Monthly Archives: June 2022

There isn't a way to ask this question without it coming across as slightly patronising but, on the evidence of at least two innings in this series and the body of work over the last couple of years, it's impossible not to ask: is Daryl Mitchell the most Kiwi player ever?

This isn't, rest assured, another paean to the plucky, lovable New Zealander underdog but, I mean, it's uncanny how many boxes Mitchell ticks. How, if you wrote up a pen profile of the Successful, Modern New Zealand Cricketer, if you didn't arrive at Daryl Mitchell, you'd have taken a very wrong turn somewhere.

There's the relatively late arrival onto the international scene at the age of 27, after 210 domestic games and eight seasons. All that time, away from the fierce and often debilitating glare of international cricket, developing quietly yet steadily, putting together a solid if unspectacular record before, boom, Daryl Mitchell is here, nice and ripe, more or less fully formed and winning international games.

Where on earth has he come from? How's he so good at this?

At various times in their modern history, every New Zealand cricketer has felt like they arrived with more than one skill. They did one thing really well and then they did everything else pretty well too. Mitchell bowls tidy medium-somethings, no doubt in preparation for that day somewhere down the line where he picks up a cheap Test five-fer, or defends 12 off the last over of a T20 where that might be the only over he's bowled in that tournament. It would be a very Kiwi thing to happen.

Mitchell gets low to reverse-sweep ... because it was the best optionGetty Images

Maximising. Squeezing the most out of himself. Except that this does sound patronising, that he is some limited athlete constantly straining to be more than the sum of his parts. He has bowled at the death in the Super Smash because he is obviously good at it, because he is an elite cricketer with skills to burn, who has grown up around an elite athletic environment.

He underplays himself nearly to the point of parody. If you thought you'd heard it all when it came to the modest, humble New Zealand cricketer, check this out, from an interview with the Daily Telegraph about his hundred at Lord's:

"I'll cherish that for the rest of my life," he said. "I've got a pic with my family that we'll frame. My place in the dressing room was just under the honours board with some of the greats of the game. I don't think I deserve to be there with them. But it's something I'll savour forever."

It goes without saying that he comes across as the kind of guy who'd be unruffled or unfazed in an earthquake. It also goes without saying that the two innings of note he's now played in this series have both come with New Zealand in different degrees of crisis: serious at Lord's, a milder one at Trent Bridge.

You know this script so well now it doesn't need pointing out that Mitchell would not even have played at Lord's if Henry Nicholls had been fit. Of course, he wouldn't. And yet here he is, their best batter so far. Because, Kiwi.

What has stood out, repeatedly since his debut but with growing clarity on this tour, is how uncomplicated he makes batting to be. Perhaps it is the contrast with this particular moment in the English game, with the overwrought and overthought handwringing about red-ball batting. Tied down as that is in details about techniques, like the guard batters are taking, or the mindset in playing spin, or to bigger-picture worries about the most opportune time to schedule the County Championship so that batters can learn to bat, or how the white-ball game is hacking away at red-ball batting.

Batting isn't easy, of course, and it can get very complicated. But it speaks to some essential difference in how cricket is run in both countries, even how cricket sits in those countries, that Mitchell was a makeshift T20 opener who won a semi-final against England's T20 specialists and has since scored runs against their Test specialists after playing in the IPL.

Sure, he had some luck at Trent Bridge. He should've been gone for three. But he played as if he didn't need luck in the first place, or that he was overly grateful having receiving it. He hit balls he felt he could to the boundary, he played out everything else. He has a decent record against spin so wasted no time in taking advantage when Jack Leach came on. He hit him over the top only because every time he did, it was the best option. He reverse-swept only because every time he did, it was the best option. When England went short, he didn't stop playing. He pulled and hooked whatever he could, even if he did get pinged late in the day, and he left what he couldn't reach.

Which says something about how this New Zealand side have become world Test champions. And which, in turn, leads us back to the question at the start. The problem is not that it is patronising as much as it shouldn't be phrased as a question in the first place. It should begin as the answer that, yes, Daryl Mitchell is completely representative of all that is the very best about New Zealand cricket and her cricketers.

Osman Samiuddin is a senior editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Underplayed to the point of parody, is Daryl Mitchell the uber-Kiwi? - ESPNcricinfo

Not so long ago, most Kiwis could afford a house, writes a subscriber. Photo / George Novak

OPINIONAfter a terrifying encounter with a shirtless man yelling threats and obscenities at mothers with children in a Tauranga playground, Bay of Plenty Times columnist Sonya Bateson argued that addressing poverty can reduce crime and increase public safety.

Read the full column: Sonya Bateson: Anti-social behaviour in Tauranga has ramped up

Have your say by going to bayofplentytimes.co.nz and becoming a Premium subscriber.

It has been my experience that a major cause of anti-social behaviour is due to that person not having any faith in that society. That society has not given them a fair go so why should they behave by the norms of that society.

When I first arrived in NZ as a Pommie immigrant some 50 years ago, I was very impressed by the friendly, respectful behaviour of Kiwis. A very pleasant change from the major UK city I had come from.

If you research the stats on incomes you will notice that then, there was a very much smaller range in salaries from top to bottom. Houses were affordable for the majority of Kiwis.

This is not the same society it used to be. Very many simply cannot wait to get away, or to take what they believe should be accessible to them. Very sad to see the changes over the last 50 years, very few of which have been for the better.Alexander M

It happens all over the country, from Far North to deep South: steep rise in anti-social behavior, and crime. And all too often, no police in sight.

We seem to drift fast back into the Wild West, including guns blazing ... And nothing is being done, or even attempted, to counter the trend. Certainly not by the Government.Alexander G

Harsher penalties or treatment have little effect on crime rates. By far the most effective factor for reducing crime rates is the risk of detection, apprehension and risk (rather than severity) of law enforcement consequences.

Immediate consequences are more effective than delayed consequences.

In view of the many surveillance cameras that have cost us our privacy, it's difficult to understand why people are getting away with antisocial behaviour without being detected and apprehended.Hans L

More Police. More money thrown into the bottomless pit of welfare. More Freudian reflection. That's what this society is good for. And the results speak for themselves.Kevyn H

Where did that $1.9b for mental health go again?Kathryn M

If you Google it, you will find that the $1.9 billion was spread over 2019 to 2024 so it hasn't all been allocated yet.

There have been 234 new training positions made available this year for RNs to undertake specialist mental health training.

Part of the problem is the closing down of long-term mental health facilities since the 1960s, as they were found to be places of abuse rather than care, so we are left with community care that has never had sufficient funding or support to do the job properly.

There are some people who need to be in a safe and caring institutional setting but that is not how our mental health service operates now.Gina S

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Premium Debate: New Zealand has changed, and not for the better - Bay of Plenty Times

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The property in Aucklands Grey Lynn is not much bigger than your average car park.

Everything about this property is tiny, apart from the price it's expected to fetch.

Measuring just 33 square metres, a small packet of land in one of Aucklands most sought-after suburbs is likely to fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Nestled next to Grey Lynns shops and cafes, and a stones throw from one of the citys nightlife hotspots in Ponsonby, the land features a small heritage-protected, brick pump house so any building work needs to keep the protected structure intact.

READ MORE:* Faster, cheaper prefab house building scheme moves a step closer * The best city suburbs to be a renter

Owner Cameron Woodcock bought the property in 2017 for $268,000 with the dream of having a pocket-sized house and shop in the heart of Grey Lynn.

Since then he has spent a considerable sum getting architectural plans drawn up and consents for a three-storey development.

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A 33sqm property in Grey Lynn is up for sale.

Its basically ready to go with all the work weve already put into it, Woodcock said.

But now were moving down to Whanganui, and we just dont have time to devote to this.

So its on the market for a deadline sale, with all offers to be in by July 12.

STUFF

It may be a quiet housing market, but around 50 bids were received for this abandoned, rundown house in a prime parkside position in Remuera. It sold for $1.07 million.

Quite how much it will fetch is debatable. No valuers Stuff spoke to were able to put a price on it, as there are no similar properties to compare it with.

In June last year, Auckland Council assigned it a rateable value of $185,000, even though it had sold for $80,000 more four years earlier.

Theres also a lot of work to go into any future development, with no water or power connections.

Despite that, its expected to fetch hundreds of thousands, given the price it sold for five years ago as the market exploded and now comes with consents for development.

Supplied

Renderings of the proposed apartments for the small site on Tuarangi Rd, Grey Lynn.

Plans for the building show a three-storey apartment encapsulating the existing brick shed in a glass foyer.

Valuer Richard Vaughan said it was a chance for someone to get creative, or just go off the existing plans.

[Plans] can add value to a buyer who might not know what to do with a property like this, he said.

Its also a pretty affluent area, so someone might just want a convenient space to park their car.

Ray Whites Josh Powell, one of the real estate agents managing the sale, said it was a place for those looking for something quirky.

It will click with somebody, he said.

Its more for a dreamer and a creative soul who wants to do something not the norm.

Excerpt from:

Is this Auckland property New Zealand's most valuable nugget of land? - Stuff

Tornadoes, heavy rain and snow are forecast to hit parts of New Zealand over the weekend.

MetService has issued 37 weather warnings for the country this weekend.

South Island can expect tornadoes on the coastal areas, heavy rains and snow, hail and strong wind gusts.

Some of the thunderstorms may be severe about Buller, Westland, and the Southern Alps bringing gusts greater than 110 km/h.

NWA warns that thunderstorms are moving from the west of the South Island to the lower North Island.

Wellington looks fine on Saturday, but on Sunday MetService issued warnings for thunderstorms, wind gusts and severe gales.

The wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and cause driving hazards.

Aucklanders woke up to a fine day on Saturday, but rain should be back by the evening in the region as well.

In the South Island, the first heavy snow warning issued in the year meant the opening of the ski season in Cardrona.

Snow warnings are only issued when significant amounts of snow are expected to fall with at least 25 centimeters.

Up to 1.5 metres of snow are expected for the tops of the Southern Alps with the plateau showing heavier snow, according Weather Watch.

Hamilton and western Waikato expect downpours, squalls and thunderstorms coming off the Tasman sea, according Weather Watch.

Squalls, hail and thunderstorms are expected to hit mostly central areas (upper half of the South Island, lower half of the North Island).

The perfect combination to create them comes from a deep low/storm in the Southern Ocean which is dredging up Antarctic air - but before it reaches NZ it's curving around as a nor'wester and merging with milder airflows.

The weather is set to be on repeat until Tuesday, when a milder and calmer westerly flow from Australia covers most of New Zealand.

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Heavy rain, snow, tornados to hit parts of New Zealand over the weekend - Newshub

Ross Taylor, a former New Zealand cricketer who resigned from all forms of international cricket earlier this year, is open to returning to the game, whether as a T20 player or as a coach.

When asked if he was interested in coaching, Traylor, who was part of the sidethat defeated India in the World Test Championship final in England last year and was awarded a New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in the Queens Birthday honours earlier this week, said on Friday never say never to coaching.

Yeah, a bit of both (coaching and playing). You never say never to coaching but first and foremost I still love playing the game and want to try and play it as much as I can while I can, the 38-year-old Taylor answered when asked by SENZ Mornings if he had any thoughts about coaching or playing in some areas.

Taylor is now playing Maori cricket and is considering returning to cricket in the lucrative T20 market.

Im looking forward to playing with Central Districts over the summer, there are a few tournaments that Ive signed up to go to as well. I enjoy playing the game still and giving back to it in any way.

I did miss the game a little bit the other day at Lords (first Test between England and New Zealand), but there are also elements that I didnt miss and I guess made my decision content.

Taylor said that while he wasnt thinking about coaching roles in the near future, he wouldnt rule them out completely. Meanwhile, his former teammates Brendon McCullum (new England head coach) and Daniel Vettori (new Australia assistant coach) have both signed lucrative contracts.

Probably not at the moment but I guess being a batting coach or a head coach, a lot of players I played with that I never thought would get into head coaching or be a coach in general (have taken that route), he added.

We just have to wait and see. Ive been successful at one job, hopefully, I have the passion to be successful at whatever I do after cricket as well.

Also Read: IPL 2022: I Was Overwhelmed Meeting The Likes Of Virat Kohli And MS Dhoni: Dewald Brevis

Read more:

New Zealand Legend Ross Taylor Hints At Possible Return To T20 Cricket - Cricket Addictor

Board of Airline Representatives executive director Justin Tighe-Umbers talks about the rebuilding of airlines, with New Zealand opening up the borders.

American Airlines' international chief says the decision to come back to New Zealand this summer was based on what the carrier is seeing in other markets.

As border restrictions ease, the pent-up demand to travel needs to be met and the juggernaut is returning after two years this summer with daily non-stop flights between Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) and Auckland.

And Jos A. Freig, American's vice-president for international, told the Herald that DFW was the logical place to relaunch into New Zealand from what is its biggest hub.

The airline is the world's biggest by several measures and, with its alliance partner Qantas, will introduce some strong transpacific competition to Air New Zealand which is focusing on North America with its network rebuild.

DFW to Auckland was due to launch at the end of 2020 as a seasonal service but was suspended because of the pandemic. It also quit its LA-Auckland flights launched in 2016 and shelved plans for LA-Christchurch flights planned for late 2020.

Speaking from the airline's DFW headquarters, Freig said that American has restored flights around the world when the easing of Covid border control conditions allowed. The new DFW-Auckland service was an example of this.

"Once governments make some changes to conditions inbound and ease travel restrictions from a Covid perspective, we see that pent-up demand. This is no different in this particular case."

American has a fleet of close to 1000 aircraft and will use a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on the Auckland route.

It operates 800-plus domestic and international flights a day to more than 230 destinations through the main DFW hub, which provides greater connectivity than through Los Angeles.

While the airline doesn't release details of booking levels, the service announced in late May would appeal to both Kiwis flying to the US and the inbound market, because of American's broad domestic and international customer base.

"From our perspective, I think it's great for both directions."

Daily made sense as it made most efficient use of the two aircraft required and gave maximum flexibility for passengers on the seasonal service that will run from October 29 until March 25.

Auckland Airport estimates that every Boeing 787 Dreamliner touching down daily on average contributes $157 million in tourist spending and carries $500m worth of freight over a 12-month period.

Freig said Los Angeles to Auckland or Christchurch was an option in the future but there were no current plans for flights.

"As we look at our network we always look for opportunities and the ... world changes really fast and post-Covid has changed even faster.

"So I would say that there's always an opportunity for us to look at (but) not anything we have on the horizon for the next 12 months or so. I wouldn't discount it, but it's certainly not part of our current plan."

When American launched in New Zealand in 2016 there was intense competition and it offered some aggressive pricing.

Constraints on capacity, high demand for travel and the need to recover costs, especially for fuel and staff, were hitting all airlines.

Will the low standard fares return? Freig is non-committal.

''It's difficult to have a crystal ball to really hone in on that it wouldn't surprise me of course. That if as long as the pent-up demand continues to be there, there'll certainly be what I would describe as healthy airfares.''

Links between New Zealand to North America were rebuilding faster than other parts of airline networks meaning more competition. Air New Zealand will also fly into Texas, up against American, with three flights a week into Houston.

Freig said the easing of travel restrictions was helping but the current pre-departure Covid testing for New Zealand and the United States was a barrier to faster recovery for the airline industry which had lost billions of dollars during the pandemic.

Airlines for America and other travel lobby groups in the US and in New Zealand have been pushing to have the pre-departure tests dropped, as they have been in much of Europe, some parts of Asia and Australia.

They argue that with high rates of vaccination or immunity there were few health reasons to continue with pre-departure testing regimes.

Freig said tests were inconvenient and increasingly hard to find and the upload process could be difficult for some people.

"And let's face it, there's also the risk for some customers that can be asymptomatic and now (are) stuck in a place," Freig said.

''We're going to continue to beat that drum and continue to push to have ease of travel and really continue to tell the story, which is the story of an industry which for the last three years that have lost billions of dollars across the world."

In spite of speed bumps, American has built back capacity on other routes.

Domestic flying was booming and Europe was popular.

"Everything's pointed in that direction because there's so much - when you think about Americans going to Europe for the summer it's a big market and it's been a market that for three years Americans haven't been able to get to."

The airline's international growth had been crimped by production problems at Boeing leading to delivery delays of new Dreamliners.

"We're constrained no different than other carriers - we're constrained a bit on the Boeing 787 delivery timeline."

Staff shortages that were plaguing airlines and other parts of the aviation sector weren't so acute, said Freig.

''We feel really confident as we go into our summer here in North America from an American perspective we're well staffed where we need to be. We have some pockets like everybody else does, where we have some concerns about vendors around the globe,"he said.

"We have some concerns where governments are struggling to get folks back like either immigration or customs officers or security officers and places like Canada and some places like Europe are starting to see this."

In April the airline reported first-quarter revenue of US$8.9 billion, ($13.5b) representing a recovery to 84 per cent of comparable period revenue in 2019.

Its net loss was US$1.6b but it said it was profitable excluding net special items in March and said then it expects to be profitable in the current quarter, with capacity back to up to 94 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

With regional partner American Eagle, the airline has nearly 6700 flights daily to 350 destinations in 50 countries.

Excerpt from:

American Airlines: The decision that led to return to New Zealand - New Zealand Herald

The New Zealand Aids Foundation is dropping Aids from its name to reflect the broader services it provides.

Formed in response to the Aids epidemic in the early 1980s, it is changing its name to Burnett Foundation Aotearoa to honour its co-founder and pioneering Aids activist Bruce Burnett.

New data from the Otago University's Aids Epidemiology Group shows the number of people diagnosed with HIV in New Zealand is at its lowest since 2001.

In 2021, 67 people were diagnosed, a 51% drop from the previous year. It was the first year with no reported deaths from Aids since records began in 1985.

READ MORE:* Taranaki memorial reclaimed as 40-year legacy of Aids crisis remembered * Major hurdle for HIV-positive immigrants to be removed* HIV tests to be dispensed through vending machines, in first for NZ

Rodrigo Olin said when he was diagnosed with HIV almost 20 years ago it changed his life. He had to protect his health as his immune system was compromised, he avoided crowded places and avoided having sex. His life expectancy was dramatically lowered.

It was through the work of the foundation and people like Burnett that things evolved.

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Bruce Burnett, New Zealands pioneering HIV and AIDS activist.

Thanks to advances in technology and treatment my life expectancy is as long as anyone else. I cant pass on HIV because my treatment means I am undetectable. I am really proud and humbled by the work Bruce Burnett did, he said.

However, there was still a stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

Dropping the word Aids is quite significant for people like me who are living with HIV. Aids has a heavy connotation and comes with lots of stigma and prevents people from accessing services and getting tested because they dont want to be associated with that word, he said.

The new name signalled a new era in the HIV response, he said.

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Rodrigo Olin lives with HIV and works for the New Zealand Aids Foundation, which is changing its name to the Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.

Burnett Foundation Aotearoa Board chair Sam Humphrey said Burnett was a pioneering Aids activist in Aotearoa in the early 1980s, who along with a dedicated group created a nationwide support organisation for those living with and affected by Aids, and later HIV, which was still a mystery illness at the time when even being gay was illegal.

The relaunch was to honour the foundations legacy while meeting the evolving needs of people living with or affected by HIV. New issues included challenges posed by other sexually transmitted infections and physical and mental health issues affecting people living with or affected by HIV.

We have listened carefully to the communities we serve. One consistent message was that, with Aids now being rare in Aotearoa thanks to effective HIV treatments, [the] current name no longer reflects the particular challenges we face, or the services we need to provide, Humphrey said.

Burnetts sister Robyn Mihaere said she was proud of her brother and to see him recognised by the foundation.

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Wellington Lesbian and Gay Festival. Held annually since 1991. Wellington gay festival involving a dance party and other events. The first Devotion Festival was held in 1991.

Bruce was a pioneering campaigner, a beacon for like-minded people to join the cause, a change-maker, and ultimately a life-saver.

It is hard to comprehend how brave he was to publicly reveal he was living with HIV at a time when those living with the disease were shunned and persecuted, and homosexuality, sex work and needle possession were all still illegal, she said.

Bill Logan, an early activist and friend of Bruce who is a life-time member of the foundation said Burnett worked as a volunteer to help people dying of Aids in San Francisco before returning to New Zealand with Aids in 1983. With a background in social work, he was the perfect person to raise awareness of the disease and make the Government take notice.

He was full of life and energy. He was a great cook, a great friend and great fun. He was also a thinker, he said.

Supplied

Bruce Burnett set up the Aids Support Network which became the New Zealand Aids Foundation - which will now become the Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.

The work of the foundation had been an extraordinary success in both reducing the spread of the virus and helping those living with it.

There was a fear of Aids and gay people and there was also a fear among the gay community because we didnt know what was happening and what we could do about it and among all that we had people using Aids as a way of keeping homosexuality illegal, he said.

Incoming Burnett Foundation Aotearoa chief executive Joe Rich said the foundation would retain its vision, mission, and principles with its key aim to end HIV transmission in New Zealand by 2025.

He was inspired and excited by the next step in the organisations journey.

HIV will always remain at our core, even when we reach our goal of eliminating new transmissions.

We know that if we were to take our foot off the gas in the future, infections would rebound quickly.

Burnett Foundation Aotearoa would continue to empower rangatahi and future generations to stay safe, he said.

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New Zealand Aids Foundation dropping Aids from its name - Stuff

A New Zealand woman placed in abusive Australian foster care has won an appeal against deportation from Australia.

The 41-year-old woman was held at Villawood detention centre in Sydney while she awaited her appeal. Photo: AFP

She became a drug user, stabbed her partner in the chest and was convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The woman, who has not been named, arrived in Australia in 1988 when she was seven years old.

She went into foster care where she was sexually abused and ran away one day before school at the age of 15.

Her daughter committed suicide and she had drug and theft convictions, and had been in violent relationships.

The 41-year-old has two children and had been held at Villawood detention centre while she awaited her appeal, which followed a four-year jail term for the assault on her partner.

Under amendments made to the Migration Act In 2014, the Australian government can cancel visas for non-citizens on character grounds, including having been sentenced to prison for more than 12 months.

She appealed her deportation to the administrative appeals tribunal which said, in a decision released yesterday, that much of her offending could "best be described as petty crime or street offences".

"[Her] offending is directly related to her personal circumstances, including being sexually abused when she was in the care of the government and placed in foster care, life's difficulties that followed, including living in Perth in fear that should she may be returned to foster care if she returned to Queensland before turning 18 years of age, the birth of [her daughter] when in Perth, [her] tragic suicide, her inability to cope with life's stressors and financial difficulties, drug use and involvement in violent and abusive relationships generally, and her inappropriate response to violence directed at her."

In 2020, she received $95,000 in compensation from the government for the abuse she suffered in foster care.

She bought her mother a car, took her mother and son on a holiday to the Gold Coast, paid off her sisters' debts and set up a $20,000 trust fund for her son.

A fortnight ago, another New Zealand woman held at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney died in a suspected suicide.

Australia's Labor party signalled before it was elected that it may review any exceptions or provisions for discretion process regarding New Zealand '501' deportees.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is due to meet new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this week, and the subject of deportations of New Zealanders is expected to be high on the list of topics they will discuss.

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New Zealand woman placed in abusive foster care wins appeal against deportation from Australia - RNZ

By IANS

NOTTINGHAM: Former England skipper Nasser Hussain feels New Zealand were "slightly undercooked" in the opening Test against England at Lord's and that they will come hard at the hosts in the second Test at Trent Bridge, adding that the three top-order batters -- Alex Lees, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope -- will have to play a fruitful innings in order to keep the tourists at bay.

All three top-order England batters were below-par in both innings at Lord's with only Crawley having a worthwhile score of 43 in the first innings, which led to a first-innings collapse as the hosts were bundled out for 141.

In the second innings too, the trio had a collective score of 39 and it was left to former skipper Joe Root (115 not out), Ben Stokes (54) and Ben Foakes (32 not out) to guide the team to a five-wicket win and take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.

On Friday, Hussain opined that England skipper Stokes "will need at least one of his top three to go big at Trent Bridge".

"They (England) should expect New Zealand, who were slightly undercooked, to come back hard over the next few days in Nottingham. Don't forget, they're the world champions. An obvious area for improvement is England's top three of Alex Lees, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope, though I would say we shouldn't get too down on them. After all, look at how New Zealand's much more experienced top order struggled at Lord's," said Hussain in his column for Daily Mail.

"It's also true that no one is expecting England to sort out all their problems overnight. Improvement, if it comes, will be gradual. But in each instance there's a slight issue to overcome, and there's no doubt all three (top-order batters) will feel more comfortable with a major innings behind them.

Hussain pointed out that in Lee's case he has continually got into the groove, then got out, with six scores between 20 and 31 in eight Test innings.

"When you're opening the batting, especially in England, you're always going to get the odd jaffa early on, which means when you make a start you have to go big. That way, you can have a couple of low scores but still average 40 or 50 for the series. Alastair Cook was a master of doing that," said Hussain.

Pointing out Lee's flaw, Hussain said that the batter is constantly tinkering with his guard.

"Left-handers often have to change guard to account for bowlers coming over or round the wicket, but at Lord's, he was doing it too much.

Lee left one from Kyle Jamieson that hit the top of off stump in the second innings at Lord's. In the first innings he was standing outside off stump, which meant Tim Southee aimed a bit straighter and Lees was out lbw.

Crawley, though, played nicely for 43 on the first day but got out to his old nemesis, the booming drive. Hussain felt that the likes of Southee, Jamieson and Trent Boult were world-class bowlers and if Crawley drives carelessly against them, they will be all over him.

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New Zealand were 'slightly undercooked' at Lord's; they'll come hard in second Test: Nasser Hussain - The New Indian Express