England at home, summer 2022

**themaclad** · 03-06-2022, 20:16

Good recovery by New Zealand decent partnership by Blundell and Mitchell has probably batted us out of the game, to make things worse the great I am KP doing commentary on Sky don't think he thinks Parky is bowling fast enough at a guess

**themaclad** · 04-06-2022, 13:45

A chaotic morning, team hat trick 6 wickets fall winnable but this is England we are talking about

**Ska'dForLife-WBA** · 04-06-2022, 21:51

Root digs in and sees England through to stumps. He'd make a good captain, that lad Laugh

**Ska'dForLife-WBA** · 06-06-2022, 00:40

100 and 10,000 for Root off the same ball. Bit of a bumpy first game for Stokesy, but mission accomplished.

Stairs · 06-06-2022, 09:50

Once upon a time I bought all test match and one day final tickets for Lords (you could apply in December sending a cheque).

Like most Englishman for decades I dedicated time to watch all other tests (home and away).

I remember being in my car in a traffic jam when a wicket was taken at the Oval and I punched the air. The guy in the car next to me gave a thumbs up and a couple of cars beeped their horns.

I got up regularly in the Winter in the early hours and sitting in front of a gas fire with a toaster (butter and Marmite) to watch the Ashes, Alan Lamb, David Gower and Beefy etc.

They deserved my loyalty.

But now I am not sure what’s happened to England Cricket.

Is it the money, is it the long term decaying impact of one day cricket or as I suspect, yet again, the curse of money. In recent years the stupid short format cricket. The big bash, 100 and whatever else they get called has them now swinging without caution at every bloody ball.

What ever it is, I (a once die hard cricket fan) can’t be arsed to watch any more.

It’s the same with England Football. Thank god Rugby Union has not yet capitulated (fully) to money.

**Ska'dForLife-WBA** · 10-06-2022, 20:07

Trent Bridge plays like a minefield for the first two months of the Championship season, then turns into an absolute road for the Test. 318-4 after the first day.

**themaclad** · 10-06-2022, 20:31

If you win the toss and think about putting them in, you still bat first, suspect this wicket will turn later in the game, mind you they have dropped their only spinner

**Ska'dForLife-WBA** · 13-06-2022, 08:02

Have to hand it to him, Root looks rejuvenated at the crease. Another fantastic innings, and that straight drive he fetched from outside off-stump after reaching 150 was something else. If we can take the lead today and then hand the ball to Leach, there might be a few twists and turns yet.

**Lord Snooty** · (This post was last modified: 14-06-2022, 18:33 by Lord Snooty.)

Test cricket is boring. Whistle

558 and 284 and still lose? Ridiculous! Tongue

**Ska'dForLife-WBA** · 14-06-2022, 18:51

That is comfortably the best England Test since Headingley 2019. Runs you'd be better off weighing than counting, enough for the bowlers to keep things interesting, and what a final session to cap it all off! Not sure what the Kiwis were thinking in the last hour, mind; Bairstow's got short boundaries to either side and can't defend an inswinging ball on the stumps to save his life, so you dish up 80mph short stuff just begging to be deposited in the stands? It's like they'd never seen him bat before. Proper lost-the-plot stuff.

What a contrast to the match last year when Williamson dangled a 270ish target that Root refused to go for, as well. Cricket played for entertainment, not moral victories or statistical niceties.