*Official* New Zealand in England 2021

[honestbharani]

Would you go;

Burns
Crawley
Sibley

For better balance in the top 3?

I would and this is pretty much what I suggested in that thread too. Sibley has the blocker game down pat which would serve well at 3 and Burns can kinda play his own game without worrying about scoring runs at a clip faster than he may fancy coz of Sibley at the other end too.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Brumby's suggestion of Abell is a good one. Lovely looking player but has grit and can bat for long periods. Handy seam-up option too

 

[Magrat Garlick]

We don't really have any Somerset followers to confirm any more but I had the impression Taunton had got a lot more friendly to all bowlers?

 

[thundaboult]

its a sign of the times really

our b-squad test players are better than a lot of the english first 11 guys

a precious precious overseas win

onto the wtc final!

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Well done NZ, good luck next week.

As for England, god knows where they go now other than being thrashed by India and Australia and having a new captain next summer after Root resigns.

 

[StephenZA]

As for England, god knows where they go now other than being thrashed by India and Australia and having a new captain next summer after Root resigns.

Dont the Eng captains normally wait until mid series against South Africa?

 

[grecian]

Brumby's suggestion of Abell is a good one. Lovely looking player but has grit and can bat for long periods. Handy seam-up option too

I think Brumbers was against Abell, he is like many and Abell-ist, it's a crap joke but I'll carry on with it because I like it, He has batted well this year, and wasn't bad last year, in 2019 he only averaged 31, but actually topped Somerset's batting averages, which is possibly indicative of something.

Oh and yes the seam option might mean Silverwood may consider a ****ing spinner, but he bats at three all the time, which is handy for a number 3 bat.

 

[wpdavid]

Silverwood is, quite rightly, taking a fair bit of flack wherever you look. Beyond the choices already discussed here - not picking any of the earlier than expected returnees from the IPL and not picking a spinner - his handling of Archer, as raised by Brumby the other day, is being discussed. Apparently Archer had 20+ test wickets at 20 before Silverwood was involved, and 20 wickets at 43 since Silverwood's arrival. Then of course there's the excessive tinkering of the side after winning the first test in India. If the stated idea was to keep players fresh for the home series against India and the Ashes, then Silverwood's going to look rather silly if they go pear-shaped too.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

The one thing Silverwood definitely needs to do is stop compiling a spreadsheet deciding who needs a rest and when. You can decide who needs a rest based on form and fitness as you go along, not 6 months in advance.

 

[Spark]

Are there any actual good technicians up and coming through the Lions or county system? I had hope for Crawley but he's been so loose of late, and Sibley just looks horrible to me. Batting is a fundamentally technical and skill-based art, you're hitting a small fast-moving object with a stick.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Pretty sure that outside the two Peter Moores stints, that's England's first home Test series loss since the 2001 Ashes.

 

[artvandalay]

 

[Jack1]

I would and this is pretty much what I suggested in that thread too. Sibley has the blocker game down pat which would serve well at 3 and Burns can kinda play his own game without worrying about scoring runs at a clip faster than he may fancy coz of Sibley at the other end too.

This is a good idea.

 

[Bijed]

I don't really have anything to add that hasn't been said already, but did want to chime in with my own 'Well played NZ'. Been a seriously good performance from them on the whole.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Was about to post 'Nothing really to add but well played NZ, deserved winners' but I see Bijed has cruelly taken even that line from me.

Ah well, well played NZ.

No idea how England fix their batting. Maybe give Moeen a run at 3 and tell him he's finally a batsman at long last like he always dreamed of.

Wouldn't work, but I don't know what would, and Moeen is very likeable.

 

[Bijed]

Was about to post 'Nothing really to add but well played NZ, deserved winners' but I see Bijed has cruelly taken even that line from me.

Ah well, well played NZ.

No idea how England fix their batting. Maybe give Moeen a run at 3 and tell him he's finally a batsman at long last like he always dreamed of.

Wouldn't work, but I don't know what would, and Moeen is very likeable.

I already said that too

 

[grecian]

Yeah, love Moeen, but his looseness doesn't suggest a number 3 in Tests, and I think he's been pretty disastrous at it when tried. Averages about 13 in the top three positions, oddly averages 50 at 4.

Mind you not against picking him in some way, batting average of 29 is pretty much as good as many of the other losers, plus he can bowl a bit.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I wouldn’t pick Ali as a bowler. Can he keep wicket?

 

[grecian]

I wouldn’t pick Ali as a bowler. Can he keep wicket?

In England his record as a bowler is perfectly good, particularly against India, prefer that Leach wasn't snubbed again. No don't think he can keep wicket.

 

[Jack1]

I think Ali has no business batting above 7 in test cricket. If he plays again really he bats 8