ODI Series & T20i, England v New Zealand, 2015.

[yorker_129-7]

Emphatic from England.

The most remarkable thing about it is that England chased 350 with ease and Buttler didn't even get to bat. That would have been unthinkable even a few months ago.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Remarkable stuff from England.

Against a fine side. If they do as well against the Aussies, it'll be hard to deny they've turned a corner.

Again, congrats to the Kiwis on how they conduct themselves. And they are all square in the series.

[yorker_129-7]

I think it is noticeable that New Zealand are badly missing Trent Boult, who for me was the stand-out bowler over the first two ODIs on either side with 6/108 off 20 overs. Useful as their back-up bowling is, it's not as good. Southee has been left to carry it alone, and he's had a pretty poor tour for him so far.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Trent is one of the world best bowlers in any format.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Or either. Don't know about T20.

[captaincolly]

The batsmen rightly are taking the headlines but Wood and Finn going at just 5 an over deserve huge credit, especially bowling in the second powerplay.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Yes better from Finn, and promising from Wood.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Stokes feels like he's doing better than expected with the ball... but he's still going at seven an over.

[captaincolly]

Stokes feels like he's doing better than expected with the ball... but he's still going at seven an over.

He had problems with his lines today but still managed some effective slower deliveries that bamboozled the batsmen.
Was listening to Michael Vaughan on the radio a couple of days ago and he said the batting in one day cricket means that bowlers might be happy to 'only' go at 7 rpo.

[Arthur Crabtree]

He tends to bowl in the second half of the innings, but it's hard to pin down which are the good overs to bowl now. There aren't any middle overs. Probably the first ten are the best for the bowlers, as the ball may move around. But then, you are bowling to Brendon and Guppy.

[Arthur Crabtree]

The batsmen rightly are taking the headlines but Wood and Finn going at just 5 an over deserve huge credit, especially bowling in the second powerplay.

Willey has a much better SR in the series, if under the new deal, taking wickets is crucial.

[captaincolly]

The batsmen rightly are taking the headlines but Wood and Finn going at just 5 an over deserve huge credit, especially bowling in the second powerplay.

Willey has a much better SR in the series, if under the new deal, taking wickets is crucial.

This new era of huge scores makes it increasingly difficult imo to judge bowling performances, someone could go for plenty of runs but take the wicket of a batsman who looked set to cause real carnage. Seems as if there will be pockets of play where in some cases bowling a couple of tight overs mid innings will be crucial but in others a bowler could go for 25 in 2 overs but take a crucial wicket. It's almost as if the final innings bowling figures won't tell the full story-that's often been the case in one day cricket but I think it might become the norm.

[Aidan11]

It's a great time to be an England cricket fan.

[dan08]

T20 squad: Morgan (c), Billings, Buttler, Finn, Hales, Rashid, Root, Roy, Stokes, Topley, Vince, Willey, Wood.

[KipperJohn]

Just about everything now is weighted in favour of the batsmen - the fact that England are doing well in the scoring stakes at present hasn't changed my view that ODis shouldn't become longer versions of T20 - I'd much rather view an ODI as a sort of one day test match - with all the skills on view.

A long while ago now (perhaps even on 606) Albondiga posted that they should not restrict the number of overs per bowler - a view I still support - you don't tell a batsman to retire when he's got 50. A bowler might be in his second spell say and beginning to threaten, only to have the spell curtailed. The need for the fielding captain to have to rotate just to comply with the limited number of overs per bowler is similarly disadvantageous. Add to that some of the pretty onerous fielding restrictions and it becomes an uneven contest between bat and ball, especially with flat wickets, short boundaries and all the armoury a batsman now has.

If the entertainment value is about scoring rates, 4s and 6s and edges flying for six that's ok for T20 - if it starts to rule ODis then the future of Test cricket becomes even more uncertain.