*Official* England in NZ 2023

[Athlai]

It took my brother in law about 8 years to fall in love with Tests after enjoying ODIs/T20.

 

[Prince EWS]

Also yeah, people who hate cricket might sometimes reference the whole ‘haha you play for 5 days’ thing, but mostly they just find the game fundamentally boring. Like, the 40 second wait from one ball to the next is what bothers them, not the format. That makes no sense, but then of course it doesn’t because people who don’t like cricket are stupid. Trying to formulate a version of cricket to appeal to people like this is really a waste of time tbh.

Says Mr Overrates.

 

[nzfan]

Look at the media reaction, nobody cares this much when we win a close ODI or T20. Add into that the first three days of the test were sold out, the fourth day looked packed too and I’m pretty sure it was close to capacity yesterday (even if they did throw the doors open).

Get it back on a platform where people can watch it and listen to it (happening next year with TVNZ and hopefully SENZ), show it the respect it deserves in 3 match series and first class preparation and development, and test cricket will thrive in this country.

Treat it like an unloved embarrassment and that’s what it will become.

And produce pitches that can aid games that can go to the 5th day. We are guilty of not producing pitches that make for good viewing just to get results our way. It worked in the past but it has come at a cost.

 

[thierry henry]

Says Mr Overrates.

I don’t care about 10 second discrepancies from ball to ball I just want the promised quantity of cricket each day

 

[Ashes81]

As much as we talk up test cricket which is my favorite format it can't compete with the t20s and no one should even try to make it as such. Test cricket followers are niche and that'll stay that way. T20s fund test cricket in a way. This was one of the greatest ever test match no doubt but look at the other test matches we have played since last year. Draws vs Pakistan were not bad viewing, one game was quite close. We got smashed by South Africa at home, we smashed South Africa as well. Bangaldesh won quite comfortably and we smashed them as well. We had a thrilling draw against India and then got walloped in the next test.

Australia wiped the floor against all sides but for the recent tests vs India.

England beat us fairly hands down in England and did so to India as well...

One test match will not turn things around in my opinion, those that just keyed in for the last day or last moments of this test match will disappear as soon as the next series starts unless there is a change in brand of cricket we play. I can't think that's going to happen in the near future. You're not expecting Conway, Latham, Kane to go bazball like. Maybe the future players that are brought up on playing t20s may but that'll take time.

Maybe England, India and Australia can still continue to shore up good support for test cricket but don't think we can based on this one test match.

You make some fair points.

This is were McCullum and Stokes deserve so much credit.

The safe option would have been to bat again for England rather than declare. We probably would have drawn the test at worst.

But McCullum and Stokes always go for the positive approach and due to NZs exceptional play, this resulted in an all time great test match.

Whether you're an England fan or not, you can't argue that we don't play positive, highly entertaining test cricket.

If more teams took this approach, then maybe just maybe more people would watch test matches in NZ and elsewhere around the world.

And at the end of the day, whichever country we may support, isn't that what we all want.

 

[thundaboult]

I think NZC greatly underestimates the average NZ sports fan tbh. Even among those moving away from the traditional "rugby and cricket" (and All Blacks games are always sell outs so there's no shortage of traditional fans) there's a sense that T20 is the entertainment format rather than a real sport. "Cricket is boring" types still don't actually like them either because they're still standing around a lot.

I know they're chasing the family night out and it works because T20 pulls in big money, but those people don't actually care. They're not there to support New Zealand fanatically, they're there to have a few drinks and cheer at sixes.

It isn't just shallow, it's a missed opportunity. The most introverted and Shortland Street obsessed middle aged woman will discover inner bloodlust at the All Blacks or even a Chappell-Hadlee ODI. The 7th T20 against a randomised team? Lol, no one ****ing cares.

If NZC wants to settle for playing WWE with a wooden stick then that's pretty sad. Everyone can see T20 is a less complex sport than other cricket formats or rivals for attention like other NZ sports, American sport, football and stuff like skateboarding.

Even against a less followed test side (no Barmy Army) like SL you watch, people will show up on the weekend at Hagley. T20 has its place as a fun night out but going all in on it is a trap imo but hey what would I know, I'm not a CEO I just talk to other sports fans.

Tbh, different strokes for different folks. I'm just glad we're in a time where all these entertainment options are available in cricket. All formats are fun. Especially when something is on the line against a in-form opponent.

 

[_Ed_]

Tbh, different strokes for different folks.

I think you mean Stokes and Foakes.

 

[slippy888]

Highest odds on New Zealand to win match was

 

[Zinzan]

Been away on business the last couple of days, but was great to see the result & looking forward to watching the replay of last day, especially the last session.

I really hope England don't let the result stifle their positive approach even if that declaration was overly bullish in hindsight, but at the time I think they were worried about weather. In spite of that let's not forget they came within a whisker.

Fantastic from Wagner, and what a way to sign off on his career if he does decide to retire after this., although I suspect he'll want to finish the season and play against SL.

Agree with TH about it feeling slightly ironic that we draw the series 1-1when England were comfortably the better side for the majority of time, after losing 0-3 to them last year when the sides were much more even.

 

[Zinzan]

The one thing I do hate is you can bet that our selectors will suddenly feel vindicated, and they shouldn't in the slightest. They've been horrendous in recent times.

 

[thierry henry]

You’d like to think the selectors can at least make the simple observation that the players who contributed well to varying extents were basically everyone bar Young, Nicholls and Bracewell, and that Wagner’s overall performance was mediocre. Literally just takes a glance at the scoreboard to confirm this, and I don’t think anyone is crying out for anyone other than these guys to be dropped. On paper it was actually perfect because the dodgiest selections were the worst players.

 

[nzfan]

You’d like to think the selectors can at least make the simple observation that the players who contributed well to varying extents were basically everyone bar Young, Nicholls and Bracewell, and that Wagner’s overall performance was mediocre. Literally just takes a glance at the scoreboard to confirm this, and I don’t think anyone is crying out for anyone other than these guys to be dropped. On paper it was actually perfect because the dodgiest selections were the worst players.

I wouldn't call Young's selection was dodgy. He is the next cab of the rank. It didn't help in the end but it could have. It's all timing really.

 

[thierry henry]

I wouldn't call Young's selection was dodgy. He is the next cab of the rank. It didn't help in the end but it could have. It's all timing really.

I don’t want Young dropped either, I’m just saying that if the selectors wanted justification for any of their marginal calls, they won’t find it in this test. Of course, if Young is seen as expendable then maybe the selectors will use this test as a reason to drop him, which is a shame.

 

[nzfan]

I don’t want Young dropped either, I’m just saying that if the selectors wanted justification for any of their marginal calls, they won’t find it in this test. Of course, if Young is seen as expendable then maybe the selectors will use this test as a reason to drop him, which is a shame.

Yup I think so too... He will get a standard call from Gary or Larsen asking to go back to domestic cricket and put some numbers which he will but by then someone else will take his place as it has happened before.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I feel sorry for Young and Sodhi, but I'd be very tempted to pick both Ravindra and Phillips and get them to share the minimal spin duties (a regular spinner like Sodhi would still get smashed by the Sri Lankans, Bracewell would be destroyed, and Ajaz is 34) and that way we can play 4 seamers to at least blood a new one (Smith or Shipley??) at 8 since Wagner won't (be told to) retire now.

 

[honestbharani]

I think you mean Stokes and Foakes.

The Stokes that Woakes for Foakes may not work f'uh all blokes.

 

[nzfan]

I feel sorry for Young and Sodhi, but I'd be very tempted to pick both Ravindra and Phillips and get them to share the minimal spin duties (a regular spinner like Sodhi would still get smashed by the Sri Lankans, Bracewell would be destroyed, and Ajaz is 34) and that way we can play 4 seamers to at least blood a new one (Smith or Shipley??) at 8 since Wagner won't (be told to) retire now.

Told you lot Wagner will play at least couple more years before he will think of retirement and obviously no changes coming any time soon.

Stead will not last for the next series anyways so it doesn't matter. Although Larsen will last another 10 years

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Black Caps coach Gary Stead said the victory – just the fourth time in test history that a team has won after being forced to follow-on – was testament to the spirit and character of the side.

“We've been through some challenging times recently, but that shows to me that what we're doing puts you definitely on the right track.

“I think when you look back over the last 10 years or so, we've been a team that's punched above our weight and I think yesterday was a great example of that as well.

“There's no guarantee, because we lose that by one wicket then people might have been saying different things, but that's the game of cricket we play. We know it's fine and fickle margins at times and it was that yesterday.”


That means New Zealand will keep the same squad of 13 they had at the Basin Reserve for the tests versus Sri Lanka in Christchurch and Wellington.

“There's always people knocking on the door, and you always have those conversations, but we felt the 13 that we had here is the right 13 to go forward,” Stead said.

”Then we have a break for about seven or eight months before we play another test match after that.”

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Lol




Lmao

 

[Athlai]

Disgustingly wholesome

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[Flem274*]

Ahahahahah what a *****

Teams with KW, Conway, KJ, Watling, McCullum and peak trio don't get to associate themselves with the plucky little battlers label of those who cane before. John R. Reid prepared for a tour behind a servo on concrete ffs.

I'm sure Stead is a nice bloke but when you've got the cattle to achieve things we've never done before, ****ing go for it and stop hiding behind the stereotypes used to patronize you.

He's like the anti-McCullum.

Edit - at the Stead comments obv