NZ 2-2 at the start of the first test match. Both caught by Bairstow and bowled by Anderson.
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NZ 2-2 at the start of the first test match. Both caught by Bairstow and bowled by Anderson.
7-3, bowled by Broad, 3rd catch for Bairstow.
12-4, Potts dismisses Williamson on debut.
Potts strikes again, 27-5.
Potts gets his 3rd wicket just before lunch, 36-6.
This'll be over by Saturday. Cricket is becoming a joke.
45-7 1st over after lunch, Jimmy again.
86-8, repeat of the previous wicket.
Potts takes his 4th wicket, 102-9. Some debut, taken 2 catches too.
132 All Out, final wicket to Stokes.
England 59-1. Not sure why Crawley didn't review the decision, clear sound as the ball passed the bat.
England 2 down, now 80-2.
80-2 Root is in.
I watched Pope at the oval the other day. He looked in good form but not today.
Root gone for 11, 92-3.
96-4
98-5
England are falling apart.
100-6, this is getting silly! 😲
100-7
Cricket's a laugh.
Day one of a new England and after a promising start came the collapse. Nothing new there then.......
It was perhaps inevitable that if England bowled first, at least one of the two old warhorses would flourish, and Jimmy Anderson truly did the honours, though from what I did see, Broad combined well with him, despite not taking a wicket. And Potts can be very pleased with his display on debut, but England quick bowler succumbing to injury has become as much a cliche as the middle-order batting collapse.
It's probably worth noting that New Zealand are reigning Test champions for a reason, but England did give away cheap wickets at bat and the 'senior' players were probably the guiltiest.
All in all, no shortage of talking points in the first day of this Test and day one of the Stokes/McCullum leadership team. I'm looking forward ti an interesting summer and, given the Test itinerary, a variety of challenges set for England.
I reckon cricket is one sport that has regressed in quality and expertise over the years. The one day game and 20/20 have done the damage. You can see how the display of sixes and fours slogged constantly to the boundary has an attraction for a modern audience with a short attention span. Money is huge, especially in India and everyone's scoring out of it- players, broadcasters, advertising etc. But it's not cricket!
If they were magically pitted against teams of 20 or 30 years ago today's rugby or football sides would run straight through the old brigade. Same with most sports. But the fast bowlers and spinners of the 60s or 70s would have a field day with the modern batsmen. One dreads to think of the damage Malcolm Marshall or Lillee would do to the pathetic England or NZ teams seen waving their bats about yesterday.
I was down my local cricket club to watch a game last Saturday and had that very discussion with some of the folk I knew there. I don't like T20 but watched a wee bit a couple of weeks ago. Josh Buttler was basically playing baseball! It's why a lot of test matches don't even make it to day 5 anymore.
I'm not denying that 20/20 is entertainment for folk but it's literally not cricket!
Your baseball allusion is interesting. I used to follow the game when it was on terrestrial TV in the 90s. What's struck me was the tension between pitcher and hitter - not unlike that between bowler and batsman in proper cricket. In baseball the hitter is lucky to see the ball, let alone hit it. He can't really direct his shots, however much the American hyped commentators might pretend he does. But in proper cricket, the batsman has several ways to make runs. He needs coached skills, however, not just hit and hope.
I'm just a blimp I reckon, harking back to days before money was everything. I'll just away and watch YouTube reruns of Gary Sobers and Ian Botham (again)!
125-8
130-9
Scores level.
141 All Out.