English Cricket Thread

[Arthur Crabtree]

Another rain off! This tour is cursed.

[sussexpob]

Another rain off! This tour is cursed.

Cursed, or a natural result of scheduling a tour in spring more than one month before the First Class season is due to start? Its like scheduling ODIs in late February in England....

Was supposed to be down to 6 degrees in Christchurch during the DNs scheduled there. Can imagine its fun fielding in that. Comms was saying if the game had been scheduled in reverse with Auckland, it would have been below freezing by nightfall....

I wonder what the coldest international match ever is

[Arthur Crabtree]

Maybe scheduling because of the heat will be an emerging problem.

[sussexpob]

Maybe scheduling because of the heat will be an emerging problem.

I think it was BD who went through a phase of scheduling matches in the pre-monsoon heatwave periods, and there was a game played against another Asian side where temperatures were frankly ridiculous....

Don't think its a concern in NZ

[Durhamfootman]

A dismal performance by England, either side of an 11 six 135 from Harry B

only Overton of the other 10 managed to get to double figures and NZ knocked off the target with about 657 overs to spare

Curran was 3rd top scorer with........... 6!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Not much interest in either side using the 50 overs. Atherton and Hussain will have been furious.

[alfie]

That was a bizarre innings card for England : all those 0 , 2 ,4 dismissals and then Brook hammers 135 off 101. Good support from Overton and indeed Wood in the last wicket stand but the rest of them

There was a bit in the track to be fair ; and Carse made a mess of the NZ top order but Mitchell and Bracewell played sensible cricket and showed that 223 was not much of a target. Hope the England Test squad bats can get a bit better centre wicket practice in the remaining games before heading for Australia !

[Durhamfootman]

almost as if they should have been concentrating on red ball cricket ahead of a series that everyone's career could depend upon

maybe everyone connected to the scheduling feels secure in their roles and so aren't bothered about sending the players into a gruelling, high performance series with the last appropriate cricket for the series played nearly 5 months before the first test starts

still........ the batters won't have to score huge runs, because the bowlers will have skittled Australia for virtually nothing in every innings..... Big Rob says so

[sussexpob]

almost as if they should have been concentrating on red ball cricket ahead of a series that everyone's career could depend upon

Don't worry footman, I am sure after the series the ECB can pay 2 million quid to a golf specialist who takes 12 months to conclude in his report that this was a bad idea.

[Durhamfootman]

no chance of them paying me to come to the same conclusion for half the fee?

[sussexpob]

I know that I have said a lot of critical things about Rob Key in the past, but surely I am not the only person who acknowledges that there is a very distinct disconnect between England's on field results, and the press narrative about this current England leaderships abilities? I seen Flintoff was in the press the other day lauding Rob Key for instance. The article claimed Key had overseen some generational transition in the teams successes... despite us not beating any marquee sides.

[alfie]

Another dispiriting batting performance from England in the second ODI...all out in 36 overs for just 175. Overton best with the bat with 42 ; Brook 34 Root 25 and the others just useless again...

NZ on course to coast home despite some excellent work from Archer , both with the new ball and a later spell : 3/23 from his ten. But he's done now and NZ need just another 20 with 5 in hand and bags of overs left.

This tour is doing nothing for English Test bats' confidence ... and even less for their status in the qualification for the next WC in the format. Hopefully not an omen for the Ashes...

[Durhamfootman]

I know that I have said a lot of critical things about Rob Key in the past, but surely I am not the only person who acknowledges that there is a very distinct disconnect between England's on field results, and the press narrative about this current England leaderships abilities? I seen Flintoff was in the press the other day lauding Rob Key for instance. The article claimed Key had overseen some generational transition in the teams successes... despite us not beating any marquee sides.

they are doing the same with the women's side, who have risen like a phoenix (apparently) from ashes humiliation to make the WC semis. That they were still beaten comprehensively by Australia, only just fell over the line against Bangladesh and had to be saved by the rain against Pakistan seems to be irrelevant.... they are now world beaters and the Aussies must be quaking in their boots... presumably

[Durhamfootman]

This tour is doing nothing for English Test bats' confidence ... and even less for their status in the qualification for the next WC in the format. Hopefully not an omen for the Ashes...

All part of the great master plan. They are simply getting all the rubbish scores out of the way early, paving the way for the inevitable ashes glory later..... Rob Key says so

[andy]

One positive out of today's game was archer....he bowled with good pace swung and seamed the ball and got good carry....the batting is a major worry though