Well you can stick your IPL where the sun doesn''t shine. 5 days of proper cricket where two teams gave their all but played the game in the proper spirit.
We played some magnificent cricket but, sadly, lost it because we were far too frenetic early on. Hopefully we will learn from that.
Stokes has admitted that the knee is an issue and is stopping him from bowling. He says that he is going to work with the physios and medics to strengthen it but confirmed that he would be going to the IPL. I hope that he does get it sorted because as we saw here we lack the balance with him not being able to bowl.
It was a pleasure being at the Basin reserve for these five days.To see Harry Brook live in both tests was an experience.What a talent that kid is.Also seeing the great Kane Williamson getting the most runs for New Zealand in tests and also hitting a great century when he's team needed him to shine.Great performance to comeback and win from following on.Well played New Zealand.Gracious in victory as well as in defeat.
Loved my time in New Zealand and have one last night in Auckland by travelling 10hrs+ on the northern explorer train from Wellington.Looking forward to seeing the New Zealand countyside.so sad to be leaving but will consider going back in 2024.
Wow what a game. Watched it up till lunch. Said to myself if England lose Root or Stokes with anything more than 50 to catch we'll lose. And so it happened! Reckon Stokes tore a meniscus the way he was carrying himself. Did it myself a couple of years ago. Hats off to him for staying out there if that's what it is. Any road. New Zealand deserved that. I always think of England and New Zealand as a kind of Charlton v Sunderland affair. Both good bunches of people and the fireworks go off when they meet eachother.
I'm not referring to Brook because he is a freak (and he does this anyway) but I do think most of our top order could learn when and who to pick their battles from Root. The likes of Crawley and Pope went too hard at the NZ openers and failed to give themselves time to actually assess the pace and bounce, specifically, of the deck. Root did just that and picked his battle with the weak link of their attack, Bracewell (match figures of 28-2-127-2), who was nowhere near as effective to the right hander as he was to the left handed Stokes. Crawley in that "see ball/hit ball" mindset was in no position to adjust to the ball off a good length coming back and despite the fact that he had taken a leg stump guard left himself with a gap the size of the Mersey Tunnel. Pope suffered from a "do I stick or do I go" moment in that he either had to leave the delivery that got him out or throw the kitchen sink at it. Instead it ended up as catching practice.
Bazball can take many forms. Its definition should be all about taking the game away from the opposition by playing positive cricket but the idea that a batsman has to go out and hit every ball out of the park is wrong especially when the track does not lend itself to that. On the roads we played on in Pakistan it was fine to do so but I hope that those other players take a look at Root and the way he looks to utilise the numerous gaps that are available in Test cricket and specifically his use of the dab (albeit he ran Brook out playing it). Nobody will ever complain about someone scoring 248 runs in a match off 337 balls as Root did. We didn't lose this game because of that. We lost it because we went too hard too early and a "leave", early doors especially, is far more of a positive act than a waft at a ball you have no right to be trying to hit. Messrs Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood will expect us to go at them. Let's be a bit more savvy in doing that.
Comments
ffs
NZ win by 1 run.
And the ethos of Bazball is to play entertaining, attacking Test cricket rather than the safe option.
We played some magnificent cricket but, sadly, lost it because we were far too frenetic early on. Hopefully we will learn from that.
Loved my time in New Zealand and have one last night in Auckland by travelling 10hrs+ on the northern explorer train from Wellington.Looking forward to seeing the New Zealand countyside.so sad to be leaving but will consider going back in 2024.
Just woke up & read all the overnight comment's.
Thanks peeps.
Reckon Stokes tore a meniscus the way he was carrying himself. Did it myself a couple of years ago. Hats off to him for staying out there if that's what it is.
Any road. New Zealand deserved that. I always think of England and New Zealand as a kind of Charlton v Sunderland affair. Both good bunches of people and the fireworks go off when they meet eachother.
It sounds like a typical Charlton injury where they try to avoid an operation, and just end up delaying the inevitable
- the injury just needs rest
- we've given him an injection
- it's not responded yet
- he's seeing a consultant
- he's had the operation
Bazball can take many forms. Its definition should be all about taking the game away from the opposition by playing positive cricket but the idea that a batsman has to go out and hit every ball out of the park is wrong especially when the track does not lend itself to that. On the roads we played on in Pakistan it was fine to do so but I hope that those other players take a look at Root and the way he looks to utilise the numerous gaps that are available in Test cricket and specifically his use of the dab (albeit he ran Brook out playing it). Nobody will ever complain about someone scoring 248 runs in a match off 337 balls as Root did. We didn't lose this game because of that. We lost it because we went too hard too early and a "leave", early doors especially, is far more of a positive act than a waft at a ball you have no right to be trying to hit. Messrs Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood will expect us to go at them. Let's be a bit more savvy in doing that.