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

[Days of Grace]

It doesn't matter, does it? We could have them 0/9 and they would still make 500.

**** this team, honestly.

3-0 England. They will win this by an innings.

 

[ataraxia]

Not sure if I like it or not, but New Test Cricket sure is fun. Watching test match hitting is that much better than ODI or T20 hitting.

I do hope that New Test Cricket fails some time soon and is found out to a particular strategy - but as it is, this ain't bad cricket. Aside from NZ's play, of course.

 

[Days of Grace]

This is the perfect bowling attack for New Test Cricket. Three bowlers in their 30s, two of them new ball reliant and a 36 year old clearly on his last legs. And a part-time offie.

Fire Stead and Larson now before we drop to the bottom of the rankings.

We'll have to wait for the new ball to take another wicket. They'll be over 500 by then.

 

[nzfan]

Leave aside selections, the back to the wall stuff from England, there's still 3 more days to go. We're definitely going to get a result, one way or other.

Nominating Macewell now to turn it all around for us by taking 6 fer in the second dig and smashing it around like Bairstow has. I know it's wishful thinking but strange things happen.

Kane was looking a bit tired and frustrated out there yesterday. Particularly when Bracewell was trying to set the field with nobody behind square and trying to bowl from around the wicket.

Wagner's short ball stuff definitely not working. Time to move on from that plan I guess. He still bowled quite well, had reasonable variations.

Southee was good too it's just that England batted well.

Boult was beating the bat even in the last over of the day.

Bracewell, you can't blame him. It's not his call he's playing. It's steady and Kane's. Firstly he's only been bowling in the last couple of years, secondly he's bowled no more than 5-10 overs for NZ A and I think he may have got smashed there. Thirdly they gave him the contract as well which means they have to play him ahead of non contracted players. Looks like they've told him to bowl quicker this game. He was trying to bowl at over 90k but to do that and get good revs behind the ball requires years of work. It takes plenty of time to learn to get the drift, dip and turn. Shows how little our set up knows about spin bowling. I don't think he's going to get help from anyone useful in the camp either barring maybe Ajaz himself. Maybe he should speak to Jeetan Patel, another kiwi in the England set up. High time nzc engage a spin consultant or coach and help develop our spinners. A good relief is after this series there's plenty of white ball cricket vs lesser cricketing nations and Bracewell is in every possible squad. That'll help him develop a bit as a bowler that is if our captains do give the ball to him consistently. Hopefully he can turn it around in the second dig.

 

[nzfan]

Daryl Mitchell & Tom Blundell (611) have added the most number of partnership runs for New Zealand during a Test series, passing Martin Crowe & Andrew Jones (552) in 1991

Phenomenal...

 

[the big bambino]

Well well well, if it isn't the consequences of our own selections

Its Leeds. Probably a good pitch for Headingley but stacking your side with batsmen isn't such a howler for this ground.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Glenn Turner has most runs in a Test series record for NZ (672 vs. West Indies in 1971/72). Mitchell will need 190 in the 2nd innings to match that. He's currently in 10th position, but half of those above him were in 5-test series (Turner, Sutcliffe, Congdon, JR Reid x2).

 

[jcas0167]

Went to bed with England on the ropes about 4 down for 30. Wake up to find we have been Bazballed again.

 

[ashley bach]

It doesn't matter, does it? We could have them 0/9 and they would still make 500.

**** this team, honestly.

3-0 England. They will win this by an innings.

Hold your horses there a moment lord Grace.
This test is still actually quite well poised and very much in the balance, and while it feels deflating at the moment, there's still a chance for a few
players to turn things around, and salvage something from the wreckage.
But yeah, get how you feel after having them 6 down early.

 

[thundaboult]

Gotta say, its fun to see test cricket being played with such fire. Just sucks that its being played against us LOL. Although I'm still not surprised by seeing us clueless against attacking batters + ball getting old...its still disheartening time after time. Superstars with the new ball but so out of it afterwards. Sqaundering so many match winning scenarios in this series by letting england back into the game...with bat and ball. Also, I was starting to get really comfy with Southee over the last 2 years...we haven't played ODI's, he's been terrific in tests, wtc final brought out a starring performance from him with bat + ball. Was also so good in the t20 wc recently. I really don't wanna go into Southee hate mode based off just one series. He definitely looks a bit knackered this test though. He's already pretty slow when he's fresh but when he is tired...its painful to watch.

My god Daryll Mitchell is a beast. Young's form is concerning. Really should move him down to 4 and plan on Ravindra opening long term. Jamieson's honeymoon phase is over and so is Conway's it seems like. More than enough to quality to bounce back...both had big roles in the wtc final too.

 

[Bahnz]

Cr

I remember thinking when New Zealand toured under McCullum that we’d learn a lot about what you can get away with. There’d be situations where it bombed and situations where it was shockingly effective. And whoever came next could pick and choose the parts that worked and the game would move on.

Like I’m starting to think that going hard at Southee regardless of the situation is just a good strategy. He doesn’t bowl too many off-target balls but his stock balls are hittable. He struggled in ODIs. It just makes sense. Maybe next NZ series their opponent plays everyone else normally but tries to score 5 an over off Southee.

This has been a problem I’ve noticed with Southee and Boult going waaaay back to the WI tour in 2014. In the 2nd and 3rd tests of that series Gayle came out to bat, treated things like he was a playing a T20 and absolutely took the two of them apart. At the time things were remedied by Wagner and Mark Craig, but with Wagner on the way out and NZ without a genuine spinner there options are looking a lot more limited.

 

[Xix2565]

Its Leeds. Probably a good pitch for Headingley but stacking your side with batsmen isn't such a howler for this ground.

Score all the runs you want, doesn't mean it's going to help much when wicket taking options are limited. If England listened to you they wouldn't even have bowled out NZ by now.

 

[ashley bach]

Well well well, if it isn't the consequences of our own selections

No way dude it's the consequences of our own players.
Totally in agreement that the management is in turmoil currently, and that changes must be made.
But to use this as an excuse is nothing short of ridiculous.
If anyone knows the weakness in Stead and co at the moment it's none better than the players themselves, and it's up to them to adapt
and play the game to their best ability and perform on the field.
I'm sure the players won't be using it as an excuse, even knowing how crap Stead may be.

 

[thundaboult]

Cr


This has been a problem I’ve noticed with Southee and Boult going waaaay back to the WI tour in 2014. In the 2nd and 3rd tests of that series Gayle came out to bat, treated things like he was a playing a T20 and absolutely took the two of them apart. At the time things were remedied by Wagner and Mark Craig, but with Wagner on the way out and NZ without a genuine spinner there options are looking a lot more limited.

I always wondered what's kept them both from putting on more pace over the years. They are fit asf and not injury prone. Maybe a hesitation in tinkering with an action that does work for them most of the time...they do have pretty weak looking actions at the crease. Southee in particular might as well call his run up a walk up. Boult does run in hard though regardless of any situation or condition...he's always been quicker than southee. But both definitely seem to have things to work with...a capacity to get quicker. But I think its too late to do anything now as they are in their early to mid 30's.

Not saying they needed to become bodybuilders but maybe put on a bit of muscle. Have something extra to work with. Help put some force behind that ball. It could actually help. Not everyone is a fast twitched skinny f*** like Steyn. Wishful thinking at this point though. They have excelled at new ball bowling for so long but sometimes I think what cuda been if they had tried something as basic as that. Good that they learn 3 quarter balls and all that stuff to help them during the later overs but it hasn't worked for them here this series, aus, ind in ind and against SA. All teams and conditions that remain bogies for us.

 

[NZTailender]

It's a while ago now and my memory is awful but I feel in those brief periods where Donald and then Bond worked with the team they picked up a few k's

 

[thundaboult]

It's a while ago now and my memory is awful but I feel in those brief periods where Donald and then Bond worked with the team they picked up a few k's

Southee back then was a different animal altogether. Boult on the other hand, hasn't let his standards fall too much and seems to have less of those lull n dull periods compared to Southee. Also, donald and bond are....allan freakin donald and shane freakin bond. Not sure who jurgensen is, what his achievements and credentials are, and how he's been around this long. Bit of a mystery.

 

[Burgey]

We've seen small prequels of this in our Australian tours. Southee and Boult's backup plan to corridor is short balls, which worked when they were 25 but not so much in their early thirties and a little slower.

Australia have tended to hit them off their lengths at home where the grounds support fast scoring and Southee and Boult don't have an answer to it because our bowling coach is a passenger who was invisible in his first stint with the side and he's still invisible now.

It’s hard to use the short ball tactic on English decks even if you’re properly quick, because they’re so slow.

 

[Shady Slim]

It’s hard to use the short ball tactic on English decks even if you’re properly quick, because they’re so slow.

 

[Burgey]

I remember thinking when New Zealand toured under McCullum that we’d learn a lot about what you can get away with. There’d be situations where it bombed and situations where it was shockingly effective. And whoever came next could pick and choose the parts that worked and the game would move on.

Like I’m starting to think that going hard at Southee regardless of the situation is just a good strategy. He doesn’t bowl too many off-target balls but his stock balls are hittable. He struggled in ODIs. It just makes sense. Maybe next NZ series their opponent plays everyone else normally but tries to score 5 an over off Southee.

The Poms did this to Dizzy in 05 to good effect too. Noticed he’d lost a yard and just went after him regardless of the state of the game.

 

[Bahnz]

Both could crank it up to 90mph in tests in short bursts during the Bond era (2012-2015). Then Boult had his stress fracture and Southee I think just decided that being a low 130’s miserly swing bowler was a higher percentage bet.