"There have been a lot of amazing wins in between - The Oval 1999, Brisbane
1986 to name two - but the thing that connects Sunday’s amazing scenes with Headingley was that this was a team effort," writes Hamish McDouall about New Zealand's victory in Hamilton on Stuff.co.nz.
"We [England] are only 15 Tests away from an Ashes series and we don't even look like competing with Australia, never mind beating them," writes Geoffrey Boycott in the Daily Telegraph. "We seem to have learnt nothing from last winter's Australia debacle where we lacked preparation and commitment for the battle."
"Most pressing when the talking heads gather will be the fate of Steve Harmison, who has cut a forlorn figure and not just with the ball in his hand," says Mike Selvey in the Guardian. "Fundamentally Harmison is a decent, honest man, so it is genuinely saddening to see what is happening to him. No one can doubt that he tries and yet nothing is happening. He is finding fast bowling like wading through treacle."
After all the discussions, they may want to keep Harmison in the team on the premise that historically he does tend to get better as a series progresses. That, however, is no basis for his retention, although the decision might be easier if there were players hammering on the door and demanding inclusion. As it is, James Anderson came out of his match for Auckland with an innings defeat and not many wickets, and Stuart Broad is working hard on fundamental flaws in his action, which is hardly a resounding testament for his inclusion. Those who think he has pace like fire are misguided too: he is deceptively slow.
Angus Fraser writes in the Independent that "England cannot go into tomorrow night's second Test in Wellington with the same team as that comprehensively beaten by New Zealand on Sunday."
