*Official* New Zealand in England 2015

[Cabinet96]

Yeah Boult has been much better since about the Windies last year I'd say. It probably helped him having lots of left handers this series though.

What I especially like about Broad there is that there have been numerous calls to drop him in and around those test matches.

 

[Cabinet96]

Well a couple of weeks later I was desperate for another

I always have this sense because I like cricket so much. But there is a limit on how many tests players can physically play. Would you have traded Pakistan/India tours for more tests of that series (taking away bias about the results)?

 

[GIMH]

I always have this sense because I like cricket so much. But there is a limit on how many tests players can physically play. Would you have traded Pakistan/India tours for more tests of that series (taking away bias about the results)?

Nah see it's complicated and I'm not really sure I can explain. I wouldn't extend that series because, hey, we won. But it left me wanting more of it. I wasn't like, right I've had enough cricket now thanks. And that's my point really - despite being five tests it left me thirsty for more because it was so ****in good

But your question said to ignore results and was basically trading in hypotheticals so yeah sure I would

 

[Athlai]

Go away kiwi we're talking about the 2005 Ashes.

Last time you had a good win at home eh?

 

[Cabinet96]

Last time you had a good win at home eh?

The last time we had a good win at home is the reason you're dropping down the rankings.

 

[Furball]

When was the last time we had a really good four match series or longer, where the last game had big implications for the series and what was happening at the end was really different to what was happening at the beginning? England in India 2012 counts I reckon. Before that you probably have to go back to England in South Africa in 2009/10. We've had loads more interesting 2 match series since then. Sure a shot series will never come close to 2005, but there's too many series like India in Australia last season, and Australia in India a couple of years before that.

2010/11 Ashes.

Sydney was huge because it had been 24 years since England had won the series. Although the Ashes had been retained, Australia were refreshed for the final Test (new captain, Khawaja and Beer on debut) and it's the sort of Test the Australia of old would have won with the new captain and the new bat sharing a 4 billion run partnership before the new bowler ran riot with the ball.

 

[GIMH]

Last time you had a good win at home eh?

If Oz twice, India twice, NZ twice, Pak twice, windies three times, Sri Lanka once and bangas once don't count as good wins then yeah sure

 

[Cabinet96]

2010/11 Ashes.

Sydney was huge because it had been 24 years since England had won the series. Although the Ashes had been retained, Australia were refreshed for the final Test (new captain, Khawaja and Beer on debut) and it's the sort of Test the Australia of old would have won with the new captain and the new bat sharing a 4 billion run partnership before the new bowler ran riot with the ball.

Maybe I'm using hindsight here, but I'm pretty sure no one expected that, least of all Beer running riot. I'll let it count though. Probably one of those series that looks worse from the outside than it was considering 1-1 after three tests. Same with India last summer.

 

[Moss]

Getting all excited over a drawn series might be a bit much, but among the NZ unbeaten series over the last 18 months this has been for me the most satisfying to follow because 1) it really showcased the traits which make NZ compelling viewing in tests at the moment and 2) NZ had enough self-belief to stick to their guns in the second test and were duly rewarded.

(I actually rate the drawn series in the UAE last November as a bigger achievement, mainly because Pakistan had worked out a near-perfect formula at home and had just thrashed Australia, and after the first test drubbing NZ had to play out of their skins to stay afloat in the second, before winning the third. But the third test was played under the cloud of Hughes' death and both sides were visibly affected, so all things considered I'll look back at this England series with greater pleasure.)

England of course played their part in making this series a memorable one, though the team is a mixed bag for me. Love watching Butter, Stokes and Root. Lyth and Wood are pretty good additions to the side, and here's hoping they hold their own in the ashes. Cook was exemplary and it's worth acknowledging the NZ pacemen couldn't dislodge him in the 2nd test. Ballance and Ali have gone backwards which is a pretty serious concern, while Bell needs to swap batting positions with Ballance IMO. Broad and Anderson demanded respect but were noticeably less devastating than in the previous two home series against NZ.

 

[Moss]

When was the last time we had a really good four match series or longer, where the last game had big implications for the series and what was happening at the end was really different to what was happening at the beginning? England in India 2012 counts I reckon. Before that you probably have to go back to England in South Africa in 2009/10. We've had loads more interesting 2 match series since then. Sure a shot series will never come close to 2005, but there's too many series like India in Australia last season, and Australia in India a couple of years before that.

India in Australia 2007/08 should be considered a minor classic IMO. Too bad practically all series between those teams have been one-sided since.

 

[GIMH]

How many tests do we play against South Africa in the winter?

 

[Cabinet96]

How many tests do we play against South Africa in the winter?

Four.

 

[Athlai]

If Oz twice, India twice, NZ twice, Pak twice, windies three times, Sri Lanka once and bangas once don't count as good wins then yeah sure

You're so old, in 2005

Lyth, Ballance, Ali, Root, Buttler and Stokes were all still in high school watching Spongebob Squarepants and playing Yugioh

 

[GIMH]

And yet here you are working full time and still doing just that

 

[Athlai]

And yet here you are working full time and still doing just that

You're so old you don't even realise that kids these days don't watch TV anymore, we watch youtube British people play Minecraft and that Hearthstone is the new Yugioh.

 

[Bahnz]

If Starc can start to channel some of his ODI form into tests, then Ballance won't make it past the 2nd test. I expected that he'd struggle in this series, but was shocked by just how hopeless he looked against Boult's new ball bowling. Given that his problems are massively technical in nature, it could take a long time to fix. It's not ideal timing, but it might soon be necessary to give Root a go at 3 - definitely has the game for it and won't be as tested by the aussie bounce at home. All in all, Cook really couldn't have picked a better time to find form. Backing Bell to come good in the ashes though.

Anderson bowled well without luck in this series. The difference between this year, and NZ's last couple of tours, is that our batting has improved soooooooo much, which makes it harder for Anderson to carve into our middle-order early. Broad was his usual self, we probably just got a bit lucky that he didn't have one of his Ambrose spells in this series.

 

[Spark]

Pretty much any of the series between Aus and SA in the last ten years would have been incredible four- or five-Test series.

The most egregious one was 2011. Like, what the ****. How was that only two Tests?

 

[Spark]

I just saw the Bell dismissal on highlights... man.

 

[GIMH]

You're so old you don't even realise that kids these days don't watch TV anymore, we watch youtube British people play Minecraft and that Hearthstone is the new Yugioh.

Mate I'm so old that I feel like a dirty old man when I search for milfs

 

[Athlai]

"In the second innings the way Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor grabbed the initiative and gave us that momentum and confidence was outstanding and the way BJ iced it was superb." - McCullum

Look how badly he wants to say Guptill and Taylor were the cake. Beautiful.