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

[Burgey]

Whoa there sport

Why?

 

[slowfinger]

Yeah, I get that Crawley isn't scoring runs and there's a fair reason to want to find out who's next in line...but the silver spoon BS is exactly that and he clearly has ability. The 189 in the Ashes, no English player outside of Root is capable of that. And he's 26. Baz and co will give him a lot of rope because when he's on, he's unique in his ability to crunch quality bowlers

it's the perrenial question though of is a string of 2,5,10,3,36,109 better than 28,27,28,27,28,27?

(and that's for an average of nearly 30)

 

[Molehill]

It'll be the golf one.

Yep, you were right. A quick morning collapse tomorrow and maybe 2 rounds. Although Stokes will be fuming if his hamstring keeps him off the course!!

 

[Son Of Coco]

When Duckett goes in having played that shot to get out, I wonder is there the same level of delusionary self-congratulation on offer as there appears to be in public? Or does someone say "what were you thinking you daft ****?"?

 

[Chin Music]

Yep, you were right. A quick morning collapse tomorrow and maybe 2 rounds. Although Stokes will be fuming if his hamstring keeps him off the course!!

They'll almost certainly have time for a round tomorrow afternoon NZ time.

 

[chris.hinton]

We will still win. Root, Brook, Bethell, Stokes with big scores

Sit back and enjoy

 

[Neil Young]

The headlines being about Southee's sixes rather than his wickets says something.

He's been a great servant to NZ cricket but man his reputation has been tarnished - in my eyes - through his continued and underserved selection. Yet, this isn't even down to him, but I find myself annoyed at him anyway.

 

[ashley bach]

His figures of 0-46 when a team is all out for 143 kind of said it all.

 

[ashley bach]

No surprise to run into Baz and Zak down the local casino testing their luck on blackjack.
They were in good spirits winning and there was even talk of the shoe being the best ever.
However the mood changed when the waiter wouldn't accept anymore drinks because it was 1.02 and alcohol service closes at 1.00.
Baz ''but we ordered a few minutes ago''
Waiter ''um..er..no you didn't''

Pretty pathetic service tbf, and a fairly ordinary casino with only one blackjack and one roulette table open.

*Random sightings

 

[flibbertyjibber]

184ao is my prediction.

 

[kevinw]

So you're inferring hes there because of his Dad. I doubt Baz gives a **** who his Dad is, nor is taking on favours from anyone higher up. And it doesn't offend me if you think that's why, I just disagree. I think they've just given someone too much rope. It happens. See T.Blundell and T.Southee in our side.

He does clearly have ability. Go watch the 189. He also scored a few runs in India, etc etc. And they're continuing to back him on that, to a lot of people's chagrin.

Who should be there instead?

But Bob Key was ZCs mentor, that's how he managed to get selected.

 

[Skyliner]

A deeply concerning article on Cricinfo. I had assumed, or convinced myself, that Kane would bow out after the 4 test tour of Australia. To think he might walk away from test cricket while still in such sublime form and we’ll lose him to the T20 franchise dross….

Will Williamson stay or will he go? Century shrouds uncertainty at Seddon Park

As one New Zealand legend bows out with fanfare, another threatens to take the side-exit

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[Neil Young]

A deeply concerning article on Cricinfo. I had assumed, or convinced myself, that Kane would bow out after the 4 test tour of Australia. To think he might walk away from test cricket while still in such sublime form and we’ll lose him to the T20 franchise dross….

Will Williamson stay or will he go? Century shrouds uncertainty at Seddon Park

As one New Zealand legend bows out with fanfare, another threatens to take the side-exit

www.espncricinfo.com

That guy is just speculating. And his opinion is not worth any more than mine or yours. Well, yours anyway. Mine is worth quite a bit.

 

[SteveNZ]

it's the perrenial question though of is a string of 2,5,10,3,36,109 better than 28,27,28,27,28,27?

(and that's for an average of nearly 30)

Good question...to be certain, I don't have a horse in this race. I don't see enough of England play to say definitively whether Crawley should be there or not. But I do know he can play innings' that other players cannot, theyre just too far apart for some. And again I don't know this, but I'm pretty sure Baz has given him a lot of rope because of that, and any mention of his Dad is horse ****

 

[SteveNZ]

The headlines being about Southee's sixes rather than his wickets says something.

He's been a great servant to NZ cricket but man his reputation has been tarnished - in my eyes - through his continued and underserved selection. Yet, this isn't even down to him, but I find myself annoyed at him anyway.

Yeah Ive found myself annoyed at times with the ceremony in this Test. No one is bigger than the game. Kane is going to eventually head out of this game with much less fanfare and yet deserve it much more.

The fact we care (or others do) about the sixes thing ignores the fact that he got there by abandoning the best wishes of the team on a lot of occasions. That's a bit like having the most hole in ones on the PGA Tour but one of the worst par 3 averages because you recklessly fired at every flag, or a lot of intercept tries in rugby because you flew out of the line and left your defensive system exposed

 

[Nicky]

Get Robinson to open with Duckett

Robinson,
Duckett,
Bethell,
Root,
Brook,
Pope,
Stokes
Atkinson,
Carse,
...
...

Now we're talking. Also, I feel Bethell could be crafted as the #3 and spinner (on not so turning pitches). #10 could be Wood, Archer, Potts...#11 could be Sam Cook )) or a spinner if needed.

 

[straw man]

Fairly ambivalent about our better performance here - it's good to (very likely) win, it's muuuch better than losing 3-0, but it's also a dead rubber and shows how many opportunities we missed when the series was live. For arguments sake give England the second test - they played well - but we so thoroughly shot ourselves in the foot in the first test with batting and catching that we barely competed, when we should have been in the driver's seat. This match would have been a lot more interesting at 1-1.

And it's similar with the festival of Southee. It looks like a fun atmosphere at the ground, the Southee t-shirts and the ***y camel and even the 'can he reach 100 sixes' thing would all be fun, but rests on a pile of longstanding bad performance and seeming preferential treatment. Annoying. Like the below says.

He's been a great servant to NZ cricket but man his reputation has been tarnished - in my eyes - through his continued and underserved selection.

Since the hundred sixes thing is gone, Southee's next stats-watch is whether he can get his bowling average for 2024 under 60. Currently sits at 60.9 over the 12 tests and needs better than 1/45 from here to beat the mark. Eyes peeled.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Get Robinson to open with Duckett

Robinson,
Duckett,
Bethell,
Root,
Brook,
Pope,
Stokes
Atkinson,
Carse,
...
...

Now we're talking. Also, I feel Bethell could be crafted as the #3 and spinner (on not so turning pitches). #10 could be Wood, Archer, Potts...#11 could be Sam Cook )) or a spinner if needed.

Yeah if
1) Stokes isn't gonna be able to bowl much, if at all
and
2) Bashir (and Ahmed et al) aren't ready yet
and
3) conditions don't favour spin

...then an attack with 4 seamers and some part time stuff from Bethell and Root might be our best option to balance the side.


I know that's a lot of ifs, but think the answer to all 3 points above may be "yes" a lot over the next couple of years.

 

[kevinw]

Get Robinson to open with Duckett

Robinson,
Duckett,
Bethell,
Root,
Brook,
Pope,
Stokes
Atkinson,
Carse,
...
...

Now we're talking. Also, I feel Bethell could be crafted as the #3 and spinner (on not so turning pitches). #10 could be Wood, Archer, Potts...#11 could be Sam Cook )) or a spinner if needed.

Bethell has taken 7 FC wickets at nearly 100 apiece (before today). He is going to be a buffet bowler at this level.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Get Robinson to open with Duckett

Robinson,
Duckett,
Bethell,
Root,
Brook,
Pope,
Stokes
Atkinson,
Carse,
...
...

Now we're talking. Also, I feel Bethell could be crafted as the #3 and spinner (on not so turning pitches). #10 could be Wood, Archer, Potts...#11 could be Sam Cook )) or a spinner if needed.

Thought it was a bit mad that Stokes bowled so much here, there’s no need at all when you’re not one of the main 3 seamers. If it’s an issue which will affect him in the medium term, then I imagine Woakes will be the beneficiary, although his batting has very much declined of late, I do wonder if Carse, Atkinson or Ahmed could do a job up at 6 or 7 at Test level