Cricket (None Leicestershire County Cricket Club)

[StanSP]

41 minutes ago, Corky said:

Stokes to retire after the match.

Announcement during the match can't have been done many times before! 

[leicsmac]

What, exactly, is the point of Bashir?

[David Hankey]

England praying for rain now.

[Corky]

16 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Announcement during the match can't have been done many times before! 

Broad did the same.

[ealingfox]

One way to distract from the fact that this series has been an embarrassment and we're coming up to two years without a home series win I suppose.

[leicsmac]

This partnership has pretty much decided the match.

[leicsmac]

17 minutes ago, ealingfox said:

One way to distract from the fact that this series has been an embarrassment and we're coming up to two years without a home series win I suppose.

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.

[leicsmac]

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.

Edited Sunday at 15:53 by leicsmac

[ealingfox]

6 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

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.

 

But not as dire as two wins in ten Tests, which is also true. Thankfully they've lined up one of the teams they can win against for later this summer which should stop the rot.

 

Come off it mate, the team is becoming a farce under this regime now. Unfortunately it's only going to get worse if Brook is promoted to captain.

[leicsmac]

Just now, ealingfox said:

 

But not as dire as two wins in ten Tests, which is also true. Thankfully they've lined up one of the teams they can win against for later this summer which should stop the rot.

 

Come off it mate, the team is becoming a farce under this regime now. Unfortunately it's only going to get worse if Brook is promoted to captain.

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.

[leicsmac]

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

Edited Sunday at 16:04 by leicsmac

[EastAnglianFox]

3 down by the close 

[ealingfox]

And just to add insult to injury he's put himself in to open. Absolute weapon.

[Vacamion]

Not sure going out to open is ideal.

 

Watch him prove me wrong.

[Wsl]

I'd have preferred Stokes to have followed Kane Williamson's example rather than this.

[Vacamion]

 

NZ physio is earning his corn today.

 

 

[leicsmac]

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

[David Hankey]

Stokes, in opening, will no doubt win the match for England now.

[bmt]

This is dumb but very entertaining.

[winteriscoming]

I agree with what DK just said. 
Clearly Stokes is thinking about himself at a personal level instead of thinking about the team. 
Not a very good luck imo from a captain. 
Wouldn’t surprise me if Stokes played ipl for a while and then next summer makes himself available for the ashes. 
 

[Vacamion]

 

If he gets out arsing around like this he will rightly be criticised.

 

But my goodness it's entertaining.   

[leicsmac]

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

[Wsl]

13 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

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

Sears and O'Rourke are off. Not sure who they've got to bowl with the new ball. This could definitely make it easier. All that peppering the Kiwi players has paid off!

[leicsmac]

9 minutes ago, Wsl said:

Sears and O'Rourke are off. Not sure who they've got to bowl with the new ball. This could definitely make it easier. All that peppering the Kiwi players has paid off!

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

[David Hankey]

Should have gone in last.