Looks like the doors could be closing somewhat mate….hope NZ show some fight on day 3…..if Brook gets in and Root stays in, Emg could easily be 200 ahead by tea…..just seemed liked yesterday, NZ were celebrating an unbeaten opening stand of 300…..not over yet, but sport is a funny ole beast at times
A dreadful couple of hours with the bat by the Kiwis was followed on by their bowlers. Nicholls dropping Duckett at 3rd slip when on only 8 proved to be very costly, it was a soda too!
Unless the Kiwis take some early wickets on day 3, they are staring down the barrel of a 100+ run deficit by stumps on day 3 which will be trouble for them
200+ minimum deficit I reckon mate…..especially if Brook amd Smith get cracking….could get messy…..but then again, the Poms do know how to implode…..especially Brook and Smith!!
They did implode in the 1st Innings.
8 - 131 after Stumps the previous day,had them potentially looking at 500 and a 1st Innings lead.
Not so!
Kiwis 3 - 120 after being a very shaky 3 - 50 odd,leading by 201.
They need to Bat England right out of this for 5 Hours,then send them back in for 45 - 50 minutes,picking up 2 or 3 quick Wickets to set themselves up for a Win.
Pitch is starting to play tricks so I reckon 300 lead will probably be enough
NZ fought back well yesterday. They might be a difficult opponent for an aging Aussie line up this summer!
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300 leaves the door ajar in my book,…even 350.
375 lead and 2/3 early Wickets is the way to go.
I hope our Test in Perth IS at Perth Stadium,….
Correct, 9th -13 December at Perth Stadium
Great!
Test Cricket Lovers should get a look in,with less Theatre goers from last year, bothering this time around.
BH, Conway, Latham, Nicholls, Blundell, Mitchell, and Henry are all 34/35 yrs old, Jamieson is 31/32…..even your boy Santner is 34, so NZ are no spring chickens either….Ravindra and O’Rourke whilst both talented and 26/27 yrs old, both will be on their first test tours of Aust…..will be interesting to see how competitive NZ will be…..Eng weren’t, and Aust weren’t even at full strength last summer……
My boy Santner? 
Well he ain’t my boy mate……I keep saying he is bog average…..and every time Mitch does well on the subcontinent, pretty sure good learned folk like yourself, remind me of his talents….…..so yeah more your boy Mitch then mine, and also the other subcontinent spin wiz in Ajaz from memory too…..but hey if it’s not you, then apologies.
competitive first session. NZ lost Ravindra and extended their lead to 264. Not quite enough yet particularly with an inexperienced bowling attack and the potential of Englands batsmen to chase big scores. They chased down 300 against Boult, Southee and co on the same ground 4 years ago. In NZ’s favour though, the pitch is starting to play some tricks with some balls spitting up from a length and others keeping. Will be a fascinating end to the game and series
Ben Stokes has announced his retirement from international cricket mid way through day 4 and in the middle of a 11 over spell
Massive news with an ashes series next year.
Baz needs to go with him TBH. Mitchell showed how to bat today on an unpredictable pitch……Not sure the thinking of .Stokes and Brook was the right way.. …Up to Root to save face of Bazball….but looks like a step way too far for the Yorkshire champ. Santner to take a 5 for on day 5……
Crash through or Crash!
The Kiwis did their bit,declared near enough 375 in the lead(372)and using the Hour to snap up a few Wickets.4 was a bonus.The Test is their’s for the taking.
England needs a steady start to Day 5,rather than a high octane one,as it’s already put 4 Batsmen back in the Pavilion.
It will be a most interesting finish to the Test.
Another century in England to the former WA Premier Cricket player Daryl Mitchell.
Gee he loves batting against the Poms!
Crazy days cricket. The whole Stokes announcement was completely stage managed and took the focus off what was a gutsy, match winning innings from Mitchell.
The whole thing felt weird, announcing the retirement while play was going on, then him going on a T20 spree opening the innings. He could have easily told the team during the game then made it public after the test was over but it just had to be about Ben.
It really made me wonder where his mental state is TBH because he seemed to need the adulation that the crowd were giving him