England v. New Zealand - 2nd ODI

If England can get McCullum's wicket, New Zealand should collapse.

One more for McCullum with a clip to mid-wicket and the groundstaff are emerging from their dugout as the clouds move in...

End of over 16 (8 runs) - New Zealand 109/2 (52 runs required)

New Zealand RR 6.81
Last 5 ovs 30/0 RR 6.00
Required RR 7.28
England RR 6.75

16.4 Wright to McCullum, 1 run, pushed into the covers. It's looking awfully misty out there now

End of Over 17, 112/2.

New Zealand RR 6.58
Last 5 ovs 31/0 RR 6.20
Required RR 8.00
England RR 6.75

It looks minging out there now - grey, drizzly, dank and horrible. But apparently still playable, even as a black plastic bag blows across the ground


CALL THE MATCH!!!

UMPS!  CALL IT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!

Showme mate, less oddsmen, more doing of what you can do to help a good buddy out here.  Thank you. 

Seriously dark now at Edgbaston, it must be like batting in Ray Bans. Styris picks up one with a drive to mid-on before McCullum plays a clever reverse sweep for four, beating the diving Pietersen at gully. Swann strays down leg and is clipped to square-leg for one - fifty from 42 balls. Two more singles from the over and we have rain - CMJ on TMS says "you would only think about taking the dog for a walk in this if you were wearing a mackintosh..."

End of 18, 117/2.

6.50 Last 5 ovs 30/0 RR 6.00 Required RR 8.60 England RR 6.75

Wright to McCullum, 2 runs, too short and swatted hard into the deep. James Anderson makes great ground to field, but is he touching the rope as he slides round? An interminable delay, which funnily enough may suit England as the rain closes in, and finally the verdict is no

18th over - 117-2 Styris clips Swann to point for one and it's now coming down in stair rods in Birmingham.

Someone needs to give the camera a wipe. It's properly misted over.

CALL IT!!!!!!

Four for New Zealand.

Surely it's pouring hard now?

End of 19.

127/2.

New Zealand RR 6.68
Last 5 ovs 36/0 RR 7.20
Required RR 8.25
England RR 6.75

OK, I have had enough fun with this wager.

CALL IT!!!!!

Six more balls, and we've got a match. England look quite happy to call it quits now, and that - incredibly - is that.

Does that mean it's been called with six balls left????!??!?!?!?!!!!!

On come the covers, though McCullum doesn't want to go anywhere.

New Zealand needed to be on 134 for 2 after 20 overs to win this match - which would have been a perfectly obtainable seven runs in the over.

Ian Botham, quite rightly, is doing his nut about the half-hour break between innings.

Official BBC Commentary:

20th over - 127-2 The umpires are having a chat - is this fit for international cricket? And the players are going off! Remarkable! New Zealand would have only needed seven from that over to win it! NO RESULT! ALL THAT FANNYING ABOUT FOR NOTHING! A HALF HOUR BREAK BETWEEN INNINGS! WHAT A JOKE SPORT!


HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!  You just know that if this ODI was in New Zealand, it'd be six more balls...for sure.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!!!

Showme, can I buy you a beer mate?!?!?!?

Feel badly for everyone on New Zealand at 2.75 or 3.00.

Wow.

But in all honestly, with no rain, England would have cleaning taken this match.  So, honors-even in my opinion.

Official BBC Commentary:

McCullum looks like a man who has just got home from a party with the most beautiful girl in the world only to discover his mate has got his mum staying and she's sleeping in his bed.

I sure as hell did get my money's worth, but I will have to use it to pay my doctor's bill after this one!

And new underwear as well....