An intriguing first day then. Bashir appears to have bowled well - it's tough to tell without being able to watch any of it as I don't have TNT and can't find any highlights, annoyingly. I think 319-8 is just shading towards advantage NZ though
I watched the first couple of hours and at 62-2 with Williamson taking an age to get settled in, things looked promising. I woke up briefly about 2.30 and it was 182-3 - so to take five more wickets looks like England shaded the second half of the day. Phillips being still there (having been dropped) is a bit of a worry though.
Was very disappointed last night when I went to put the cricket on and found it was on TNT. Anyone know the cheapest option to get TNT for the next few weeks?
Very difficult to tell what a track is like until both sides of batted on it. Not sure if we took the new ball last night or not. Paying public lost 7 overs yesterday, assume due to our laziness rather than any interuptions in play. I'd make them bowl the extra 7 overs if light is available and sod the late finish.
Glad for Bashir, he's doing really well. Lot's of people thought Nathan Lyon was an average off spinner and just look at his career. Be great to see Bashir do the same.
Need to wrap this up very quickly in the morning and then get after them.
I'm really disappointed that neither Sky or Test Match Special are broadcasting the tour. TalkSport has never done commentary well and find that they never keep my attention long enough.
From the highlights that I've seen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5nhBoDJApQ, it seems like a mixed bag for the bowlers and Bashir's wickets came from mistakes from the batsman rather than excellent skill from him (but I might be being too harsh)
However only 8 maidens were bowled out of 83 overs in the day, it seems like we never had a chance to build any real pressure on NZ.
Pope at 6 is a far better fit for him. Unfortunately he's behind either Stokes or Jamie Smith, both of whom are undroppable at this point. England still need to find a number 3 (and it may well be Bethell, but not yet I don't think), and then Pope becomes the new Dan Lawrence as the reserve batter for 4-7 really.
Brook and Root are undoubtedly two of our greatest ever batsman. One already is in Root and as long as injury allows Brook to have a long career then he will match Root. Root is playing his 150th test match and is averaging over 50 - that's amazing.
Brook has played 22 Test Matches, averages 57 but has only played away Tests in New Zealand and Pakistan so far.
I read an interestingly article the other day about whether Root is one of the greatest of his generation. The argument was that he is not because he has not scored a hundred in Australia and I think only averages 36 out there. However in that same article it suggested Kohli was because he averages 56 in Aus with lots of hundreds. The article didn't pick up on the fact he only averages 33 in England though.
For Brook to surpass Root he needs to score hundreds in Aus. Both him and Root struggle on tracks where the ball naturally bounces slightly higher off a good length. Both can cut & pull well on slower tracks but it will be interesting to see if Brook can find a way in Australia in the next Ashes.
I'd love to see Root succeed out there as well and put to bed that final ghost of his long and illustrious career.
I'm delighted that I've been ale to see Root bat live, he IS and will always be one of the greats. From what I've seen people trying to say he's not are mostly Indian's, probably desperately clinging onto Kohli being the best. Agree about Brook, hopefully he's going to be around for years.
As for Pope, he's had a tough year, but his record overall is pretty good. Too early for the scrap heap I reckon.
Playing well in Australia is something pretty much no English batsman has done in a while, bar Alastair Cook and gang in that glorious series where England won three tests by an innings. Cook can definitely hang his hat on that as a signature series, but Root is the greatest English batsman whether he scores in Oz or not, to my mind.
Kohli is, for me, undisputedly the greatest ODI batsman ever. 50 hundreds and 93 fifties in 283 innings. Averaging 58. Appreciate Tendulkar scored 18000+ runs, 4500 more than Kohli currently but 175 more innings! Huge amount of match winning innings but I'm not a huge fan of pyjama cricket, although I do watch it and get into it when needs must.
Root is brilliant to watch live, very calm assurance at the crease that you can almost feel inside the ground. The greats have an aura and Root definitely does.
Best innings I ever saw live was Punters day 5 knock at Manchester in 2005, closely followed by Pietersen at the Oval a few weeks later.
Was gutted to miss Stokes kncok at Headingley with Leach having had tickets but couldn't make it work.
Darren Lehmann said that he didn’t think Root was one of the greats because of his lack of success in Australia. He also oversaw a team of sandpaper using cheats so forgive me for not taking his opinion too seriously. Root is undoubtedly an all time great, and like @Commoner says, he has that aura. I remember being at Headingley in 2021 I think when we played India and he was on about 7 when I turned to the man next to me and said ‘Root’s getting 100 today’. And he did. You can just tell when he’s in good nick. Kohli is 100% the greatest ODI batter, agree with you there too.
This is the England XI side I'd pick to line up for me from players I've seen during my existence on planet earth. Maybe some controversial omissions here - KP, Stokes, Flintoff. No spinner either!
Comments
Did they tell him he'd better leave right now?
An intriguing first day then. Bashir appears to have bowled well - it's tough to tell without being able to watch any of it as I don't have TNT and can't find any highlights, annoyingly. I think 319-8 is just shading towards advantage NZ though
I watched the first couple of hours and at 62-2 with Williamson taking an age to get settled in, things looked promising. I woke up briefly about 2.30 and it was 182-3 - so to take five more wickets looks like England shaded the second half of the day. Phillips being still there (having been dropped) is a bit of a worry though.
Was very disappointed last night when I went to put the cricket on and found it was on TNT. Anyone know the cheapest option to get TNT for the next few weeks?
Very difficult to tell what a track is like until both sides of batted on it. Not sure if we took the new ball last night or not. Paying public lost 7 overs yesterday, assume due to our laziness rather than any interuptions in play. I'd make them bowl the extra 7 overs if light is available and sod the late finish.
Glad for Bashir, he's doing really well. Lot's of people thought Nathan Lyon was an average off spinner and just look at his career. Be great to see Bashir do the same.
Need to wrap this up very quickly in the morning and then get after them.
Just read through the cricinfo commentary and we did take the new ball. You'd hope fresh bowlers and a new ball can see off 10 and 11 fairly quickly
I'm really disappointed that neither Sky or Test Match Special are broadcasting the tour. TalkSport has never done commentary well and find that they never keep my attention long enough.
From the highlights that I've seen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5nhBoDJApQ, it seems like a mixed bag for the bowlers and Bashir's wickets came from mistakes from the batsman rather than excellent skill from him (but I might be being too harsh)
However only 8 maidens were bowled out of 83 overs in the day, it seems like we never had a chance to build any real pressure on NZ.
It's £30.99 for a month and then you should be able to cancel. I think that would cover the whole series?
thanks for the tip! Will take a look.
I gather a bar in Vipienne was showing the game on a free to air NZ channel, but you certainly didn't hear that from me
There might be a cheaper way. I got lucky in getting it free with EE!
Just spotted a flag at the cricket with Wolves and West Brom badges on it. That's brave!
Pope and Brook rebuilding the innings nicely (which will be the kiss of death now). 174-4.
319-5 at stumps.
Advantage England, hopefully we can build a three figure lead in the first two sessions tomorrow.
Be interesting to see if they give Pope the gloves permanently OR if he asks for them. He’s not a test match #3.
Smith isn’t one either. Only time will tell.
Third innings is going to be crucial. If England can get 150+ lead this could be very interesting. Plenty of time left in the game.
Pope at 6 is a far better fit for him. Unfortunately he's behind either Stokes or Jamie Smith, both of whom are undroppable at this point. England still need to find a number 3 (and it may well be Bethell, but not yet I don't think), and then Pope becomes the new Dan Lawrence as the reserve batter for 4-7 really.
Brook is averaging a ton roughly every 5 innings. Not bad going!
Brook and Root are undoubtedly two of our greatest ever batsman. One already is in Root and as long as injury allows Brook to have a long career then he will match Root. Root is playing his 150th test match and is averaging over 50 - that's amazing.
Brook has played 22 Test Matches, averages 57 but has only played away Tests in New Zealand and Pakistan so far.
I read an interestingly article the other day about whether Root is one of the greatest of his generation. The argument was that he is not because he has not scored a hundred in Australia and I think only averages 36 out there. However in that same article it suggested Kohli was because he averages 56 in Aus with lots of hundreds. The article didn't pick up on the fact he only averages 33 in England though.
For Brook to surpass Root he needs to score hundreds in Aus. Both him and Root struggle on tracks where the ball naturally bounces slightly higher off a good length. Both can cut & pull well on slower tracks but it will be interesting to see if Brook can find a way in Australia in the next Ashes.
I'd love to see Root succeed out there as well and put to bed that final ghost of his long and illustrious career.
Apparently Pope is averaging 40 from 47 innings batting at 3, so perhaps not as bad as first thought. At 6, 31 from 24 innings...
I'm delighted that I've been ale to see Root bat live, he IS and will always be one of the greats. From what I've seen people trying to say he's not are mostly Indian's, probably desperately clinging onto Kohli being the best. Agree about Brook, hopefully he's going to be around for years.
As for Pope, he's had a tough year, but his record overall is pretty good. Too early for the scrap heap I reckon.
Playing well in Australia is something pretty much no English batsman has done in a while, bar Alastair Cook and gang in that glorious series where England won three tests by an innings. Cook can definitely hang his hat on that as a signature series, but Root is the greatest English batsman whether he scores in Oz or not, to my mind.
Kohli is, for me, undisputedly the greatest ODI batsman ever. 50 hundreds and 93 fifties in 283 innings. Averaging 58. Appreciate Tendulkar scored 18000+ runs, 4500 more than Kohli currently but 175 more innings! Huge amount of match winning innings but I'm not a huge fan of pyjama cricket, although I do watch it and get into it when needs must.
Root is brilliant to watch live, very calm assurance at the crease that you can almost feel inside the ground. The greats have an aura and Root definitely does.
Best innings I ever saw live was Punters day 5 knock at Manchester in 2005, closely followed by Pietersen at the Oval a few weeks later.
Was gutted to miss Stokes kncok at Headingley with Leach having had tickets but couldn't make it work.
Darren Lehmann said that he didn’t think Root was one of the greats because of his lack of success in Australia. He also oversaw a team of sandpaper using cheats so forgive me for not taking his opinion too seriously. Root is undoubtedly an all time great, and like @Commoner says, he has that aura. I remember being at Headingley in 2021 I think when we played India and he was on about 7 when I turned to the man next to me and said ‘Root’s getting 100 today’. And he did. You can just tell when he’s in good nick. Kohli is 100% the greatest ODI batter, agree with you there too.
Gus Atkinson turning into a proper all rounder !
Fantastic knock from Atkinson here
Oops
Brydon Carse looks a fine cricketer - I think he could do very well down under next year in a Tim Bresnan 2010/11 type role
Just got up and looked at the score, great day for England that !
Woakes, Carse, Woakes, Carse,Woakes, Carse.
Really pleased to see Woakes get some wickets & important ones too, especially after so many pundits had written him off as a home track bully
Gooch, Cook, Gower, Root, Brook, Stewart (Wk) Botham, Gough, Broad, Anderson, Willis.
This is the England XI side I'd pick to line up for me from players I've seen during my existence on planet earth. Maybe some controversial omissions here - KP, Stokes, Flintoff. No spinner either!