Cricket

[Billysgingham.]

The paying spectators like the shorter versions, possibly more excitement and a result in the same day.

They've struggled to attract people to tests for a long time now.

Right I didn't realize that.I'm just watching now that's why I asked.

 

[summerisle]

England 378-5, lead by 3 runs. Root 178, Pope 46 - partnership of 106.

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

England really need to start putting the ball to, and over the boundary if they want to have enough time to try and bowl us out. Pope currently just 51 off 168 balls.

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

England 476 all out, a lead of 101. New Zealand will need to face around 35 overs tonight, and probably half the day tomorrow, to draw the test and thereby win the series. Rain also forecast in Hamilton from around 3:00pm local time tomorrow.

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

Early wicket for England. Nervous times.

 

[deipnosophist]

Early wicket for England. Nervous times.

I hope we don’t take Ravel to Australia...he’s shot to pieces, confidence-wise

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

I hope we don’t take Ravel to Australia...he’s shot to pieces, confidence-wise

Looking around the first-class cricket scene in New Zealand, there’s no outstanding alternatives. And an opening bat making his test debut in Australia against Starc / Cummins etc. is throwing a lamb to the slaughter. You’re right, Raval’s days are numbered, but he’ll probably open in the first test in Perth.

 

[deipnosophist]

Looking around the first-class cricket scene in New Zealand, there’s no outstanding alternatives. And an opening bat making his test debut in Australia against Starc / Cummins etc. is throwing a lamb to the slaughter. You’re right, Raval’s days are numbered, but he’ll probably open in the first test in Perth.

I hear you...but as it presently stands, putting Ravel in against Starc, Cummins etc, is akin to throwing a lamb to the slaughter...
The fact he declined to appeal his lbw (despite a huge bat-pad) tells me that he just wants to get back in the shed...confidence shot to pieces

 

[BigMick]

Looking around the first-class cricket scene in New Zealand, there’s no outstanding alternatives. And an opening bat making his test debut in Australia against Starc / Cummins etc. is throwing a lamb to the slaughter. You’re right, Raval’s days are numbered, but he’ll probably open in the first test in Perth.

I believe the Perth pitch in the new ground was just as fast as the WACAlast year so playing the 1st test there with no warm up looks like a typical Aussie ambush. NZ will do well to avoid being steamrollered there. Latham looks to have developed into a really solid and compact opener, though, and Williamson is class, Watling a good scrapper who I've always liked. Dunno about Nicholls, got a good record but gone under my radar! Hopefully Boult will be fit to test Warner early on and I'm sure Ferguson will have a role to play - surprised they didn't blood him against England but probably these dead wickets persuaded them not to. Love Wagner (ex Lancs) - just keeps on going!

 

[BigMick]

Glutton for punishment after Leicester but thought I'd submit myself to more by watching the test in NZ.

Excellent piece by Rob Key (my favourite pundit on any channel) on the state of the art of batting in today's county championship.

Charles Colville tried to take him on but was just taken apart and torn to shreds by Rob and Jonathan Trott, batting in the county game is at an all time low standard. No wonder we struggle for openers.

https://www.wisden.com/stories/news-stories/nonsense-pitches-not-helping-england-rob-key

Think they say the standard of the pitches is not helping the batsmen and flattering the medium pacers. Can't argue with that but to be fair to the groundsmen it doesn't help when the season begins in the first week in April and finishes in the last week of September with most Championship games crammed into the start and finish of the season. Also, having 8 teams in the 1st Division with 2 going down meant winning games was vital - too many draws and you're likely to go down so counties were incentivised to produce 'result' pitches. Increasing the size of the 1st Division to 10 is designed to counteract this but with only 14 games to be played I doubt it will work.

Personally, I'd sooner watch a game where 350 is a good score than one where one team racks up 500 and the other 450.

 

[summerisle]

New Zealand 114-2, Williamson dropped by Pope, lead by 13.

 

[ToffeeTim]

That's the worst drop I've ever seen.

Including school cricket.

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

That's the worst drop I've ever seen.

Including school cricket.

Didn't see it but on Cricinfo they are taking the mickey out of the dropped catch. Not that it matters in the scheme of things, this will be a draw. Only interest will be to see if Williamson or Taylor get hundreds before the inevitable rain comes.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Didn't see it but on Cricinfo they are taking the mickey out of the dropped catch. Not that it matters in the scheme of things, this will be a draw. Only interest will be to see if Williamson or Taylor get hundreds before the inevitable rain comes.

Archer did him with a slower ball. It lobbed up to wide mid on as slowly as you like and he shelled it.

Horrendous lol

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

Archer did him with a slower ball. It lobbed up to wide mid on as slowly as you like and he shelled it.

Horrendous lol

Feel for Joffra Archer. He's bowled something like 80+ overs in this series - more than any other Englishman - and only taken two wickets to date!! Joe Root and the English management need to look after him a bit better than that. If they keep over-bowling a fast bowler like that, with the inevitable strain on his body, he'll be lucky to still be playing international cricket beyond 30.