England v New Zealand Test Series 2026

[sussexpob]

I think the last 12 months have proven that for all his talent, Brook must be one of the thickest people ever to have padded up for England.

Now now BFL, settle down! This is the same Harry Brook who won the captaincy last year by turning up to ECB towers with a revolutionary strategy of winning games by scoring lots of runs quickly and bowling tight and getting wickets (Source Rob Key), so I think you will find the truth is our Harry is a once in a generation thinker.

[sussexpob]

We have done this before so I am not going to get into a huge post about it, but its suffice to say that we can criticise individual players for being stupid or wantonly reckless, but take a step back and look at the last 4 plus years, what messaging have these players been given? They have been encouraged and defended when playing this way in the past, you don't get to pump players heads full of "run to the danger" type stuff, then complain when they do exactly that - the captain yesterday went out on a Kamikaze mission himself, if the leader is throwing himself off a cliff like a lemming, and everyone follows, where is the blame lying?

I have always believed a constrained type of Bazball can work, and still do. But McCullum isn't interested in that, and we will not change. The brand has become toxic. You can't expect responsibility off the field when you organise lads holidays and then defend them to the hilt. You can't expect responsibility on the field when you get matches like Edgbaston last year, where chasing 610 in 90 overs, we flamed out with 5 wickets slogging in 20 overs.

You get responsibility by demanding it all the time. You get sensible cricket by calling idiocy out..... but England's current leadership do the opposite, so the result are the opposite.

Thats the reality. If we want Harry Brook to play better and show more course management in his approach, then that starts with preparation. That starts with team culture. That starts with having an environment that reflects on its deficiencies and attempts to improve them.

None of that is part of the Bazball cultist mantra. Bazball is never wrong...

[sussexpob]

Gay goes.... and with that surely the match

[sussexpob]

And now Root run out....

[Arthur Crabtree]

At least the crowd is getting its money's worth.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Ball is 20 overs old. Maybe the lower order can dig in.

[Arthur Crabtree]

O'Rourke now walking off with a hamstring injury.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Acko/Smith have batted an hour...

[andy]

Imagine if they hadn't batted like idiots last night...2 seamers and an out of sorts Santner game could have been won with ease today...

[sussexpob]

At least the crowd is getting its money's worth.

Free entry today...

[sussexpob]

Atkinson goes for a well fought 70 balls. Fair play for attempting to grit it out as long as possible....

[Arthur Crabtree]

At least the crowd is getting its money's worth.

Free entry today...

That's my joke!

Although since then England have dug in so it no longer works...

[Arthur Crabtree]

Imagine if they hadn't batted like idiots last night...2 seamers and an out of sorts Santner game could have been won with ease today...

How often have we said something similar?!

[sussexpob]

Imagine if they hadn't batted like idiots last night...2 seamers and an out of sorts Santner game could have been won with ease today...

How often have we said something similar?!

Just delaying the start of my "Rob Key getting the sack" party now holding on pointlessly. Hurry up and Bazball yourselves out, the cake icing might melt in this heat.

[Durhamfootman]

lost, I see

I was sitting in a hotel last night when I spotted the headline. 'Brook holes out for 21'. I think Mrs DF was surprised at how angry I was.

Imagine trying to chase a big target, with all the time in the world, and then holing out for 21 off 9 balls...... it's just *modded* stupid (and I haven't seen any of the game). And he's the VC..... daft knacker. It's a test match.... don't be so bloody immature. And this is not a one off

If this regime crumbles before the first Pak test, he won't be the new captain, because he doesn't deserve to be. Daft as a *modded* brush