England v New Zealand Test Series 2026

[Arthur Crabtree]

Can't see them going for a tail starting with Robinson at seven!

Well, surely not, but I think teams are not as scared of a long tail/accommodating five bowlers as they used to be.

Fisher can hold a bat. But still not a number 7.

[sussexpob]

Rob Key comes out to address the nightclub incident, unable to hide his palpable frustration about the players breaching their curfew after the problems previously. He doesnt give an answer on Stokes future as Captain, saying it will be decided once the investigation is concluded (but it seems judging on what he said, that if its just a case of curfew breaking there is nothing else to answer for and he wont be fired).

[sussexpob]

What does ring alarm bells is Key answering questions about Stokes by saying he is "very concerned for him", before talking about making the best decisions for Ben on a personal level also. I think it was the Telegraph (Hoult?) who wrote last week that Stokes seemingly had changed recently, lacking the same spark and enthusiasm, and seemingly being weighed down by the experience in Australia. He has visibily lost a lot of his previous bulk/size in a very quick time, and I don't think I have seen him post-Ashes without his eye's being red.

He's been open about his mental health battles in the past. I really hope Ben is ok and in a good head space....

[sussexpob]

Kane Williamson retires with immediate effect from all international cricket. He will not play any more part in this tour.

[Durhamfootman]

Rob Key comes out to address the nightclub incident, unable to hide his palpable frustration about the players breaching their curfew after the problems previously. He doesnt give an answer on Stokes future as Captain, saying it will be decided once the investigation is concluded (but it seems judging on what he said, that if its just a case of curfew breaking there is nothing else to answer for and he wont be fired).

I struggle with anything Key says on this issue, tbh. He was a part of the McCullum 'doesn't matter' vibe, where drinking, chilling and golf were seen to be more valuable than practice and is now turning into Nanny Key when that was shown to be a pile of sh1te. If there's a negative drinking culture in the England set up, he's played his part in it. Crikey, it was practically encouraged for 3 years. If natural justice had taken place after the ashes debacle, then there would be a different guy in charge now, who would be in a much stronger position to start moralising

Stokes absolutely shouldn't be fired, all he did was stay out late and have a few drinks more than he should have done (as far as i know), he hasn't been fixing matches, snorting cocaine, driving under the influence, shagging somebody else's night club pull while she was drunk and asleep. Drop him for one game, send him out to apologise, move on. My worry is that this thing is dragging on and on and on, day after day. The longer it continues, the more likely it is that Stokes will just walk away and sign up for every franchise league going and what a damned shame that would be

[Arthur Crabtree]

Amazing choice to go so suddenly.

Wonder if NZ gave him the chance to go out at Lord's, but keep it quiet? If so he went out with a duck and an 18. But anyway, he's been only occasionally available for a while, so currently not a big loss.

As I mentioned, he appeared to a huge wave of hype from the international press before he achieved anything, which I still remember as being mysterious. But eventually delivered 9500 runs at 54 to the Kiwi cause in Tests. So pretty solid numbers, including 33 tons. None of which I remember...

The oddity is that a straightarrow personality was such a controversial occasional bowler!

Wonder what his twin brother did.

[sussexpob]

Amazing choice to go so suddenly. Wonder if NZ gave him the chance to go out at Lord's, but keep it quiet? If so he went out with a duck and an 18. But anyway, he's been only occasionally available for a while, so currently not a big loss.As I mentioned, he appeared to a huge wave of hype from the international press before he achieved anything, which I still remember as being mysterious. But eventually delivered 9500 runs at 54 to the Kiwi cause in Tests. So pretty solid numbers, including 33 tons. None of which I remember...The oddity is that a straightarrow personality was such a controversial occasional bowler!

I would guess having backed out a lot of games in recent times, he got to England and realised his heart werent in it anymore. A very good player in certain conditions, but never a great player for me. Over all conditions I think Root is markedly better..... but still a loss for the Kiwi's n home pitches.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Root qualifies as an ATG. Cool Hand Kane is an ATG Kiwi.

[sussexpob]

I struggle with anything Key says on this issue, tbh. He was a part of the McCullum 'doesn't matter' vibe, where drinking, chilling and golf were seen to be more valuable than practice and is now turning into Nanny Key when that was shown to be a pile of sh1te. If there's a negative drinking culture in the England set up, he's played his part in it. Crikey, it was practically encouraged for 3 years. If natural justice had taken place after the ashes debacle, then there would be a different guy in charge now, who would be in a much stronger position to start moralising

Man management is about maintaining the balance of mutual respect between manager and subordinate. A manager respects the professional and personal boundaries of their subordinate to do their job using their own competence free from regular unnecessary interference, and the subordinate respects the boundaries of professional integrity and results that is required. Rob Key has set his boundaries at both extremes, which by default removes the requirement of this respect from one side; a manager who is total draconian and throws the book at people without being constructive abuses that respect he must show to his players, and a player who is allowed to operate with no expectations set on conduct or workload is free to p*ss over any expectations required of them to do their jobs to the best of their ability. Neither work at all.

I don't want to set another argument off with Alfie, but this is just another example that leaves me deeply confused about Key that I explained many times, and leaves me inclined to believe that if he can't get this stuff remotely right, what use does he have? If deep in Rob Key's brain he cant see there is a massive gulf of options available to him other than to consider it right for a player to be out 72 hours before a test at 4am drunk out his face to the point he forget his hotel, all while calling some England fan who tries to help him a D8ckhead... and then to slip to locking people in their room with a glass of cocoa at 21h00 everyday for 10 days before a test match... then I despair.

There is a middle ground, and that middle ground is just common sense. Its just good management. You win a test match and don't play for 10 days? Go out till sunrise, if you don't do anything illegal I don't care. If we get to 5-6 days and then get into our prep cycle, then I expect you on time and ready to give it your all, but I am not setting you bed time, and if you want dinner with the wife and a glass or two of wine then as long as I get 100% the next day I don't care. Match day comes, I am not telling you can't leave the hotel at night or setting you a bed time, but if you come in at 2am stinking of beer don't expect to be picked again.

[sussexpob]

Stokes absolutely shouldn't be fired

He shouldn't even be banned. He shouldn't even of had an awkward phone call from his coach or Director. He was out after a good test win with 10 days to report back to duty.... enjoy yourself Ben, its these moments you work so hard to enjoy. If I were him as a 35 year old World Cup winner, captain, most influential player, and (in most eyes) generational legend of my countries game, if someone tried to give me a bedtime I'd set fire to my contract in-front of them and walk.

I don't get the sense anyone in the public/press really agrees with this treatment/punishment? I just think its stupid. Key talks about being betrayed when he should be celebrating a great test win... Well Rob, no one else is talking about it... its only you dwelling on this. No one else cares.

[Durhamfootman]

Stokes absolutely shouldn't be fired

He shouldn't even be banned. He shouldn't even of had an awkward phone call from his coach or Director. He was out after a good test win with 10 days to report back to duty.... enjoy yourself Ben, its these moments you work so hard to enjoy. If I were him as a 35 year old World Cup winner, captain, most influential player, and (in most eyes) generational legend of my countries game, if someone tried to give me a bedtime I'd set fire to my contract in-front of them and walk.

Normally, I would agree with you, were it not for the fact that Stokesy was part of the curfew decision making process, it might not have been his idea, it might have been his idea, but either way he signed it off and then ignored it. But you're right... this is a generational player we are talking about. A player who single handedly won a world cup that England were going to lose. A man who has done spectacular things for his team, his country and his sport. It all seems like a stupid, pointless piece of irrelevant nonsense that risks seeing a player of that calibre and status exiting the game...... unless of course, and you alluded to it earlier, there is a darker side to this, but that suggests he needs help, rather than public humiliation, no matter what Key's personal frustrations are

As an aside, I understand that Gus Atkinson claimed he didn't even know there was a curfew, which I'm choosing to take with a pinch of salt, but does raise the question of how effectively the curfew was communicated

[bigfluffylemon]

Kane Williamson retires with immediate effect from all international cricket. He will not play any more part in this tour.

Fantasy team curse strikes again...

Very strange time to go out, but he'll retire as one of the all-time great Kiwi test players - most runs, most hundreds and highest average of any Kiwi who played a statistically meaningful number of tests, as well as one of only two test captains with a positive W/L ratio. Captained NZ to the world test championship, world cup finalist twice, t20 cup finalist.

Well played Kane.

[alfie]

I struggle with anything Key says on this issue, tbh. He was a part of the McCullum 'doesn't matter' vibe, where drinking, chilling and golf were seen to be more valuable than practice and is now turning into Nanny Key when that was shown to be a pile of sh1te. If there's a negative drinking culture in the England set up, he's played his part in it. Crikey, it was practically encouraged for 3 years. If natural justice had taken place after the ashes debacle, then there would be a different guy in charge now, who would be in a much stronger position to start moralising

Man management is about maintaining the balance of mutual respect between manager and subordinate. A manager respects the professional and personal boundaries of their subordinate to do their job using their own competence free from regular unnecessary interference, and the subordinate respects the boundaries of professional integrity and results that is required. Rob Key has set his boundaries at both extremes, which by default removes the requirement of this respect from one side; a manager who is total draconian and throws the book at people without being constructive abuses that respect he must show to his players, and a player who is allowed to operate with no expectations set on conduct or workload is free to p*ss over any expectations required of them to do their jobs to the best of their ability. Neither work at all.

I don't want to set another argument off with Alfie, but this is just another example that leaves me deeply confused about Key that I explained many times, and leaves me inclined to believe that if he can't get this stuff remotely right, what use does he have? If deep in Rob Key's brain he cant see there is a massive gulf of options available to him other than to consider it right for a player to be out 72 hours before a test at 4am drunk out his face to the point he forget his hotel, all while calling some England fan who tries to help him a D8ckhead... and then to slip to locking people in their room with a glass of cocoa at 21h00 everyday for 10 days before a test match... then I despair.

There is a middle ground, and that middle ground is just common sense. Its just good management. You win a test match and don't play for 10 days? Go out till sunrise, if you don't do anything illegal I don't care. If we get to 5-6 days and then get into our prep cycle, then I expect you on time and ready to give it your all, but I am not setting you bed time, and if you want dinner with the wife and a glass or two of wine then as long as I get 100% the next day I don't care. Match day comes, I am not telling you can't leave the hotel at night or setting you a bed time, but if you come in at 2am stinking of beer don't expect to be picked again.

Haha ... no argument from me on this , Sussex. Very much in agreement with your summary. I've never been much of a Key fan ; though I think he did make one or two decisions early on that actually benefited England. Perhaps those were just a case of getting lucky.

Wouldn't complain at all if he were replaced : but if he forces Stokes out at this point I will be very p.ssed off !

[alfie]

Slightly surprised Williamson elected to quit in the middle of a series (these mid-tour departures never seem to help a struggling team much) ; but if he has truly lost the drive and love for playing probably the honest decision.

A very good player rather than an ATG perhaps. But certainly up with the best NZ bats ever. Some criticise his less exciting record against some of the stronger teams ; but I wouldn't overdo that argument. He averages 43 in Australia over three tours for example , even if that head to head figure dips to 37 with home contests considered as well. Similarly (in reverse)an overall average of 40 against England despite being only 28 in the UK. A dreadful record in SA but it was only 4 games. Reckon he earned that 54 overall average.

NZ will miss him ; but it was time.

[sussexpob]

Ollie Robinson apparently now a doubt for the 2nd test. Crocombe pulled out the Sussex game and called up as cover.... bizarre selection.