2nd ODI – New Zealand 398/5 (Taylor 119*, Williamson 93, Guptill 50) beat England 365-9 (Morgan 88, Hales 54) by 13 runs on DL Method.
Dmitri on duty tonight as thelegglance is having a break from the match reviews for the evening.
I did not get to see the first innings of the match. I missed Ross Taylor’s century, the hitting, the accumulation, the posting of the second highest score in ODI history in England. 398 for 5. I will leave it to others to describe the bowling, which judging by the commenters on here, wasn’t up to much, with the inability to take wickets still a major concern. The Oval clearly put up a road for the day’s entertainment judging by what I’m watching as I start the match report.
Now England’s chase is something we’ve wanted to see. They’ve gone for it. You know that it hasn’t been reckless, but it’s been focussed, it’s been a study in hitting and technique, and it is an even better example of the change of mentality that this ODI team seems to have in these early days of full reconstruction. They set the highest score that England have ever made in the second innings of an ODI. They did it with decent contributions down the order.
I can only really comment on what I’ve watched. The best sign was the innings of Eoin Morgan. He’s taken a hell of a lot of stick over the winter, even though he made an ODI hundred in Australia which his predecessor as captain hadn’t looked like doing for years. Sure, he wasn’t in top form, we knew that, but his 88 today was brilliant. It looked almost “risk-free” but if he’d continued he’d have beaten Buttler’s record. It’s back-to-back 50s for him, the first being mightily undetected in the last match which was crucial in the rebuilding of the innings.
The openers showed great promise, although Jason Roy’s dismissal annoyed me a touch. Fact is, that I’ll have to get over it with the way this team looks like it is setting up to play. Alex Hales made a decent half-century, but left you wanting more. One day I see that bloke clicking, being the sort you cannot bowl to, and beating Robin Smith’s record. Good grief, that needs to go, even remembering how much I liked Judge. Joe Root was a bit daft. I’m saying this early, I know, but all but one of his ODI tons came batting first, and while the other was a winning effort, it was in a chase of 240-odd. He’s our Kane Williamson. But you don’t come off every time.
Jos, even when he’s not in miracle mode, played well until nicking off. There’s the itch you can’t scratch that maybe he’s one or two places too low? Obviously not everyone can bat in the top 4 slots. If he did, he’d threathen that record too. Ben Stokes will also come off.
Then came Rashid and Plunkett. Then the rain. Then cricket being cricket.
There can be just two reasons for the equation of 13 balls to score 34 balls. Rigidity of rules so that the game finishes at a specified time, which is nonsense if all you are giving yourself is half an hour. London Transport, when it works, does run past 21:20. If it’s the Resident’s Association of Kennington, the sort that moaned when Surrey planned to build a hotel where the old relic Laker and Lock stands are, but seem to look out of their windows a lot when play is on, then stuff them. Their property values aren’t going down for 20 minutes play. Oh, I’m sure there’s plenty of rules is rules muppets out there, but get over yourselves.
Before the rain Rashid and Plunkett rode their luck but hit some superb shots. They kept a dead game alive. They are the reason we can get back to liking this team, those of us who need more than just Chef platitudes and to be told that the test team is now back in the fold. Rashid appears a totem for the past regime. A higher risk pick in a low risk management structure. Plunkett’s 44, completed in the farcical 13 ball period, was a brilliant sight. He’s a lost talent, through injury and other things, but we remember his batting being not bad stuff first time around. Rashid then fell to wonderful fielding. This game could have had such a great finale.
In defeat this England team won more admirers. That speaks volumes. We’ll forgive, always, those that give it a go, a reall good go. Not reckless abandon, but positive intent. Not fear of failure, but being positive, attacking, aggressive with the bat. This is something I can get behind. I don’t usually do “heroic failure” but we can all see progress here.
Lastly, I thought I’d address some of the stuff I had this morning. Frankly, if you read my Meantime London Lager fuelled riposte to the Pringle “irrelevant” jibe, and the main point you took out of it was that I resented business travel, then there’s not a lot I can do. I thought the piece was framed, even in my alcohol-induced blind rage, to say we pay our way, we feel the pain not only personally, but financially, and it isn’t our job to follow the team, but our passion. Now, I am not saying the hacks are not equally as passionate, but they are the envy of many by getting paid to travel the world to watch the game. Therefore, when those in that fortunate, privileged position decide that those who pay their wages are irrelevant, is the point that all but a few seemed to grasp. Thelegglance has a think piece on this which we’ll release over the weekend.
Oh, it’s not about me being criticised. I dish it out, so I have to take it. But it doesn’t mean I won’t defend myself.
Being Outside Cricket 
In years past, we would have folded for under 200. To score 365 is very encouraging, even if we did come up short.
Work to do on the bowling. Needs a bit more penetration. Might be an idea to look at Willey, not that 2 games is enough to decide on someone.
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The rain spoiled it really, even though the only bits I saw live were the five minutes leading up to Morgan’s dismissal.
Bloody hell though, there is zero chance of England chasing that down six months ago.
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Great game, and England gave it a real good go. I said below I don’t care about the result, and I don’t think we should care too much about results for the next 2 years or so. We are having to move from the Stone Age to the digital age. You can’t expect everything to go smoothly. But a sea change is needed, and seems to now be on the cards.
For all those in the media who will try to give the credit to Strauss we poor sods outside cricket,have been telling you this for some time. Pity you didn’t listen, but that would have meant listening also to people like KP. And you wouldn’t drop your prejudice for the bennifits of the England team.
Finaly a word to Dmitri. Don’t get dragged into their nonsense about travel costs in your job. It’s all a smoke screen, and a particular shit one at that. Unable to counter the arguments that have been made on blogs for 2 years, the best they can come up with is anonymity. That piss poor argument got rammed back down their throats with power to add. All the anonymous ms aides they have quoted for years makes them look silly when they try to turn it on you. The fact is they have been rude to the paying fan. They can hardly hide their contempt for Joe Bloggs (get it) and his hard earned money.
They took up playing cricket because they loved it. Then they got to play it for money, then they got to report on it for money. If they can’t see the difference with someone who has a normal job they are even more stupid than I thought they were.
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Yeah, the travel thing is a total derailment.
What hurts basically is here Dmitri & Vian & the TFT crew are doing this blogging for free and are, well, measured by accuracy of analysis and influence amongst the knowledgeable, are applying a bit of /pressure/.
It’s a sign of weakness, essentially.
If you’re paying your own way, as a supporter, well, you’re doing that for entertainment and the kind of criticism one might be subject to if one is a font of nonsense is lower.
If they’re saying, ‘Well, Dmitri doesn’t pay for his flights when he travels on business’ then the only reply to that is, “Then you are crap at your job, Mr. 9 wins from 12 matches Freelancer.”
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The travel thing is a misunderstanding.
Not that I want to put words in anyone’s mouths, but I’m sure DO, or anyone else for that matter, doesn’t have a problem with journalists watching for free. But a selection of those journalists take delight in sneering at those who pay to watch and dare to share their opinions online.
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The great difference between the BTL and here is that you wish to actually engage with us and explain your thinking when the ‘mainstream media such as Selvey, Pringle et al have no wish to, thinking it below them.
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I love it. I live the attitude, I live the daring. We can quibble, we can wish some things were better, but bloody hell we’ve been crying out for an England side to play like this. It’s utterly marvellous.
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Sodding autocorrect. Live = love
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Sounds a bit like a crap aftershave ad!
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Thought it was the Betway cab driver at first.
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You two pay too much attention to the ads!
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So what’s changed? England didn’t really have bowling to stop good sides in batting friendly conditions. They still don’t. But the batting has moved from timid to aggressive. At least this will win them more fans, even if they lose games as often as they used to. So, I expect games involving England to be high scoring and if the batting can retain this mojo, then exciting finishes are on their way. If ever you needed more proof that betting on cook was the wrong move, here it is in the past 2 games.
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If we can keep this kind of batting performance up, it will start to put other teams under pressure when they bat first – they’ll know they have to do well otherwise we’ll chase it down. That will help the bowling.
Although, as I’ve said, I don’t think Jordan should be learning his trade in these matches…
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Anyone noticing Morgan has refound his mojo now that Moores is no longer coach? Moores’s captains tended to experience declines in their form – either he was exceptionally unlucky or there was something in his style of coaching that made it a problem.
What a shame Newman wasn’t on duty at the Oval – I was looking forward to his report on Morgan’s innings. His shrill one-man campaign to have Morgan dumped for missing the Ireland ODI now looks even more embarrassing.
Finally, some interesting thoughts on what is wrong with county cricket from Gareth Batty:
http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/gareth-batty-i-know-why-the-english-game-is-not-strong-enough-10315454.html
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Great minds think alike Simon. I was thinking about Newman who wanted Morgan sacked after about 2 failures while eulogising one Cook failure after a another for 2 years.
” Moores’s captains tended to experience declines in their form – either he was exceptionally unlucky or there was something in his style of coaching that made it a problem.”
Yea, he talked to much. He loved to talk, and talk and talk. I don’t think a captain can breathe under his managememt style.
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Very happy with what I’m seeing. Now looking forward to the next ODI whereas I never used to. That’s two matches with the new team and, while we can’t expect perfection, it’s a giant leap forward. I do hope they give the other chaps a go soon. If they come out of this series with 13/14 established players, I’d be impressed. Like Mark, I don’t believe a series win is as high a priority as raising standard of playing.
As for the press, once upon a time, they wouldn’t have bothered to comment on blogs. Mind you, once upon a time, they just wrote about cricket and didn’t pick fights with the public. Who first came came up with the perceptive phrase “gutter press”?
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As for the press, once upon a time, they wouldn’t have bothered to comment on blogs. Mind you, once upon a time, they just wrote about cricket and didn’t pick fights with the public. Excellent points!
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Like many cricket fans I suppose, I listened on TMS and watched the highlights on 5. What a thoroughly enjoyable and exciting days cricket. Who knows what would have happened if it had stayed fine, we might even have won? Like Mark, to me the result was secondary after this magnificent display…by both sides!
It led me to reflect on where we were at the build up to the WC, Defeat after defeat, playing, as Colly described, “prehistoric” cricket. However, I reflected more on Cook’s petulant outburst after he was finally sacked from ODI’s, and the total disrespect he showed to Eoin Morgan after he had “inherited” the Cook/Moores team and strategy. Now that the dead hand of “real leadership” has been removed from the side what have we now? Morgan captaining his own side, playing F50 to an astonishing degree of commitment and skill….unbelievable!
Cook will never apologise for his words, he’ll never be that big a man, but i do hope he’s choking on them now!….Probably not!!!
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If we had a real cricket media they would be all over Cook for his petulant outburst against Morgan. But we don’t. We have a Cook propaganda machine.
After seeing the last 2 matches it just annoys me even more what a complete balls up the last 2 years have been. A total waste of time and energy. Cheered on by stupid people in the media.
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It matters not that we won or lost, our approach was superb. Moores made England utterly unwatchable. I cannot even listen to this drivel about what a nice guy he was. It misses the point. If I wanted a nice guy to do the England job I’d have hired that bloke from Highway to Heaven. This is international sport, the highest 0.1% versus another 0.1% and Moores was catastrophically out of his depth, hired a (on a second occasion) by some fella who had been outside cricket ( yes ) for 23 years who gave him plenty of rope with his “outstanding coach of his generation”
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