England vs New Zealand - Spoilers

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Paul99

Über Member
150 partnership between Stokes and Root. The future on show not dredging up the past - I hope they can put the KP, Trott era to bed.
Let's hope Root doesn't get injured because he's all we have at the moment. Stokes is a work in progress as far as I am concerned.

Cook needs a long rest from the England team. I think the 2nd opener problem is nullified if they don't have to open with Cook. He's struggling and they all know it.

They may as well let Root open, he comes in early enough anyway.
 
U

User169

Guest
From the commentary box..

"Gower: “Sounds like you’re angling for a comeback.”

Ian Smith: “I’ll be searching for a long, long time for the whites.”

Gower: “Smithy, with all due respect I’m not sure the old ones would do …”"
 

Wafer

Veteran
Blimey, give Lyth a chance! Trott chose to retire from Test cricket after admitting his fallibility these days.
I'm giving him a chance, just pointing out that when people say the selection is wrong and someone else should've played, there's not really a reason to think that other person would've done any better.

Trott struggled and people were saying "what the hell is Trott doing there, they should drop him, obviously Lyth should be in, he'd be doing much better", when he might not. The ascertain that the non-picked player would've magically performed miles better is usually wishful thinking.

That said, it's a shame that players like Swann and Trott have had to tell the England management that they were no longer up to the job and retire from cricket/international cricket rather than the management working it out.
 
OP
OP
psmiffy
Location
Midlands
England 354 for 7 at close – Buttler out from last ball

If at just after midday today anyone had told me England would be pushing a score of 350 odd at close this evening I would have thought they were mad. With the top order gone for almost nothing Root as is his habit, Stokes who played brilliantly and Buttler and Moen playing supporting roles have somehow managed to turn it round so that England will have a respectable first innings score. Admittedly the Kiwi bowling has not been as good as it was very early on, McCullum has over attacked to some extent – however it is no mean achievement – there is though a little voice telling me that if England have achieved this that maybe New Zealand will have no problem matching or exceeding this score.
 
England have great potential with Root, Stokes, Buttler and plenty of other young cricketers. Dull and dour captains, coaches, selectors and officials need to be weeded out for the benefit of the cricket team, not just the back room staff, hangers-on and the old boy network.
 
England have great potential with Root, Stokes, Buttler and plenty of other young cricketers. Dull and dour captains, coaches, selectors and officials need to be weeded out for the benefit of the cricket team, not just the back room staff, hangers-on and the old boy network.
Mike Selvey would be an interesting pick as a selector. I hope he would get on with Dayvo and I, as we're pretty easy going...
Buttler was out from the last ball - means that he'll be home soon to carry on. @User14044
 

swee'pea99

Legendary Member
After a day this has draw written all over it. Still, that's a lot better than it looked after the first hour...
 

nickyboy

Norven Mankey
A more general England cricket issue to discuss.....

I was listening to Nasser Hussain talking about Andrew Strauss' appointment as Director of Cricket. He was very forthright in his view that the "England cricket team" was run by the Team Manager and the Captain and that Strauss should be very much behind the scenes.

I do worry in this day and age that this role for the Captain is too much. On field decision making about field placings, who to bowl etc definitely yes. But why not develop a structure where on-field stuff is pretty well all the captain does. All the off-field stuff (including selection) is down to Team Manager/Director of Cricket/Selectors

I just feel that the Captain role is too much to get the best out of whoever is the Captain. Don't let it become like football or rugby where he's just the non-decision making leader but take all the off-field stuff off the Captain so he can concentrate on on-field performance
 
OP
OP
psmiffy
Location
Midlands
I do worry in this day and age that this role for the Captain is too much. On field decision making about field placings, who to bowl etc definitely yes. But why not develop a structure where on-field stuff is pretty well all the captain does. All the off-field stuff (including selection) is down to Team Manager/Director of Cricket/Selectors

Seems to work for the Aussies but I suspect the reality is that the Aussie captain has a pretty fair informal veto - and the decisions about who to bowl when - history shows us that there have been bowlers who just didnt get a bowl due to the Captain not having any confidence in them even before they bowled a ball - I think Stewarts comments about who picks the squad were very valid - down to the team on the spot - rather than selectors who are not part of the day to day management

Personally I think the emphasis on the coach being a coach is wrong - there are plenty of people who can take care of the technical aspects - it needs someone who is tactically astute (and that includes picking the right mix of players) advising the Captain -
 
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