England Cricket Winter 2017/18 - Ashes & NZ

[TheGame]

17/4, Broad finally learning to pitch the ball up.

 

[paulscholes18]

Broad is having one of his much needed magic spells

 

[Snowjoe]

I love when Broad goes on one of his mad ones.

 

[DOTA]

Williamson before lunch, please.

 

[paulscholes18]

Wood figures look tidy, but was he watching Broad and Anderson who got there wickets on a full length, Wood didn’t even pitch 1 delivery up

 

[DOTA]

Wood figures look tidy, but was he watching Broad and Anderson who got there wickets on a full length, Wood didn’t even pitch 1 delivery up

Clearly for better or worse what he's been told his job is.

So far he's had some short deliveries whacked by Grandhomme and he's hit Watling on the helmet, so mixed bag.

 

[DOTA]

I'm just gonna commentate, since most of y'all are asleep.

Watling and Grandhomme dug in brilliantly until Broad got the latter to nick behind for 72.

Southee comes in and NZ's lower order needs to show the ability England's did. At time of writing NZ are 180-6

 

[Class of 63]

191-6 (74 overs)
Watling 77*(194)
Broad 4-36(15)

 

[NinjaFletch]

Wood figures look tidy, but was he watching Broad and Anderson who got there wickets on a full length, Wood didn’t even pitch 1 delivery up

Clearly for better or worse what he's been told his job is.

So far he's had some short deliveries whacked by Grandhomme and he's hit Watling on the helmet, so mixed bag.

I just don't really see 'it' with Wood at Test level. He's quick, but not that quick (his speeds were around the same as Broad's when I was watching) and he doesn't seem to do much with the ball in the air or off the pitch. His only variation is that jump wide, but it's so telegraphed people see it coming form miles away. He doesn't seem to get much bounce either.

Maybe I'm being harsh because he's had a lot of time out, but his figures after 11 tests are, well, Ishant Sharma like (which actually is harsh on Ishant Sharma, his are better).

 

[ArmchairCritic]

I just don't really see 'it' with Wood at Test level. He's quick, but not that quick (his speeds were around the same as Broad's when I was watching) and he doesn't seem to do much with the ball in the air or off the pitch. His only variation is that jump wide, but it's so telegraphed people see it coming form miles away. He doesn't seem to get much bounce either.

Maybe I'm being harsh because he's had a lot of time out, but his figures after 11 tests are, well, Ishant Sharma like (which actually is harsh on Ishant Sharma, his are better).

Supposed to be decent at reversing it but there's nothing Wood can do that a fit and healthy Ben Stokes can't do at a much higher level. Reckon England's 3rd seamer spot will become a bit a bit of a revolving door as they search for Jimmy's replacement.

 

[Snowjoe]

Could do with a wicket pretty sharpish here

 

[paulscholes18]

Could do with a wicket pretty sharpish here

Anderson has got one

 

[Snowjoe]

Anderson has got one

Course he has he’s a beautiful man

 

[paulscholes18]

Course he has he’s a beautiful man

Going to be a bitch to replace, hope we can find a suitable replacement quicker then finding Strauss and KP

 

[Snowjoe]

Going to be a bitch to replace, hope we can find a suitable replacement quicker then finding Strauss and KP

They need to get looking properly and soon, our depth seems fairly uninspiring in that area.

 

[DOTA]

Going to be a bitch to replace, hope we can find a suitable replacement quicker then finding Strauss and KP

We miss Swann more than either.

 

[paulscholes18]

Anderson showing Wood what he needed to do

 

[DOTA]

New ball appears to be everything in this match.

 

[Snowjoe]

Let Anderson get the last then

 

[DOTA]

Assuming Broad or Anderson gets this last wicket then that's four bowlers taking the first twenty wickets of this test match. Must be quite unusual.

 

[paulscholes18]

We miss Swann more than either.

maybe also Troot is also a big miss
Gone from
Strauss (40.91 avg), Troot (44 avg), KP (47.28) and Swann (30 with the ball) to Stoneman (28.3), Vince (22.48), Malan (31.4) and Ali (40.68 with ball)

 

[paulscholes18]

Thank goodness, a lead of 29 at 17/4 the lead should have been well over 100

 

[paulscholes18]

7/0 at lunch

 

[DOTA]

7/0 at lunch

If we can survive the first 30 overs without losing our entire top order then I think we should attack. I really can't see either team surviving the second new ball in this match. Get the runs while you can.

 

[paulscholes18]

Textbook Cook dismissal, gone for 14.

 

[DOTA]

Textbook Cook dismissal, gone for 14.

Not sure if he has a horrendous record against left arm quicks but I can recall plenty of times they've got gotten the better of him.

 

[DOTA]

Stoneman needs to score some bloody runs. He seems genuinely comfortable against the new ball. He's good at 'opening'. He's just not as yet in life been good at batting.

 

[DOTA]

Lead's over a hundred, now. Still one down.

England clearly should win this test match from here, weather permitting.

 

[zing]

I just don't really see 'it' with Wood at Test level. He's quick, but not that quick (his speeds were around the same as Broad's when I was watching) and he doesn't seem to do much with the ball in the air or off the pitch. His only variation is that jump wide, but it's so telegraphed people see it coming form miles away. He doesn't seem to get much bounce either.

Maybe I'm being harsh because he's had a lot of time out, but his figures after 11 tests are, well, Ishant Sharma like (which actually is harsh on Ishant Sharma, his are better).

Always wonder why so many English journalists call Mark Wood the next big thing.

He bowls good pace but beyond that I see nothing in test cricket like you say.

Otis Gibson called him the best bowler in England after Anderson and broad.

 

[DOTA]

Vince and Stoneman in and out. Frustrating as ever.

Always wonder why so many English journalists call Mark Wood the next big thing.

He bowls good pace but beyond that I see nothing in test cricket like you say.

Otis Gibson called him the best bowler in England after Anderson and broad.

I thought he was a great talent, if he stayed fit, three years ago. He didn't and now he isn't.

 

[DOTA]

Three down when bad light ends play. England scored at 2.87 in that final session...

 

[paulscholes18]

Three down when bad light ends play. England scored at 2.87 in that final session...

Hope the try and take more risks after lunch

 

[paulscholes18]

Trademark Root gets to 50 then gets out

 

[DOTA]

At least we have the right two to press on. Can't imagine either of the next two hanging around, either.

Trademark Root gets to 50 then gets out

Yup. Not sure I've seen someone as bad at converting as him.

EDIT - A quick google brings up Fleming as the master. Managed 46 fifties and 9 hundreds.

 

[DOTA]

Play some bloody shots, Jonny!

Also, I have a bit of a thing for Leach. Definitely one of my more baffling sporting crushes.

 

[DOTA]

Bairstow is out and England declare. NZ chase 382.

If I recall, they've only three times chased over 250. Never successfully chased anything close to this score. Lots of overs likely to be lost to bad light, so we're most likely looking at an England win or a draw.

 

[DOTA]

NZ fought very well against the new ball, in difficult conditions. Leach is turning it square out of the footholes, which he appears very adept at finding. Root's now bowling his filth, given the light issue.

 

[DOTA]

And we're done for the day. 339 more needed for NZ, who looked understandably keen to end the day's play.

Pitch looks sedate enough, for the seamers, that NZ should survive tomorrow. Unless they get knocked over by the second new ball.

I don't think 339 in a day is a serious worry for England - nor a thing NZ will be thinking about.

 

[paulscholes18]

And we're done for the day. 339 more needed for NZ, who looked understandably keen to end the day's play.

Pitch looks sedate enough, for the seamers, that NZ should survive tomorrow. Unless they get knocked over by the second new ball.

I don't think 339 in a day is a serious worry for England - nor a thing NZ will be thinking about.

The clocks going back may have just cost England, practically lost a whole session of play yesterday

 

[ha_rooney]

Perfect start for England.