First Test: England v New Zealand, May 21-25.

[sussexpob]

All three results are on, but only the draw is likely now.

New Zealand would fall into a trap if they try to go for 300 in 70 overs, England dont have enough of a lead and can easily give New Zealand a quick 4 wickets tomorrow by throwing the bat and getting out......

Both teams settle for the draw..... New Zealand win on points, but England can take away the fact that they at least drew a test that till the last session of day 4, was their's only ever to lose.

[Making_Splinters]

If England want to start on the path to being a very good side then they have to go into every session thinking about how they can win, not how they won't lose.

[Durhamfootman]

If England want to start on the path to being a very good side then they have to go into every session thinking about how they can win, not how they won't lose.

I agree

[Durhamfootman]

Unlikely though

[yorker_129-7]

If England want to start on the path to being a very good side then they have to go into every session thinking about how they can win, not how they won't lose.

While in principle this is a good idea there also has to be a balance that recklessness is counter-productive. After fighting so hard I would say a defeat would not do England any good whatsoever, they've fought back from losing positions thrice in this test (30-4, 25-2, 74-3), to lose it on the basis of getting carried away would do nobody any good whatsoever.

[captaincolly]

Unlikely though

Could the stage be set for a Stokes five wicket haul in an England win? He's been bowling very well without luck so a change in fortunes must be imminent.

[The Waugh Twins]

If England want to start on the path to being a very good side then they have to go into every session thinking about how they can win, not how they won't lose.

Steve Waugh mentality.

Stop it now, I demand that thinking is taken out of the English supporter. You can only lose with the inept possibility of winning. Please don't get ahead of yourself.

[Arthur Crabtree]

If Steely is captaining a tight run chase, the chances of him leaving in catchers must be small. Stokes has previously seen a lot of his best balls pass impotently into a gap.

[alfie]

Some fantastic batting from Stokes and a ton of character from Chef on another excellent day of Test Cricket.

Should be a draw : four days have seen just 26 wickets fall , and a fair few of those to over-excited swipes. Average scoring rate about four I think and the pitch still looks friendly for batting ...easy for the armchair generals to urge fix bayonets and charge but an early declaration really would tempt fate. Very small chance of dismissing NZ I suspect unless the pitch miraculously grows horns overnight ; and if McCullum and a couple of others got going against an England attack which relies too heavily on Anderson and Broad for any kind of control then two days solid fightback could be wasted ...

Going for the win sounds great ; but you have to weigh up odds and consider what the best result possible really is. For England at the start of a tough summer I wonder if a strong draw from a very awkward position might not be nearly as good as a win ?

Anyway NZ took the last four England wickets for 35 first time around. Could happen again...

[bigfluffylemon]

As was pointed out on TMS, going for the win is all very well, but in a two match series safety has to come first, as if you lose the first test you can't win the series, and have to hope the rain stays away for you at least to draw it.

Poor old Cook. Bats all day for 150, England score 350 in a day for the second time in the test match, and are still criticised for being too slow. Some people are never happy. Cook batted brilliantly and provided the anchor to let Root and Stokes score more quickly and play their natural games. Cricket's all about partnerships, and Cook was a great partner for those two.

Given that 300 has been scored every day on this pitch, and only one day has seen 10 wickets fall, I can't imagine England will declare overnight. With this lead, if you don't bowl NZ out, they win. I think they'll bat for the first hour, then aim for a lead of 350 with 70-75 to bowl (4.5-5 an over). Draw will be strong favourite, but I can't imagine England giving NZ a sniff.

Best result for the match would be NZ to bowl England out cheaply for a lead of about 320 with 80 overs to go, then England chip away throughout the day to leave it around 170-4 at tea. Then with the possibility of Anderson or McCullum blitzing, all three results will still be possible until the final hour.

[bigfluffylemon]

Also, Cook is just 40 runs shy of Gooch's England record of 8900 test runs. We will shortly have England's leading run-scorer and wicket-taker playing in the same team as record holders. I was trying to work out when the last time that would have happened is. I thought it would be an easy exercise, turns out it isn't...

I thought it would be early 90's, when Gower/Gooch and Botham were all nearing the end of their careers, but it turns out that Gower broke Boycott's England scoring record the match after Beefy retired (http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63577.html).

Then I went back to Boycott and Bob Willis, both previous record holders, but no, Willis didn't pass Trueman's record until Jan 1984, a couple of years after Boycott retired.

Prior to that the record holders were Colin Cowdry and Fred Trueman, but their periods of being record holders never overlapped either.

Prior to that the runs record holder was Wally Hammond, who finished his career in 1947. For the length of his career, the England record for wickets was held by Sid Barnes. Obviously they never overlapped either.

So I think the answer is Sid Barnes' final test match, the 4th test between England and South Africa at Durban, February 1914. http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/62519.html, when the England runs record holder was Sir Jack Hobbs, who at the time had around 2400 (and would go on to retire with over 5000, 16 years later)

[The Waugh Twins]

Records? How many runs scored in a day? Doing better than Gooch? I've got a larger lunch bag? Check out my package? My mum is better than your mum? ....................................................2015!!!!!!!!!!!!spank you very much.


Stop making excuses, England could have, and New Zealand could have and should have fought harder.

[The Waugh Twins]

Hmm, reminds me of a certain boxing match that I watched but fortunately didn't suffer the indignity of buying.

[Aidan11]

Nicely poised today.

I was going to sit on the fence but I'm going to say we'll win this now. NZ batting collapse after tea.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Good post bfl.