English cricket thread

Even though it was the wrong call and felt a bit kneejerk from Stokes to have a bowl on a deck like this, it doesn't excuse the standard of the fielding and bowling. The fielding in particular has been very sloppy and 'village'. It's hard to imagine an Australian side, for example, 1-0 up in a home series, being so flat in the field and making so many basic handling errors. It's like England are 1-0 down.

New Zealand's top order did gift England with a few early wickets by being loose and actually gave them a sniff of bowling them out for around 300-ish. It would probably not have justified the decision to essentially bat last on a slow, dry pitch, but England would have been in the game.

This is already about batting for a draw and if part of the thinking was to protect the frail batting line up, they will be under even more pressure when they finally get their dig.
 
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Utd heap said:
There's going to be a few big blows this afternoon I think.
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Mitchell is an excellent T20 player as well. Could definitely see the wheels coming off for England if he's still got something in the tank and posting something 600+.

The extended break might just give him chance to reset and find something extra.
 
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Watching this mini documentary about Shane Warne showing on sky at the moment is hard, still can't believe he's no longer with us.

Absolute legend.
 
If Marnus Labuschagne was a tailender, he would be Trent Boult. Great to watch all those bizarre little quirks and improvised shots.

Admittedly not so entertaining when you have asked the opposition to bat and they have duly racked up 500 and plenty, but still.

Edit: NZ bowled out for 553. Mitchell falls short of a double ton.
 
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Superb from Mitchell.

Boult’s going to have to wait for that one run to break the record :lol:
 
Champ said:
Watching this mini documentary about Shane Warne showing on sky at the moment is hard, still can't believe he's no longer with us.

Absolute legend.
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I shed a few tears mate. Loved him.

A fantastic ambassador for the great game.
 
From the Cricketer's recent report on Birmingham Bears:

Ned Eckersley and Raine led a fightback, taking Briggs' next over for 16, including a six each down the ground. The partnership reached 36 before Olly Stone produced a snorting bouncer that Eckersley could only fend behind to Davies.

Bodes Well.
 
England could actually win this. Bat for the next day and three quarters, get past their score then bowl them out cheaply, Adelaide-style.

Not saying we will, but it's possible!
 
JohnnyKills said:
England could actually win this. Bat for the next day and three quarters, get past their score then bowl them out cheaply, Adelaide-style.

Not saying we will, but it's possible!
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:lol:

Fair play to England, though for fighting back a little bit: first with the ball and then with Pope and Lees. Keeps it slightly interesting for Day 3.

Looking at it you would think that it's a surface you would want a spinner on. New Zealand have no slow bowling option.
 
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It's a big if, but if Pope establishes himself at number 3, then England's batting lineup looks a hell of a lot stronger.
 
Think Notts watched the first day at Lords and immediately instructed the groundsman to create the flattest thing they could, thinking it was the only way they could avoid refunding day 3 tickets.
 
Good from Pope. This is the type of innings he needed in a tough situation as he has been a bit soft with his wicket. He's got a good pitch to work with, if he can get a big 100 it might set up his test career.
 
Constantly having the ball looked at/changed is starting to get a little tedious.

There's the ball. You have eighty overs with that, then if you need it, you'll get another one. End of.
 
LDUred said:
Constantly having the ball looked at/changed is starting to get a little tedious.

There's the ball. You have eighty overs with that, then if you need it, you'll get another one. End of.
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Totally agree.

It's just more fecking time wasted in a day, over rates are already shocking.

Fair play to Pope, I had a go last match. Good ton , hope he can go big
 
This is why it was good to stick with Pope. On FC averages and strike rate I don't think there's anyone else available with the same ability. But at some point you do actually have to produce. Hopefully he can become more consistent.
 
Will this be one of Englands best wins in a very long time?
They are eating this massive target
 
New Zealand part timers on and Joe Root is about to help himself to yet another century.
 
Well done Root, again.

That's 4 in 5. He definitely wanted that done before the new ball with the way he was looking to get back on strike.
 
Root really is something else, he scores so so easily.

Finishing out his career without the pressure of captaincy could see him right at the top of the runs scorer leaderboard
 
Weird to see him do it with a french cut but that's another century for Joe, and that's all that matters.

If you had twenty men on the field, you sense Root would be able to pierce gaps in it.

Just a one off in that sense. Never seen anyone so good at stealing ones and twos.
 
Root is going to score a ridiculous amount of runs in the next three - five years, you can just feel it.
 
Bairstow is a waste of a middle order slot. He’s had ample time in test cricket.
 
If it wasn't for the holes elsewhere in the side there would be a serious issue on whether Bairstow's more often than not limited offering with the bat is worth the occasional top knock. Such a luxury player with not enough reward at this level.
 
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