*Official* New Zealand in England 2015

[Howsie]

Seriously, read this again. I'd say there are four or five batsman in world cricket going around right now who you would say this about. Williamson isn't one of them (neither is Root, or Smith, or anyone else playing in this Test)

You're obviously not a bowler?

I couldn't think of anything worse then bowling a perfectly good length ball outside off stump and have the batsman just dab it away for four, on a consistant basis. It does your head in.

 

[Moss]

Tbh against WI he was dropped twice and misstumped once if i recall correctly and against SL it was an absolute embarrassment how many times they dropped him in that innings. The lad is in a good spell right now but lets not get carried away..it's tough to find a hundred from him that wasn't on batting heaven but maybe I'm mistaken?

As for the game...pitches like this is what is setting test cricket back imo. It just turns the game into a total bore. NZ are in a great position but really they should hope this track starts to play up even when they are batting because at least a result will be possible. But if it stays like this then the game has draw written all over it. What's abundantly clear though is England's top order woes and lack of a decent spinner is a massive concern ahead of the ashes. Losing wickets in the last few overs of the day is also undermining their efforts as it happened in WI more than once too.

On the other hand, it's tough to find a hundred from him that wasn't against a high-quality attack, in their own backyard, and in a difficult match situation, right? We did get constant reminders that Roach outbowled Southee and Boult in that series, so surely that's gotta count for something.

Sorry, it's not as if test cricket is on notice to prove its watchability on a game-by-game basis. If the action on the first day was a "total bore", well good luck on getting any enjoyment out of test cricket. If anything, the game's set up really well with 3 days to go.

 

[Spark]

You're obviously not a bowler?

I couldn't think of anything worse then bowling a perfectly good length ball outside off stump and have the batsman just dab it away for four, on a consistant basis. It does your head in.

He could hit it to four different parts of the ground just because he can. That'd be worse, and that's what the ones I listed can do.

 

[Howsie]

Tbh against WI he was dropped twice and misstumped once if i recall correctly and against SL it was an absolute embarrassment how many times they dropped him in that innings. The lad is in a good spell right now but lets not get carried away..it's tough to find a hundred from him that wasn't on batting heaven but maybe I'm mistaken?

Um Bridgetown? Scores 161* in the third innings to set up the Windies a chase of 308 (were bowled out for 250 odd). The next highest score in the entire match was 70 odd. One of the best innings I've seen a New Zealand batsman play.

 

[Spikey]

Williamson currently averaging 403 this year

very impressive considering he's got a 12 in there

Can't believe I didn't get a reaction out of this. NZ should be thankful Kane didn't treat this match like a World Cup Final.

 

[Flem274*]

what world cup final?

 

[Howsie]

He could hit it to four different parts of the ground just because he can. That'd be worse, and that's what the ones I listed can do.

So he isn't in the very top tier of test batsman yet, that doesn't mean he can't do your head in playing the way he does? .

 

[Athlai]

Can't believe I didn't get a reaction out of this. NZ should be thankful Kane didn't treat this match like a World Cup Final.

Uh this is a England and NZ thread, why we would choose to talk to you?

 

[Athlai]

Uh this is a England and NZ thread, why we would choose to talk to you?

Above reasoning: to be a dick.

 

[Spark]

If that counts as "psychological damage" sufficient to render oppositions scarred then there at least two dozen batsmen around the world with the potential to look like that. I'd suggest it becomes a slightly meaningless description in that case.

 

[OverratedSanity]

So he isn't in the very top tier of test batsman yet, that doesn't mean he can't do your head in playing the way he does? .

Not as much as a guy who can take the piss and hit it wherever he wants to.

 

[Spark]

I mean if that counts as psychological scarring then we'd have to call Ian Bell a psychologically devastating batsman and, well, no.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

The only thing psychologically scarring about Michael Clarke is his commentary. Urgh.

 

[Flem274*]

Jarrod Kimber's new column describes Kane best imo, and incidentally why I'd rather watch Ross, Baz or looking abroad the likes of Smith etc.

I don't like my batsmen being too perfect from a purely watching pov (in terms of who I want in the team give me perfect as well any time). Credit to Kane though, he can score off anything and does with merciless efficiency. Despite the rep as hardworking triers good NZ batsmen are usually in the Taylor style where they have a lot of flair but also some flaws. It's rare to see a ruthless accumulator emerge from New Zealand, and Kane is certainly the first I've seen in my lifetime.

This post isn't to denigrate Kane ftr, but to describe what he's like and then I went on a rant about what I like watching.

 

[WindieWeathers]

Um Bridgetown? Scores 161* in the third innings to set up the Windies a chase of 308 (were bowled out for 250 odd). The next highest score in the entire match was 70 odd. One of the best innings I've seen a New Zealand batsman play.

The pitch was dead when NZ batted in the second innings imo...WI made the silly error of playing just five batsmen and there you go. Kane has never scored a ton on a seaming track or a dust bowl from what i recall but hey anything i say here people will jump on it even though it's truth that's being spoken.

As for the track...302/2 suggests it's a bloody suggest it's a blimming good batting pitch and the commentators were of that opinion too. Just nothing there for the seamers. Will the pitch get better? maybe but the common notion is Lords doesn't change much even on the last day so this could be a LONG three days.

 

[Adders]

Look tbh, if this test continues the way it's headed I'm sticking my hand up for some psychological scarring...........being an England cricket fan is truly starting to take it's toll.

 

[Spark]

I don't like my batsmen being too perfect from a purely watching pov (in terms of who I want in the team give me perfect as well any time).

Yeah I'm sort of like this as well, though Taylor hasn't looked too fluent in this innings.

 

[Flem274*]

Anyway, as to what's more scarring - I was a (extremely terrible and stretch the appropriate use of the term) bowler, and different things can be as bad as each other in different ways.

When you're getting smashed you feel impotent, when your good balls are getting blocked easily you feel impotent, when you're being worked into gaps you want to kill someone and when you're being toyed with you want to kill someone.

So basically if you're completely outclassed by a batsman, whatever that batsman is doing, you feel bad. I think we're starting to overthink things a little.

 

[WindieWeathers]

Another point i'd bring up about Kane that people barely mention is out of all the young, none English batsmen doing well in test cricket such as Kohli, Warner, Smith, Bravo etc Kane is the only one who has had the opportunity to play regularly in county cricket. A platform with a reputation of improving the techniques of many overseas batsman over the years. The question i ask is would Kane be doing this well if he wasn't granted such opportunities and played the vast majority of his first class cricket in NZ?

 

[wellAlbidarned]

i agree