Well, they've crafted a new all-rounder in the Bazball image. Actually, Sam Curran is a similar type. I wonder if someday there'll be a place for both. Curran will have to inherit Stokes' role for that, I think, which means more consistent batting scores. A FC hundred would be a start
Watched every ball today. Foakes hasn't had such a good match this time ,Boult was brilliant with the new ball,stokes a little too reckless, Overton a very pleasant surprise and YJB was brilliant. If we can get a first innings lead we will be favourites to chase anything..not forgetting that NZ only have 3 bowlers who are realistically capable of taking wickets.
All credit to JB and JOve. Excellent counter attcking innings and great fun to watch.
I would like to point out though, for all the talk of a new approach and attacking intent etc I think we got our tactics horribly wrong early in the innings.
NZ have come into this match with 3 bowlers plus a couple of part timers. Their first spells were always going to be class but there was always going to be a period (and it would come very quickly) where the part timers come on and we can try and knock them out the attack and force the main 3 bowlers to bowl when tired. The aggressive thing to do would be to make sure we got through their first spells at worst down so we could take them on with wickets in hand. Pope Crawley Root and Stokes all could have done more about their wickets.
All credit to JB and JOve. Excellent counter attcking innings and great fun to watch.
I would like to point out though, for all the talk of a new approach and attacking intent etc I think we got our tactics horribly wrong early in the innings.
NZ have come into this match with 3 bowlers plus a couple of part timers. Their first spells were always going to be class but there was always going to be a period (and it would come very quickly) where the part timers come on and we can try and knock them out the attack and force the main 3 bowlers to bowl when tired. The aggressive thing to do would be to make sure we got through their first spells at worst down so we could take them on with wickets in hand. Pope Crawley Root and Stokes all could have done more about their wickets.
I think you are bang on with the approach first up but I think you have to give immense credit to boult for his opening spell...root and Pope were simply out to fantastic bowling...going to be a another great days cricket today if we get a lead and put more miles in the legs of boult ,southee and Wagner it will be interesting
Interesting morning ahead. I do hope that Overton goes on to make a 100. had my doubts on Bairstow but boy has he delivered the last 2 tests.
Think Crawleys time is up, he has had plenty of chances to prove himself. Just hope England dont fold for 20 runs this morning and go on to have some sort of lead.
Test cricket is dead though. Yeh right! I actually think that things are swinging more towards the longer form of the game simply because there is now so much white ball cricket. We've even got a 60 ball comp now with yet more gimmicks.
There is room for both of course but to suggest that people do not want to watch the cricketing equivalent of a chess game between two Grand Masters is severely misplaced. Where else could you see a batsman being tested to the best of his ability in facing a world class bowler who has all the advantages he could have of a moving red ball and a cordon of slips? And then witnessing a batsman coming out on top as Bairstow did yesterday. It is the ultimate Test.
real shame that Overton just misses out on a perhaps one in a lifetime chance
I remember Tudor getting stuck on 99. No idea why he didnt push to get to his 100.
Thorpe robbed him. He ended up on 95 with one needed to win and edged a four aiming for six.
I think I remember Thorpe saying afterwards that he was urging Tudor to go for it when there was less than 10 to get but Tudor was more concerned about the win that getting g to 100.
No idea if that was true & never heard what Tudor made of it all.
But Hck only had himself to blame. Spent ages in the 90's pushing & prodding iirc.
Atherton sent a message out to Hick saying the time he would be declaring as they needed a certain time for turnaround of innings and to get bowling at them
Kumar Sangakkara delivered a brilliant session yesterday on the technical and mental issues facing top order batsmen. It really was first class and he is, in my opinion, the best analyst of batting and keeping there is.
Local weather watch, perfect bowling conditions this morning, should become easier for batting later in the day. The previously forecast rain seems to have gone.
The change in the weather forecast and the speed of England's first innings has taken the draw total off the table imo.
Comments
There seems to be a lot of self belief in this new look England side
Foakes hasn't had such a good match this time ,Boult was brilliant with the new ball,stokes a little too reckless, Overton a very pleasant surprise and YJB was brilliant. If we can get a first innings lead we will be favourites to chase anything..not forgetting that NZ only have 3 bowlers who are realistically capable of taking wickets.
Its test cricket but not as we know it
I would like to point out though, for all the talk of a new approach and attacking intent etc I think we got our tactics horribly wrong early in the innings.
NZ have come into this match with 3 bowlers plus a couple of part timers. Their first spells were always going to be class but there was always going to be a period (and it would come very quickly) where the part timers come on and we can try and knock them out the attack and force the main 3 bowlers to bowl when tired. The aggressive thing to do would be to make sure we got through their first spells at worst down so we could take them on with wickets in hand. Pope Crawley Root and Stokes all could have done more about their wickets.
Think Crawleys time is up, he has had plenty of chances to prove himself. Just hope England dont fold for 20 runs this morning and go on to have some sort of lead.
There is room for both of course but to suggest that people do not want to watch the cricketing equivalent of a chess game between two Grand Masters is severely misplaced. Where else could you see a batsman being tested to the best of his ability in facing a world class bowler who has all the advantages he could have of a moving red ball and a cordon of slips? And then witnessing a batsman coming out on top as Bairstow did yesterday. It is the ultimate Test.
Resting as a precaution.
No idea if that was true & never heard what Tudor made of it all.
But Hck only had himself to blame. Spent ages in the 90's pushing & prodding iirc.
Vaughan (c)
Root
Pietersen
Thorpe
Stokes
Prior
Flintoff
Swann
Gough
Anderson
Billings replaces him
The change in the weather forecast and the speed of England's first innings has taken the draw total off the table imo.