I do wonder what the outlook is for Bashir long term, Leach and Rehan Ahmed will be bowling more regularly than him domestically and then there's other options around the county scene who could play themselves into contention with good summers.
I do wonder what the outlook is for Bashir long term, Leach and Rehan Ahmed will be bowling more regularly than him domestically and then there's other options around the county scene who could play themselves into contention with good summers.
We know what we are going to be getting with Leach which is control but no proven success in Australia. Rehan is the opposite - an attacking bowler who will take wickets but at a cost and not someone you can readily throw the ball to if we need to give the seamers a rest. At the moment Bethell isn't really a red ball bowler yet but, with a repeatable action, if he could het the hard yards in over the course next few years he could become, at the very least, the sort of holding bowler that would allow England to play Rehan too.
As for the Ashes, if it isn't Bashir or Leach then whoever we do take to Australia is likely to be someone with next to zero international experience.
Root given not out to an LBW appeal from Santner but, on review, that decision is overturned and he is out for 54 (64). Can't help thinking that O'Rourke did all the hard work in softening Root up
Can't help thinking that Surrey, in signing Nathan Smith, got the wrong New Zealander. O'Rourke very nearly has Pope trapped LBW first ball and then hits the batter on the head two balls later. Kent, you know what to do.
Bethell, having seen off O'Rourke, decides to charge Southee in the first ball of the bowler's latest spell and only serves to put it down deep points throat for 76 (96)
There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for our batting performance in this Test. This group haven't been away for three months. It's been little more than three weeks and not one of them has been "working" for more than seven or eight days in that time. Only Bethell and Root, of the top seven, managed to score 50 in the match and with one possible exception, that has very little to do with ability but attitude. What ever happened to putting a price on your wicket?
We will leave as winners of the series 2-1 but shouldn't kid ourselves. We won the first Test because of the benevolence of the NZ players inability to catch the ball - 8 drops with MOM Brook the recipient of 5 of those. We finish the year - 9 wins and 8 defeats. Extremely entertaining but let's not think that we are world beaters because we aren't. We have two or three world class players but, against the best sides, we will need the rest to consistently perform.
We have the basis of a very good side providing they play to the best of their ability but do address three areas of concern - finding an opener to replace Crawley (be that Bethell or otherwise), getting Bashir up to Test standard (or finding a spinner capable of not being taken apart down under) and try to ensure that Stokes stays fit and able to bowl for a five match series otherwise the balance of our side will be totally screwed. Those will be real challenges.
I really didn't like the attitude after lunch, We weren't 8 down, we were 5 down with an established batsman Pope at the crease, an Atkinson batting well. Instead it turned into a a slog session, like the end of a white ball game when a team has an unchaseable target, with Pope the worst culprit. Yes, averages and personal scores aren't everything, but that was the perfect chance for Pope to knuckle down, and play a proper innings. If you get out to a good ball, then at least you tried.
England looked like a team that just wanted to lose as quickly as possible, which is unprofessional for the spectators.
Too many recent England Test matches have been unsatisfactory contests, as few have been close games. They either blow away the opposition, or get blown away themselves when behind, especially at the end of a series. It's as if, when faced with a losing situation, they just want to get it out of the way as soon as possible. Two 400+ runs defeats in a calendar year is embarrassing.
Comments
As for the Ashes, if it isn't Bashir or Leach then whoever we do take to Australia is likely to be someone with next to zero international experience.
The previous highest in a year was 85.
102-2
118-2
Bethell 50* (70)
Root 50* (59)
Root suffering from no balls though
122-3
133-4
166-5
Pope 17* (27)
Atkinson 19* (20)
https://x.com/cricketontnt/status/1868824264196985026
Disgraceful effort by England. If that had been Pakistan, you'd wonder if they'd been bribed by dodgy bookmakers to be out by a certain point.
There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for our batting performance in this Test. This group haven't been away for three months. It's been little more than three weeks and not one of them has been "working" for more than seven or eight days in that time. Only Bethell and Root, of the top seven, managed to score 50 in the match and with one possible exception, that has very little to do with ability but attitude. What ever happened to putting a price on your wicket?
We will leave as winners of the series 2-1 but shouldn't kid ourselves. We won the first Test because of the benevolence of the NZ players inability to catch the ball - 8 drops with MOM Brook the recipient of 5 of those. We finish the year - 9 wins and 8 defeats. Extremely entertaining but let's not think that we are world beaters because we aren't. We have two or three world class players but, against the best sides, we will need the rest to consistently perform.
We have the basis of a very good side providing they play to the best of their ability but do address three areas of concern - finding an opener to replace Crawley (be that Bethell or otherwise), getting Bashir up to Test standard (or finding a spinner capable of not being taken apart down under) and try to ensure that Stokes stays fit and able to bowl for a five match series otherwise the balance of our side will be totally screwed. Those will be real challenges.
England looked like a team that just wanted to lose as quickly as possible, which is unprofessional for the spectators.
Too many recent England Test matches have been unsatisfactory contests, as few have been close games. They either blow away the opposition, or get blown away themselves when behind, especially at the end of a series. It's as if, when faced with a losing situation, they just want to get it out of the way as soon as possible. Two 400+ runs defeats in a calendar year is embarrassing.