New Zealand in England May - June 2013

[puddleduck]

I think England may need to enforce a follow on to win this test. At least if rain looks like arriving later they can throw the bat for half a session to chase some runs rather than the NZ batsman walking off whenever the chance presents itself.

Think I said something about top 3 needing 200 between them which they managed and put England in the position that allows Kp/Prior etc to get quickish 50+ scores and set up potential victories.

 

[Owzat]

I think England may need to enforce a follow on to win this test. At least if rain looks like arriving later they can throw the bat for half a session to chase some runs rather than the NZ batsman walking off whenever the chance presents itself.

Think I said something about top 3 needing 200 between them which they managed and put England in the position that allows Kp/Prior etc to get quickish 50+ scores and set up potential victories.

I think Cook was wrong to enforce the follow on, but if they are losing more than a session or two to weather then my rule of thumb re precious time over-rides.

Oh and it is only the kiwis, if it were a much stronger team then no way would I declare. The aussies scrapped enforcing the follow on a long time ago, when they got stung. 77/1 is a decent position for the kiwis to put on another 200 or more runs and we could have batted for a couple of sessions before having a go.

The kiwis showed capable of resistance, if only more than just McCullum and Watling had put up a fight we might have a contest. For the sake of a dozen runs I think the kiwis may have done themselves a favour, as much of one as they could.

We'll see how it goes. Could be a tight finish, even if the kiwis best their 1st innings effort by 50-100 it could leave England a tricky few runs to chase down. I still think England will win from here, once the kiwis couldn't force the issue in the 1st Test it was fairly inevitable freefall might be next

 

[Haarithan]

Panesar has done next to nothing to convince me that he deserves a start in the next test. Economical, yeah. Anywhere close to threatening the batsman? LoL.

 

[MUFC1987]

You're saying we should play Tredwell instead?

Say what you like about Panesar, but he's experienced at this Level and we know what we can get out of him. A lot of teams would love someone like that as essentially a backup. I haven't seen him bowl yet in this Test, but you've got to think the pitch will suit him more as the match goes on, so a bit harsh to write him off now.

Good to see Broad coming good though. When he's on song, he's a damn good bowler, just needs to find the consistency that Anderson has shown and he'll be right up there.

 

[Owzat]

Looks like the weather will decide this one, I thought there'd be a bit more (match) progress on the fourth day but the weather may have left just a bit too much for England to do.

 

[Warner Watson]

this match is going to be draw if new zealand didn't lose any wicket in 1st session

 

[puddleduck]

Panesar has done next to nothing to convince me that he deserves a start in the next test. Economical, yeah. Anywhere close to threatening the batsman? LoL.

Monty is really average though. He works when he's part of a pair of spinners and the other spinner happens to be one of the most successful finger spinners in the game, but on his own on fairly unhelpful pitches he has absolutely no bowling intelligence.

It's fair to say with Monty, that most of his wickets the pitch gets the batsman out, not his bowling. As MUFC has correctly pointed out though, he is the second best test spinner we have.

 

[War]

Bit harsh to say he has no "bowling intelligence". He just has limitation in his armory, which would get exposed if he doesn't have the perfect turning/wearing pitch to assist him.

 

[bigred]

England's bowling continues to worry me. The 3 main quicks look tired, Onions seems to have paid the price for just carrying drinks for 4 years instead of playing first class cricket in somewhere like South Africa, and Tremlett won't play again in my opinion. Problem is, the back up cupboard is bare. Read a piece by Boycott where he wrote off every back up seamer apart from Jack Brooks(Who has just transferred to Yorkshire). Having seen Brooks a few times, I feel we are definitely in trouble if he plays test cricket for us.

 

[barmyarmy]

Well I don't think Boycott writing players off is necessarily a reliable indication. None of the pace attack seem to have fired together for a while although two flat decks in NZ plus an India tour was never going to help.

For me it's time to move Onions and Bresnan on and give a chance to Woakes and Meaker. I hope you're wrong about Tremlett but it is looking that way at present.

 

[puddleduck]

Bit harsh to say he has no "bowling intelligence". He just has limitation in his armory, which would get exposed if he doesn't have the perfect turning/wearing pitch to assist him.

Have you ever seen Monty "think out" a batsman? I rest my case. Not to mention you then saying that unless the pitch is perfect, he gets exposed... which might just about be another way of saying "that most of his wickets the pitch gets the batsman out, not his bowling."

He's pretty much a bowling machine.

 

[War]

Have you ever seen Monty "think out" a batsman? I rest my case. Not to mention you then saying that unless the pitch is perfect, he gets exposed... which might just about be another way of saying "that most of his wickets the pitch gets the batsman out, not his bowling."

He's pretty much a bowling machine.

Don't really disagree with you. I used to have a equally harsh stance with him up until the 2010/11 Ashes, because i thought as Shane Warne you to say about him, he seemed to be playing one test 30 times. Essentially like a bowling machine yea.

But since his recall last year, i think he has improved in his thinking aspect slightly - however his core strength which is bowling around the 90-95 kpm mark has really changed.

He struggles when he has to bowl slower & flight the ball like truly great left-arm spinners like Bishen Bedi, Vettori @ his peak, Wardle, Mankad. So ye on placid surfaces in these series, we will see the worst in him.

 

[puddleduck]

Muldlde htkignni

 

[Dutch]

Wouldn't think we are going to get much play anyway...drizzling at the moment and a horrible forecast for the rest of the day.....

 

[puddleduck]

Yeah weather saved England in the first, NZ in the second. Hopefully we can get at least one test match that lasts 5 days.