Cricket thread just for Cerbera

Mock Cuncher wrote:

Any sort of total close to 300 and we'll win this game.

Maybe.

At 18-3 I reckon England would take 30 now nevermind 300

Not a good start. Touring new country in new conditions...just one warm up game again! in a 3 match series it isn't enough to go 1-0 down due to sloppiness.

Having said that, with Root and Prior plus these two, there is still plenty of batting left. If this was the other way around then we'd bowl them out for under 100.

80-5 now

Fookin 'ell.That was a wake up call to end all wake up calls.England seem to make a habit of starting badly on tour these days-something to look into as far as preparation is concerned maybe.

Compton reaches first test ton.Good on him,still a bit of work to do tomorrow but if England can't save the match from here then against that attack, on that wicket, then they should be returned home with immediate effect.

Need to bat all day really. Give them 20 overs to chase 170 and they'll send in McCullum and things will get awkward quite quickly.

Got the draw comfortably in the end despite another Pietersen flop. Steven Finn even getting his half century.

Hopefully now they will be able to start playing right from the start of the second test.

Watched a bit of it last night. That pitch was an absolute road which only goes to show how poorly England batted on Day One. Cook has now notched a ton against every Test nation and in every Test country (bar Pakistan which is obvo a little tougher). Pleased for the starting post of this thread that Compo has got on the board too.

I think it's 7 centuries in 8 tests as captain for Cook as well.

Hopefully the start of a great opening partnership.

pity root had a mere in this test. still he will get better over time.

The Australian coach getting tough with their squad.

4 players dropped from the 3rd Test against India. Not for being out drinking or betting irregularities but for failing to hand in an assignment he had asked them to bring to a team meeting.

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Greenjock wrote:

The Australian coach getting tough with their squad.

4 players dropped from the 3rd Test against India. Not for being out drinking or betting irregularities but for failing to hand in an assignment he had asked them to bring to a team meeting.

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Strange.Aussies appear to be in some turmoil,wonder if this is more a question of matters coming to a head/straw that broke the camel etc, than this seemingly trivial issue on it's own? They can't really afford to lose players like that,their cupboard isn't as well stocked as it was a few years ago.Just shows how things have changed though,players having to complete to complete questionnaires on what they think could be done to improve the team-seems a bit flawed,i mean you're hardly going to say "i'm shit and should be dropped",are you.

All very amusing.

Watson being out might actually be a blessing in disguise for them...I mean, they probably don't have any better, but he's not good enough to bat in the top 6 and not fit enough to bowl more than 10 overs a day. Khawaja on the other hand is a decent prospect, looks a proper batsman (a bit like IRon Bell did when he was younger, they just need to coax the performances from the ability). Johnson is an expendable raving loon, but I'd expect to see Pattinson back during the Ashes, they won't miss him as much in India but he's the most likely to become 'really good' from the impressive batch of 'decent' quicks they've built up.

Now I'm a big Alastair Cook fan, but this is pushing it:

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The beeb have taken a throwaway quote from McCullum waaay too seriously there.

Realistically, he's one of the top 5 in this current era, and he could well develop stats to be England's greatest ever....a long way from the Don tho...

My mother's cat is named after him. I think I've mentioned that several times.

Mock Cuncher wrote:

The beeb have taken a throwaway quote from McCullum waaay too seriously there.

Foreshore Mocko. I saw the interview and it was very much a passing compliment rather than a statement of gushing praise.

Cook really is the real deal tho'.

Much better first day from England, 267-2, with another century from Compton and an unbeaten century from Trott. Pietersen could do with a score tomorrow and England would be in command.

New Zealand 250-1! And England put the blighters in,whadda mistaka to maka.Englands bowling giving some concern,there was a bit of pace and movement this morning,never looked like exploiting it though.NZ could bat England out of the match tomorrow and guarantee at least a drawn series,who'd have thought it at the start of the rubber.

They bowled shite.

I don't rate Finn too highly, Monty needs the right conditions, Broad is hit and miss...Jimmy...is good.

Looks like its heading for another draw unless the bowlers can pick off the New Zealand order early today.

Brilliant effort from Bell and Prior especially to save the test and the series.

England never got going at all in the test series but showed real fight to bat out for a draw. Even Broad who stayed in for over two hours chipped in and Root with a 107 ball 29, but really the hero was Matt prior.

He's now averaging over 45 in test cricket, not bad for a number 7 and wicketkeeper, and in this 3 test series he's hit one century and two 50's and averages well over 100.

In India he averaged over 50 as well and is the lynchpin of Englands middle and lower order, especially now that Swann is out injured because he often scored valuable runs where his replacement Panesar isn't a batsman at all, although he did enough to survive today

An under par England draw the series and will now face an under par Australia in two ashes series this year, home and away.

Australia have been mullered by India and must be so low on confidence that England really ought to keep kicking them while they're down and defend the ashes here and in Aus.

Wow, what a final day at Eden Park. Bell and Prior, take a bow fellas. Broad facing 77 deliveries for just 6 runs too, plus a comical dive from Monty to finish.

Edit: you've just seen the highlights on Sky too Jock?

Czarcasm wrote:

Wow, what a final day at Eden Park. Bell and Prior, take a bow fellas. Broad facing 77 deliveries for just 6 runs too, plus a comical dive from Monty to finish.

Edit: you've just seen the highlights on Sky too Jock?

I watched a bit live but kept dropping off. Ridiculous time of day to be live. I think all nations in the world should be brought in line with GMT

Monty's dive was hilarious He would've been quicker walking!

Wasn't Monty one of the not out batsmen against Australia a few years ago to secure a draw?

I listen to it on the radio with 19 over to go, wife throw me into the spare room,

Greenjock wrote:

Czarcasm wrote:

Wow, what a final day at Eden Park. Bell and Prior, take a bow fellas. Broad facing 77 deliveries for just 6 runs too, plus a comical dive from Monty to finish.

Edit: you've just seen the highlights on Sky too Jock?

I watched a bit live but kept dropping off. Ridiculous time of day to be live. I think all nations in the world should be brought in line with GMT

Monty's dive was hilarious He would've been quicker walking!

Wasn't Monty one of the not out batsmen against Australia a few years ago to secure a draw?

He was,with Anderson i think.0-0 draw with New Zealand not much to write home about,NZ played better test cricket for the most part and do seem to have a few decent young players,well led by McCullum.England have some thinking to do before the ashes series,the matches against NZ should provide a good yardstick as to how well things are progressing.Well played to Matt Prior,a real bonus to have such a good batsman as wicket keeper.