Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

sussexpob wrote:No debate about NZ intentions now. They will go fully into shells now.

With the overs lost yesterday, chasing the victory target was always going to be a long-shot even with wickets in hand.

We know that Taylor and Watling can hang around for the long haul. The rest of the Kiwi line-up isn't well-proven in these situations. But this is how reputations are made.

Not sure I like this field. Ok, having 6 slips is ultra attacking, but it does give scoring options.... and giving away runs tends to put bowlers back on defensive lines, especially when not really well timed shots can get good value.

Too much aggression can have the opposite effect.

James Vince being useless again

Leach off the mark. After a false top edge went aerial, Taylor does it again and is caught. Think Root moved the man for that edge just the ball before.

Rubbish cricket form Taylor

sussexpob wrote:Leach off the mark. After a false top edge went aerial, Taylor does it again and is caught. Think Root moved the man for that edge just the ball before.

Rubbish cricket form Taylor

Agreed, but well done from Root and Leach for getting the trap to pay off. Nice to see Leach off the mark.

Latham's going on the aggressive now, trying to hit the spinners out of the attack. So much for going into shells. It could pay off if it makes England spread the field, but England have 300 runs to work with here, no need to panic.

Interesting observation over on cricinfo - Anderson's just 6 overs away from taking Walsh's record of most deliveries sent down in test cricket by a fast bowler. Given that he's already ahead of Walsh on wickets, it's clear that he has a better strike rate than the West Indies legend, which seems pretty astonishing to me, but that's how good he is, I guess.

Jimmy bags Nicholls - good delivery, poor technique from the Kiwi number 5, and England are on a roll this morning.

Latham continues to attack Leach and makes it to 50.

Is this just a two test series?

GarlicJam wrote:Is this just a two test series?

Yup.

Four wickets down. England would definitely taken that by lunch if offered at the beginning of the day. But after 45 minutes of concerted resistance between Latham and Watling, they might have hoped for even more.

Leach continues to look threatening, although Latham seems happy to take him on. More threatening than Moeen, at least (not difficult). It's going to be a race against the light for England, but they'll know that if they can break this partnership, there isn't much left in the Kiwi line-up capable of playing a long innings.

Watling goes tamely to Wood, after his solid resistance. Door open for England again.

Even though Stokes, Wood and Leach haven't (yet) taken many wickets, the additional variety compared to Moeen, Woakes and Overton does seem to have contributed to the wickets - harder to maintain concentration when the nature of the attack keeps changing.

Here's big man Colin.

England are 3-4 overs behind the rate here with half the day gone. What are they playing at? There's little chance they'll get to the scheduled stumps time, let alone the extra half hour given the light, and they had 8 overs to make up.

If the Kiwis finish 8 or 9 down, England will only have themselves to blame.

Leach bags Latham, and England are in to the tail. Based on yesterday, perhaps 20-30 overs left, four wickets to take.

In for a nailbiter

Of course, it would be sodding typical if, after their best away performance in 18 months, England are defeated by the clock change.

sussexpob wrote:Wonder has that happened before... two wickets in two balls to start a day? Or maybe even a hattrick?

Didn't Onions do something like that in the 2009 Ashes? Possibly Edgbaston.

England going to square the series unless the weather beats them.

Could be a lot of Leach-Root-Malan in the last session with the clouds hastening bad light. Still have a good chance if given the whole session. One will bring four...