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**Official** England in New Zealand 28 Nov-18 Dec 2024 - 3 Tests

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
I never really leave a day's play feeling short changed about the overs. But that might be because I leave a day's play absolutely blottoed
.
I think that's a pretty common refrain. However, the media are going to continue to pick up on it, commentators mention it, it comes up with fines etc, so I think they have a duty to shut down that noise.
 

thierry henry

International Coach
Who decided 90 overs was the Holy Grail for over rates?
That specific number doesn't need to be the holy grail, it's just the current rule, based on what should be fairly easily achievable. Most (all?) sports have rules about how much of said sport is to be played in order to constitute a game, that's pretty fundamental. It would be absurd if at the commencement of a test match the players had no idea how many overs long the game was going to be, not because of weather, but because of an entirely un-policed ability for the players to manipulate how much cricket is played. The players could bowl 90, or 120, or 80, or 3 overs a day - surely at some point along that continuum it would become "too slow", or the games ceases to be a proper game? So yes, we need to draw a line somewhere.

Personally I think where the current line is drawn is already allowing for concerted egregious deliberate slow play, but opinions obviously vary on that. What I don't get is the weight of posters who seem to think there's no point at which slow play could possibly become an issue, or a tool for manipulating the very structure of the game that is in progress?
 
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Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
Any early views of the pitch and potential weather forecasts?
Re the weather, mild (about 20C) and mostly sunny throughout.

The pitch will be green af on day 1 and offer plenty of assistance. What happens from there is anyone's guess. Sometimes it flattens out into a complete featherbed. Sometimes it maintains good pace and bounce throughout. Last year it even started ragging square on the morning of day 3. Really hard to know.
 
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Yeoman

U19 Captain
That specific number doesn't need to be the holy grail, it's just the current rule, based on what should be fairly easily achievable. Most (all?) sports have rules about how much of said sport is to be played in order to constitute a game, that's pretty fundamental. It would be absurd if at the commencement of a test match the players had no idea how many overs long the game was going to be, not because of weather, but because of an entirely un-policed ability for the players to manipulate how much cricket is played. The players could bowl 90, or 120, or 80, or 3 overs a day - surely at some point along that continuum it would become "too slow", or the games ceases to be a proper game? So yes, we need to draw a line somewhere.

Personally I think where the current line is drawn is already allowing for concerted egregious deliberate slow play, but opinions obviously vary on that. What I don't get is the weight of posters who seem to think there's no point at which slow play could possibly become an issue, or a tool for manipulating the very structure of the game that is in progress?
90 overs really should be a bare minimum. In the early 20th century 20-23 overs an hour was the norm. As recently as 1967, Brian Close was sacked as England capital after Yorkshire bowled ‘only’ 15 overs in the final hour to deny their opponents a chance of victory. Unfortunately, for modern professionals, Parkinson’s law applies and work expands to reach the time available for completion. A few years ago it struck me that, when university teams played the counties, the over rate of the students was invariably faster.
 

Hungry Llama

U19 Debutant
Root dropped someone as well. England were on a high after the 1st pakistan test, and we know how that progressed.
I'd expect snoozers to bounce back. But for their catching they probably would have won at hagley.

England have usually announced their 11 by now, that they havnt suggests concerns over Stokes fitness.
 

FBU

International Debutant
Root dropped someone as well. England were on a high after the 1st pakistan test, and we know how that progressed.
I'd expect snoozers to bounce back. But for their catching they probably would have won at hagley.

England have usually announced their 11 by now, that they havnt suggests concerns over Stokes fitness.
Or the other bowlers
Atkinson 35.3
Carse 38.1
Woakes 39.0

The most NZ bowled 29.4, 28.0, 26.0, 23,0

Team for 2nd Test - No changes

Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Jacob Bethell
⁠Joe Root
⁠Harry Brook
⁠Ollie Pope (WK)
⁠Ben Stokes (C)
Chris Woakes
⁠Gus Atkinson
Brydon Carse
Shoaib Bashir
 
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Skyliner

State Captain
If Stead goes with Southee again for the next test over Smith then that stinks. I can see Santner being brought in - and Smith being the one dropped. Phillips will be underbowled, again. Bank on it.
Will be watching the performances of Conway, Latham, and Blundell with much interest.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
There's nothing surer than Smith is dropped if Santner comes in. We all know this, and it's based in no level of performance or reality, as nor is Blundell at 6
 

_Ed_

Request Your Custom Title Now!
That being the case, really feel for Smith. Should have had five wickets in the first innings instead of the 3-141 he ended up with. The second innings was a bit ugly, but he was obviously bowling to (questionable) instructions.

Hope he gets another opportunity sooner rather than later.
 

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
Or the other bowlers
Atkinson 35.3
Carse 38.1
Woakes 39.0

The most NZ bowled 29.4, 28.0, 26.0, 23,0

Team for 2nd Test - No changes

Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Jacob Bethell
⁠Joe Root
⁠Harry Brook
⁠Ollie Pope (WK)
⁠Ben Stokes (C)
Chris Woakes
⁠Gus Atkinson
Brydon Carse
Shoaib Bashir
The unpredictability is becoming predictable!
 

LangleyburyCCPlayer

First Class Debutant
Or the other bowlers
Atkinson 35.3
Carse 38.1
Woakes 39.0

The most NZ bowled 29.4, 28.0, 26.0, 23,0

Team for 2nd Test - No changes

Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Jacob Bethell
⁠Joe Root
⁠Harry Brook
⁠Ollie Pope (WK)
⁠Ben Stokes (C)
Chris Woakes
⁠Gus Atkinson
Brydon Carse
Shoaib Bashir
You do wonder now if Ollie Robinson has missed the boat…but enough about the bowler! On a serious note, Smith will presumably move up the order eventually and hand the gloves over, by which time will England have moved on to someone else? Cox or Rew perhaps?
 
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LangleyburyCCPlayer

First Class Debutant
The jury is of course out on Bethell at 3, but after the second innings, albeit in as favourable a match situation as you’re ever likely to get in Test cricket, he’s earned another crack (and even his first innings, even if relatively brief, was in fact longer than most of Pope’s Test innings so it’s not as if he was a complete flop)
 

RMBolton

U19 Debutant
Any Wellingtonians here? Is it worth having Santner play at the Basin?

Going from Plunket Shield, I still can't be shaken from being convinced both the Basin & Seddon won't be spin friendly enough for it to be worth bringing in Santner.
 

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