The Cricket Thread

[Tony Towner]

NZ won the toss and unsurprisingly will bowl. Big Test for the new strategy. Get 300+ then further validation. Bowled out for 150 slogging and you've found the chink

 

[Mel Evo]

The Basin Reserve looks like a lovely place to watch cricket.

 

[jd1981]

21/3 not looking good

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Looks great at lunch though. Root and Brook have steadied the ship and the green is drying.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Brook could end up being the greatest English batsman of all time. Just an incredible player.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

When KP came one the scene he was exciting but I’d never have guessed he’d go on to score the runs he did or get 100 caps. Root was always understated class and his achievements haven’t surprised me, although the total weight of runs probably eclipses what I thought he’d achieve.
Brook has the best of both with a seemingly great attitude too. He really could go on to greatness.
N.B. Ridiculously Brook and I now have four England centuries between us in only six tests.

 

[darlowolf64]

Well that was some recovery from 21/3 to 315/3!

Root with a steady 101no and Brook a superb 184no from169 balls... This style of cricket is a brilliant watch

 

[Sniffer]

Incredible recovery and I echo what has been said above regarding Brook. He matches Don Bradman in getting to four test centuries in his first six tests but has done it in less innings. An amazing start to his test career.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Stokes currently has the world record for sixes in Test cricket. 109 in 90 matches.

Brook already has 20. He's in his sixth Test.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Brook if he stays injury free will go past Tendulkar

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He's also hit 101 fours

And currently averages 100.87.

 

[Sniffer]

Cracking to see Root make a 100 too. I don't quite understand why he has stated that he has struggled to come to terms with the go out, be bold and believe in yourself in the new regime. He's always scored a heavy volume of runs at a decent rate so why he would think that he needed to change anything is beyond me. I can't see that the coach or captain would have been telling him to do anything differently. Hopefully he can continue for a good few years to come.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

Root's hundred is probably the more important of the two. While the captaincy didn't affect his own numbers he clearly held on to the position dearly and losing it [the captaincy] will have severely dented his confidence and raised doubt in his own mind about his ability to meet the BazBall revolution.

The truth is that BazBall only works if the glue that cements the flamboyant cameos actually sticks them together. Root has never been a slow scorer, but like his run a ball roll in the ODI side, his pace of innings and consistency allows BazBall to be played in test match cricket and probably means it works 7 or 8 innings out of ten rather than three or four.

 

[Sniffer]

Brook gone .

 

[Carrotdude]

Stokes batting like an idiot again and gets out

 

[Mel Evo]

Declaration!

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Stokes batting like an idiot again and gets out

I really don’t think you understand the concept of Baz ball.

 

[sycophantia]

I really don’t think you understand the concept of Baz ball.

Thought it was the right approach, we had plenty of runs on the board and wanted to score quickly, 28 of 27 balls wasn't it?

 

[Carrotdude]

Na, Brook bats at over 100 and doesn’t play stupid shots every ball, Stokes just charges down from ball 1 playing ridiculous shots. He’s way better than that and more than capable of scoring quickly without being stupid.

 

[Tony Towner]

Na, Brook bats at over 100 and doesn’t play stupid shots every ball, Stokes just charges down from ball 1 playing ridiculous shots. He’s way better than that and more than capable of scoring quickly without being stupid.

I don't have BTSport so I've not seen it, but the match position yesterday was different, particularly with a declaration in mind than it was a number of times in the Summer when that accusation would be fair