comment by Phenom - you're a wizard Graham (U20037)
posted 27 seconds ago
comment by Sheriff JW Pepper (U1007)
posted 1 hour, 48 minutes ago
comment by Blue Heaven (U20912)
posted 3 minutes ago
NZ have declared which surprised me. England set 273 to win at a rate of 3.64 per over.
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Me too... Very risky ploy
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Cause its a guaranteed draw otherwise. Still most likely to be so
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Yeah...to be fair

Have England got enough tf to hold on for a draw

Morale victory for nzl. Their bowlers will difficult to handle for English batsmen for remainder of test series hence nzl should win this series

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

comment by GTWI4T- some people deserve to get trolled (U6008)
posted 1 hour, 4 minutes ago
comment by THE WAR IS ON (U10140)
posted 2 minutes ago
Morale victory for nzl. Their bowlers will difficult to handle for English batsmen for remainder of test series hence nzl should win this series
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Don't buy into a morale victory. If England get through the end of the day with only 3 or 4 down, they have accomplished what they needed comfortably. They have also won enough sessions across the match to known they can hurt NZ.
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Not with this batting line up they can't

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Root and Sibley crashed into each other. Possibly the best moment of the day.

Then Root is out. Not a happy man.

I was just thinking maybe just maybe England may consider going for the win but cannot risk it now.

England should have gone for win, 3.64 is required rate is more than standard test match run rate but not substantially bigger.

Now its impossible.

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comment by GTWI4T- some people deserve to get trolled (U6008)
posted 56 seconds ago
comment by THE WAR IS ON (U10140)
posted 18 minutes ago
England should have gone for win, 3.64 is required rate is more than standard test match run rate but not substantially bigger.
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Meh. Only 3 chases of 200 or more at Lords in history. Could perhaps have been a bit more positive but for me they've done it right.
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Exactly right. Seen it a million times before where they fail to chase down a tricky total and get lambasted for going too gung-ho. This was the right option in the circumstances and shows they're capable of gritting it out a 4th innings pitch.

Yeah can't believe how much moaning there's been on the BBC thread.

If we had Stokes and Buttler I could understand, but 5 of the top 7 were basically playing for their place this innings.

Robinson has been suspended.

https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/2166948

Dom Bess has been added to the squad.

comment by Blue Heaven (U20912)
posted 19 minutes ago
Dom Bess has been added to the squad.
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Replacement of Robinsion?

Not sure exactly what the thinking is. Different type of bowler from Robinson obviously. Maybe they plan to play a spinner (i.e. Leach) and Bess is back-up?

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comment by Blue Heaven (U20912)
posted 2 hours, 41 minutes ago
Not sure exactly what the thinking is. Different type of bowler from Robinson obviously. Maybe they plan to play a spinner (i.e. Leach) and Bess is back-up?
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Can only hope so, but odds are he'll be bounced into the starting XI ahead of Leach just because he can "bat a bit" (NB. his Test batting average is a little under 23)

Oh, and since being dropped by England, his county bowling average is 41.

Sigh

Understandable why they have gone to Best.. the weather forecast is to be hot.. so the pitch should turn later in the game.With NZ having so many left handers. The off spinner would turn the ball away from them.
Doesnt mean he will bowl well though

It's almost like Silverwood looked at Bess' figures and went "41 and 23?! Wow, that's a top-class all-rounder!" and didn't realise he was looking at the bowling and batting figures the wrong way round

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Broad should be at 8 given the current available players. Thing is, we're always going to have balance issues when players like Stokes, Robinson and Woakes are unavailable. Just got to make the best of it and hope the upper middle order can score some runs for a change.