England Cricket 2023

[kabbes]

Sport is so much about the mindset of those playing it, is the thing, and that’s not just the mindset of the team on top. It seems to me that whenever a team gets made to follow on, the batsmen go into their second innings with a real determination not to get out cheaply, and play accordingly. They do better, in short. Whereas if you put yourselves back in and set a big total, it crushes the spirit of the opposition.

I think we’ve just seen those dynamics play out again, to be honest.

Also, if their hope was to enforce a follow-on, I’m not so sure that the second day declaration with Root in full flow was actually such a good idea after all. Enforcing a follow on when you’re 325 ahead has a different psychological impact to doing it when you’re 225 ahead.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I think that's a good point but it's not the bazball way to clinically grind the opposition into the dirt.

Batting again and setting the opposition 500+ to win in two days almost seems unfair. It introduces a period of play in which the stakes are very low, which is rather boring to watch, everyone, including the players, treading water until the real business starts again.

I don't mind dull periods in tests. They're part of the ebb and flow. But bazball banishes them. They had clearly planned the follow on before play, saving Anderson for it. For once that attacking mindset didn't work, but credit NZ for that. They do have quality in their top 7 and showed it yesterday. Plus luck, for once, didn't go with stokes. For once, the ball was edged to the places he had taken fielders away from. He can't always be lucky.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I think this is a great wicket btw. Critics of its greenness perhaps weren't judging it fairly. NZ groundstaff know their conditions.

 

[Petcha]

I think that's a good point but it's not the bazball way to clinically grind the opposition into the dirt.

Batting again and setting the opposition 500+ to win in two days almost seems unfair. It introduces a period of play in which the stakes are very low, which is rather boring to watch, everyone, including the players, treading water until the real business starts again.

I don't mind dull periods in tests. They're part of the ebb and flow. But bazball banishes them. They had clearly planned the follow on before play, saving Anderson for it. For once that attacking mindset didn't work, but credit NZ for that. They do have quality in their top 7 and showed it yesterday. Plus luck, for once, didn't go with stokes. For once, the ball was edged to the places he had taken fielders away from. He can't always be lucky.

Williamson's due a score. But unless weather steps in, this should be over in 4 days.

Bit of a nonsense 'series' though.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Williamson's due a score. But unless weather steps in, this should be over in 4 days.

Bit of a nonsense 'series' though.

I'll stick my neck out and say that this will go five days. Plenty of NZ batting left.

 

[Petcha]

I'll stick my neck out and say that this will go five days. Plenty of NZ batting left.

No. Jimmy in the morning will run through them with the new ball and it'll be done by tea at the latest. They might even open with Brook just for the kicks.

 

[WhyLikeThis]

Missing a bit of pace, some Stone would go down well right now.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

NZ have a lot of quality batters and it's a flat pitch. England could be chasing 250 plus here.

I think stokes needs to bowl himself

 

[Petcha]

Crawley

Gotta be the end of it now

 

[kabbes]

I think we’ve once again seen that enforcing a narrow follow-on leads to a regrouping of the team in trouble.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Good from NZ but probably not quite good enough. It set up a great last day though.

 

[Petcha]

It's amazing that chasing 250 just seems a formality now

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Bit of a nonsense 'series' though.

This is standard fare for NZ (and others). The majority of their series are two matches. I'd love it if they played more but sadly we're mostly just clinging to what we have in the test schedule at the moment, rather than extending it. EG: South Africa is currently reducing its schedule to the bare minimum.

 

[kabbes]

It's amazing that chasing 250 just seems a formality now

Let’s just wait and see before we get too triumphant…

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Becoming just the second nation ever to lose a test after enforcing the follow-on would be very Bazball in a way. I hope it doesn't happen as that honour currently is only held by Australia (twice). Be nice to leave it that way.

 

[Petcha]

I cannot see that happening. But it'll be great fun later. I assume England will come out all guns blazing. NZ only have one world class bowler so yes, it should be a walk in the park. Over by lunch?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I can absolutely see it happening. I think it's odds-against, but very much a possibility. From a NZ pov I think they will feel they were 50 runs short of a good target, falling in a heap at the end like that, but they're absolutely still in it. They'd have taken this position at the end of day 2, for sure.

 

[kabbes]

I cannot see that happening.

You said that Jimmy would run straight through their top order in their second innings and it would be over in four days, so I’m not sure that what you can see happening is always the best guide…

 

[Petcha]

You said that Jimmy would run straight through their top order in their second innings and it would be over in four days, so I’m not sure that what you can see happening is always the best guide…

Lol. You said they wouldn't declare. so.

 

[Petcha]

I sometimes think you've never actually watched a game of cricket

 

[kabbes]

Lol. You said they wouldn't declare. so.

Yes, I’m not saying that what I can see happening is the best guide either.

 

[Petcha]

That's the beauty of cricket. Particularly this current incarnation. Must be very confusing for an opposing coach/captain.

 

[Petcha]

As a former keeper myself, Foakes standing up to Broad and Blundell to Henry is mind boggling

 

[kabbes]

Lol. You said they wouldn't declare. so.

Well, it’s now 59/3 and my confidence is shaking!

 

[WhyLikeThis]

Duckett out is a blow. Could have done with some of his feistiness for an hour or 2.

 

[kabbes]

Oh dear oh dear

 

[Petcha]

Christ

The kiwis are very very good in the field, I'll give them that

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Hmmm.

 

[kabbes]

Oh dear oh dear oh dear

 

[kabbes]

Christ

Can you see it happening now?