I think it was fair enough to be doubtful about England chasing down the runs, given their recent form in tests. Hopefully this is the start of a new and improved era.
I'm here and I was moaning at our usual pathetic batting, which it was in the 1st innings. Superb knock from Root and a much needed win. In truth we haven't learnt anything we didn't already know, our batting is pants apart from Root and Stokes and it was a bloody good job Stokes was out to a no ball for 1 ! We have the quality bowlers who take wickets when the ball is doing a bit. Potts looks a good find but our spinning options are dire, can Parkinson step up from white ball cricket, mmm we'll see ?. The top 3 still looks very weak and these players need to make big scores after getting in and not throwing their wickets away I'm the 20's. Pope has been given a huge chance batting at number 3 and needs to show something in the remaining 2 tests of this series or will probably be replaced, by whom I have no idea. Hopefully this win will boost morale and some different faces will now come to the fore.
Good toss for NZ to lose.... put into bat going along at 3.5 an over or thereabouts...71/0 from 19 overs.... highest opening stand at Trent bridge since 2005.... Could be a long day in the field...
Does look like a bat 1st pitch but jeez we bowled some **** in that session. To give up 20 boundaries in tge opening session of a Test is dire. There is some assistance there if you put it in the right areas we just haven't done it nearly enough. Improve the lines and lengths this afternoon and we can reap the rewards !
Ffs Broad finally finds the right length and Nicholls edges to slip, Crawley dives across Root and puts it down 1 handed. Almost certainly Root would've taken it at 1st slip.
At last ! Good line and length and Stokes induces the edge of Nicholls bat. All this short bowling from Potts has been clueless from him and Stokes as captain, bowling at 81 mph it has just allowed the Kiwi's more easy runs.
Anderson gets Conway now , inside edge through to Foakes. Just show patience and keep bowling the right areas consistently, there's enough in this wicket !
I didn't realise this was on. Unusual for a test to start on a Friday, that's me sorted for the rest of the afternoon.
Ffs Root drops a dolly at 1st slip off Stokes with Blundell on 0 ! Huge opportunity gone. Should've been 169-5
Just gifting them runs here with Leach, our spinners really are utter turd. All pressure post tea has dissipated, the Root dropped catch could well be a defining moment on the Test.
Mitchell and Blundell make the most of poor catching and poorer bowling to cash in. We should've batted first but no excuses for a really poor day's bowling. Having Leach or Parkinson in the side is just taking up a space, might aswell play another seamer or another batter if there really isn't a better spinner available. Never known us have not even 1 half decent spinner in the entire Country to choose from, dire.
Leach seams to be really ineffective. Where's Moeen and Rashid, do we have any other spinners ... I feel that I'm a bit out of the loop since lockdown and BT Sport banjaxing test cricket.
Moeen has retired from Test cricket and I'm not sure about from the white ball versions, Rashid hasn't played a Test Match for years now after choosing to concentrate purely on white ball cricket and having Fallings out with some Yorkshire and England hierarchy over it. Apparently McCullum has been in contact with Rashid though and has offered a possible olive branch. After watching the dross Parkinson, Leach and Bess have served up over the last few years he must be praying that Rashid accepts the offer as every other spinner on the country must also be cack !
Pitch playing like a road..... plenty of runs for NZ..... With each passing hour the decision to bowl first looks worse and worse....mind can't afford to drop chances when offered....
For the information of those on here prepared to write Matt Parkinson off after he's played just one Test match, his stats in first-class cricket are 127 wickets at 24.03 in 38 matches. Pretty decent if you ask me. Give the man a chance.
Plenty, he takes most of his wickets when batsmen are attacking him in white ball cricket. His variants aren't good enough at the moment to take wickets when the batsmen aren't looking to take him on at the highest level in my opinion. Have seen quite a few of the County spinners and none of them look to be top drawer, all a bit depressing.
Jennings, Ballance and Vince's stats in County cricket were mightily impressive but none were able to transfer that form to the top level. Stats in County cricket can be misleading as there have been so many flat wickets in recent years and Somerset have had very spinner friendly wickets which is why Leach has done so well. I'm not writing Parkinson off its just he hasn't looked like many others haven't, that he doesn't possess the ability to actually impart a great deal of spin on the ball. The dearth in quality spinners at the moment is the worst I've seen for a very long time, it has to be a worry to the English hierarchy and something needs to be done about it asap.
