Cricket (None Leicestershire County Cricket Club)

[leicsmac]

Just when I thought I couldn't like Williamson more, he throws down the gauntlet here. Good bloke.

[EastAnglianFox]

Bloody love the Kiwis attitude in sport. 

[Super_horns]

England set 273 to win.

Will they really for it or just try to stay in ?

[Bert]

1 minute ago, Super_horns said:

England set 273 to win.

Will they really for it or just try to stay in ?

Stay in it and then give it a blast with 15 overs to go 

[Izzy]

I love that declaration by NZ.

 

I obviously hope they don't win, but massive respect and fair play if they do.

[RonnieTodger]

Would love the kiwis to win the test championship. Shame it isn’t at Lords anymore, but it’d be a nice bit of redemption for 2019.

[Sunbury Fox]

Can't decide if England are blocking out for a draw or setting the base for a post tea run chase. Either way Burns and Sibley have to be the least aesthetically pleasing opening pair in test history. Sibley especially looks awful and is dreadfully dull to watch.

[purpleronnie]

1 hour ago, Izzy said:

I love that declaration by NZ.

 

I obviously hope they don't win, but massive respect and fair play if they do.

Agreed, we wouldn't have declared until we were 500 ahead.

[StanSP]

224 in 50 overs required. 

 

Unless there's a collapse, I think this is a draw. Can't see England pushing so hard for the win with the players playing - if any one of Buttler, Bairstow or Stokes was playing I'd be thinking this is theirs to lose. 

[Super_horns]

Well we have lost 2 wickets ..

[leicsmac]

Eight wickets in hand going into the final session.

 

There's no reason to not go for this at this moment in time and Root should field some difficult questions if he chooses not to.

[leicsmac]

....or we can just piss about and deadbat everything and get the result we were going to anyway.

 

I honestly don't see any kind of logic here. Afraid of losing the match? When was the last time a team lost eight wickets in the last session of a match to lose it and how often does it happen, even if a couple of the upper order try to give it the long handle to hit a target?

 

Don't get it.

[Hoopla10]

Really disappoint by England tbh. Fans in for the first time, NZ give the come-on which everybody rightly applauded them for, we should at least provide entertainment.  

[trabuch]

Very sporting declaration by NZ, and England have totally failed to take them up on it. Pathetic really. It's a sport, and supposed to be entertaining ffs.

[StanSP]

18 minutes ago, trabuch said:

Very sporting declaration by NZ, and England have totally failed to take them up on it. Pathetic really. It's a sport, and supposed to be entertaining ffs.

Especially with fans back in for the first time in a long time.

[Sunbury Fox]

19 minutes ago, trabuch said:

Very sporting declaration by NZ, and England have totally failed to take them up on it. Pathetic really. It's a sport, and supposed to be entertaining ffs.

Agree. What makes it worse is that it is the first test with fans in England for about 20 months. You'd think that might have encouraged them to have a go.

Edited 6 June 2021 by Sunbury Fox

[RowlattsFox]

I understand them not wanting to lose, especially after the winter, but any criticism at them losing would be aimed at their shite shot selection and techniques rather than the willingness to win. Doesn't mean they had to play stupid shots but at least show some intent. Can't imagine Stokes going out there and not wanting to go for it. 

Edited 6 June 2021 by RowlattsFox

[EastAnglianFox]

Grim, almost want to cheer on New Zealand for the win 

[Hoopla10]

1 minute ago, RowlattsFox said:

I understand them not wanting to lose, especially after the winter, but any criticism at them losing would be aimed at their shite shot selection and techniques rather than the willingness to win. Doesn't mean they had to play stupid shots but at least show some intent. Can't imagine Stokes going out there and not wanting to go for it. 

Absolutely. I get that fearing four loses on the bounce, key players not in the team and playing a good team means they want to play it safe but ultimately so what. They play with intent people will cheer it on and understand. I can imagine whatever Root says will be understandable but it doesn't negate such a poor game in front of a paying crowd for the first time in a looooong time. 

[trabuch]

I'd rather watch the England football team! (steady on Trabuch - it's not that bad)

[coolhandfox]

England could have showed a little more intent, without taking that many risk.

 

 

[coolhandfox]

2 minutes ago, trabuch said:

I'd rather watch the England football team! (steady on Trabuch - it's not that bad)

Both as exciting at the moment.

 

Think they have both forgotten sport is a about entertainment.

 

Edited 6 June 2021 by coolhandfox

[Corky]

Totally understandable by England- a two match series, a batting line-up that is inexperienced with several players on pairs and a very good attack against them. If Stokes, Buttler and Bairstow were there it would be different but take the draw, no dramas and you can still win the series.

[Hoopla10]

1 minute ago, trabuch said:

I'd rather watch the England football team! (steady on Trabuch - it's not that bad)

0-0 at half time. I've not heard how they're playing but are they playing for a draw too?

[RowlattsFox]

I think you at least have to begin the innings positively then see what happens. 

 

I get it though, people judge root on series wins. If he wins this series 1-0 then job done, no one would remember that time root went for the win and lost. I think New Zealand were pretty confident we wouldn't go for it.