Black Caps vs England Series
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I can't overstate how costly those dropped catches in the first game were, and it still really grates me that Latham was so dismissive of them. Instead of giving England a good smacking in the first test to destroy their confidence, which we actually played well enough to do, we instead gave them a good practice session to get them into form with confidence sky high going into the 2nd test.
That coupled with the idiotic continued selection of Southee and Blundell, and to a lesser degree Conway, and we're not really giving ourselves a chance. We desperately need a coach that will challenge the captain and, you know, actually be a coach.
Extremely disappointing when talent-wise we still have the makings on a formidable team.
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We need an absolutely massive effort from one ( or preferably more ) of the top order to even lose this one respectably. No faith at all in either opener or Blundell ( hopefully this reverse jinx works ) so as usual the weight of the world is on KWs shoulders. RR or Mitch chipping in would be rather handy too.
England have lots of time to bat, leading by 425, highest successful chase ever was 418
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With more than three days still to play - if you were England - why wouldn't you set us 700?
Already we'll have to have the highest ever successful run chase to win, so they've probably got enough. But to be completely safe i.e. not leave us enough time to make the runs they really will have to set us something approaching that.
I kind of hope they do - because it will set a blowtorch to Stead's arse!
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@Chris-B said in Black Caps vs England Series:
I kind of hope they do - because it will set a blowtorch to Stead's arse!
It should, but Stead seems teflon at NZC. As were some of the "high performance" people around the White Ferns over the last 5-6 years too. Very much a permeating culture.
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@MN5 said in Black Caps vs England Series:
England lead by 237 and we’re not even a day and half into things. Absolutely ridiculous. We’ll be chasing 600 with three days to go at this rate
I'm off by 67 runs.
Stokes is hopeless, couldn't score fast enough.
I reckon England will come out and take the piss for about an hour tomorrow and then send us in.
Carse and Atkinson will be out firing. Could be a short day tomorrow.
I reckon three down for not much by lunch tomorrow.
I feel Indian
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@Donsteppa said in Black Caps vs England Series:
Tim Southee's Farewell Series is very much turning into a "hurry up and go away" series. Not only does father time remain undefeated, but he's also clung on so long it's not going to end like it did for Ross Taylor.
Taylor contributed enough at the end for him to still be a NZ great, still walks into an all time NZ XI. Probably hung around a tad too long though.
Southee is just stinking up the joint. Making Trent Boult and Neil Wagner look like they got out at exactly the right time.
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@MN5 said in Black Caps vs England Series:
@Donsteppa said in Black Caps vs England Series:
Tim Southee's Farewell Series is very much turning into a "hurry up and go away" series. Not only does father time remain undefeated, but he's also clung on so long it's not going to end like it did for Ross Taylor.
Taylor contributed enough at the end for him to still be a NZ great, still walks into an all time NZ XI. Probably hung around a tad too long though.
Southee is just stinking up the joint. Making Trent Boult and Neil Wagner look like they got out at exactly the right time.
Stayed at least one year too long
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I'll say one thing about England.......
They turn it up when I least expect it. Was pretty confident when we toured there in 2022, I thought man for man we were the better side. Lost 3-0.
Touring here after our magnificent victory in India with a couple of relative unknowns I thought the BCs would be buoyed enough to do the business but we're staring down the barrel at the end of day two of the second test.
Bazball is pretty awesome when it comes off.
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@MN5 I'm pretty much with NQ for this series.
We've really rolled over with awful catching, poor selections and then a terrible batting performance in the first innings of this test.
England come on a Christmas tour and we've really wrapped up a nice big present for them with a big red bow.
It has been pretty poor by a significant number of the players - and support staff.
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@Dodge said in Black Caps vs England Series:
Oh and Bethel, at three is a joke, don’t care what he’s shown in the nets, he hasn’t played enough FC cricket to prove he deserves a spot in this team. The Key, Mac and Stokes team have basically disappeared up their own arse
Some would say this has not aged well...
However and acknowledging that I've only seen the highlights, whilst he looked comfortable and also looked like he belonged at test level it has to be said that in both of his good innings he has come in at a time of no real pressure. Also he has been lucky in giving away a good few edges that in other times would have been out.
As someone else on here has pointed out, Steve Finn had a good article on the difference between county and test cricket although that was mainly aimed at the bowlers and suggested that a good record in FC cricket is not necessarily a requirement at test level. So far Bethel seems to bear this out but it is of course very early days.
I'll see if I can dig out the article.
Edit: And here it is:-
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How does a team manage to have batted and still be behind by 533 runs after only two days?
Unfortunately these clowns have won themselves a massive reprieve after doing the unthinkable in India.
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The averages tell a bleak story - picking a joint team at this point - Kane for Crawley and Henry for Woakes are the only NZers who make a joint team on form.
Philips is a little unlucky - as is O'Rourke whose average would be better if the NZ catching had been better.
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@canefan said in Black Caps vs England Series:
@Damo said in Black Caps vs England Series:
New Zealand will be batting when the pitch is best. Looks like we'll have 2 and a half days to chase 700. Run rate won't be an issue. History making final innings coming up.
Love your optimism
The wind will make bowling on days 3, 4 and 5 difficult.
The key will be surviving the 3rd new ball.