What is your take on the amazing ODI between NZ and ENG?

I warn you now, you won’t like what I’ve got to say but I thought I’d answer anyway.

Cricket is a sport and winning is the only objective of any sport. If you don't think that as a player you are behind even before the toss. The game itself I admit shouldn’t be all about winning however that is the way it’s been for a while now. You play to win and if Paul hadn't made the decision he did, he shouldn't be captain. His primary objective is to do everything possible to make a win more likely. Think about it, the only thing the worlds best cricket team would have been bothered about today would have been the result, not the run out. Isn't their success related to their attitude?

By law, the right decision was made. The collision was obviously an accident and nobody was seriously hurt (if that was the case it would be completely different) However even if the player had become seriously injured, then wouldn’t he have had to retire anyway? Okay okay, so Paul may have had a chance to be the bigger man and display some of this so called “sportsmanship” yet we live in the modern era and I’m afraid to say it has now become some kind of urban myth. The spirit of cricket died in the 70s due to rebel tours to South Africa and Kerry Packer's one day circus.

I truly believe that any other captain put into Paul’s position would have done the same thing and do you know why? Because of us. So much emphasis of sports these days is about winning every single match possible however we aren’t perfect. In a match one team must lose, while the other team wins (unless it’s a draw of course). Had we, the public, not put so much pressure on teams winning, perhaps the spirit of cricket would still remain.

All that being said it was a great match and the right team won in the end. I think the run out actually made it more tense and exciting to watch!

And now to end on a quote which I find amusing given todays circumstances…

"I realise they're pretty upset about it but as far as I'm concerned it was an opportunity to take a wicket. I'd do the same thing again."

– Brendon McCullum after the Murali run out.

I realise it was a different scenario however imagine if Paul had come out and said that. :)

(cant wait to count the thumbs down!)

A great game, and just goes to show that sometimes the lower scoring matches are the best.

The Elliott run out was stupid, and should never have happened. Sidebottom ran into him by accident, the ball was still live, so England were justified in shying at the stumps. However, Elliott should have been recalled in the spirit of the game (Collingwood had time, despite his 'heat of the battle' comments); umpire Benson spoke to him about it, so he had opportunity to decline or withdraw an appeal.

It is all very well Collingwood and Vettori apologising after the game. I wonder if they would have done so had the result been different, and England had won. Collingwood was let off the hook by the result, and it is easy for Vettori to be magnanimous in victory.

Both are culpable of bad sportsmanship, and should be censored by their respective boards: Collingwood for his on-field decision, and Vettori for failing to control his players (abusive language and gesticulations seen by thousands of TV viewers), and his bad grace immediately after the game in refusing to shake hands.

I don't think there will be any lasting ill-feeling between the teams though, simply because they are each jaded with playing against one another, and it will purely be a relief for them to see the back of the other.

Both Vettori and Collingwood evenly at faults, quilt and disappointment in any sportmanship. Collingwood have made a wrong decision that cause illfeeling to many cricket followers, and Vettori with an appalling outburst.

But the game was extreamly exciting to watch right down to the last ball.I would love to watch these kind of game in the future, rather watching and knowing the outcome game of Aussie boys dominating cricket world.

Grant Elliot Brad Haddin Iain O'Brien Nathan Bracken Australia,

Agree completely with the answer above. I would have expected the same from our side had the shoe been on the other foot - ie. get those bails off. Sidebottom did not deliberately impede Elliot, and the reality is that if Elliot had not been hurt (but impeded) he was still highly likely to have still been run out - it just wouldn't have looked so bad, the fact he had no chance to run was Elliot's risk, not England's fault.

I thought the response of our team (kiwis) was churlish and Collingwood had nothing to apologise for.

It was a competition to see which team could make the most mistakes over 50 overs. NZ (despite taking a single off the first ball of the last over with the number 11 at the other end...stupid) ended up making slightly fewer than England.

The last ball of the match summed it all up perfectly.

As to the run-out, the rules say that the batsman has to get out of the bowler's way if the bowler is trying to field the ball, which he obviously was. Elliot was responsible for the collision under the rules, so it was right that he was given out - it was spineless of the umpires to refer the decision to Collingwood, they should have just given it themselves.

Pretty spineless of Collingwood to apologise for playing by the rules afterwards too...no wonder we only beat the Aussies once every 20 years with an attitude like that...

EDIT Whatever with the thumbs down..."no hard feelings", huh.

It was a great game with a thrilling finish. But it did have its controversial moments and it looked to have ended acrimoniously without the captains shaking hands (at least I don't think they did).

NZ looked to be going for a draw before that silly attempt at a run out by Swann. There were 3 guys around the bat and Swann decides to give it a huge lob and a direct hit, misses, and NZ get the runs they need! What were England thinking! Swann could have passed the ball to one of the close fielders and still had the run out as the two batters were so far out the crease.

As for Sidebottom well he is entitled to stand his ground and keep his line (as is the batter) and go for the ball but it was poor of him not to move (though he probably didn't have time to) when he saw that Elliot was about to hit him. But I don't particularly think there was any malice on his part, it was just an unfortunate incident that can happen in a tight game. Colly on the other hand should not have appealed so vehemently and perhaps they should have shown a little more sportsmanship and withdrawn the appeal (especially as at the time of the run out Elliot was clearly on the floor with a hurt leg) and the umpires are probably just as much to blame for giving it out.

Edit: It was good of Colly to apologize, I don't think there will be any permanent ill feeling on either side.

M'eh!

I still recon the best England / Blackcaps one dayer was at Napier, NZ, earlier this year.

100 Overs, 680 runs in total and after the last ball it was a draw!!

Considering how huge the game was, the draw was really the best and, by far, most memorable game I've seen in a long time.

4's and 6's everywhere, good bowling, even better batting, none of the usual collapse and lack-lustre play that both teams have been specialising in lately.

Magnificent!

Our recent tour of England has been decidedly average.

The Blackcaps just can't get their batting right. Perhaps we should reverse the order after being saved by the tail on too many occasions?!

Tim Southee, however, is proving to be a revelation as much with the ball as he was with the bat in his tail-end heroic stand in the last test at Napier. Watch that man!

Extremely happy to see NZ cross the line and jumping up and down with joy ... Justice was served when out of nowhere on the last ball, NZ came out trumps

NZ team's refusal to shake hand was a slap on the face of Mr. Paul Collingwood and his English troops. He should not have kept insisting on his appeal, as Benson so wisely suggested.

I would have liked to see, if Paul would have apologized, if he would have won the match ?

England got what they deserved ... absolutely nothing!

Great match that was.What an end!

though neither it was elliot's fault nor siddebottom's,it was collingwoods appeal which he apologized for it,and also vettori apologized for not shaking hands but in the end both the teams shooked hands.

So end of they story,cricket fun