leicsmac

The BBC comments section on this one is going to be a gold mine this evening

The amount of entertainment value and who the mirth should be directed at is clearly subjective, then. I will say though, that a standard team playing by-the-numbers Test cricket doesn't chase down this target in these conditions. Perhaps they hold out for the draw, but that's it.

... looks like I'm the only one seeing the funny side of this one here, then.

Seriously, what the fvck is going on?

This is all pretty bizarre.

And to add to that, Stokes has forced the NZers into an almost entirely defensive field placing after less than 7 overs.

In other news, looks like Ireland are about to make it back to back T20 victories against India, too.

Is the tactic here to win by default because NZ don't actually have anyone good to bowl at us anymore?

And after that short musical interlude, it's 373 to win.

I don't disagree, though I think throwing the baby out with the bathwater will not help. Key should go, think that far too many people incorrectly focus on McCullum and not him as a source of the problems. As for how to get the best out of this team, that's clearly a matter of debate. The old-style play under Root as captain clearly isn't the answer, but Brook captaining likely isn't either so I'm not sure what the answer is.

364 is the target, with NZ looking like they'll be a bowler down. It's certainly on the upper limit of possibility, but we'll see. Edit: whoa, apparently Sears is going to bat with a busted finger, as you were, then.

Well, I suppose two years sounds a bit more dire than a single drawn series since the last series win at home, which is also true.

This partnership has pretty much decided the match.

What, exactly, is the point of Bashir?

And that crowd roar was monumental.

Thank you, Stokesy. Belongs in the all time list in the manner of Botham - perhaps not the most prolific player, but a player built for the big occasion.

Not sure how true this is... but if it is, have the people involved in this read or seen any sci-fi work at all? Dr Elisabet Sobeck would be doing her nut.

Oh, I'll happily advocate for the total eradication of certain clades of mosquito due to the harm they cause humans.

It has been done, though, by less skilled teams than this one. Anyway, given the last 15 minutes of play it's likely an academic discussion now, NZ won't make enough to hit a target to declare at so there's going to be a result one way or the other.

You could well be right, I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Then they will have to bat around 100(ish) overs to force the draw. And if they can't do that in these conditions as the teams of old could, then they don't deserve a result.

There I don't disagree. Hoping that a -1 (ish) GD and three points would be enough and so not really going for more against Haiti was a poor decision.

Judging by the reaction in Hanguk, they are pinning it pretty much entirely on the coach for poor tactical decisions. Not too much coaching, just bad decision making that got punished.

The draw is steadily coming back until the equation here, though. NZ need at least a 450 lead to declare on, and they're likely not going to get that until after tea, which means England will, at most, likely have to bat just above a day to force a draw in a worst case scenario.

Frustrating start to the day.