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We’re thinking about trying to get more into selective use of statistics. It seems to be a big thing in cricket, but we’re not off to a great start. Truth is it’s barely been nine months since Joe Root last made a hundred in England.
Actually, we didn’t specify Test cricket either, so it’s more like eight months. It seems that even when you’re really trying, it’s very hard to make Joe Root look bad at the minute.
What happened?
Matt Prior got the day about right.
Even if the pitch looks green at @HomeOfCricket if the suns out you bat! Get through 1st hour and cash in. #biglunchforthebowlers #ENGvNZ
— Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) May 21, 2015
England successfully navigated the first hour, losing only four of their ten wickets, and then Root and Ben Stokes almost immediately went mental, cashing in with the same gleeful enthusiasm with which characters in gambling adverts cash out.
Stokes, in particular, batted like some kind of hell ox – that is if hell oxen could hold cricket bats, timed the ball sweetly and had a taste for clip-driving every other ball through the legside for four. For his part, Root ensured he was top scorer and then did one.
After that, it was a play-off to bat at seven. Jos Buttler, the incumbent, has just gone up a spot – he made 67. Moeen Ali’s dropped down to eight from six but he’s 49 not out. If he makes 70, maybe he’ll push Buttler back down again and if he can make a ton, Stokes at six might also be in danger. Or they could just operate a rota system.
In summary
Twenty20 tends to either ebb or flow. In one day of Test cricket, we most definitely got both – and the match has barely even started.
Bell has scored 1,0,0,1 in his last 4 innings, that’s digital. Is it time to give him a break, promote Ali to 5 and try Rashid at 8. Dam it, we still have too many batsmen.
He did score a very good 143 in the match before those scores, mind.
If they drop Bell I’ll really lose interest in English cricket.
This is definitely the first time I have seen the phrase “hell ox”
This is definitely the first time I’ve seen a tweet being pasted here. Don’t know how to feel about this, to be honest.
We’ve done it at least once before because we knew in advance that it would look slightly weird. Embedding a tweet that is, not referring to hell oxen.
I think the last time it was done, it was Kemar Roach being himself.
Which reminds me, been a rather slow however-long-it’s-been for cricketers on Twitter, by the look of things. Even Kemar with only the one twit this time.
Sorry – “tweet”.
An innings of three halves. First four wickets, 30 runs. Next three wickets, 324 runs. Last three wickets, 35 runs.
Perhaps that’s not three halves. Maybe it is two halves but with one of the halves separated into two parts not contiguous with each other. Or maybe it’s four quarters with two of the quarters merged into a big quarter in the middle.
Worryingly, it might be a typical England innings of 65 for 7 interrupted by a statistical anomaly.
England innings is like a crocodile, whose head has turned into a jelly, and, a tail which is ineffective & limp tail, but, awesome & might body.
Or, to use a KC term, a sperm whale?
New Zealand’s opening pair have now all but doubly outscored England’s first and third halves, Bert…
mother-of-all-ironies then that it was for NZ which was described as a Sperm Whale a year ago in this blog, but now they are poised on a huge opening partnership, while Root is the only specialist who has clicked for England! (apologies for that long sentence)
Yes, I remember KC talking about NZ’s cracking spine. What I wouldn’t give for it to crack now.