What Zak hasn't been doing enough, is making it count when he IS in. I imagine openers have much more irregular scores than No 5s, as they'll get more jaffas with the new ball, but also go on the make daddy hundreds to compensate.
This might explain a small part of the thinking of Stokes and McCullum. There's certainly something to be said for the habit of winning.
Most Test wins as an opener this year
BM Duckett (ENG) 8 YBK Jaiswal (IND) 8
Z Crawley (ENG) 7
RG Sharma (IND) 7
FDM Karunaratne (SL) 6
DP Conway (NZ) 5
T de Zorzi (SA) 5
UT Khawaja (AUS) 5
TWM Latham (NZ) 5
AK Markram (SA) 5
KNM Fernando (SL) 3
P Nissanka (SL) 3
Shadman Islam (BAN) 3
SPD Smith (AUS) 3
Abdullah Shafique (PAK) 2
A Balbirnie (IRE) 2
KC Brathwaite (WI) 2
DW Lawrence (ENG) 2
PJ Moor (IRE) 2
Saim Ayub (PAK) 2
Zakir Hasan (BAN) 2
T Chanderpaul (WI) 1
M Louis (WI) 1
Mahmudul Hasan Joy (BAN) 1
NA McSweeney (AUS) 1
OJ Pope (ENG) 1
KL Rahul (IND) 1
BA Stokes (ENG) 1
DA Warner (AUS) 1
Looking at that list, it's easy to conclude that England's and India's selectors are making better decisions on opening batsmen than those of many other countries.
It's interesting to see that Crawley's seven wins as a Test opener within a calendar year (with power to add, fingers crossed) has only been bettered once, in the history of England's Test matches by a right hander.
An unusually steady session by modern standards, but it's fair to say that the luck which England have had in the first 2 Tests has slightly deserted them .
Stokes gets his 1st wicket after Brook catches Henry after throwing the ball up in the air after his momentum took him over the boundary edge; Harry manages to jump back on field to complete the catch.
272/8 but now Southee and Santner have gone on the attack and Stokes concedes 17 in an over with Tim Southee hitting two sixes.
TS now on 98 sixes in his career and looking for the ton in his final test match.
Great recovery from England given where NZ were at one point and great to see Stokes bowling the most overs of our bowlers (23).
One thing that does confuse me is that we had 82 overs of seam and not a single over of spin. The ball might not turn but at the very least one might have expected to see Bashir bowl an over (or maybe even two) especially shortly before lunch especially with NZ 93-0. What's worst case scenario? That he goes for a dozen runs? Should that happen, that would mean that the NZ batters are trying to take him on so they might get out doing so.
Presumably NZ are playing two spinners for a reason, albeit that Santner will be more effective in the latter stages of this Test but surely it was worth chucking Bashir the ball at one stage or other? Not bowling Bashir also sends a bit of a message to him that Stokes doesn't trust him and I'm sure Warne or Murali would have bowled on the first day of a Test. Bashir certainly isn't of that calibre, yet anyway, but how is he going to learn how to bowl in non-spin conditions if he doesn't get to bowl in those very conditions in what is a "dead rubber"? This is, after all, the very stage where he is going to have to learn how to do just that as he's unlikely to be able to do so on the county circuit.
England fail once again to mop up the tail. 236/7 should mean getting a side out for less than 300 & more like 260 or 270.
Once again? I didn’t realise the current England team had a problem with this… just last Test, Atkinson got himself a hat-trick by cleaning up the tail?
England fail once again to mop up the tail. 236/7 should mean getting a side out for less than 300 & more like 260 or 270.
Once again? I didn’t realise the current England team had a problem with this… just last Test, Atkinson got himself a hat-trick by cleaning up the tail?
England fail once again to mop up the tail. 236/7 should mean getting a side out for less than 300 & more like 260 or 270.
Once again? I didn’t realise the current England team had a problem with this… just last Test, Atkinson got himself a hat-trick by cleaning up the tail?
It's Kent who can't mop the tail up.
To be fair, Kent can't mop up the top or middle order either
Comments
Anyone care to hazard a guess as to who and when?
Will Potts get the new ball? Yes
An unusually steady session by modern standards, but it's fair to say that the luck which England have had in the first 2 Tests has slightly deserted them .
142-2
231-7
NZ have gone from 105/0 to 236/7.
272/8 but now Southee and Santner have gone on the attack and Stokes concedes 17 in an over with Tim Southee hitting two sixes.
TS now on 98 sixes in his career and looking for the ton in his final test match.
303/9
The impressive Santner hits a 6 off the last ball of the day to reach his 50.
NZ won the 1st session
England won the 2nd session
England won the 3rd session but some useful late runs for the Kiwis.
One thing that does confuse me is that we had 82 overs of seam and not a single over of spin. The ball might not turn but at the very least one might have expected to see Bashir bowl an over (or maybe even two) especially shortly before lunch especially with NZ 93-0. What's worst case scenario? That he goes for a dozen runs? Should that happen, that would mean that the NZ batters are trying to take him on so they might get out doing so.
Presumably NZ are playing two spinners for a reason, albeit that Santner will be more effective in the latter stages of this Test but surely it was worth chucking Bashir the ball at one stage or other? Not bowling Bashir also sends a bit of a message to him that Stokes doesn't trust him and I'm sure Warne or Murali would have bowled on the first day of a Test. Bashir certainly isn't of that calibre, yet anyway, but how is he going to learn how to bowl in non-spin conditions if he doesn't get to bowl in those very conditions in what is a "dead rubber"? This is, after all, the very stage where he is going to have to learn how to do just that as he's unlikely to be able to do so on the county circuit.
About 70-80 more than they should have had.