Cricket: Trent Bridge Shines Again as England Stops New Zealand

Although this week has been dominated by 20-20 news and action, Test match cricket is still alive. Last weekend, I visited Trent Bridge on the Saturday and Sunday, and although play was delayed until after lunch on Saturday, both days provided great entertainment as New Zealand were blown away.

The swing duo of Anderson and Sidebottom highlighted New Zealand's poor technical ability against a swinging ball. Only Mccullum and Flynn showed resistance as the rest flopped.

During my stay, I sat in the Fox road stand and the Hound road stand. The fox road stand is ideal for families, being alcohol free and a fairly relaxed atmosphere, however if you want a more entertaining experience the William Clarke stand is a must.

Home to the barmy army, this is where the real fun off the pitch takes place although it isn't for a purely cricket fan. The Hound road stand provides a different view of the cricket as it is 45 degrees from the pitch. The atmosphere was good with a clear view of the replay screen. So this stand gets my recommendation.

Overall this Test series has highlighted England's batting problems which could be exposed by great opposition later in the summer, however the bowling unit have gelled over the series and now provide a great balance to the team.

When Flintoff becomes available for the South Africa test series, he should replace Collingwood and bat at 8, with Ambrose and Broad both moving up one place in the order, providing Freddie freedom to express himself at 8. If you agree or disagree please leave a comment, as I'm interested in your opinion on the issue.

My next visit is Bristol, for the third one day international next Saturday and shall report soon after that, lets hope for a better contest in 1 day series as England need to be challenged so that they can develop into a great one-day side.

Rich