NZ 230-3 lead by 434 Williamson brings his ton up with a 6 off Bethell 104* Ravindra 41*
Stokes has gone off injured with what looked like a hammy or something popping by his reaction
Williamson went on to make 156. In the 43 matches that NZ have won when he plays, he currently averages 81.86. Should NZ take this match (currently 1.04 or 1/25 in old money) then that will go up to 82.44 from 44 wins. He averages 27.60 when they lose (38 matches) and 64.90 (23) when they draw. By comparison, our own great match winner, Root averages 64.49 for wins (69), 34.44 for defeats (57) and 59.48 for draws (25).
Two great batsmen with massive influences on the outcome of matches.
Root comes on to bowl to become our 8th bowler and goes 6, 4, 4 byes, 6, wicket of Santner (for 49) and a single from Southee in what will be his final ever innings
444-8 (100) and a lead of 648 now. It seems NZ are really taking no chances whatsoever!
"Nightmare on Henry Street" is finally over for Crawley as the batter is trapped LBW. Again the decision is reviewed but the dismissal is confirmed with "umpire's call" for 5 (17). That's 6-10 for Henry against Crawley in the series.
Play resumes at the earlier time of 9:30 tonight. Unless England knuckle down a bit, I could get an early night tonight....
The series is already won and there's no hope of saving this test so they'd probably rather just get it over with and fly home.
If that's the case then Stokes has really no right to moan about the fairness of the WTC. Assuming we do lose, that will be 9 wins and 8 defeats in 2024. As entertaining as that is (and it is undoubtedly) those results are not a great advert for Bazball. We are not learning when the time is right to pick our battles and the innings from Crawley and Duckett this morning were typical of that. What was best case scenario? 50-0 off 8 overs? With over 600 runs still to get but, more to the point, two days to get them.
It is so difficult to go on the attack against one of the best seam bowlers in the world currently on anything other than a road in benign conditions and it was impossible to win the war over the course of the three overs Henry was only ever going to have to bowl. Duckett charged Southee and hit him for four. He tried the very same thing next ball and chopped on. Crawley already had one reprieve when he tried to get outside the line of off stump so he couldn't be given out LBW and waft at the ball with a closed face through midwicket. He tried it again and was out. Whether he likes that decision or not, the fact is that he missed both balls because he's falling over and only showing half of the bat to the ball in trying to play it too square.
It took Bethell to show them how to be compact, get in line so you can play in the "V" early doors and punch the ball down the ground with the full face of the bat when the opportunity arose to do so. A 21 year old with next to zero experience of professional cricket let alone at international level - the sixth time in six innings that he was at the crease inside five overs (our first wicket has fallen at 3.5, 1.5, 3.2, 1.2, 1.4 and 4.2 overs). No one can argue that he's not had to face the new ball and he has the potential to become a very good player. Potential is all it is at this stage but, certainly, he has done enough to be given more opportunities and if that means that he has to open in order to get that then that is how it should be.
Bethell Duckett Smith or Pope Root Brook Smith or Pope Stokes
I'd feel inclined to play Smith as 3 and put Pope at 6
It's certainly an idea to move Smith up but I'm still not totally convinced by Pope's keeping even if he hasn't made any mistakes as such. Lots on here have suggested it before but the obvious thing to do, with that seven, is for Root to move to 3, Brook to 4 and have Pope at 5 followed by Smith and Stokes.
Bethell Duckett Smith or Pope Root Brook Smith or Pope Stokes
I'd feel inclined to play Smith as 3 and put Pope at 6
It's certainly an idea to move Smith up but I'm still not totally convinced by Pope's keeping even if he hasn't made any mistakes as such. Lots on here have suggested it before but the obvious thing to do, with that seven, is for Root to move to 3, Brook to 4 and have Pope at 5 followed by Smith and Stokes.
I knew you would agree eventually that Pope should bat at 5 😁
Bethell Duckett Smith or Pope Root Brook Smith or Pope Stokes
I'd feel inclined to play Smith as 3 and put Pope at 6
It's certainly an idea to move Smith up but I'm still not totally convinced by Pope's keeping even if he hasn't made any mistakes as such. Lots on here have suggested it before but the obvious thing to do, with that seven, is for Root to move to 3, Brook to 4 and have Pope at 5 followed by Smith and Stokes.
I knew you would agree eventually that Pope should bat at 5 😁
His average in each position (innings in brackets) suggests he should stay at 3 but it does seem as if nerves have been getting the better of him recently and the nearer he has been to the top of the order the more frenetic he appears to have been at the start of his innings. If he could learn to relax then I'm sure he could do a decent job there.
Pope's scores in 2024 at 3 don't give me confidence that he's suited there.
India away 31.50 (One 100 zero 50s in 5 games) West Indies home 59.75 (One 100 two 50s) Sri Lanka 31.83 (One 100 zero 50s) Pakistan away 11.00 (Zero 100s zero 50s)
So in 2024 at 3, other than the West Indies series, he's not been very steady at 3. Two series where he's score a big ton to keep his average respectable, but failed in his other innings.
Tufnell and Cook made a couple of good points about Bashir's struggles on this tour with him not being particularly threatening and also not being able to perform that containing role either. One thing Tufnell did mention was the ball - the main difference being that the Kookaburra ball has a much less pronounced seam than the Duke's ball Bashir is so used to bowling with and that can take a time to get used to. The Kookaburra is, of course, the one that will be used in the Ashes but will Bashir get a chance to bowl with that before then? He might not play in any of the four rounds of marches when it's utilised in the CC so I come back to questioning why he doesn't take himself off to Australia and play some club cricket for two or three months come January.
Comments
Williamson brings his ton up with a 6 off Bethell 104*
Ravindra 41*
Stokes has gone off injured with what looked like a hammy or something popping by his reaction
235/4 lead 439
Two great batsmen with massive influences on the outcome of matches.
444-8 (100) and a lead of 648 now. It seems NZ are really taking no chances whatsoever!
453-9 and still no sign of a declaration
8-1
18-2 (5)
Bethell 9* (15)
Root 0* (0)
Carse and Atkinson were a bit tired I guess, but then they only had a pathetic 35 overs off between innings.
It is so difficult to go on the attack against one of the best seam bowlers in the world currently on anything other than a road in benign conditions and it was impossible to win the war over the course of the three overs Henry was only ever going to have to bowl. Duckett charged Southee and hit him for four. He tried the very same thing next ball and chopped on. Crawley already had one reprieve when he tried to get outside the line of off stump so he couldn't be given out LBW and waft at the ball with a closed face through midwicket. He tried it again and was out. Whether he likes that decision or not, the fact is that he missed both balls because he's falling over and only showing half of the bat to the ball in trying to play it too square.
It took Bethell to show them how to be compact, get in line so you can play in the "V" early doors and punch the ball down the ground with the full face of the bat when the opportunity arose to do so. A 21 year old with next to zero experience of professional cricket let alone at international level - the sixth time in six innings that he was at the crease inside five overs (our first wicket has fallen at 3.5, 1.5, 3.2, 1.2, 1.4 and 4.2 overs). No one can argue that he's not had to face the new ball and he has the potential to become a very good player. Potential is all it is at this stage but, certainly, he has done enough to be given more opportunities and if that means that he has to open in order to get that then that is how it should be.
Duckett
Smith or Pope
Root
Brook
Smith or Pope
Stokes
I'd feel inclined to play Smith as 3 and put Pope at 6
Other than that he's been tidy. I wouldn't want him keeping to spinner on a bunsen, but then I'm not sure I'd want Smith keeping on a bunsen either.
2 - 0.00 (1)
3 - 40.28 (47)
4 - 16.83 (6)
5 - 30.00 (11)
6 - 31.72 (27)
7 - 24.00 (4)
India away 31.50 (One 100 zero 50s in 5 games)
West Indies home 59.75 (One 100 two 50s)
Sri Lanka 31.83 (One 100 zero 50s)
Pakistan away 11.00 (Zero 100s zero 50s)
So in 2024 at 3, other than the West Indies series, he's not been very steady at 3. Two series where he's score a big ton to keep his average respectable, but failed in his other innings.
https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/887207.html?batting_positionmax1=3;batting_positionmin1=3;batting_positionval1=batting_position;class=1;template=results;type=batting;view=innings