Speaker by Various Artists

Superb. I wonder if you'd care to speculate on Stephen Flemming's thinking? He appears far more confident as a fielding captain than he does as a once-glorious first drop? Imagine the bliss of a perfectly executed on-drive (I have to imagine, having never come close to such a feat).

Teams of psychoanalysts working in shifts like coalminers could not come up with an answer for some of Fleming's behaviour. He is a glorious batsmen still, but I wonder if, as he gets older, as in fact any batsmen gets older, they rely on the stock shots much more than when filled with youthful joie de vivre and the belief they can cudgel any sphere anywhere. So now Fleming is trapped with the lofted drive over midwicket and the back cut. Oh and the wierd top edge that seems bound to be caught by fine leg but always seems to go one side or the other.

He'll come right. Man of the Match in the World Cup Final if the itchiness of my corns is anything to go by.

Flem was cover-driving as well as he did v SA in the last world cup in the game v the Windies.

Until Styris ran him out, that is.

I've resigned myself to the fact that due to the lack of great openers we (the Blackcaps that is) will always be 2 or 3 down by the time we get to 50 runs, and then the middle and lower order will do their best to rescue us. If we can win the WC final like that I'm not going to complain!

que sera sera

I've resigned myself to the fact that due to the lack of great openers we (the Blackcaps that is) will always be 2 or 3 down by the time we get to 50 runs

And now Waddle and co are having a go at our top order for scoring too many runs, meaning the middle order aren’t getting a go.

Fleming is timing his return to form superbly…

Fleming is timing his return to form superbly…

I very much hope you're right, and it's not just form against second-rate bowlers (is that unfair to the side that beat India?). If Fleming, Bond, Vettori and Oram all play well, we're a good chance to win however I can't remember many games when all played their best.