*Official* New Zealand in England 2021

[nzfan]

Latham has got stuck a bit. Sometimes happens to him and then he has a concentration lapse

That's all right as long as Devon keeps playing positively. 60 for none would be nice.

 

[Bahnz]

Meanwhile here we are debuting the best batsman in the world.

*best left-hander in the world. You'll see the best when NZ's first wicket falls sometime next week.

 

[wpdavid]

Actually no 2 (but we go back to no1 ahead of the final if we win this series).

Ah, fair enough.

 

[MW1304]

No spinner for England is a sorry indictment of how poor their stocks are

Never a green top

Not really got anything to do with Leach, who had a pretty good winter. Just a classic early season English conditions misjudgement.

 

[Bahnz]

Latham has got stuck a bit. Sometimes happens to him and then he has a concentration lapse

I think England have just pulled their length's back a bit. They were probing for swing in the first half hour which gave Latham a few freebies.

 

[trundler]

Conway not far from disaster there but such is the nature of his game.

Robinson looks like a chav

 

[nzfan]

Something not right about the bowling today from England. Would be keen to see the pitch map. They haven't consistent lines or length. Not complaining though good to see.

 

[Athlai]

 

[Prince EWS]

Not really got anything to do with Leach, who had a pretty good winter. Just a classic early season English conditions misjudgement.

No Stokes, Woakes or Curran to bat in the middle order and be the fourth seamer either, which made it harder to find room for a spinner.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Not really got anything to do with Leach, who had a pretty good winter. Just a classic early season English conditions misjudgement.

I think it's also due to fear over the batting with Stokes, Woakes and Curran missing. If Leach could bat 8 I expect they'd have played him.

Edit: more or less what PEWS said above.

 

[MW1304]

No Stokes, Woakes or Curran to bat in the middle order and be the fourth seamer either, which made it harder to find room for a spinner.

True. If Bess was, well, not a liability he could have played.

 

[BeeGee]

NZ looking very comfortable now. As befits the world's number 1 side, but I would like to see more threat from England.

12 overs in and not a single bouncer. Too easy for the NZers to get on the front foot.

 

[nzfan]

Conway not far from disaster there but such is the nature of his game.

Robinson looks like a chav

See him play way better, I guess yet to get into some sort of rhythm. Happens it's a debut game.

 

[Prince EWS]

Conway is so not an opener.

Through the first hour now though, hopefully he makes it a big one.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Wow a good first hour for the Kiwis.

Progress.

 

[trundler]

Something not right about the bowling today from England. Would be keen to see the pitch map. They haven't consistent lines or length. Not complaining though good to see.

Broad especially was all over the place

 

[honestbharani]

True. If Bess was, well, not a liability he could have played.

The thing about Bess is he can not be a liability in these conditions coz his mixed bag invariably will get batsmen out at some point. The consistency is there at the other end with the other 3 or 4 bowlers. He is a liability only on turning tracks where you expect him to bowl the most overs.

Conway is awesome.

 

[hendrix]

Conway is so not an opener.

Yeah. Probably 4 is best for him long term.

 

[nzfan]

Couple or three reasonable balls otherwise not threatening at all. I expected way better bowling. Two left handers opening has helped. Broad bowled all right at times but not penetrating.

 

[Prince EWS]

The thing about Bess is he can not be a liability in these conditions coz his mixed bag invariably will get batsmen out at some point. The consistency is there at the other end with the other 3 or 4 bowlers. He is a liability only on turning tracks where you expect him to bowl the most overs.

Conway is awesome.

Probably too much of a liability in a four man attack even at home tbh. Might be alright if there was a fast bowling allrounder to rely on if he was bowling trash, but I suspect Leach would have been picked in that case anyway.