3rd Test New Zealand V England

[Gwylan]

What an utterly pointless tour. NZ have just laid three pitches that are completely batter-friendly. They've played for a 0-0 series draw. Joke

So flat that the side winning the toss has inserted the opposition every time.

They've been unlucky with rain but if matches had lasted five days, NZ would probably have won the first and England would definitely have won the second. I don't really see these as featherbeds: sides opt to bat first on really good batting tracks.

They certainly favour batting but not ridiculously. Each wicket falls for an average of 45 runs, high but compare that to the recent SL v Bangladesh series where each wicket cost about 50 runs - and that wasn't a 0-0 tied series.

 

[brightonmark1234]

what a load of crap and we only got 1 wicket and cook got it wrong we should be batting but no

 

[mikeyjh]

I think Cook was naive, McCullum conned him, can't believe he was going to do anything other than bat. We didn't bowl well, but it goes to show you how much we rely on Swanny - I like Monty, but his lack of variety does get exposed sometimes.....

 

[Triggaaar]

What an utterly pointless tour. NZ have just laid three pitches that are completely batter-friendly. They've played for a 0-0 series draw. Joke

And people wonder why fans are walking away from test cricket. What a sorry, pointless affair.

 

[Triggaaar]

They've been unlucky with rain but if matches had lasted five days, NZ would probably have won the first

Not necessarily. For a start, England may not have been so careless in the first innings if they hadn't already lost a day to rain - as it was they knew they had to get on with it. Secondly, because it rained on the first day, they played extra overs on the other 4 days, so not that much was lost in the end.

 

[Uncle Buck]

These flat wickets prepared by lower ranking sides are going to be the norm.

South Africa seems to be the one place where you consistently get result pitches, but then with their attack that makes sense.

It will be interesting to see what Mickey Arthur asks the Aussie groundsmen to do, especially if the series in England is very one sided.

 

[Gwylan]

Not necessarily. For a start, England may not have been so careless in the first innings if they hadn't already lost a day to rain - as it was they knew they had to get on with it.

Yes, that's a fair point. Although England are often woeful in the first innings of a series whatever the conditions.

Secondly, because it rained on the first day, they played extra overs on the other 4 days, so not that much was lost in the end.

No, that's not true. They played 342 overs - that's an average of 85.5 overs for four days - well under the usual 90 - no extra overs at all.

 

[Gwylan]

These flat wickets prepared by lower ranking sides are going to be the norm.

South Africa seems to be the one place where you consistently get result pitches, but then with their attack that makes sense.

India have played seven tests this winter and there have been results in six of them (and there'll probably be another in the one being played at the moment). That's a pretty good record.

 

[Triggaaar]

No, that's not true. They played 342 overs - that's an average of 85.5 overs for four days - well under the usual 90 - no extra overs at all.

They didn't bother to finish the last day though did they. There must have been a fair few overs left on day 5 when they decided they wouldn't get a result.

 

[Gwylan]

They didn't bother to finish the last day though did they. There must have been a fair few overs left on day 5 when they decided they wouldn't get a result.

Yes, they finished about an hour early - about 15/16 overs - taking it up to the allocated 90 overs per day. But the point is that they didn't have extra overs in the game (because they finished early on the other days too).

 

[Triggaaar]

Yes, they finished about an hour early - about 15/16 overs - taking it up to the allocated 90 overs per day. But the point is that they didn't have extra overs in the game (because they finished early on the other days too).

Ok, I thought they did more overs.

 

[Uncle Buck]

India have played seven tests this winter and there have been results in six of them (and there'll probably be another in the one being played at the moment). That's a pretty good record.

India in their current series have been helped by the fact Australia cannot play spin and have no decent spinners of their own.

Look at the West Indies v England series in 2009. West Indies thrashed England in Jamica and then prepared 3 pitches that were dead, meaning they won the series. Granted England had them 9 down in 2 of the matches on the last day.

Too often in test cricket there is more concern that the day goes to 5 days, so more tickets are sold, than creating true result pitches.

 

[Pavilionaire]

What's really damaging for test cricket is that there's every chance there will be a couple of sporting declarations and that this series will end with a one day-style run chase. Which will then beg the question "what is the point of test cricket".

NZ groundsmen have to look at this. The whole series has been skewed in favour of the batsman and the contest has been compromised.

 

[Beach Hut]

Amazing scenes, Monty gets a test wicket

 

[Titanic]

Fantastic flying catch down the leg side from Matt Prior.

Thank goodness that is the end of the tiresome Fulton.

 

[vegster]

India in their current series have been helped by the fact Australia cannot play spin and have no decent spinners of their own.

Look at the West Indies v England series in 2009. West Indies thrashed England in Jamica and then prepared 3 pitches that were dead, meaning they won the series. Granted England had them 9 down in 2 of the matches on the last day.

Too often in test cricket there is more concern that the day goes to 5 days, so more tickets are sold, than creating true result pitches.

Even the Indian Cricket Board can't make one day stretch in to five though.

 

[Smirko]

And another !!!!

Nearly lol!

 

[vegster]

DRS...... waiting......

 

[Smirko]

Could have done with that one.

 

[vegster]

Compton and Bell going out to bat carrying spades.