England lost Ian Bell in the first over after being put in by New Zealand in the second one-day international.

In a match reduced to 29 overs per side by rain, the Warwickshire batsman fell third ball on his home ground at Edgbaston, getting a leading edge.

New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori took a neat catch over his shoulder at mid-off to dismiss Bell for a duck.

England brought in Dimitri Mascarenhas for Ryan Sidebottom, while Geoff Elliott made his Kiwi one-day debut.

LATEST ACTION (ALL TIMES BST)

By Ben Dirs

e-mail tms@bbc.co.uk (with 'For Ben Dirs' in the subject), text 81111 (with "CRICKET" as the first word) or use 606. (Not all contributions can be used)

ENGLAND INNINGS

1st over - WICKET - Bell c Vettori b Mills 0, Eng 0-1
It's about three-quarters full at Edgbaston as Mills runs in to bowl the first ball of the match... but the New Zealand seamer has to abort after the bails come off. Bell fends the first ball of the match to gully for no run but he's gone just two balls later, Vettori taking a difficult swirling catch over his shoulder at mid-off. Not a clever knock on his home patch from Bell. The batsmen crossed and Wright is now at bat, with new man KP at the other end. Wright blocks out the over and that's a wicket-maiden from Mills.

1458: The umpires are out and we'll have play in a couple of minutes. Bell and Wright to open up for England and here come the Kiwis...

"Regading your son being a goat (see below), we were in the pub when a friend of mine exclaimed that a man had just walked in with a goat to which my girlfriend said "really?" She was even gullible enough to marry me. Bless."
Jonno in the TMS inbox

1453: I always used to like the smell of Mr Men books when I was a kid, and I also had a thing about Airfix glue. Wonder what KP likes smelling? Probably himself.

"Not sure about sniffing tennis balls but the smell of magazines does it for me. First thing I do with the Sunday Times mag is have a good whiff. The LFC magazine also has a particularly good bouquet."
Brian Durand, Senior Engineer, in the TMS inbox

"I thought Alexander O'Neal was dead."
Matt, under the Heathrow flight path, in the TMS inbox

1450: Right ladies and gents, let's have it - the pesky Kiwis won the toss and they've put England into bat... play in 10 minutes...

1432: Right, a bit of team news, Dimitri Mascarenhas is in for Ryan Sidebottom (he's got a sore side) and now I've got to go off again for 20 minutes or so because they're jazzing up the cricket index or something...

"KP has started something here. Today I've signed my expenses claim form left-handed. If my claim for oysters and champagne on the way to sell concrete to a guy in Wolverhampton is rejected then I'll know I've got some way to go to match KP's ambidextrous-ness."
Nigel, Bury, in the TMS inbox

"The cows in the field behind my house have stood up. Hope maybe?"
King of the Swing in the TMS inbox

1425: Right, some good news: play will start at 1500 BST, if we have no rain between now and then. The game will be 29-overs-a-side, so if you stick around, you're quite likely to see another one of KP's wonder-shots...

1302: Right, I'm actually off now, byeeee!

"I arrived at the checkout at the weekend laughing as I walked past a woman who opened the freezer door and turned to her husband in shock and proclaimed 'oooh, it's freezing in there!' Genius!"
Huw, Chesterfield, in the TMS inbox

"Nice to see Birmingham living up to the adage that if it doesn't look like it's going to rain, then it already is. On the bread-sniffing subject, I once found myself stepping out of my car at a petrol station, inhaling and letting out a satisfied 'hmmmmm' noise, much to the bemusement of the lady at the next pump. I can't be the only one who enjoys the smell of freshly cut petrol?"
Phil, Southampton, in the TMS inbox

"Chris Martin of Coldplay is amazingly talented, just stick to talking about cricket."
Sally in the TMS inbox

1251: Right you lovely lot, my superiors have decided that there's probably something a little more constructive I could be doing rather than talking about bread, so I'm going to call it a day for now. If there is any update on play, obviously we'll keep you posted. Loving the emails, especially that one about the chimpanzee sitting on skateboard, that made me giggle...

"I don't know if anyone remembers, but a few years ago at Wimbledon there were two brothers called Murphy and Luke Jensen who played in the doubles. They were surfy-looking American mavericks and one of the brothers, Luke, was known for switching hands during rallies. When asked why he did it he came up with the immortal line, 'because the chicks dig it'. Robin Givens obviously did as she had a child with his brother Murphy. He was also nicknamed 'Dual Hand Luke'."
John in the TMS inbox

"Talking of editorial corrections, I wouldn't be surprised if you have someone from Radio 3 wandering over fairly soon to take you to task for describing Jazz as a form of 'popular music'. While it incorporates influences and tunes from popular music, Coltrane is surely not pop!"
Gavin the Muso, London, in the TMS inbox

1245: Some emails in asking when the next umpires' inspection is. The answer is, there are no inspections planned as far as we know because it's still raining, which is a bit of a choker to be honest.

"I took some money out of the ATM this morning after typing in my pin number with my left hand. Eat your heart out Kevin Pietersen."
Marc, Devon, in the TMS inbox

"Laughing at bread and static is all very well, but the most funny thing I heard recently was when my two-year old son suddenly put down his fork at teatime and announced with great solemnity 'I am a goat'. Still drizzling here less than a mile from Edgbaston. Sigh."
Kate in the TMS inbox

"I don't often find myself having a good old chuckle at bread, but the sight of a panini sends me wistfully into my childhood saying, 'got, got, got... oooooh, need, I'll give you the Watford badge and Remi Moses for that one'."
Derrie Monteith in the TMS inbox

1232: The man sitting next to me has just informed me that Alexander 'It's Nothing But Hearsay' O'Neal and Jane 'Talks About Vaguely Rude Stuff On Afternoon Telly' MacDonald are performing at Fontwell Park racetrack tomorrow, if anyone fancies.

"I have never found myself laughing hysterically in the supermarket bakery section. However, when I arrived at the checkout yesterday with the wrong type in my basket, I did afford myself a rye smile."
Darryl Smith in the TMS inbox

"On the subject of Graeme Swann, look at the picture of him wearing the RAF beret on the home page. I'm not sure whether he looks like a Stephen King character of inner turmoil and terror or a modern-day Windsor Davis from It Ain't Half Hot Mum. Either way, it scares me a little."
Liz Rothe in the TMS inbox

1228: One of my editors has just strolled over to inform me that Paltrow is in fact Chris Martin's wife, not his girlfriend. Whatever she is, she's still a sort.

"As a gay man reading your commentary, Matt Lucas being back on the market is of no great interest. Some of us do have taste you know! If some of the England cricket team were suddenly on the gay market, that would be good news! Cook and Anderson to name but two!"
Mark on the sunny Sussex coast in the TMS inbox

"I am going to watch my mate 'Loggy' play in a Twenty20 match later. 'Loggy' was also nicknamed 'Big Lump' when playing Sunday Football so I am not expecting many KP Flamingo shots, but I am guaranteed entertainment!"
South, Brighton, in the TMS inbox

1220: Got to be honest Sarah (see below), I'd rather go and see Chris Martin the right-arm fast-medium New Zealand bowler in concert than Chris Martin and Coldplay. Chris Martin of Coldplay is about as musically innovative as Stretch & Vern. Top-drawer girlfriend though, especially in seven-inch heels. Still loads of umbrellas up at Edgbaston and we have covers draped across seemingly half the ground.

"Went to see Coldplay the other night in Brixton, they were pretty good actually. Their gigs are rather civilised compared to some I have been to. No moshing and therefore no bruises in the morning."
Sarah, Bucks, in the TMS inbox

"In response to Alan, is he having a laugh? The only good thing to come out of Manchester is Oasis. We have Duran Duran, UB40, Nigel Mansell and Jasper Carrott."
Nick Yates in the TMS inbox

"Further to said bread sniffing, my tennis partner and I have always enjoyed the striking odour that comes with cracking open a new tin of tennis balls. On one occasion at the local park, both hunched over the latest tin, a passing jogger said over our shoulders, 'now that's what I call a fetish'. I don't think we've done it since."
Guy, Switzerland, in the TMS inbox

"Re: switching hands in other sports - I tried it once during an arm-wrestling competition in Batley Working Men's Club and didn't see the end of my pint."
Johnny X, St. Albans, in the TMS inbox

1208: Listen, I'm not going to mess you about, but I'm not very confident about getting any play today. But we can still speak about laughing at bread and static and stuff if you want. Is this the most sterotypically Irish thing you've ever heard? I was having a beer with a mate and his Irish dad last week and when we left the pub the old man's car had been nicked. And, without skipping a beat, he said: "For ***** sake, I could have had a few more beers." Beautiful.

"Me and my fiancée were in New York a few months ago and we had the same problem with static electricity. We would turn the lights out and be amazed (if not slightly concerned) with the blue sparks we were producing. When we brought it up with the lady at the front desk (who, incidentally, was not a people person) she too thought I was lying. Yet, oddly enough, she believed me when I jokingly told her that my spiky hair was a result of the static electricity, not hair gel. They're a strange bunch."
Andy, Nottingham, in the TMS inbox

"I think you will find that you 'furl' an umbrella, as opposed to collapsing one."
Pete in the TMS inbox

1200: TMS are going off air, which isn't a good sign. Talking of greetings cards (see below), does anyone else still get birthday cards from their mum with 1970s sportsmen on? I swear I had former West Brom and Ipswich midfielder Romeo Zondervan on the front of my birthday card a few years back.

"No bread-related humour recently, but I did find myself in a fit of hysterics when I found a birthday card with a chimpanzee on the front in Woolworths yesterday. A man of 27 should no better but he (or she) was sat so nonchalantly on a skateboard. All that for 49p!"
Nick, NW1, in the TMS inbox

"I reckon they should designate three fielders in each team who have to throw the ball with their weaker hand. I was trying this last night and instead of my normal sturdy action I developed a very bendy armed approach with an odd little skip/hop in the delivery stride. There was even a little involuntary squeak on release."
Stuart Thomas, City of London, in the TMS inbox

"Ben, I was in Vegas in April, and I also found myself getting static shocks all the time. It got so bad that I was afraid to open the doors, and had to let people go ahead of me. I would also not hold them open for anyone coming in behind me, which made me appear rather rude."
Edd, London, in the TMS inbox

1151: BBC Sport's Sam Lyon is talking to Graeme Swann for his column tomorrow, so any questions would be gratefully received.
Graeme Swann on the Twenty20 revolution

1143: Good news for any gay men reading this! Matt Lucas is back on the market! He's split with some chap called Kevin McGee and, judging by the pic on the Metro website, I reckon it's because Kevin nicked Matt's hair. Alison in Ghana has emailed in asking: "Why all the controversy over KP's switch-hit 'thingummy'?" There's a piece on the website that may help you out.
Pietersen the 'lefty'. Is it fair?

"Well, only three days to go until the first Village League matches since Pietersen's 'switch-hitting'. I wonder if it will have the same effect on village cricket as Harry Kewell's 'around-the-back-cross' did on Sunday League football?"
Dan Greenslade, Doncaster, in the TMS inbox

1137: If Phil 'The Power' Taylor were to change to left-handed, what might his new nickname be? Phil 'The Four-Year-Old Girl' Taylor? There are some who believe Taylor is as great a sportsman as Tiger Woods. Much as I like darts, that's like saying handbag house is as important a genre of popular music as jazz. The brollies are being collapsed and the umpires are having a look at Edgbaston...

"This switching to your opposite hand could work well in other sports. I'd definitely watch more darts if Phil Taylor and Co had to use their wrong-un. 'Phil, you scored 14' would make it far more interesting. Who wants to watch 180,140,180 all night?"
Steve Reynolds in the TMS inbox

1135: I'm been on a bit of a fitness drive lately and am trying to eat properly and stuff. The other day I found myself smelling a baguette in Tescos. On realising what I was doing, I start giggling to myself and looked round to discover I was being watched by a couple of women on the fish counter. Has anyone else been caught laughing at bread recently? Still raining in Birmingham...

"Unfortunately Alan Willoughby (see below) is deluded (like a lot of people from Manchester) when he asks 'Who said Birmingham was the second city?' the answer is 'the rest of the country with the exception of the inhabitants of that village in Lancashire'."
Kev Walsh (a proud second citizen) in the TMS inbox

"Totally agreed Ben! I must have been in the same enclosure as yourself at Ascot. I think it's called The Wear a Nice Shirt and Tie Combo and Come Home with Fake Tan all over it Resulting in Numerous Arguments with the Missus for Weeks to Come Enclosure. Ruddy good day though!"
Jon, Northampton, in the TMS inbox

"Nothing to do with cricket, but found this very funny - confirms that the French are terrible drivers and that it really wasn't their night yesterday."
Sam in the TMS inbox
Rubbish French coach driver

1121: Apparently Coldplay are playing at Television Centre this evening. I found 10p once. I see Melinda Messenger is now hosting a late-night phone-in show on ITV1. One minute she's on a double glazing billboard in Swindon, the next she's presenting Late Night Bingo. How the mighty can fall.

1114: We hear that if play hasn't started by 1612 BST, there will be no play. KP is a left-handed golfer apparently. Apparently England great Peter May was so good at playing golf right-handed that he got bored, bought himself some left-handed clubs and got down to scratch. And I bet Peter May didn't own a driver with a head the size of a microwave oven.

1112: Talking of static charges, I was in Las Vegas ("oooh, look at you!") recently and the static I was producing there was spectacular. When I turned the lights out to go to bed, I could actually see blue sparks coming off my pillow. However, when I tried to tell people about this, I could tell they thought I was lying. Don't you hate that, when you tell someone something slightly unusual and they think you're lying. I'm a grown man - why would I lie for KP's sake?

"Unfortunately Boots have replaced carpets with wood flooring so the fun of creating static charges in there is past. Mind you, the carpets in John Lewis still create static sparks when you least expect it and cause unfortunate side effects to children in buggies."
Diana in the TMS inbox

1106: Light rain falling at Edgbaston and all the chat in the TMS commentary box is about KP's new shot. Not since Dick Fosbury thought to himself, "hang on a minute, I'm going to do my spuds a mischief going over that bar front-wise" has an innovation caused such a stir in sport.

"What a wonderful extension Kevin Pietersen's switch-hit is to the skill and the craft of batting..."
Jeremy Coney on TMS

"Regarding your comment on the best feeling in the world, I think my favourite has to be when you wake up and are about to jump out of bed, then check your alarm clock and you have only been in bed 20 minutes. Unbelivable. Unless of course you only went to bed at 6am and have to be up at 6.30..." Phil Peel in the TMS inbox

1100: Excitement in the office! One of the covers to the side of the wicket is removed...only to be replaced by an even more robust looking one...but then that one gets removed! WHAT THE RUDDY HECK IS GOING ON OUT THERE! We've got a 'whale' out there soaking up some of water up and there are brollies flying all over the place - not pleasant.

"Who said Birmingham was the second city? That privilege is Manchester's..."
Alan Willoughby in the TMS inbox

"Shame about the weather, but on a more sprightly note, I hit the nets last night with a few mates and the entire evening was spent attempting the KP Switch Hit. I think 10 out of around 1,000 balls actually made a decent contact and now my right leg looks like that of a Dalmatian due to the powerful combination of my pasty white British legs and lots of switch-hitting cricket bat-induced bruises! We bow to you KP! Take a bow son! Take a bow!"
Jon, Northampton, in the TMS inbox

1048: Cricket isn't the only sport being ruined by the weather today, apparently Royal Ascot is due for a dousing as well. According to fashion critic James Sherwood in a piece on our website, Ascot is all about 'fascinators', pearls and pashminas. Funny, when I went a few years ago it seemed to be all about coach loads of orange Essex girls wearing no shoes, flashing their undercrackers and vomiting on their mate's hair. Maybe James hangs out in a different enclosure to me.
How to impress at Ascot

1025: All right cricket people? The news this morning is rubbish, unless you've just woken up thinking you were supposed to be at work before suddenly realising you'd booked the day off - is there a better feeling in the world than that? Anyway, it's lobbing it down in Brum and the start is delayed. Even worse, the BBC forecast for England's second city says it will be raining its backside off all day. So, sadly, we might have to wait another day to see another one of KP's reverse slog-sweeps. On a brighter note, I just found this in the TMS inbox:

"As kids, we went to Boots on a Saturday afternoon and shuffled our dodgy Don Johnson slip-ons on the threadbare carpet, thus producing a static charge. We then proceeded to touch pensioners on the earlobe as they'd lose balance and sometimes stumble (NB: no Older People were injured during these acts). These high-jinx only lasted a few weeks as my mate Jason got collared trying to steal a foot-spa for his Nan (ironic karma in action?) and we all got barred."
Cen in the TMS inbox

(BBC)

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