Cricket

England have changed test cricket, possibly the most aggressive team in the history of the game.

 

It's a breath of fresh air and I love it, but the acid test will be when we lose a couple. The "purists" will pounce like vultures.

 

Juat under half of Donald Bradmans!

 

What about Brook? More runs at this stage of his test career than anyone in the history of test Cricket. Don Bradman wishes he was Brook

 

Definitely!

 

Hope Brook continues his form into the Ashes series.

And Jimmy Anderson is a freak of nature.

 

Tim Southee having some fun with Leach.

 

Great decision to enforce the follow on. Took the New Zealand win out of the equation. If they make England bat again from a win perspective they're gunna need circa 550. We,'re in Day 3 now.

 

Another failure for Crawley. Root to open in the summer? Probably the most likely to score quickly in English conditions

 

Well done New Zealand for a making a game of it. Going to be an exciting end to the game.

 

Surprised we made them follow on. Give your bowlers a rest, make your 200+ lead nearer 500 by batting 20/20 style for two sessions whilst the pitch gets more worn and then put them back in. We should still win but it might be closer than expected.

 

I think the follow-on was enforced because Anderson was still fresh and bad weather was likely for the remaining days.
The trend of always enforcing the follow-on seems to have died nowadays so we’re trying to change things in positive ways perhaps ?

 

At time of the follow on it was early in day 3 so we could have been bowling again by the evening with them needing close to 500 the way we play.

I am still disappointed our ladies were not playing Australia yesterday.

 

I think the weather and the fact the pitch there tends to flatten out, rather than wear out, so batting last gives the best conditions. No particular issue with it, just NZ batted very well.

 

Crawley has been given more than enough chances. Perhaps opening is too much for him and a lower place in the order might work. He’s certainly overdue a move, or better still a rest. I trust the current regime to manage the situation

 

Lahore playing Islamabad on Sky Cricket. Lahore got a huge score yesterday and have started where they left off.

 

There's absolutely no room for Crawley in the middle order, given Bairstow is still to come into the side, and there may be a need to add an all rounder and play Stokes as a specialist batter.

 

I'd say Stokes and McCullum get the call, they've been tactical and psychological geniuses so far.

 

I think we should lay off Crawley he's being asked to bat a certain way. Unless we go backwards and play Lyth, Lees, Sibley or Burns. You'd have to shoe horn someone else in. I'd stick with him and Duckett. If he does get the chop bring back Hales, Roy or Vince from Room 101 if this is a style we're persisting with. It has to be like for like.

 

There’s also Keaton Jennings.

I don’t want to criticise Crawley again and again, but he is the weakest link in our best side for many years.
He can be a stylish batsman when he gets going but his average isn’t good enough to open for the current best side in the world.