*Official* 2022 New Zealand Tour of England, Ireland, Scotland & Netherlands

[Fuller Pilch]

Dad joke from Butcher.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

If someone had told me that Mitchell and Blundell would have back-to-back 150 run partnerships I would've laughed at them. Keep it up lads.

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Hope someone replied that he was carving it up on comms.

 

[wpdavid]

A pub that Broad owns is on fire (literally).

Apparently it's called the Tap and Run. Given that no-one's been hurt in the blaze, perhaps it's OK to suggest that the name of the pub really isn't appropriate . Maybe the Slog and Hope would have been better?

 

[wpdavid]

If someone had told me that Mitchell and Blundell would have back-to-back 150 run partnerships I would've laughed at them. Keep it up lads.

Clearly they're far too good for this England team. I'm very jealous.

They're really not being troubled at all, are they. They look like a couple of test players helping themselves in a rare county outing. You just can't see where this England attack are going to find a break-though this morning.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Even worse when there aren't any at all who are older than you. I think that happened for me after Emburey's brief recall in 1995. Gooch and Gatting having left the test scene earlier that year.

That same year Mike Watkinson was the last man older than me to make his debut.

EDIT. Oops not quite, Alan Wells made his debut just after Watkinson. They were the last two.

 

[cnerd123]

Glad to see Mitchell's time at Rajasthan Royals has lifted his game

 

[wpdavid]

Do we know how many of the missed chances yesterday were off Broad's bowling? Without those, his figures are seriously poor.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

In some ways I would like to see Blundell get a century because he deserved one at Lords.
But it has to be within the 370 all out remit.

 

[Uppercut]

It all come down to you-know-who. If Root goes big then we may stay in the game, but otherwise we're toast. Not a good way to play test cricket.

Even with Root what makes him special is the ability to score runs in conditions where almost no one else can. He’s not necessarily the player I’d choose to reliably cash in on a flat pitch, though obvs he still is very good.

 

[straw man]

Even worse when there aren't any at all who are older than you. I think that happened for me after Emburey's brief recall in 1995. Gooch and Gatting having left the test scene earlier that year.

Literally just Jimmy Anderson

 

[Fuller Pilch]

In some ways I would like to see Blundell get a century because he deserved one at Lords.
But it has to be within the 370 all out remit.

He also got a 96 vs South Africa earlier this year so will be interesting to see if he looks nervous if he gets into the 90s.

 

[Pothas]

I feel like nearly every minute of this series that I have been able to watch has been these two batting.

 

[jcas0167]

I remember Norman Cowans being the first England test cricketer to be younger than me.

Hasan Raza then Vettori.

 

[wpdavid]

I feel like nearly every minute of this series that I have been able to watch has been these two batting.

It's like having two Steve Smiths in the side. Not fair.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Yes Dazza!

 

[wpdavid]

Well batted, yet again. Now clear off and give someone else a go.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Having an alright series, is Mitchell.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Leach actually looks quite dangerous when the batsman clearly don't think he's any good.

 

[wpdavid]

Having an alright series, is Mitchell.

This was an interesting read about why NZ are better at producing good test batsmen than we are.

New Zealand batters thrive without Williamson and teach England lesson | Andy Bull

For more than a decade New Zealand have been laying the ground for better batters and that was clear on the first day at Trent Bridge

www.theguardian.com