Cricket fred

[Puja]

Leach has turned into a test bowler thanks to Ben'n' Bren, and Potts is a really great selection- he's like a squat angus fraser.

They've had an early knack in having faith in players and getting the best out of them. Who here was optimistic about Pope or Leach or Lees or Bairstow at the start of the series - I think we'd mostly all given them up as "not good enough for top class cricket". Obviously, it's just one series, and at home, but hopefully they can carry that on going forwards.

Puja

[Stom]

Leach has turned into a test bowler thanks to Ben'n' Bren, and Potts is a really great selection- he's like a squat angus fraser.

They've had an early knack in having faith in players and getting the best out of them. Who here was optimistic about Pope or Leach or Lees or Bairstow at the start of the series - I think we'd mostly all given them up as "not good enough for top class cricket". Obviously, it's just one series, and at home, but hopefully they can carry that on going forwards.

Puja

I'm still not optimistic about Leach, but Pope has had it in him, for sure, and Bairstow, too, if he's in as a batsman and is told to shut the fook up about the gloves because he's a meh keeper but an excellent fielder.

[Puja]

Also, have we all seen the Root reverse-scoop 6: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/cricket/61942918

Utterly ridiculous skill and a sign of the freedom that he's playing with under Stokes/McCullum. I didn't even know he had the capacity to play that shot in any form of cricket, let alone that he'd bust it out in a Test match. If he can regularly add that kind of unpredictable threat to his everyday workmanlike skill in building an innings, he's going to terrorise bowlers even more than he currently does.

Puja

[Big D]

2 5'fers for Leach! ..10 for 266, 72 overs or so.
Wouldn't have predicted that; another wee positive for his Stokeship.Interesting final day again.
Tests are boss..

u/d: ffs.( Lees left stranded..)

Stokes is a very good skipper, esp as he has only one red ball game under his belt. If we could catch and review properly, this game would have been won already.

Leach has turned into a test bowler thanks to Ben'n' Bren, and Potts is a really great selection- he's like a squat angus fraser.

Early days on Leach yet. He has had a bit of deserved luck this test but we will need to see some more consistency from him. Bigger tests ahead this year. He has had a great test match though.

[fivepointer]

Root and Bairstow made that look ridiculously easy. To win like that is very impressive.

Overall a terrific series.

[Banquo]

decent comeback . Extraordinary from yjb.

Blundell and Mitchell must be thinking wtaf at losing 3-0.

3,4,5,6,7 sorted for a while at least, plus Potts and Leach bonus. Great cricket.

[Banquo]

nice to see Leach get motm, and deserved.....except yjb was the motm . Assume he will get the series award.... or not, lol

[Big D]

nice to see Leach get motm, and deserved.....except yjb was the motm . Assume he will get the series award.... or not, lol

England were dead at 55/6. I understand that 10fers are hard but YJB was clearly the player of the match. To put on 260 with Overton at a run a ball was unreal.

NZ got their selection all wrong. After what England did to them at TB going into this with 3 front line bowlers was madness. India will offer a far sterner test I think.

Mitchell didn't deserve to be on the end of a 3-0 series defeat. Great batting from him.

[Banquo]

nice to see Leach get motm, and deserved.....except yjb was the motm . Assume he will get the series award.... or not, lol

England were dead at 55/6. I understand that 10fers are hard but YJB was clearly the player of the match. To put on 260 with Overton at a run a ball was unreal.

NZ got their selection all wrong. After what England did to them at TB going into this with 3 front line bowlers was madness. India will offer a far sterner test I think.

Mitchell didn't deserve to be on the end of a 3-0 series defeat. Great batting from him.

yep. without yjb we were dead after day 2. New Zealand did test us, but top order iffinessand losing Jamison hampered them. Be interesting to see whether the aggressive batting can be sustained v India, and whether we can bowl em out twice

[fivepointer]

No problem with a bowler getting Motm. 10 fers are far rarer than centuries and, as we know, taking 20 wkts wins you matches!

Bairstow was tremendous, mind.

[Banquo]

No problem with a bowler getting Motm. 10 fers are far rarer than centuries and, as we know, taking 20 wkts wins you matches!

Bairstow was tremendous, mind.

I said he deserved it and don't begrudge- and tbh almost certainly the Sky sports guys thought they'd give him a confidence boost- in normal circumstances....but we were 55-6 and dead, and YJB was clearly the guy who changed the match out of all recognition. Happy for Leach, but Bairstow's efforts were out of this world- Southee (who actually had a very average series) and Boult and Wagner were at England's throat when he came to the crease. Potts was actually our best bowler in both innings.

[Galfon]

Massive impact - a true English hero, even though he's Irish..
Could have had a bigger influence on the Test set up possibly, and will be a successful coach/manager somewhere.He'll have a few gigs to choose from.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/61966705

[Banquo]

Massive impact - a true English hero, even though he's Irish..
Could have had a bigger influence on the Test set up possibly, and will be a successful coach/manager somewhere.He'll have a few gigs to choose from.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/61966705

Yep, he just didn't really want to play test cricket I reckon. Retiring at the right time, as he had just stopped scoring runs, and there's a huge queue of excellent one day batsmen; just need one or two who can open in a test match now

[Galfon]

..just need one or two who can open in a test match now

A job for Mr. Bean maybe, a few years down the track.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/61989443

[Banquo]

Jamie Overton dropped- feels inevitable, but harsh as his 97 was one of the prime reasons we won the last test. His bowling was a bit patchy- and being replaced by Jimmy won't feel so bad. Very long tail again.

[Banquo]

Jimmy remains the king. Amazing.

Should really have been more down- sloppy from Billings on a potential run out, and Crawley dropped a trickier than it looked catch.

Please get rid of KP from the commentary team. He’s rubbish and up his own arse.

[Banquo]

Good stuff so far- great plans to batsmen….let’s hope we’ve learned from the NZ series when the oppos are 5 down!!!

[Banquo]

Not it appears

[Banquo]

great knock from Pant. No answers from us at all- Potts and Leach a bit exposed, but he was superb.

Gone from great knock to......what are we doing tbh. Leach's progress all knocked back- not sensible skippering imo; the plan to Pant should have been starve him, rather than feed him. This is an annhilation- feel like a kiwi.

[Galfon]

Great knock Pant.- chanced his arm a bit and paid off. Eng on the ropes but late Root wicket leaves a glimmer.Wicket showing a bit of bounce so good score already.Leach back to earth

[Banquo]

This is the weak spot in the captaincy, and was under Root. We give away easy runs waiting for the new ball etc.

[Banquo]

as i said good plan

[Banquo]

broad concedes most ever in a test match over!!!

[Banquo]

jimmy gets 5- amazing

[Galfon]

jimmy gets 5- amazing

Yes, if he had a twin we could have bowled them out for 150 or so, and still be in it..
Bumrah almost Botham-esque with his efforts.