England vs New Zealand, 2nd test at Headingly

First topic message reminder :

Thread for the build up & match


New from the NZ camp is that BJ Watling's knee has ruled him out, meaning he'll join Bruce Martin on the sidelones. Brendon McCullum will keep wicket, while Martin Guptill will return to the side and bat #6.

Daniel Vettori trained well yesterday, so is expected to play in place of Martin

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/8706188/Watling-ruled-out-Vettori-likely-for-second-test
Likely NZ XI:
Fulton, Rutherford, Williamson, Taylor, Brownlee, Guptill, McCullum, Vettori or Bracewell, Southee, Wagner, Boult

Yes Root!

What a talent this boy is.

Or ...a two and a handy edge will do

Well batted Joe Root

...and there it is...Joe Root's maiden Test century!!!

Fantastic knock at a critical time for England. Rarely looked troubled and kept his composure under a fair amount of pressure.

100 off 156 balls with 9 boundaries. Not too shabby at all.

Well done Joe Root, such a talent!

Fantastic from JR.

NZ finding this pitch and these conditions a little more of a challenge but they should bat better too. Pressure can do funny things though.

Runs on the board and mixed weather. Draw?

ROOT!

BAIRSTOW

This from BBC live text:

"He is the first Yorkshireman to score his maiden Test century at Headingley."

Great to see him make his first (of many ?) hundreds at his home ground.

Really like the way this young man plays his cricket. There will be tougher tests ahead , like SA , and some quicker bowlers in the Ashes series we aren't mentioning yet : but you fancy we are seeing the early stages of a very fine career.

Nah nah nah,
nah nah nah, nah nah nah,
Joe Root!

I want him to open for the Ashes instead of Compton. Root is a talent and is such a positive player, and they can only be a bonus for England as our current top 3 are a bit...conservative, to say the least.

dyrewolfe wrote:This from BBC live text:

"He is the first Yorkshireman to score his maiden Test century at Headingley."

The way things are going there could be another one very shortly!!

Yeah I've not followed Aussie but reading their fans it sounds like they have world class seamers better than anyone again, is that right?

Damm curse of the change channels!!

Well done ROOTY!!!

trebellbobaggins wrote:Fantastic from JR.

NZ finding this pitch and these conditions a little more of a challenge but they should bat better too. Pressure can do funny things though.

Runs on the board and mixed weather. Draw?

Suppose the draw would be favourite , trebs. Pitch looks OK , though when it swings things can happen. But if England press on tonight and in the morning quickly and send NZ in with a big total to chase , that pressure of yours might do the trick.
Still 18 overs tonight so it might be close to 350 at the close which would be a decent days work.

But it won't be Root still in ...Boult and the new ball strike at last !

mystiroakey wrote:Damm curse of the change channels!!

Well done ROOTY!!!

Just what I was about to blame it on as well! That and the new ball. Great platform now for Prior to have a go.

Dammit!

And the new ball does for the gallant Joe Root. Gets out to Boult with a rather poor shot, edging to McCullum, but he's more than played his part in the innings (104 off 167).

With Bairstow now well set, England should still get a good score.

Yorkshire holding England together well. Root just gone but he continues his early season form. Bell's form is a worry but Bairstow has shown everyone what he is capable of.

Unlikely for Compton to be dropped for the Ashes given he's not long off back to back Test hundreds. But then how would this forum survive without having someone pencilled for the drop every Test?

Liver I think your right. When England dominate with bat and ball this place gets kind of dead!!


Cricket fans are a funny lot.

Anyway - BOOOO to compton!

Shame to lose him but that's been the best i this series and very impressive given the situation when he came in.

The damage is done though and the kiwi boys do not have an easy road ahead.. Our lads have something to bowl at already.

Trebbs whats with the optimism..

have you had a cheeky bet on NZ?

Haha. Nah just having a rest, building up the energy for the Ashes.

An excellent innings from young Joe Root comes to in end. One can excuse the poor shot, of the first ball with the new ball, as he stayed calm and composed throughout his stay till then. I am sure the first of many test hundreds for him, and hopefully the next one will be a bigger one.
NZ have found an opening at last, another couple of wickets today will keep them in the game. But if Prior and Bairstow manage to stay together for some time, it will be very difficult for NZ to come back into the game.

trebellbobaggins wrote:Yah I've not followed Aussie but reading their fans it sounds like they have world class seamers better than anyone again, is that right?

Indeed the new batch are quite promising - when they aren't injured ! Most of them don't play more than two or three games in a row lately

I fancy they may be generally faster , and arguably more likely to take quick wickets than NZ. Not sure they will play the tight control game as well though : they have tended to go through patches where accuracy disappears and the opposition race away at six an over ...which might suit England better ?

Pattinson is the one I think might give the most trouble , if he adapts well to the conditions. He is rather better than his brother

So average 367 first innings score here. Hopefully we can survive the new ball and get somewhere up near it.

Good stuff mate!

Is that bairstow gone.. Argg unlucky. But still V good innings..

We could do with another 100 tbh- 400 would give us a shot at the win. anything less - the draw is on the cards

alfie wrote:

trebellbobaggins wrote:Yah I've not followed Aussie but reading their fans it sounds like they have world class seamers better than anyone again, is that right?

Indeed the new batch are quite promising - when they aren't injured ! Most of them don't play more than two or three games in a row lately

I fancy they may be generally faster , and arguably more likely to take quick wickets than NZ. Not sure they will play the tight control game as well though : they have tended to go through patches where accuracy disappears and the opposition race away at six an over ...which might suit England better ?

Pattinson is the one I think might give the most trouble , if he adapts well to the conditions. He is rather better than his brother

Are they all a bit Mitch Johnson then? Dangerous but wayward and you can get at them in their heads?

Could eng in fact haunt them?

Did patinsons brother play for eng once?

So better bowling line up then? Them or eng?

And sadly Bairstow is done. New ball has stuffed us again. Can we get anywhere near average here?

No hundred for Bairstow though ...edges behind and NZ have a double break.

Back in the game a bit as only Prior is really reliable out of the remaining players. Could conceivably bowl England out tonight.

Be a good time for Broad to build on that last innings and get back into batting form...

Double dammit!

Boult does for Bairstow in much the same way he did Root, with JB edging to McCullum and his innings ends on 64. England now 279-6.

Lets hope Prior and Broad can take us well past 300...or at least survive the rest of today.

They are getting us out but I am not sure they are back in it,

Los of heavy weather and clouds coming and I think they could get horribly examined by English swing over the next couple of days,

Broad sort it out.... YOU CAN BAT! remember that for once!

7 wickets all caught!!

Interesting!!!

Oh dear,,broad hammered.

We aren't getting near that 360 today but hopefully can pass 300.

Runs on the board, kiwis have to play this too and tomorrow morning will be tough.

And that's Broad gone for a duck (Boult bags his 3rd victim) and England now 282-7.

Reckon we'll be lucky to make 320 at this rate, on a pitch with an average 1st innings score of 367 (according to BBC live text).

Game swinging NZ's way again. Credit to them for making the most of the new ball.

Questions , trebs !

Yes. Not all of them , but there will be one or two each game I reckon.
Perhaps.
Yes.

And definitely England if only for the presence of Swann who is way better than any Aussie spinner.

Broad gone !

Not much over 300 now I fear...and I will have to leave it to you fellows to scratch out whatever you can...I need some sleep

Swann can bat. These two together are a very good late partnership oppoutunity.

Its not that tough out there - just leave alot of stuff and you are fine.. All wickets caught behind!

Have a good sleep Alfie, great to chat to you.

Anyway with seven caught behind the wicket it seems there is movement and carry here...if it is still there tomorrow Anderson & Co might have some fun. At least the game is moving on quickly.

Prior doesn't look in the mood to hang about...he wants to get some runs on the board. England edging towards the 300 mark...which Swann brings up with a couple.

350 would be good. It is a 4 day game after all.

Good day in the end for England!

Well done swanny and prior at the end!

Thats a good RR for a days cricket

Good day, all the pressure on NZ now.

Good day for England. Smooth run rate, and runs in the bag for Root and Bairstow. Prior and Swann are well-placed to give the bat some fresh air for the first hour tomorrow, and then the pressure will be right on New Zealand.

Marginally England's day. NZ never allowed them to really get away in tough bowling conditions. Over 400 will be tough

Swanny found his batting form just in time and he and prior saved England from a full blown batting collapse after doing all the hard work through the day. 337-7 is a pretty decent position. Hard to see NZ winning from here on. If Taylor, McCullum and Rutherford get into the mix in a significant way and build up a massive total, that could yet be a possibility, but with the track offering just that little bit for the bowler throughout the day, it will be very difficult against a James Anderson led bowling attack.

Given the averages here, the likely conditions and the bowling for England I think they have a bit of an edge now for this one,

With only four days to go a draw is most likely.

Well England have done really all they can today. They have taken the loss out the equation.. there is no point batting for 2 whole days anyway- we may only have half a days play after that (it could be a 2.5 - 3 day test)


It was all about getting a half decent RR- that was managed..

Aye, England did a decent job, but with a day gone, you'd be aiming to bat once. Thought NZ had a decent day, just hanging in there

Yeah they did ok, bowled tidily and took steady wickets but I think the win needed a collapse. If conditions do get heavy overhead then they could be in a real scrap.

Yeah, if England stretch to over 400 tomorrow it'll be game. Few batsman that could go big in their side though.

Indeed.

boult reaffirmed he is a verz good bowler....NZ missed their length in the middle session as they did the presence of a quality spinner...and Martin wouldn't have made a diffrence.

Inpsite of the 2nd session.....NZ pulled it back.....but Eng did what they have done so often in their ascent to the top...pulled the game throuhg their lower order no. 8 nd 9.....Prior and Swann have allmost taken the game out of reach of NZ.

Unless NZ seamers end the menace of lower order within 20 odd runs tommorow and bat big in their first inning.....and even then they will have to contend with Swann in 4th inning when it will turn a bit...based on evidence of a few over today.

that one last hour counterattack from no. 8 and 9 has hurt NZ's entire series prospects very badly today.