England Tour In New Zealand 13

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futureblackcap said:
A lot of people are bagging McCullum's decision not to enforce the follow on but I think it was a good idea, seeing as we only need 150 to 200 more runs tomorrow and then we should have at least a day and a half to bowl England out.
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My thoughts exactly. It also gives the bowlers some added rest before they're unleashed on a day 5 pitch. Surely you'd want to bowl last.
 
NZ have really gained the upper hand and whilst Prior believes England can still win it I truly think this is doubtful. NZ lead England by 274 runs as the linked article shows and I think NZ might finally achieve what they have been threatening to do since England arrived. With the test score as it is, this could be a major coup for the blackcaps and one they thoroughly deserve.
 
It's been three hours since the game finished, and I think my heart-rate is only just starting to calm down. What a game! I dearly hope the Blackcaps can take that form into the return tour in May; at least now that tour's got a lot more hype.
 
troll3y said:
It's been three hours since the game finished, and I think my heart-rate is only just starting to calm down. What a game! I dearly hope the Blackcaps can take that form into the return tour in May; at least now that tour's got a lot more hype.
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I thought I was going to have a heart attack haha. Yeah but it's only two tests in England... :( Test series should be three or don't even bother.
 
futureblackcap said:
Yeah but it's only two tests in England... :( Test series should be three or don't even bother.
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As I was saying to my brother just before, it's only because of the Champions Trophy that they unfortunately had to cut the NZ tour short a little bit, hence the T20s being played after the tournament. The Ashes is England's showcase tour this summer, and they weren't about to shorten that.

Two-Test series don't really make sense unless there are time constraints, like in this case, or (I hate to say it) when it involves Bangladesh or Zimbabwe touring a much stronger Test nation. That can be utilised, though: in the same way that a 'shortened' NZ tour is preceding The Ashes, a shortened tour could have preceded England's recently-completed tour of NZ, considering how late it started. (I know NZ were in South Africa, but I'm just saying.) There are a lot of positives in doing this: a) it gives lower-ranked teams much-, much-needed Test experience, b) there is an opportunity to take Test cricket outside of the main Test venues, c) in duality, it serves as a warm-up for the stronger Test team ahead of the 'main' tour, and d) there's some opportunity for the stronger Test team to blood young players, so long as they don't overdo it and field a completely weakened team.

A similar thing needs to be done in the UK: instead of touring teams playing tour games against a County side, Ireland and Scotland should really be getting the go-in, especially now that Ireland are so close to gaining Test status. Slightly differing conditions in the Netherlands may mean that touring teams would prefer to stay in the British Isles for their warm-ups, but there is great opportunity there also.

I'm rambling, I know, but it bothers me that is so much more the ICC could be doing.
 
futureblackcap said:
I thought I was going to have a heart attack haha. Yeah but it's only two tests in England... :( Test series should be three or don't even bother.
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Only two tests sucks...to put it bluntly...what is the point of a two test series! I understand why they are doing it because of time constraints, but I still think its not right. On another note..I hope you Kiwis bring the form you have been showing with you....you deserved so much in the series just gone and think you could show us up on home turf!
 
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