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Here's how I rated the performances of the .

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This was a , but in the field, at least, Kevin Pietersen showed a refreshingly positive attitude to the captaincy.

For a man who can't remember ever having led a team before - is anyone else amazed that he never even captained his school team? - he seemed calm and definitely in charge.

I liked the way he kept his slip in position in the 19th over of New Zealand's innings, and he was rewarded for that when Graeme Swann took the catch to remove the curiously subdued Brendon McCullum whose 23 came from 57 balls.

Pietersen also insisted on keeping his mid on and mid off inside the circle, pressurising the batsman to hit over the top.

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When the NatWest Series got under way 10 days ago, all the talk was about the potential death of the 50-over game because of the seemingly unstoppable growth of Twenty20 cricket.

And with and going on at the same time, there were fears that the series may fail to grab the headlines - but how wrong we were!

There has been so much to keep the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ cricket team busy over the past few days, we have hardly had time to pause for breath.

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There's a quiet confidence in cricket circles that the ICC will suspend Zimbabwe from all international cricket next week.

This is based on the significant shift in the position of the South Africans, who have now halted all bilateral cricket relations with Zimbabwe.

The current president of the ICC, , is a South African, as is the new chief executive, , and it will be the president who opens the debate around the table in Dubai on Wednesday, with his views now widely known.

Can you really imagine Mr Lorgat emerging after the meeting to announce that the ICC endorses Zimbabwe Cricket? In the current climate, it is absolutely unthinkable.

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Welcome to Ask Bearders, where Test Match Special statistician Bill "The Bearded Wonder" Frindall answers your questions on all things cricket.

Below are Bill's responses to some of your questions posed at the end of his last column and if you have a question for Bill, leave it at the end of this blog entry. Please do include your country of residence - Bill loves to hear where all his correspondents are posting from.

Bill isn't able to answer all of your questions, however. ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sport staff will choose a selection of them and send them to Bearders for him to answer.

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One-day cricket doesn't have to be all about fours and sixes. Low-scoring games have a fascination all of their own as every run is painstakingly eked out, and 50-over matches allow teams to recover from potentially dire positions - something rarely permits.

- the batsmen all finding it awkward to cope with a ball that bounced just a fraction more than they are used to.

In truth, the majority of the dismissals were the result of poor technique, but the bowlers deserve credit for squeezing the run rate.

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A lot was said after our , but as far as I'm concerned the umpires had no choice at all other than to call it off when they did.

Anyone who questions the timing of the abandonment is just being ludicrous.

It was a no-brainer. By the time we went off they were the darkest conditions I've ever played in by a long way - even with the white ball it was too dark. I couldn't see past the end of my nose.

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Kevin Pietersen said last week that he believed 50-over one-day international cricket would be a . If we get any more matches like it may not take that long.

The events in Birmingham were yet another example of cricket not helping itself - and all this at a time when there is so much debate about trying to make the game more popular.

I feel really sorry for the 16,000 spectators at Edgbaston on Wednesday night who waited patiently through some horrid weather until 3.00pm to finally see some action in the second NatWest ODI.

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It is clear that there must be some serious tinkering of if "switch-hitting" is to be permitted.

Indeed, dare I suggest that , the custodian of the Laws, might have acted a little too swiftly in as because the implications are more far reaching than simply Kevin's shot.

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Riverside: When England play one-day cricket with this level of intensity, they look capable of beating anybody.

The re-jigged top order has a much more positive appearance to it, and the fielding inside the circle was aggressive and mightily impressive.

In contrast, New Zealand never really got going again and, frankly, look as if they have had enough of playing against England, losing .

After all, they have now lost six of the last seven matches they have played against them and haven't won a game....

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In a after the England batsman Kevin Pietersen predicted that the 50-over version of international cricket will be "a thing of the past in a couple of years' time".

Pietersen explained that as far as he is concerned "Twenty20 Cricket is here to stay, it's the future. We are entertainers and if you ask people what they want to watch then it's the Twenty20 form of the game".

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Guess what: Twenty20 can produce too!

After a week of hype and multi-million pound pledges, this game never got going. It's a good job this wasn't because he would have kept his cash to himself.

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Those of you who think the life of an international cricketer is one of glitz and glamour (I appreciate that may not be many of you) should see me now.

I sit here, alone in my hotel room in Manchester, stuck with rubbish TV all night and with none of the England boys due to arrive until Thursday.

And to make matters worse, I've not only forgotten to pack half my gear, including my shoes, I've forgotten my guitar.

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It really was a bizarre day at Lord's.

When , the traditionalists would've left the ground wondering if this is a sensible venture that the ECB is embarking on.

My own view of , having talked to the man himself and people around him, is that he is a genuine West Indian cricket enthusiast. He has spent 26 years living in the Caribbean and really enjoyed being part of their success 20 years ago.

He certainly has a world plan - he is, after all, a global financier. He has the potential to take cricket to the States, he is American and could connect with people in the States like no-one has done before.

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Welcome to Ask Bearders, where Test Match Special statistician answers your questions on all things cricket.

Below are Bill's responses to some of your questions posed at the end of his last column and if you have a question for Bill, leave it at the end of this blog entry. Please do include your country of residence - Bill loves to hear where all his correspondents are posting from.

Bill isn't able to answer all of your questions, however. ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sport staff will choose a selection of them and send them to Bearders for him to answer.

Read the rest of this entry

³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 5 Live's coverage of this season's Twenty20 Cup gets underway on Wednesday with interest in the tournament at an all-time high.

Twenty20 has been on what seems an unstoppable roll since the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa last year.

But the announcement over the weekend of a highly lucrative "Champions League" which will feature the finalists of this year's Twenty20 domestic cup has added even more spice to this season's competition.

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Here's how I rated the performances of the England team in .

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With , the most interesting development was the .

This, you will recall, appeared to be merely a pipe dream when its concept was first announced, as well as a handy tool for the Indian Board to apply pressure on the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Basically, the two finalists from the domestic Twenty20 competitions in England, Australia, South Africa and India will all meet for a 10-day tournament in the autumn with the winner picking up $5m.

That's the straightforward bit - but there are many questions that need answering.

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With quality performances from the England bowlers in this New Zealand series, the anticipated return of for is going to cause a nice headache for the selectors.

Once Flintoff has proved that he is fit and in the right form to return, by bowling the necessary overs for Lancashire and ideally scoring a few runs, he is a definite pick.

This will mean changing the line-up for the first time in the last five Tests. Who will be the player to make way?

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James Anderson - - has put New Zealand on the rack and, finally, England appear to be on course to finish the series with an emphatic victory.

Anderson is always dangerous when the ball swings.

It remains frustrating that he is still inconsistent when it does not, but today he was in his element and will return to with the chance to become only the third Test bowler in history to take all 10 wickets in an innings.

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With starting this weekend, without England, possibly due to the limited number of English qualified players playing in the Premier League, should the qualification laws be tightened in cricket?

If you come to live in England after your 16th birthday or once your schooling has finished - should you be allowed to play for England? What are your reasons for wanting to come and play here in England - financial or do you really have a passion for your adopted country?

In my career I played with the South African-born Allan Lamb and Robin Smith and the New Zealand-bred Andrew Caddick, all outstanding cricketers who performed exceptionally well. On Thursday, we witnessed Kevin Pietersen and Tim Ambrose, who grew up and learned their cricket in South Africa and Australia respectively, turn England's fortunes around.

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of the highest quality to spare England another embarrassment with the bat on the opening day.

This was his 12th century and, under the circumstances, one of his most valuable as England slumped to 86-5 shortly after lunch.

, which started the slump and resulted in a catch at first slip, will give him nightmares tonight.

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Steve Waugh always said, just because you win the toss doesn't mean you win the game - it all depends on how you play.

When Daniel Vettori put England in to bat, I was surprised, as having been out in the middle and seen the pitch I would have taken a braver decision and batted - as would Michael Vaughan.

and Vettori would be questioning his decision - but 20 minutes after lunch it looks like he made the right one.

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A month's worth of rain has fallen on over the past couple of days, and the outfield is sodden.

The pitch, however, is absolutely dry and given a sunny afternoon, there seems to be no threat to a prompt start to the final Test.

England have named an unchanged team for the fifth match in a row, by Michael Vaughan's reckoning the first time in 123 years they have been able to do so, and that obviously reflects a level of satisfaction within the camp as to how the team is performing.

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I've been following cricket since before I could do joined-up writing - and those who know my love for the game (or my indecipherable handwriting) would probably not be surprised to hear that.

Having been taken by my father to my first county game aged six (when kindly marked the occasion with a century), I was swiftly hooked - and have spent much of the intervening period waiting for to win the County Championship, which they haven't done since before I was born. I've also followed England to and as a supporter during the last two winters.

I've worked for the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ since shortly after leaving university, and after a short spell at ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Solent, I've spent nearly a decade in London - initially for ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Ceefax Sport, and subsequently for , where I frequently have to turn my hand to just about anything, although our are always a pleasurable task.

I still play cricket for a team called , although my love of the game is matched only by my utter ineptness at playing it. Considering I bat like and field like Monty Panesar, I'm lucky still to get a game anywhere.