Dick Rockett
International Vice-Captain
Other parts of the region are generally hotter than the city, so your 22 in town is like 25 in the Valley, for example. And then the sun is trying to kill you on top of that.
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**Official** England in New Zealand 28 Nov-18 Dec 2024 - 3 Tests
- Thread starter FBU
- Start date
Bahnz
Hall of Fame Member
I prefer the weather in the Hutt. It actually feels like you have proper seasons, rather than being stuck with 15-20 and windy af all year.
Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
This tour thread has taken a strange turn. Of NZ's 6 major associations, Wellington has got clearly the worst weather.
Completely agree, this has been a very tight series where Brook and Root essentially made the difference.
Unless we find a bit of an anchor at 3 or Crawley to find form as an opener, I can easily see the case for Australia to win the Ashes 4 or 5-0 down under again. (Apologies for the look ahead- can’t help it when the Gabba test for AUS v IND is on at the same time!)
Would anyone be tempted to bring Brook up to 3?
Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
For the Ashes I think England should try Bethell as an opener. This could be a decent top 7:
Duckett
Bethel
Pope (obviously Lyon could be a major issue)
Root
Brook
Stokes
Smith
Bahnz
Hall of Fame Member
I'd say Brook and Pope more than Root.
LangleyburyCCPlayer
State Regular
We don’t really grind the opposition bowlers into the dust too often, but under Bazball we also don’t get bowled out really cheaply very often, we’re usually good for a middling score at least
LangleyburyCCPlayer
State Regular
FTFY
No, Brook has been superb at five. Keep him there. It's Pope or Bethell at three now, I guess, but there is one opening position where the usual BS cliches about why Crawley needs to be picked are less and less acceptable.
LangleyburyCCPlayer
State Regular
We need someone to bat there, but batting at 3 is such a difficult job, and he’s doing so well at 5 that I’d say if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. In terms of top order batters, you’d think Burns, Lees and Jennings are finished at Test level, but it’s probably too early for someone like McKinney to come in for the Ashes considering we have one Test against Zimbabwe and a 5-match series against Bumrah and co, so you’d suspect the number 3 spot is very much between Pope and Bethell
James
Cricket Web Owner
Does it not ultimately depend on who you're playing? Against Bazball I'd tend to select the most economical of our bowlers to try and tie them down and keep the run rate in check. Something our bowlers struggled with in the first two Tests. Santner passes the test there as one of our better limited overs bowlers and knows how to tie up an end.
Ultimately I would have thought the key to countering BazBall is to treat it like you're playing an ODI and select your bowling attack accordingly with similar field placings.
LangleyburyCCPlayer
State Regular
I think this year was the year to try new people (and to be fair, we have with Bethell, Atkinson and Carse), with the gentle assignment of Zimbabwe at home and the definitely not gentle assignment of India to come next summer I don’t think we’ll blood any new players before the Ashes
LangleyburyCCPlayer
State Regular
Record this winter with Woakes in the team: P3 W3
Record without him: P3 L3
Record without him: P3 L3
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
We’re gonna win this match sorry
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Apology accepted.
Betterpolo
School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Caught up with all the highlights now and it's predictably grim stuff. Credit where it's due though, Henry was good with the new ball and that decisive three wicket burst by O'Rourke was mighty fine fast bowling. No disrespect to Santner but the dismissals of Pope and Stokes were poor I thought.
Bethell was a bit worked out I thought. When it comes to the Bethell-Pope-Smith discussion it need noting that in first innings he isn't batting in the style of the team and is obviously, if understandably, in a different mental place.
I hope O'Rourke can lead the Kiwi attack for a long time, but I worry that his build doesn't always lend itself to a long career as a fast bowler. His action really reminds me of a seam bowler from yesteryear but it's been bugging me who it is!
Bethell was a bit worked out I thought. When it comes to the Bethell-Pope-Smith discussion it need noting that in first innings he isn't batting in the style of the team and is obviously, if understandably, in a different mental place.
I hope O'Rourke can lead the Kiwi attack for a long time, but I worry that his build doesn't always lend itself to a long career as a fast bowler. His action really reminds me of a seam bowler from yesteryear but it's been bugging me who it is!
Betterpolo
School Boy/Girl Cricketer
I liked the look of Farhan Ahmed in the Lions as well and he had a good debut CC season last summer. But I suspect Langley is correct that there won't be many experiments for now with India and Australia coming up. They'll resolve the No3/keeper thing and rotate around their pool of injury prone fast bowlers but not much else. I'm worried about a few positions but then again I'm a natural born worrier when it comes to the England cricket team.
