England Summe 2022

[man in the stand]

Parky now released so will be free to play on Sunday...help bolster our weakened team.

[Admin]

ESPN View on a pretty average day for England especially as we put them in

Stumps New Zealand 318 for 4 (Mitchell 81*, Blundell 67*) vs England

As far attempts to negate a swinging ball go, Daryl Mitchell's display of long-range beer pong was inventive to say the least.


Assisted by the ale or otherwise, he and Tom Blundell managed to see out the latter stages of a tricky middle session for New Zealand then navigate their side to the close of an intriguing first day at Trent Bridge at 318 for 4.

The duo, who shared 195-run stand in the second innings of New Zealand's five-wicket defeat at Lord's last week had put on 149 by stumps in this second Test, Mitchell unbeaten on 81 and Blundell 67 not out.

During a morning session when the ball presented little movement through the air or off the seam but bounced appreciably from a good length, New Zealand openers Will Young and Tom Latham started brightly with an 84-run partnership before Ben Stokes and James Anderson struck with consecutive deliveries to remove both.

Those same two bowlers managed to get the ball talking after the lunch break, however, combining again to remove a fluid-looking Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls as all of New Zealand's top-four made starts but none breached fifty.


England, whose fielding in the first Test had been noticeably sharp, were left to rue missed chances which would have made the equation considerably worse for their visitors. Zak Crawley dived from second slip across Joe Root at first and managed only to parry Nicholls' thick outside edge off Stuart Broad away from both of them. Nicholls was on 17 at the time.

Root then shelled a regulation slips chance off Mitchell, on 3, which wobbled ever so slightly as it came off the bat, and a tougher one off Blundell when he was on 2, Root thrusting his right hand out but failing to hold on.

Mitchell and Blundell resumed after tea on 20 and 7 respectively and, with Jack Leach continuing after bowling the penultimate over before the break, Mitchell plundered the England spinner down the ground for six, the ball landing in a spectators' full pint cup.

Matthew Potts, clearly more disappointed than amused, indicated that the ball had been completely submerged as the umpire ran over with a towel and set about trying to dry it off. Sure enough, the ball didn't do much for the bowlers after that until Potts managed to get it moving a little again on the evening breeze.

Blundell, on 39, survived England's attempt to overturn a not-out lbw decision on umpire's call off Leach and Mitchell top-edged another six off Broad over the keeper's head.

England took the second new ball with about half an hour left in the day's play and Broad was left cursing yet another missed opportunity when Blundell moved to 67 by edging him through the cordon where Crawley and Jonny Bairstow remained virtually motionless at second and third slip as the ball shot between them to the boundary rope.

Earlier, Stokes allayed concerns over his ability to bowl, raised when he showed some discomfort in his side while training on Wednesday, bringing himself on in the 19th over. He opened with a loose delivery outside off stump which Young punished to the boundary through point and which turned out to be the first of two front-foot no-balls for the over.

Leach followed Stokes into the attack, having recovered from the concussion he suffered while fielding on the opening day of the first Test at Lord's, but it was Stokes who made the breakthrough in his second over.

Having conceded two more boundaries to Young on the drive, the second misfielded by Leach in the covers, Stokes bowled a tight off-stump line and got the ball to kick into the splice of Young's bat with Crawley collecting a good catch low at second slip.

Potts took a strong catch at midwicket to get rid of Latham, who slapped a short ball straight to him at pace as soon as Anderson returned to the attack and New Zealand had lost two wickets in as many balls, although cause for concern to England was the fact that they conceded 20 boundaries in the first session.

After lunch, Stokes accounted for Nicholls with a ball that nipped away off the seam, drawing a prod to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes and ending a 77-run stand with Conway.

Conway had produced some eye-catching drives and pulls en route to his score which included seven fours before he was undone by an excellent Anderson delivery that looked like shaping away before jagging back off the seam and finding a big inside edge through to Foakes.


Anderson thought he had Conway out for 41 when the batter picked out Potts at midwicket but a soft signal of not-out was upheld when third umpire Rod Tucker ruled that the ball had gone to ground.

After losing the toss, Latham - standing in as captain for Kane Williamson who tested positive for Covid-19 on the eve of the match - said he would have liked to bowl first on a green-tinged pitch which he said looked dry underneath, although he would no doubt have taken New Zealand's score at the end of the day.

Willamson's absence, and that of Colin de Grandhomme who injured his foot while bowling in the first Test and was ruled out of the series, forced two team changes for New Zealand, who also left out left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel. They brought in Nicholls, back from a calf injury followed by a bout of Covid, and added Matt Henry in a four-pronged seam attack, with Michael Bracewell, the left-handed batter who also provides an offspin option, making his Test debut.

[Admin]

ESPN View

Stumps England 90 for 1 (Pope 51*, Lees 34*) trail New Zealand 553 (Mitchell 190, Blundell 106) by 463 runs

Daryl Mitchell's prize innings put New Zealand in a commanding position at stumps on the second day of the Trent Bridge Test, despite a couple of late blemishes proving he's only human and that England must take whatever chances they get.

Led by Mitchell's 190, New Zealand posted a first-innings total of 553, their highest score on English soil, after he and fellow centurion Tom Blundell put on a 236-run stand, their country's highest-ever fifth-wicket partnership.

England wobbled, losing Zak Crawley in the second over of their response, but then Ollie Pope showed intent with an unbeaten half-century as he made use of an excellent batting pitch - and some good fortune.

Mitchell, dropped on 3 and 104 amid a rash of fielding errors by England, soured a memorable day somewhat when he put down a simple chance at first slip off Tim Southee when Alex Lees was on 12. England were already one down after Trent Boult had Crawley caught behind for just 4 with an excellent cross-seam delivery.

Pope pressed the accelerator after facing 45 balls for his first 11 runs, racing to 37 from 56 as he twice pulled Matt Henry for six, the second instance prompting a ball change. Pope should have been gone shortly afterwards but Mitchell spilled another slips catch off Boult which raced away to the rope at third man.

Pope set about making New Zealand pay as he moved to fifty with two fours in three Kyle Jamieson deliveries, driven with aplomb through the covers and cut through backward point. Lees, meanwhile, got in on the boundary action too, with five fours on his way to 34 not out at the close.

It wasn't until well into an extended evening session after rain had forced an early tea break that England finally broke the tourists' stride after they had marched on from Blundell's dismissal for 106.

His exit brought debutant Michael Bracewell to the crease and he played impressively during a 91-run partnership with Mitchell before falling one run shy of his fifty.

It was James Anderson who struck first after tea, drawing an outside edge from Bracewell and Joe Root held on firmly at slip, still clenching the ball tightly in his right fist as he animatedly gestured that it was staying put this time after contributing two of England's five costly missed chances for the New Zealand innings.

Joe Root reacts after taking a catch to dismiss Michael Bracewell, England vs New Zealand, 2nd Test, Nottingham, 2nd day, June 11, 2022
Joe Root reacts after taking a catch to dismiss Michael Bracewell•AFP via Getty Images
So began a run of dismissals in which New Zealand lost four wickets for 24 runs in the space of 3.4 overs and, all told, their last five wickets for 57 runs. Stuart Broad claimed two in an over when he had Jamieson caught behind gloving a short ball then removed Tim Southee with another short ball which bobbed up off the splice and sailed to Root at gully.

Jack Leach chimed in when he had Matt Henry out slashing to Crawley in the covers, but then Boult added 33 runs with Mitchell, during which time Boult drew level with Muthiah Muralidaran for the most career Test runs scored at No. 11 with 623. Boult remained unbeaten with 16 from 18 balls when Mitchell finally perished for 190 reaching for a slow, wide ball from Matthew Potts and edging to Ben Foakes behind the stumps.

Earlier, Mitchell had backed up his century in last week's first Test at Lord's by reaching his second consecutive ton in the morning session after resuming on 81.

He stared in slack-jawed astonishment when another fielding error saw him survive - then cash in - shortly after posting his ton. On 104, Mitchell lofted Leach down the ground and Potts, running round to his left from long-on made the distance comfortably but somehow managed only to get a fingernail to the ball before it bounced onto his knee and over the rope for four.

Potts bowled the next over, only to concede back-to-back fours to Mitchell, the first bringing up the 200-partnership that had narrowly eluded him and Blundell at Lord's, via an outside edge behind point and the second a crunching drive through mid-off.


Having moved to 90, Blundell paused for treatment after copping a heavy blow to his finger whilst facing Potts. After that, however, he made fast work of reaching his hundred with two fours from three Leach deliveries, the latter as he advanced down the pitch and pummelled the ball back over the bowler's head for one bounce over the rope, and then a scrambled single off the last ball of the over.

Blundell, who managed 96 in a 195-run stand with Mitchell at Lord's, fell when he took Leach on once more and chipped to Ben Stokes at mid-off.

Mitchell carted Leach for 17 runs in the second over after lunch, striking fours through cover and long-on and six down the ground. He launched another six over wide long-on in Leach's next over and by the end of New Zealand's innings they had plundered 84 boundaries. That included four sixes in all to Mitchell and nine fours to Bracewell, who impressed on his first Test outing.

[Admin]

Still take some winning ona batsman's paradise

ESPN view

England 473 for 5 (Root 163*, Pope 145, Lees 67, Boult 3-89) trail New Zealand 553 (Mitchell 190, Blundell 106, Anderson 3-62) by 80 runs

"That's what I'm talking about!" Ben Stokes might well have said watching Ollie Pope and Joe Root follow his captain's decree for England to be "even more positive" than they were in victory at Lord's.

While Root's second century in as many Test innings was almost expected given his rich run of form and the batting-friendly Trent Bridge pitch, it was no less eye-catching for its intent, fluency and importance to England's task of closing in on New Zealand's huge first-innings 553. By stumps, England had added 383 runs on the third day, reducing the deficit to 80 runs with Root unbeaten on 163.

But it was Pope's ton - his second in Tests and first on home soil, coming in just his third innings at No. 3 - that grabbed a big chunk of the headlines on a good-news day for the hosts. Stokes himself snatched back some of the attention with his positive - or downright aggressive - innings of 46 off just 33 balls, and opener Alex Lees wrote a little think-piece of his own by reaching his maiden Test fifty in his ninth innings before falling to a loose shot for 67.

Pope's innings vindicated the new England regime's bold call to promote him to No. 3. Despite never having batted above No. 4 in first-class cricket before last week's first Test at Lord's, Pope told ESPNcricinfo last month: "I've always seen myself as a top-order batter in red-ball cricket." His inexperience in the position and scores of 7 and 10 from his first two outings fuelled doubts over the decision to promote him.

He answered those doubts on Sunday with an assured knock that included 13 fours and three sixes. He had pressed the accelerator on the second evening: after facing 45 balls for his first 11 runs, he raced to 37 from 56 as he twice pulled Matt Henry for six. He should have been gone shortly afterwards but Daryl Mitchell dropped a slip catch off Trent Boult, just one instance in a rash of fielding errors by both teams.

Pope went on to raise his fifty by stumps and went to lunch on the third day unbeaten on 84 after Lees took a more attacking role through the morning session. He cruised towards his ton after the break however, whipping Boult through midwicket for four and moving to 98 with a late back-cut off Henry which bounced over gully for another boundary.

He raised his ton with a push to deep cover off Henry's next ball and a sprint, which was punctuated by a brief hesitation before he saw Root - head-down, steaming back for the second run - and continued on his way, celebrating with clenched fists and a fired-up look on his face before receiving a warm embrace from Root.

Root brought up back-to-back centuries after his match-winning 115 not out in the first Test. This one was the fastest of his Test career, which now boasts 27 tons in all, coming off just 116 deliveries.


Pope fell to the seventh ball after tea. Having paused for running repairs at the end of the first over when his pad strap snapped while he dived to complete a quick single, he tried to pull a Boult short ball but sent a top-edge sailing into the air and Henry, running in from fine leg, took an excellent catch diving forwards. His dismissal ended a 187-run stand with Root.

Root set out at a rapid rate reaching 35 not out off just 43 balls by lunch, which included seven fours and a second life on 27 when his attempted cut off Boult resulted in a top-edge flying high and through Tim Southee's hands at second slip.

Root brought up his fifty from just 56 deliveries - his fastest in Tests - with a flick off Henry to the rope through midwicket and his hundred with an under-edged cut off Mitchell, although the manner in which he reached the milestone didn't matter given some of his strokeplay, like his straight-driven four off Southee after he had passed 150 that was greeted by a sea of footwear held aloft by the crowd singing: "Shoes off if you love Joe Root."

Jonny Bairstow's dismissal for 8 shortly after Pope departed came as New Zealand had their appeal for caught behind turned down and reviewed, with replays showing Boult's delivery which cut back in off the seam brushing Bairstow's glove on its way through to Tom Blundell. It meant that in eight Test innings since his century in the first Test against West Indies in March, Bairstow has failed to reach 30.

It also brought Stokes to the crease and he plundered six fours and two sixes before he mistimed a slog-sweep to the offspin of debutant Michael Bracewell and was caught by Boult.

Lees had finally reached fifty in his ninth England innings, having acknowledged before this Test that he could do with a "good score". Some fluid drives off the front foot as he amassed 11 boundaries were a case in point after he had come into this week with 171 Test runs and a highest score of 31.


Having been dropped by Mitchell on 12 during the second evening, there's no doubt, however, that his dismissal driving at a Henry delivery well outside off stump and edging to slip - where Mitchell held on this time - wasn't quite what he had in mind.

Ben Foakes, who joined Root in an unbroken stand of 120 as England won the first Test by five wickets, was also the beneficiary of a fielding mistake on 9 after he top-edged Southee to deep square leg, where Will Young dropped a sitter.

In more bad news for New Zealand, strike bowler Kyle Jamieson left the field midway through the evening session suffering "sharp pain" in his lower back and did not return. By the close, Foakes remained united with Root, their latest partnership worth 68 so far.

[Admin]

Two runs out and all the others were given away, batted like a Palace Shield Division 6 side

espn view

New Zealand 553 and 224 for 7 (Mitchell 32*, Henry 8*, Young 56, Conway 52) lead England 539 (Root 176, Pope 145, Lees 67, Foakes 56, Boult 5-106) by 238 runs

England made the most of some self-destructive tendencies on New Zealand's part to enter a tantalisingly poised final day at Trent Bridge with a chance of pressing for victory.

Sparked by James Anderson's 650th Test wicket to remove opener and stand-in captain Tom Latham cheaply, England had their visitors seven wickets down and 238 runs ahead at the close on day four of this second Test, needing some magic from first-innings leader Daryl Mitchell and with Kyle Jamieson still under an injury cloud.

It was a familiar pairing who were tasked with extending New Zealand's advantage as England made slow but ultimately steady inroads into their top order. In remarkable echoes of the first innings, Devon Conway and Will Young made starts - on this occasion both reaching fifty - before falling shortly afterwards to leave Mitchell and Tom Blundell united in a potentially match-shaping partnership for the third innings in a row, although it wasn't to be.

Conway and Young shared a century stand to overcome the early loss of Latham, who inexplicably shouldered arms to an Anderson delivery which clattered into the top of middle stump, the fifth ball of the innings. They led the recovery from 4 for 1 to 104 for 1 during a sedate middle session.

But, no sooner had Conway raised his half-century with a reverse-swept four off Jack Leach than he was out. Leach, who had struggled to threaten as the duo started to pick him off, got the next ball - a wider one - to kick up just enough to find the top-edge as Conway swept and Jonny Bairstow swallowed the catch at deep square leg.

Henry Nicholls survived an England review for caught behind after his attempted reverse-sweep missed the bat and, despite striking the front pad, was also missing leg stump. But he fell in the first over after tea cutting a short, wide delivery from Matthew Potts straight to Alex Lees at backward point.

New Zealand were now 115 for 3 and Mitchell arrived at the crease after an eventful match so far in which he scored a pivotal 190 in the first innings and put down two simple slips catches during England's reply before holding a gem to remove Stuart Broad on the fourth morning.

Mitchell was in the thick of the action once more as Young was run out after some apparent miscommunication between the two when Young nudged Stokes to the onside and set off for a run but paused to look at his partner amid calls of "waiting!" Ollie Pope had plenty of time to assess the situation as he fired the ball back to Stokes, who broke the stumps with a diving Young well short and gone for 56.

Mitchell was struck a nasty blow to the right forearm on 21 and paused to have it strapped but it was Blundell who fell a short time later. Having just struck Broad through extra cover for four, he sent the next ball - another short one - to Stokes at backward square leg ending his latest union with Mitchell on 45, paltry by their lofty standards of late.

Having already hit Broad for six over backward square, debutant Michael Bracewell then took back-to-back fours off Potts, lofted down the ground and pulled through midwicket. But when he tried it again he picked out Broad at mid-on and was gone after a neat cameo of 25 from just 17 balls.

Mitchell was then culpable in Tim Southee's run out for a duck after steering Broad through backward point and turning the wrong way as he came back for the second which meant that by the time he saw Zak Crawley firing the ball back in and sent Southee back it was too late.

Earlier, Trent Boult's five-wicket haul had preserved the visitors' first-innings lead - albeit worth just 14 runs - in a stoic display in which he and Southee had to toil hard in the absence of fellow seamer Jamieson, who left the field late on the third day with sharp pain in his lower back. New Zealand team management confirmed on Monday evening that Jamieson would bat if required, while his bowling involvement would be confirmed once MRI scan results had been assessed, with a further update expected before play on the final morning.

Joe Root and Ben Foakes picked up where they had left off on the third evening to help England close the gap, having resumed the day 80 runs in arrears. But the hosts lost their last five wickets for 66 runs in 14.2 overs as they were bowled out for 539 in reply to New Zealand's 553.

The hosts began briskly, Southee conceding back-to-back fours through the off-side to Foakes, who was 24 not out overnight, before Root's brazen reverse scoop over the fence at third man, all in the first over of the day. After five overs, England had scored seven boundaries, including Foakes' fifth of the morning to bring up his half-century with a punch through cover off Southee, who went for 33 runs in his first three overs.


Shortly after that though, Southee held onto a leading edge stooping low to his left at cover to remove Root, who mistimed his drive at a Boult slower ball and fell for 176.

Broad followed and then Foakes fell for 56, run out when Potts turned a Bracewell delivery beyond short leg and called him through for a single but hesitated a couple of steps down and sent him back.... too late as Latham threw the ball back to Bracewell, who removed the bails.

Boult sealed his five-for bowling Potts with an excellent inswinging yorker that pegged back leg stump, finishing with 5-106 from 33.3 overs and Bracewell had his third when he had Anderson caught behind to end with 3 for 62 from 17.2 overs. Southee, meanwhile, ended up wicketless from his 32 overs.

[Admin]

Some bowling today would not look out of place on the village green bowl short get clonked

[Admin]

County cricket eh, destructive batting after tea

[Admin]

Carnage and a days free entertainment at Trent Bridge any views on County Cricket now KP?

ESPN View

England 539 (Root 176, Pope 145, Lees 67, Foakes 56, Boult 5-106) and 299 for 5 (Bairstow 136, Stokes 75*, Lees 44) beat New Zealand 553 (Mitchell 190, Blundell 106, Anderson 3-62) and 284 (Mitchell 62*, Young 56, Conway 52, Broad 3-70) by five wickets

Red-ball cricket, meet white-ball cricket - this is (the new) England.


Set 299 from a minimum of 72 overs to win the second Test and take an unassailable 2-0 series lead, England mowed down the target thanks to an incredible onslaught from Jonny Bairstow after the tea break on the final day at Trent Bridge.

A capacity crowd, granted free entry by Nottinghamshire CCC, were treated to a jaw-dropping display as Bairstow blazed his way to 136 off 92 balls, which included 14 fours and seven sixes, his 77-ball hundred falling just one ball shy of England's 120-year-old record for their fastest Test century.

Following Bairstow's dismissal, Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes saw their side home inside 50 overs, the highest successful Test chase at Trent Bridge. Stokes remained unbeaten at the close with 75 off 70, his 179-run stand with Bairstow for the fifth-wicket stand off 20.1 overs at 8.87 was the third fastest century stand in Tests, in terms of run rate.

Resuming after the interval with 160 runs still needed from 38 overs, Bairstow - unbeaten on 43 - led a brutal assault as Matt Henry's short-ball tactics came to grief. Bairstow brought up fifty with back-to-back fours off Henry in the first over, which went for 13 runs in all, and he didn't let up, lofting Trent Boult for six over long-off in the next, which also went for 13 to put England ahead of the required run rate. Two more maximums to Bairstow off Henry's following over meant England had added 43 runs off three overs.

With Kyle Jamieson, the pick of New Zealand's bowlers during their five-wicket defeat in the first Test at Lord's, unable to bowl after breaking down with lower back pain on the third evening of this game, the visitors began to look bereft of ideas in a hurry.

Stokes appeared to twist his knee lunging forward to a Henry delivery with Bairstow approaching the nineties but he forged on despite appearing to be in clear discomfort. When Bairstow brought up his ninth Test century steering Tim Southee through backward point and shouting "yes, yes, yes" as he called his batting partner through, they ran three.

As Bairstow's attack on the boundary continued, Stokes did not need to worry about running so much and he launched into a power game of his own, bringing up his fifty off 55 balls with a six down the ground off Southee, at which point England needed 50 runs off 28 overs. Stokes then muscled spinner Michael Bracewell into the back of the second tier of the stand over long-on.


By the time Bairstow was caught behind off a bottom edge to Boult, England needed just 27 runs. There one more moment of drama when Foakes was dropped by Bracewell at cover with 14 needed before Stokes struck the winning runs with a blistering cut for four off Boult.

While Bairstow is not new to the Test side or even an aggressive playing style, all the talk of a "positive" approach from this team under Stokes as captain and Brendon McCullum as new head coach made this feel like laying down a marker as England moved from one win in 17 Tests to to two in two. In eight innings since his century in the first Test against West Indies in March, Bairstow had failed to pass 30 but he rediscovered his form when his side needed it most.

[chris]

Jun 14, 2022 17:15:52 GMT Admin said:

Carnage and a days free entertainment at Trent Bridge any views on County Cricket now KP?


But it adds to KP’s argument - Bairstow came straight from the IPL.  He’s not played county cricket this year or last.  Six first class games in six years for Yorkshire.

[Admin]

Netherlands v England VRA Ground Amstelveen

3 ODI's



VRA Cricket Ground is a cricket ground in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, the home of VRA Amsterdam since 1939.[1] It has a capacity of 4,500 spectators and regularly plays host to the Netherlands home games in the World Cricket League, Intercontinental Cup and CB40.

This ground was first used for international cricket when the Netherlands played New Zealand in 1978. It has hosted many One Day Internationals (ODIs) including a match in the 1999 Cricket World Cup, and the 2004 Videocon Cup between India, Pakistan and Australia. It was also used in the 1990 ICC Trophy, the first to be played outside England.

VRA Cricket Ground has hosted some notable moments in Dutch cricket, including a three-run win for the Netherlands over an England XI that featured future England captains Alec Stewart and Nasser Hussain in 1989. In July 2006, the Netherlands played Sri Lanka in their first home ODI and the visitors scored 443/9 from their 50 overs, which then was the highest team total in ODI cricket.[2]

Located in Amsterdamse Bos, the main ground features a AAA standard turf wicket, while the second and third grounds have an artificial wicket and are used in the winter by Amsterdamsche Hockey & Bandy Club.

The stadium has hosted a One Day International (ODI) match during the 1999 Cricket World Cup, between South Africa and Kenya.[1]

It was selected to host Nepal’s first ever ODI during their Netherlands tour in August 2018.[3

[Admin]

Parky not in third test squad

[Admin]

In the first ODI Netherlands are chasing 499 Salt and Buttler centuries Livingstone 66 from 22 balls, I don’t think we are losing this, West Indies test on BT that will be more interesting

[chris]

Jun 17, 2022 13:09:20 GMT Admin said:

In the first ODI Netherlands are chasing 499 Salt and Buttler centuries Livingstone 66 from 22 balls, I don’t think we are losing this, West Indies test on BT that will be more interesting

or even gaining much from it?

[Admin]

Jun 17, 2022 13:30:26 GMT chris said:

Jun 17, 2022 13:09:20 GMT Admin said:

In the first ODI Netherlands are chasing 499 Salt and Buttler centuries Livingstone 66 from 22 balls, I don’t think we are losing this, West Indies test on BT that will be more interesting

or even gaining much from it?

ODI ranking points and judging by the crowd, serious hangovers

[richard]

The England players would have been better off playing for their counties and the Dutch should have played a county.