*Official* New Zealand in England 2015

[CaptainGrumpy]

Craig or Watling. I'd go Craig.

 

[Contra]

Excellent win by NZ, England dropping at least one test per series in recent times.

 

[wallacer]

Congratulations, guys.

 

[Pothas]

Padding up to the off-spinner who you'd expect be turning it towards the stumps just about sums us up in this game.

Well done NZ, who have completely outplayed us. But we really have been dreadful once again.

Overly negative here (I know it is kind of your thing) New Zealand are just a good side and we drew 1-1. You can certainly expect more of Bell and Broad and Bell as senior players but the rest of them you have to give some leeway.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Excellent win by NZ, England dropping at least one test per series in recent times.

Sides with so many new players do that. Be another year or so till they find their feet properly. Guess you have to take the rough with the smooth until then.

That is of course if they become a decent team which is open to question anyway.

 

[wpdavid]

Great series, thought New Zealand were probably slightly better overall but that could be my bias. Kudos to Cook and Stokes for raising their profile and to Root and Lyth as well.

I think all of the Black Caps' batsmen hit a 50 and all of the bowlers took 4 wickets at some point in this series, so it was a solid all-round effort.

Vaughan reckons that NZ were the better side on 7 days out of 10, which may well be a fair assessment.

England care carrying too many passengers. Bell and Ali have brought absolutely nothing. Wood is still finding his way. Ballance looks out of his depth.
The opening pair haven't consistently done enough with the new ball, so we've usually been playing catch up.

 

[Days of Grace]

Watling's was the innings that turned the match. If he departed early England would have been favorites to win.

 

[Meridio]

Feels like an age ago that we were 2/2 on the first morning. Test cricket, so good.

 

[King Pietersen]

Ballance, Bell and Moeen better not be in the ODi/T20 squads!

 

[91Jmay]

Credit NZ, deserved win and better team than us. Collapse prone and not got a class bowling attack. Still some future players put their hands up, Ali and Bell would be 2 men who need strong Ashes series .

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Ballance, Bell and Moeen better not be in the ODi/T20 squads!

and Cook or Lyth.

 

[Pothas]

Ballance, Bell and Moeen better not be in the ODi/T20 squads!

Yeah, I am sure Ballance and Bell would not be anyway. Moeen needs to just go and do some bowling.

Anderson and Broad should not play either.

 

[wpdavid]

Sides with so many new players do that. Be another year or so till they find their feet properly. Guess you have to take the rough with the smooth until then.

That is of course if they become a decent team which is open to question anyway.

It'll probably be one step back for every two forward. There's a smattering of good young players coming through, but we're going to lose one or two of the older ones in the next 12 months, I reckon.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Two things we need to sort out for the ashes, the slip cordon and short leg.

Bell is not a good slip fielder but arguably the best short leg around in world cricket at present so he HAS to go back under the helmet. Pick a slip cordon and stick with it, we seem to chop and change it far too often and that I feel is part of the reason for some of the chances going down as fielders aren't sure what the guy next to them is going to do etc...

Obviously we need to bat better and bowl well as well but our fielding is our biggest weakness at present.

 

[wpdavid]

Yeah, I am sure Ballance and Bell would not be anyway. Moeen needs to just go and do some bowling.

Anderson and Broad should not play either.

Absolutely. Nor Cook or Lythe or Wood. Just let them play some FC cricket rather than spend a month getting smashed.

Only Root, Buttler, Stokes should feature in the one-day games.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

Some match stats:

Boult 4 for 159
Southee 5 for 126
Henry 2 for 141
Craig 5 for 121
Williamson 3 for 20

 

[flibbertyjibber]

It'll probably be one step back for every two forward. There's a smattering of good young players coming through, but we're going to lose one or two of the older ones in the next 12 months, I reckon.

Yeah, Bell and Anderson might not have long left. Broad could carry on a while yet and Cook will for a good few years. It is up to a few others to put their hands up though as we rely too much on Root and Cook at present. Ballance having a tough series has really hurt us.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Such a damn shame this is just 2 tests. Awesome win for NZ, but does anyone else feel in hindsight they missed a massive opportunity for a series win? Will be ruing that collapse at Lord's.

 

[Niall]

Such a damn shame this is just 2 tests. Awesome win for NZ, but does anyone else feel in hindsight they missed a massive opportunity for a series win? Will be ruing that collapse at Lord's.

As will England in the first innings who were 220/1. Draw is a fair result, as plenty of what ifs for both sides.

 

[OverratedSanity]

As will England in the first innings who were 220/1. Draw is a fair result, as plenty of what ifs for both sides.

Oh don't get me wrong it absolutely is a fair result, but a collapse in the 1st innings is very different to one in the 4th innings with a draw the clear favourite result.