*Official* New Zealand in England 2015

[hendrix]

Great win by the Kiwis. They only had to provide England the opportunity to lose and they they grabbed it with both hands.
.

I know you probably don't mean it like this and I don't mean to come off as over-sensitive or anything, but this is a little bit condescending. Particularly in the context of this particular Test, it's just flat out wrong - 800 runs at nearly 5 an over, forcing the pace the whole time with nearly a day lost to rain. It wasn't one of those "get to day 5 and anything can happen" tests. McCullum was pushing for the win from the first ball bowled.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Yeah maybe. probably 25-30 with the bat imo.

I'd say he'd be a big asset if he stopped being so ****ing **** when he's not picking up wickets. When he gets wickets, he contributes vitally to wins, but when he's not getting them, boy, he's so terrible he becomes one of the main culprits for the loss.

The thing about craig is that even if he's not bowling well he's as good a number 8 as we could hope for and rock solid in the slips. He's the perfect bits and pieces player for our side currently, and consistency is only gonna improve.

edit: ok so steve got there first

 

[hendrix]

Cook and Ballance and Lyth absolutely let him bowl at them and that gave him the confidence he needed.

He is so gun in the slips though. Superb hands.

 

[cnerd123]

So is Craig a better version of Ashley Giles?

 

[Hooksey]

I know you probably don't mean it like this and I don't mean to come off as over-sensitive or anything, but this is a little bit condescending. Particularly in the context of this particular Test, it's just flat out wrong - 800 runs at nearly 5 an over, forcing the pace the whole time with nearly a day lost to rain. It wasn't one of those "get to day 5 and anything can happen" tests. McCullum was pushing for the win from the first ball bowled.

I wasn't in any way attempting to detract from New Zealand, or the way they go about playing their cricket. Full credit to McCullum for the positive manner he and his team go about their cricket. Cook and England could learn a lot from them.

 

[SteveNZ]

So is Craig a better version of Ashley Giles?

Much, much more talented. Same height, but Craig has many more tools. Giles might only have him on pitch map.

Pidg wasn't a full-time off-spinner until he moved to Otago. Bowled off-spin before that in Auckland but would mix it in with away swingers and wasn't a front-liner at club level, in age-group cricket or anywhere. So while he's a bloody talented off-spinner, he's still raw. Someone even like Ish has learned his craft over a longer period of time. So he's really the equivalent of Mark Richardson in a reverse sense - batsman at U19 level, very talented but wasn't going to make it (no yips or anything, he did have chronic fatigue for a while). Moved to Otago, I'm not even sure it was predominantly for cricket...and transformed himself. He's done magnificently well to be where he is and doing as well as he is.

 

[NZTailender]

Such a satisfying win - and it's really satisfying in that it's the biggest margin we've won by in terms of runs (but not by an innings, obv) at 199.

Love Craig. He's not a great bowler by any means but has flashes of it, unfortunately mixed in with '4 balls' and waywardness - but he's not a finished product, and should he tighten up his accuracy he could approach Swann levels of success.

Everyone contributed this series, even if there wasn't 100% match winning just blew 'em away performances (like that of say, Stokes in the first Test) but I think I'd rather take a win on the back of everyone performing to some degree than the freakish performance of a few.

 

[Jezroy]

I'd say he'd be a big asset if he stopped being so ****ing **** when he's not picking up wickets. When he gets wickets, he contributes vitally to wins, but when he's not getting them, boy, he's so terrible he becomes one of the main culprits for the loss.

Gee that's how I felt after the Lords test. Poor spells from/not being able to bowl long spells Craig puts the seamers under more pressure than they need.

We need more Kane as well. He can do it!

 

[Jezroy]

More than anything he needs to figure out how to not go for millions whenever he's basically only on to give the quicks a rest though; that really hurts.

He did only go for 1.84 (off 24 overs) in the first innings of this test. And 2.29 in the second (off 31.5).

That's a big improvement on some of his returns.

 

[viriya]

Root absolutely smashed the leather off the ball. Straight to the fullback Latham who called for the mark. What are you on about? I am confused.

And Bell was brilliant captainacy and bowling strategy. Before that ball McCullum adjusted the field set. Craig said he wanted a leg slip and McCullum obliged and gave him one (and moved himself into silly point). It was brilliant. Maybe silly batting by Bell - but Root had no fault on his part. Latham was hit in the chest, it was not a "clean catch". That was the match winning wicket for me. I think Cook and Root could have batted a day (or most thereof) together. Breaking that partnership was vital. Second ball!

Yea maybe it looked worse when I watched the slow-motion replay. Bell was just brainless though.. as a specialist bat he should know about the field changes and note what shots are a no-no.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Happy bunch.

No sponsors branding, no fizzed up beers, just a sneaky champers top and a smiling team. I like it.

 

[Hurricane]

Scores out of ten for the series

Cook 10
Lyth 6
Ballance 0
Bell 1 (gets more than ballance for looking less daft)
Root 7
Stokes 8 ( for his Botham like performance in the first test)
Butler 7 (Some good catches)
Ali 7 (good first test)
Broad 8 (took wickets)
Wood 3 (nothing to write home about performance)
Anderson 7 (contributed to the first test victory)

Blackcaps

Latham 7
Guptill 6
Kane 7 (weaker second test)
Ross 6 (not bad - starting to find his feet)
Brendon 5 (loses points for holing out to midoff first ball of a session)
Anderson 4 (first innings dismissal in first test was not acceptable)
Ronchi 6
Watling 9
Craig 5 (won a test and lost a test)
Southee 7 (8 wickets is fine)
Henry 3 (See comment on Wood. Nothing to write home about)
Boult 8.5 (It was his job to get rid of Cook and he failed to adjust his strategy so only 8.5)

 

[vic_orthdox]

Much, much more talented. Same height, but Craig has many more tools. Giles might only have him on pitch map.

Pidg wasn't a full-time off-spinner until he moved to Otago. Bowled off-spin before that in Auckland but would mix it in with away swingers and wasn't a front-liner at club level, in age-group cricket or anywhere. So while he's a bloody talented off-spinner, he's still raw. Someone even like Ish has learned his craft over a longer period of time. So he's really the equivalent of Mark Richardson in a reverse sense - batsman at U19 level, very talented but wasn't going to make it (no yips or anything, he did have chronic fatigue for a while). Moved to Otago, I'm not even sure it was predominantly for cricket...and transformed himself. He's done magnificently well to be where he is and doing as well as he is.

Actually quite similar to Giles (in his back story), pretty sure he took up off-spin quite late as well.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Scores out of ten for the series

Cook 10
Lyth 6
Ballance 0
Bell 1 (gets more than ballance for looking less daft)
Root 7
Stokes 8 ( for his Botham like performance in the first test)
Butler 7 (Some good catches)
Ali 7 (good first test)
Broad 8 (took wickets)
Wood 3 (nothing to write home about performance)
Anderson 7 (contributed to the first test victory)

Blackcaps

Latham 7
Guptill 6
Kane 7 (weaker second test)
Ross 6 (not bad - starting to find his feet)
Brendon 5 (loses points for holing out to midoff first ball of a session)
Anderson 4 (first innings dismissal in first test was not acceptable)
Ronchi 6
Watling 9
Craig 5 (won a test and lost a test)
Southee 7 (8 wickets is fine)
Henry 3 (See comment on Wood. Nothing to write home about)
Boult 8.5 (It was his job to get rid of Cook and he failed to adjust his strategy so only 8.5)

Way too kind to Southee and Broad and too harsh on Henry and Wood.

 

[Spark]

The gap between Wood and Anderson on those ratings makes zero sense. Pretty sure Wood took twice as many wickets - top order wickets, too.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

yeah anderson was definitely one of the letdowns of the series*

*may be because I didn't watch the last two days of the first test and am in denial that they happened

 

[Bahnz]

No sponsors branding, no fizzed up beers, just a sneaky champers top and a smiling team. I like it.

Reckon Southee probably has a couple bottles of whiskey stashed just out of frame.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Reckon Southee probably has a couple bottles of whiskey stashed just out of frame.

Wouldn't mind at all if he does. Just think it's a good look after some of Australia and England's histronics in victory in recent times.

 

[NZTailender]

No sponsors branding, no fizzed up beers, just a sneaky champers top and a smiling team. I like it.

And a convenient arm on the shoulder of Watling from his #1 h8er Hesson #conspiracy #neverwantedhimintheside

 

[NZTailender]

No sponsors branding, no fizzed up beers, just a sneaky champers top and a smiling team. I like it.

Good to see Santner and Duffy in the celebrations mix too.