punters away left, right and centre. It's just not true. Since 2000, England have lost only three matches out of 16. One of those was against South Africa (a blip) and the other two against an Australia side who will go down as one of the greatest in history.

10.40
Unbelieveable! She's at it again. So much water around that it's got in the cables, plugs and other technical what-not and Sky's coverage has gone down.Why is it that women will just not allow us to enjoy our cricket? At least her draw bets wobbling slightly, price has drifted to 2.24

10.20
Good morning and welcome to the first betting.betfair.com blog for the first Test between England and New Zealand. Unfortunately, that old hag Mother Nature has decided to rain on our parade. Apparently she's threatening to chuck bucket loads of rain at us today. Rather like the way she nags her poor downtrodden husband, er, Father Nature, it is going to be persistent and heavy, too. England are currently trading at [2.36], New Zealand at [11.0] and the draw at [2.14]. It is the latter price we will watch with most interest. It should dip steadily the longer the day goes without play although the opportunity to back at bigger prices and lay off at shorter ones has probably gone. I bet Mummy N's on the stalemate. It all makes sense now.

* Please send any comments or questions to hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

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(5)

1. Anton | 15 May 2008

   I'm banking on NZ getting off to a poor start - on the 5/6 for England to have the higher opening partnership on a -6.5 handicap... the Kiwi openers are awful

2. Iom | 15 May 2008

   I understand there are very few snakes on the Isle of Mann - Apparently the three legged man, or running man, got rid of them. Keep uo the good blogging - a helpful aid to those trying to follow the action overseas

3. Gooders | 16 May 2008

   Great blog. Good to have you back.

4. betting system | 16 May 2008

   yes, great to have you back mate. and another great blog

5. Gooders | 18 May 2008

   Speaking of Bumble - he's just dropped a massive clanger on Sky. Comparing dismissals of Collingwood and Ambrose to Vettori (one a standard slow left armer and the other a quicker ball) he started a quiz question about which ball was the quickest. There was a clue at the bottom of the screen which showed the quicker ball was 2mph, er, quicker, but Bumble carried on insisting it was the other way around - much to the amusement of Athers and Nass. Still, it begs a trickier cricket speed question. Who is slower? Bumble or Beefy?

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