England tour of New Zealand 2019

[wasteyouryouth]

An innings and 65 runs. So close.

Good stat on BBC:

Of the last eight times England have batted first in a Test and made 350+ they have now lost four by an innings.

 

[beechcroft]

Good stat on BBC:

Of the last eight times England have batted first in a Test and made 350+ they have now lost four by an innings.

Ha! Only England could screw up like that.

Here's Joe Root's verdict: "We missed an opportunity [in the first innings] if we're brutally honest with ourselves."

Joe clearly went to the University of the Bleeding Obvious.

 

[abhi_jacko]

Ha! Only England could screw up like that.

Here's Joe Root's verdict: "We missed an opportunity [in the first innings] if we're brutally honest with ourselves."

Joe clearly went to the University of the Bleeding Obvious.

Could Joe Root be Captain Hindsight?

 

[beechcroft]

In the last few years, New Zealand have a good record at home, and when they win, they win big.

Last year, they beat England by an innings and 49 runs in the first test, and drew the second. So there's still hope, of a sort, for England.

 

[Master Bates]

In the last few years, New Zealand have a good record at home, and when they win, they win big.

Last year, they beat England by an innings and 49 runs in the first test, and drew the second. So there's still hope, of a sort, for England.

Waiting for India to beat NZ at their home and prove to the world they are the best, and not Australia.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Is it just me or does anyone else feel Root is the most over rated batsman of the generation?

 

[Master Bates]

Is it just me or does anyone else feel Root is the most over rated batsman of the generation?

Overrated sounds very vague. He bats well in ODIs though.

 

[asprin]

Can anyone explain the rationale behind this being only a 2-match series? One can understand it if the series was between two unevenly matched sides, but major Test playing nations not playing at 3 Tests in the series is dumbfounding. And if I'm not wrong, this is also not a part of the WTC???

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Can anyone explain the rationale behind this being only a 2-match series? One can understand it if the series was between two unevenly matched sides, but major Test playing nations not playing at 3 Tests in the series is dumbfounding. And if I'm not wrong, this is also not a part of the WTC???

A lot of this nonsense is happening. Commercial viability I suppose. Even AUS-PAK should have been a min 3 match series.

 

[Ed Smith]

Is it just me or does anyone else feel Root is the most over rated batsman of the generation?

I don't think hes over rated no. I do think hes in honking form, could do with a break, and should be relieved of the burden of the captaincy after this series

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Can anyone explain the rationale behind this being only a 2-match series? One can understand it if the series was between two unevenly matched sides, but major Test playing nations not playing at 3 Tests in the series is dumbfounding. And if I'm not wrong, this is also not a part of the WTC???

1.To spare England's blushes.

2. I doubt NZ are considered a major test playing nation by the ECB. Despite the teams always producing very competitive cricket in recent years (see WC final), NZ's population is about the same as Ireland, so revenues for a series will be small.

 

[asprin]

I doubt NZ are considered a major test playing nation by the ECB

That's preposterous. NZ is as good a side as any of the top 4 playing nations. It's sad if ECB thinks otherwise.

Despite the teams always producing very competitive cricket in recent years (see WC final), NZ's population is about the same as Ireland, so revenues for a series will be small.

On a financial level, that makes sense. But the competitiveness at display surely deserves more Test matches. Sadly, boards across the world prefer $$ over content. It's actually harsh to call them out for that but they ought to sacrifice a little too.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

That's preposterous. NZ is as good a side as any of the top 4 playing nations. It's sad if ECB thinks otherwise.

It's not about quality, I mean from the financial perspective. It's clear to anyone that New Zealand clearly deserve to be the second ranked team in the world right now.

Historically, New Zealand has won 3 of the last 4 test between the sides. But that's still only 11 from 104 matches they've ever won. England has a better record against New Zealand than any other team (apart from Bangladesh and Zimbabwe).

New Zealand's next tour of England will be three test matches. I'd love to see as most teams play three match series but it's difficult to fit in for England, India and Australia when they want to play each other as much as possible.

I sound like I'm an ECB employee.

 

[Ed Smith]

It's not about quality, I mean from the financial perspective. It's clear to anyone that New Zealand clearly deserve to be the second ranked team in the world right now.

Historically, New Zealand has won 3 of the last 4 test between the sides. But that's still only 11 from 104 matches they've ever won. England has a better record against New Zealand than any other team (apart from Bangladesh and Zimbabwe).

New Zealand's next tour of England will be three test matches. I'd love to see as most teams play three match series but it's difficult to fit in for England, India and Australia when they want to play each other as much as possible.

I sound like I'm an ECB employee.

Tl;dr it's all about the money money money

 

[Aislabie]

Honestly, this wasn't an especially bad performance from England given what they were up against. This is an exceptionally good New Zealand side, easily the best they've ever had and may arguably go down as one of the ten or so best Test sides ever assembled for any length of time.

There were some positives from England as well - the move towards selecting specialists is (gradually) happening which can only be a positive. And sometimes you do just get beaten by a better side. There are still definitely some changes that need to be made, and areas that could really improve, but you can to an extent only work with what's available. I'm of the opinion that the next change that ought to happen is a change of captaincy, as nobody is batting to the best of their potential at present - least of all Joe Root.