England Cricket 2024

[planetgeli]

Well that's a crazy scorecard to wake up to.

 

[Petcha]

Bazball at its most vicious. I can't wait to see how this works against a relatively weak Australia in their backyard

 

[Idaho]

Imagine being NZ at 300 runs behind, finally getting a wicket, and then you've got Root coming out... Finally getting another wicket then Brook... Getting one of those out after a punishing 50 and then Stokes. Brutal.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Batting does get easier as games wear on at this venue. NZ seems to follow different rules from everywhere else in that regard. So I'd still bat on tomorrow, get the lead to 650.

NZ once scored over 600 in the second innings here, wtih McCullum scoring a triple. That was the third innings rather than the fourth, but the score was mostly made on the third to fifth days.

Remarkable match. NZ were five down in the second innings, still 150 behind, and proceeded to score another 600 runs!

NZ vs IND Cricket Scorecard, 2nd Test at Wellington, February 14 - 18, 2014

 

[Petcha]

Well unfortunately for NZ, unless baz pads up and strides out for the kiwis, they're fucked. England might as well just use the time to set more records.

I saw some of Brook's innings. Very streaky again. Loads of boundaries through the slips. He has to be luckiest batsman in the world. And O'Rourke the unluckiest bowler. He's putting it through at 90mph, getting edges aplenty and nothing going to hand.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Yeah O'Rourke is impressive. Southee looks done to me. He picked up Bethell because he had totally lost it when he reached the 90s and suddenly started slogging. But otherwise he looked fairly innocuous. Least impressive of NZ's four seamers. It's a shame, but he's played on for a full year too long really.

Bethell was vey impressive. Didn't rely on luck, but selectively played very correct attacking cricket shots (backing himself to clear the ropes when going aerial), got the field set back and then milked the singles. I could see him and Duckett opening together. He's got the technique to deal with the new ball (has been doing so thus far anyway coming in at 3).

And yeah, for the moment, Brook does appear to have taken over Labuschagne's mantle as The World's Luckiest Batter. Still, someone has to be!

 

[littlebabyjesus]

They often flash up record chases at venues/by countries, but this is always the one record that is ripe for being beaten because it's based on a very small sample set of matches in which targets have been set with the time to get them. It's not impossible NZ could chase down 550. That's why I would bat on for one more session.

(And Day Four is sold out already - give the fans some play!)

 

[Idaho]

If I was Stokes, I'd make them take the field and declare after 45 mins.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I think it would be quite unprofessional to declare at this point tbh. There's no benefit to it, NZ aren't going to bat out the time - it's obviously unlikely but if they did bat three days they'd get the runs. So just bat on, they don't even need to accelerate particularly although they probably will.

 

[Idaho]

They'll want to get it done tomorrow (today) and get on the golf course. NZ aren't going to get 300 runs, let alone 500.

 

[SpookyFrank]

I think it would be quite unprofessional to declare at this point tbh. There's no benefit to it, NZ aren't going to bat out the time - it's obviously unlikely but if they did bat three days they'd get the runs. So just bat on, they don't even need to accelerate particularly although they probably will.

Stokes had 20 off 6 deliveries at one point. Not sure you can accelerate beyond that.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

They'll want to get it done tomorrow (today) and get on the golf course. NZ aren't going to get 300 runs, let alone 500.

Well that's what I mean about unprofessional.

Anyway I don't think Joe Root would be too impressed with a declaration with him on 73 on that pitch.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Get the lead to around 650 at lunch and then declare. I agree re professionalism. NZ can score at 250 per day even when digging in, so that's about right for eight sessions left. And this is NZ. Batting at this venue in Wellington historically gets easier, not harder, as the game goes on. Plus wind is forecast to pick up and historically that is hard for the bowlers, not the batters.

I'll predict now that NZ will score at least 400 second dig.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

They'll want to get it done tomorrow (today) and get on the golf course. NZ aren't going to get 300 runs, let alone 500.

Thinking like that smacks of hubris. Aiming to wrap things up in four days is fine. Aiming for three and giving the opposition a sniff as a result?

I hope they don't. Stokes has already lost two tests when he's declared (albeit first innings declarations). I suspect he is now a little more cautious and smart.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Stokes slogging from ball one. I dunno. I think he's better than that.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Root gets his 100 after some sloggy nonsense, real game starts again now.

 

[Idaho]

All done by tea.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

It certainly seems to be doing lots off the pitch.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

This series has been totally different from what I expected.

First game you can say that NZ let chances slip. But this game, they haven't had any chances. Outclassed.

 

[Petcha]

V disappointing from NZ. Blundell will be relieved though.

 

[a_chap]

Not to be outdone, England's women seem to be enjoying themselves against South Africa.





Spot the hattrick!

 

[planetgeli]

I've just caught up on the last 20 comments or so. There's a fair bit of bollocks in there.

Appreciate Brook.

You think Root would ever say this about Rory Burns?

Joe Root: Harry Brook is 'far and away the best player in the world '

England's senior batter full of praise for team-mate after emphatic victory in Wellington

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[planetgeli]

What to talk about? Nothing really, until England bat and we can see whether this is a good score or not.

In the meantime. Tim Southee and his six hitting. Look at the 'balls faced' compared to everyone else around him.

Test matches | Batting records | Most sixes in career | ESPNcricinfo

Find records of Most sixes in career in Test matches only on ESPNcricinfo.

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[Petcha]

What to talk about? Nothing really, until England bat and we can see whether this is a good score or not.

In the meantime. Tim Southee and his six hitting. Look at the 'balls faced' compared to everyone else around him.

Test matches | Batting records | Most sixes in career | ESPNcricinfo

Find records of Most sixes in career in Test matches only on ESPNcricinfo.

www.espncricinfo.com

That's crazy. Fingers crossed he can get 2 more of them in the second innings to hit the 100. He always plays the game with a huge grin on his face so will be sad to see him go.

 

[Petcha]

Also quite funny seeing McCullum and Stokes at the top of that list. Explains a lot.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I'm going to be a bit critical of Southee here. A test average of 15, with 20 runs per match, is a poor return for someone who clearly has a good eye. His top score of 77* came in his very first match. He promised a lot more with the bat, an average of 20+, 30+ runs per match, and holding down the no.8 spot.

 

[Petcha]

He's not there to try to pretend to be a batsmAn like many tailenders do. He knows his skillset. It's knocking it out of the park. And it's always entertaining to see him come out to bat. You know what's coming. An average of 15 aint bad really.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

He has licence to swing as a bowler. That's fine. But 15 isn't great. It's an average that might get you off no.11 but not higher than 9.

 

[Petcha]

We all have our own ways of playing. Personally I was always quite restricted, trying to play the perfect defensive. When all I wanted to do was belt it out of the park (which I never managed). I think we can all agree it's a lot of fun watching tailenders bat. Boult was probably the most entertaining with the flamingo.

Southee did it his way. I get your point but I'm sure all his coaches realised that was never gonna happen. To turn him into a complete middle rounder.

 

[Petcha]