*Official* New Zealand in England 2015

[wellAlbidarned]

You know you're a true cricket fan when:

After watching late night cricket you have nightmares where your team collapses for <100 AO

 

[kiwiviktor81]

On a scale of 1 to 10, how high would you say you are, right now?

9.

 

[BackFootPunch]

It's the batsmen that can change the situation of a game in a short period of time that cause psychological scars, IMO. You can be on top in the game, bowlers bowling well, taking wickets, then some freak of a batsman comes to the crease and starts belting you to all parts. Suddenly the deliveries that were taking wickets are now sailing over the rope and before you know it you're behind in the game.

Those are the situations that haunt captains. You lay awake at night thinking "How did we let that happen? How could we have prevented it?".

The relentless accumulators are more frustrating and demoralizing than psychologically damaging. But at least with them you have time to try different things and adjust plans. It's the shock and awe batsmen that can be truly terrifying.

I agree with this in large part but, and perhaps this is just me, whenever I've been on the end of a hiding from someone teeing off or belting it all over the place it's never really hurt me psychologically. At the end of the day I sit down and go "meh, it was his day, that happens in cricket."

I've always found the 'killing me softly' approach much harder to take. When a guy is playing shots you at least feel in the game. It's a whole extra level of demoralising when you're facing someone who will just bat, and bat, and bat some more. They make you feel like a net bowler (and tbf, a lot of the greats who pump it do this as well e.g. Clarke, ABdV). You're bowling a spell to them and, while they're not hitting you all over the place, they just look totally untroubled. Then they dance down the track twice in an over, out of nowhere, just because they can. Then go back into their shell for a bit. You think, "sweet, I'll just plug away on a length, stick to the plan." But nope, they'll leave, block and nudge ones all day - and make you feel like you're being hit for four every time they do. There is nothing you can do to make their life difficult.

Effectively it doesn't even feel like a contest. When you're being belted, you're in a contest - even though you're losing. When you come up against a guy who's just too good, it stops feeling like a contest entirely. And that **** gets real old, real fast.

 

[Furball]

Before I got to your last paragraph I was going to ask you if you feel that way particularly because you're a spinner, therefore to some degree you kinda want batsmen to take a run at you and try and belt you out the park?

 

[BackFootPunch]

Before I got to your last paragraph I was going to ask you if you feel that way particularly because you're a spinner, therefore to some degree you kinda want batsmen to take a run at you and try and belt you out the park?

That's probably a big part of it actually. If someone comes at me I'll back myself to beat them in the air, or they'll be good enough and they win that battle. And that's fine by me. Life of a spinner really.

It's not much fun though if the batsman really won't even give you the smallest sniff. Especially if the pitch isn't offering anything.

 

[Furball]

To backtrack a bit to my point about long series vs short series, Ashes 2010/11. The Aussies must've been sick of the sight of Cook by the end of it because he just relentlessly left the ball, wore the bowlers down and got them bowling to his agenda. Whereas if the series had been 2 Tests then although Cook helped save the 1st, it would've been Pietersen belting the ball all over Adelaide that would've had most of the focus IMO.

 

[Spark]

KP gets two mentions. Is that you Piers?

I thought I left him out and then edited it to add him. I hate posting on my phone

EDIT: It's sort of what people are pointing out - it's basically batsman who look like they're batting for the level above Test cricket, but have somehow found themselves playing Tests instead and hence just look clearly too good for the level. Of the batsmen I listed, ABdV, Amla and Clarke are the ones who really stand out as having done that on numerous occasions throughout their careers. Sanga is different insofar as he is simply remorseless and looks like he's batting with a door, rather than looking like he's rocked up to a evening net and is having a few throwdowns. Not only do you never look like getting them out, you never look like restricting their scoring either. That **** is no fun, and that's rare in Tests. Very few are capable of both at the same time.

 

[Pratters]

Spark, what is wrong with Wood's action?

 

[Spark]

Spark, what is wrong with Wood's action?

All his power - and hence his pace - comes through his delivery stride, which places extreme stress on his back, his knees, his ankles etc etc. Easy to see why he gets injured so much.

 

[Flem274*]

He's on 92 ffs shut up kiwiviktor you'll jinx him

 

[Furball]

I thought I left him out and then edited it to add him. I hate posting on my phone

EDIT: It's sort of what people are pointing out - it's basically batsman who look like they're batting for the level above Test cricket, but have somehow found themselves playing Tests instead and hence just look clearly too good for the level. Of the batsmen I listed, ABdV, Amla and Clarke are the ones who really stand out as having done that on numerous occasions throughout their careers. Sanga is different insofar as he is simply remorseless and looks like he's batting with a door, rather than looking like he's rocked up to a evening net and is having a few throwdowns. Not only do you never look like getting them out, you never look like restricting their scoring either. That **** is no fun, and that's rare in Tests. Very few are capable of both at the same time.

I think Root's getting there. In the 2nd Test in the West Indies he looked like he was batting on a completely different pitch to anyone else. KP's 2012 specials aside I think that's the closest I've ever seen to Clarke's 151 in Cape Town.

 

[Spark]

I think Root's getting there. In the 2nd Test in the West Indies he looked like he was batting on a completely different pitch to anyone else. KP's 2012 specials aside I think that's the closest I've ever seen to Clarke's 151 in Cape Town.

Mm idk about that wrt that innings. It was good, but not that good. He timed it better than everyone else, but that happens at times (particularly on slow decks, where some players are just more suited to playing on them).

His innings yesterday was a more impressive innings (it really was top class)

 

[Prince EWS]

I agree with this in large part but, and perhaps this is just me, whenever I've been on the end of a hiding from someone teeing off or belting it all over the place it's never really hurt me psychologically. At the end of the day I sit down and go "meh, it was his day, that happens in cricket."

I've always found the 'killing me softly' approach much harder to take. When a guy is playing shots you at least feel in the game. It's a whole extra level of demoralising when you're facing someone who will just bat, and bat, and bat some more. They make you feel like a net bowler (and tbf, a lot of the greats who pump it do this as well e.g. Clarke, ABdV). You're bowling a spell to them and, while they're not hitting you all over the place, they just look totally untroubled. Then they dance down the track twice in an over, out of nowhere, just because they can. Then go back into their shell for a bit. You think, "sweet, I'll just plug away on a length, stick to the plan." But nope, they'll leave, block and nudge ones all day - and make you feel like you're being hit for four every time they do. There is nothing you can do to make their life difficult.

Effectively it doesn't even feel like a contest. When you're being belted, you're in a contest - even though you're losing. When you come up against a guy who's just too good, it stops feeling like a contest entirely. And that **** gets real old, real fast.

I completely agree with this. It might be because we're spinners though.

EDIT: Which is something Furball also mentioned it seems.

 

[hendrix]

From what I've seen, he does very little with the ball and so top players can just line him up

He bowled an excellent spell to Latham and Guptill after lunch. Found movement that Broad and Anderson weren't getting.

I think he's very good.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Good score to wake up to. Glad to see Rossboss getting some good time in the middle as well.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Missed the last session, seems we are up against it. Need new ball to swing or we are toast.

Guess the main hope is Lord's stays flat so we should be able to draw it whatever NZ do.

 

[GIMH]

I'd settle for a first innings lead of 30 at this point

 

[Athlai]

So what should I give Furball for an avatar?

 

[Cabinet96]

Ian Bell.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

He bowled an excellent spell to Latham and Guptill after lunch. Found movement that Broad and Anderson weren't getting.

I think he's very good.

Yeah the stokes hate is weird. Guy capable of batting in the top 6 who can bowl late 80s and swing it? If he were playing for NZ we'd be raving. (Well, we do have anderson.)