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

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
Yeah, I think it's very 50/50. England will need over 400 at least to be ahead as batting last will surely be tougher.

And if the catches had been taken we'd be having very different discussions about that day. The Bethell selection still looks ridiculous.
Nah, there might be a smidgen of uneven bounce, but batting conditions will be excellent overall, and the forecast is great for days 4 and 5 so there won't be much as much swing on offer as there was this morning. Think NZ will need at least 300 to have a sniff of bowling England out unless they completely fall apart v the new ball.
 

kevinw

State Captain
Is Pope’s future at #6? Wouldn’t solve the issue at #3, but by all accounts he looked more assured down the order where I think he’s much more suited to
If Stokes and Smith are in the side, then the 3-7 positions are locked down (Root, Brook). Therefore, the only space in the side is at three (well, and the second opener position really). If Pope isn't good enough to bat there, find someone else. He only bats at six if Stokes isn't there.
 

Johan

International Debutant
Is Pope’s future at #6? Wouldn’t solve the issue at #3, but by all accounts he looked more assured down the order where I think he’s much more suited to
Stokes should consider going to #3 imo, has a good technique against pace, would be able to shield himself from spinners when he isn't set.
 

LangleyburyCCPlayer

State Regular
Stokes should consider going to #3 imo, has a good technique against pace, would be able to shield himself from spinners when he isn't set.
Long thought that, Stokes has done well on the few occasions he’s gone up the order, but I don’t think that’s going to happen as he’s never spent an entire Test in the top 3. Pope has been fine with the gloves (The Cricketer said that someone from Surrey rated Pope’s keeping better than Smith’s), I wonder if they’ll even use Robinson even if he does arrive on time
 

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
Long thought that, Stokes has done well on the few occasions he’s gone up the order, but I don’t think that’s going to happen as he’s never spent an entire Test in the top 3. Pope has been fine with the gloves (The Cricketer said that someone from Surrey rated Pope’s keeping better than Smith’s), I wonder if they’ll even use Robinson even if he does arrive on time
Robinson is a better FC bat than Bethell anyway, he should absolutely go into the team.

In fact, would it be ridiculous to predict that Bethell never plays another Test for England?
 

Chin Music

State Vice-Captain
Robinson is a better FC bat than Bethell anyway, he should absolutely go into the team.

In fact, would it be ridiculous to predict that Bethell never plays another Test for England?
Surely he needs to go and actually play a bit of first class cricket and be successful before getting picked again. He might be very talented but this was a hugely optimistic selection.
 

Molehill

Cricketer Of The Year
Surely he needs to go and actually play a bit of first class cricket and be successful before getting picked again. He might be very talented but this was a hugely optimistic selection.
Having said that, the bloke he replaced had a very successful FC season and then looked utterly clueless against the short ball in the Windies.
 

Chin Music

State Vice-Captain
Having said that, the bloke he replaced had a very successful FC season and then looked utterly clueless against the short ball in the Windies.
There goes the reason why current England management don't always go with first class stats. It was always nigh on meaningless with seamers. because filling your boots on greenish surfaces with loads of wickets in April/May/September is completely at odds with what you are going to be up against when you get on a pitch that the chief exec is going to want 4 days receipts from in a test match at home, let alone a straw coloured pitch overseas with not a cloud in the sky.

So you have to look at talent, and what gets you wickets beyond presenting a nice seam. With batting, I guess you have to look at how a guy shapes up at the type of challenge you are likely to face against pace and bounce or a tricky overseas spinner. Sometimes you might have to look at microcosms in white ball cricket? I just don't know.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Surely he needs to go and actually play a bit of first class cricket and be successful before getting picked again. He might be very talented but this was a hugely optimistic selection.
Understatement, at best. There was never anything that suggested he'd offer anything at Test level, even if he got drawn to play golf with Stokes on Monday.

That's what I don't like about modern cricket. Jacob Bethall didnt earn test cricket and certainly not batting 3, which was borne out in how he played. But he was picked on some bizarre intent BS
 

mackembhoy

International Regular
Well we rode our luck massively.

But considering Root shouldn't have been made to come out and bat as he fell in the last over before lunch. Then that's what I call karma.

Terrible fielding effort by the Kiwis though, England been poor in recent series so we've passed the crap over to you.
 

Yeoman

U19 Captain
If Stokes and Smith are in the side, then the 3-7 positions are locked down (Root, Brook). Therefore, the only space in the side is at three (well, and the second opener position really). If Pope isn't good enough to bat there, find someone else. He only bats at six if Stokes isn't there.
Problem is that all of the batting candidates would prefer to bat at 4-6 given a free choice. We haven’t really had a top level no3 since Trott. Duckett was perhaps the best option in the county circuit a few years ago however we played him as opener instead.
If I was a county batsman and thought that the selectors still values county form then I would be pressing my coach to send me in at 1-3. It is the clearest way to the test side.
 

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