New Zealand v England, 1st Test, Mount Maunganui, 21-25 November, 2019

Snoozie middle order making the Poms work for their wickets.

Sheep hit the front with 4 wickets in hand.

Wow Great comeback by the Snoozies. It’s shaping up for a good match. How’s Archer been bowling?

0-84 off 30.

One of those days of England Cricket where you might ask "Who slipped the bromide* in their tea?". But it appears a case of a problem with several heads. Rather too much shoddiness in the field, for which individuals must take responsibility. But also monochrome strategies without enough flexibility, and not enough leadership in evidence - moral(e) leadership as much as tactical nous. Bromide should never rule.

All due credit to the (too few!) Kiwi batsmen on the day, notably of course Watling. So it is possible to bat long, and grind it out where necessary, without reliance on Williamson.

England Cricket followers (both fans, and observers) will wonder whether some new mental implosion now awaits in the visitors' second innings. I guess it partly depends if the bowlers (with more help from their field, and better and more flexibly prepared by (notional?) leaders Silverwood, Root and whoever else!) can take four wickets before another rot sets in. But then of course, any team should have more character than that, not have to look at one other for a lift, for advice, ideas, and gumption.

Interesting testing ground early in Silverwood's new career. The team also needs someone whirling their arms to a bit more effect. ...

Very good signs from New Zealand. Good on them. Unspectacular maybe, but resilient, and effective.








*other sedatives are available

Good comeback by the kiwis.

We’ve got one-dimensional bowlers who can’t adapt to different conditions, that’s why we get wicketless sessions and days when heads go down in the field which cost us matches and series, particularly away from home.

Hello guys, just your bogstandard English cricket fan here to declare England's shiteness to be perpetual. Anyway, England's shiteness is perpetual.

No matter who the coach is, or who the captain is, we seem to meander between uninspiring toss, and slightly inspiring, up-and-at-'em bluster that ends in complete toss.

As usual when England are on tour, I start off by staying up to watch them. Then, I stay up for less time. By the end of the tour, I'm usually not staying up at all.

So, 31 runs in an hour and a half when they’re trying to get in a position to win the game? The “Snoozers” nickname is looking appropriate for the first time in years. If this had been Cook and Trott for England some years ago we’d have been going apeshit.

100 partnerships for 6th and 7th wickets has real stymied England.

Kiwis looking good. South African born cricketers making tons for fun for other countries.

The Yarps can’t afford to keep letting batting talent like that slip through their fingers...

60 overs without a wicket. That’s an entire old-school NatWest Trophy innings. Captain Kirk’s strike rate is a Tavaresque (or maybe Mark Richardson-esque) 28.

Archer in the first session: 60 balls, 58 dots, two fours.

Snoozies are safe and a chance for a win.

England team paying heavily for previous errors - and being out-ground!

Both batsmen closing in fast on their highest FC score (not only highest Test score - long passed)!

Some 7th wicket stand for NZ. A Sheep all-time record.

Oh dear England.

Santner gets 3 quick wickets late to go with his ton.

3-55 at Stumps, still needing 206 to make the Snoozies bat again.

Blowy cheaping Test doubles alongside Dizzy and Noddy. And Shatner boldly goes where no mediocre spin-bowling all-rounder has gone before.

NZ are a decent Test side, their ranking of number 2 isn’t an anomaly, but we should have the talent pool to live with them given their resources. Something major needs to change for us to win away Tests on a regular basis. Whether it’s captaincy, makeup of the attack or the ball we use in county cricket. Perhaps all three.

Blowy??

BJ, of course...

Alec Stewart thinks we can save this. Has he ever seen England try to bat out a day to save a Test, even without three wickets down? They won’t get as far as tea.

Bit arrogant to state that Watling has 'cheaped' Test 200's, surely? He's always looked more than useful when I've seen him play. He's no Gillespie, Key, or Bumble ...

lardbucket wrote:Bit arrogant to state that Watling has 'cheaped' Test 200's, surely? He's always looked more than useful when I've seen him play. He's no Gillespie, Key, or Bumble ...

He’s no Kohli, Smith or Williamson either - he’s a keeper who bats 7, so your bowling attack should be ashamed at allowing that, even if he does have a rather better Test/FC average than I’d have guessed. He’s never got a 200 against Snoozie state bowlers...

I just can't believe we gave Chris Silverwood the job as head coach. It feels like every effort is made to maintain the status quo. I know Sibley and Pope have come in, but they couldn't not, really. We still look flat as a pancake as soon as the opposition aren't willing to gift their wickets to us.

It would be a shock if we survive a whole session today, given our recent history.