Gone you mean.... England don't have bowling. If this were a proper England attack near 400 runs was enough. Swann, Anderson, broad etc. I don't think broad or Anderson are near their best a d we've no second line at all. Long long summer ahead
Good partnership by cook and root to put us back into this one. Cook just 3 away from another century 96 ahead with 1 1/2 days to play. If we can get a lead of say 300 then could set up a very interesting final day!
they needed to bat long... If they get to tea from here then i reckon this one is a draw and thats a good result given how poor the bolwing is.
still a result on this. NZ can easily score 300 to win this and by going for it, could hand England chance to take few wickets.
in a day? england can bowl conservatively and get by. Root has lost his wicket.... england need to hold this now. we don't have 200 more runs necessarally in us is the thing... we need to get in and hold now.
Root silly. Nice to see Cook get another 100 though. Need Cook to stay in, go get a big 100 and Stokes/Butler/Moeen to chip in. Can still build up a good lead if they bat the way they did in the first innings. Problem is, like I said before the game even started, with the bowling attack we have, getting 10 wickets is going to be a struggle unless Broad/Anderson have a stormer
century is great... stokes is in and needs to give a 50 here min. rain coming? england need to crawl over the line here cos the bowling won't win it IMO
rains come... virtually assures the draw? if england can bat til lunch tomorrow then this will peter out. we are 127 ahead so theres a lot of work to do to get a winning total
Stokes racing towards 50 at nearly a run a ball.. 47 now. Done well with the bat this game, still don't see him as a good enough bowler to be a key part in a 4 man seam attack
100 for Stokes from 85 balls. Top knock I doubted him a lot but can't deny that when on form he can bat. Just a shame he can't bowl as well as he could make a very very good all rounded.
When Cook got to his 100, Stokes had 13. Since then, Cook has gone onto 120 and Stokes has gone to 100 #dominatedthepartnership
Then he goes and ruin it by getting out or 101 going for a big slog. Hard to blame as that's how he's got all his runs, but was a great chance for him to go get a big 100. Lead is still 230 so still need Butler/Moeen to chip in an get this lead over 300.
295 at close with moeen and cook on. I'd have to say that I'd not back England to win but if we were to declare where would we? 350? 400? Or before lunch etc
With the bowlers we have, we need nearly a whole day to bowl them out. Go out and score quick runs in first 45minutes, get another 70 runs and a lead of 350 and give yourself 75 overs to bowl them out.
350 in 75 overs is a very get table score Isn't it. Ok the pitch is 5 days old tomorrow so it's not quite a one day international but we will only have one new ball and I don't rate us with an older ball now. I'd bat on and let it be a draw
