Well, Chester-le-Street, but you get my drift.
The Greatest One Day Series in the history of mankind (containing one remotely close match in four) comes to an end today up north. There appears to be a little bit of rain about, but probably not enough to impact too much on the game – though you never know – but let’s hope the series is not ended with a DLS, or whatever it is called, schmozzle.
England look to be without Jos Buttler, who has split the webbing on his hand, and there is an emergency call-up for Jonny Bairstow. I’d have thought we’d have allowed the other keeper in the squad, Sam Billings, a chance to carry out the duties, so have England just called Jonny up for another chance to carry the drinks, for which he’s undoubtedly the Don Bradman of in terms of proficiency. With Buttler out, does it mean a place for James Taylor, and if so, will it be at 6 or will he take 5 from Stokes?
As for the bowling, it’s getting to the stage that the quicker bowlers should sling their names in a hat, and the first three are pulled out. This has been a lamentable series for all the bowlers (perhaps I’m being harsh on Wood) and there’s no indication that’s going to stop.
Anyway, I look forward to all your comments as usual. Once this is out of the way, and the T20 game on Tuesday is in the books, this blog will be dominated by the one series that truly matters to all cricket fans in this country. So while the press and ECB TV are waxing lyrical over how great this series is, and what a shame it was just the two tests, all the promos, including that bloody song, and a renamed channel are on the way and filling our screens. We may not be having the “phoney war” as one poking journo (!) called it quite rightly, but it’ll be made up for. Or maybe, just maybe, we are a teeny weeny bit fed up that this is the third Ashes series within 24 months, and that overkill is in play?
Now Alex, when you get in that position again, you know, 60-odd by 10 overs, don’t do that again. There are massive tons in your horizon….
Being Outside Cricket 
Looking forward to this after a week where I havebeen lucky enough to go to Queens to see my other love, tennis, but today I will be i doors with windows shut ( hayfever) and flicking between channels as I watch Andy M and Eoin M. Despite everything I still want NZ to win……
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According to the match report – Bairstow will play as w/k, Billings to continue as a batsman, Willey, Wood and Finn the main seamers.
I think it’s crazy that they are playing Wood here and likely in the T20 as well – where is the reaction from the press, after all the sage concern about the stress on his body from his action?
Beyond that, I can’t argue with giving bowlers more chances to prove themselves.
As a Yorks supporter, I might prefer if England had gone with Taylor and put Billings behind the stumps (we can’t spare too many players for England) – but equally Bairstow has done everything you could ask really to deserve a place. Carried drinks without complaint, gone back to CC and scored well, improved his keeping a bit… – although in the end it’s a hiding to nothing. Buttler is guaranteed to be back as soon as fit – but perhaps Bairstow can take the chance to suggest he’s in competition for Billings place…
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Smuthy points out that Wood is the bowler who has posed the most problems to the NZ top order.
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Reckon Yorkshire should lobby to have one of their management appointed as a selector. A cynic might think that Taylor, Patel, Lumb and maybe Fletcher could have played more for England – and less for Notts with different selectors.
I like Bairstow but how imaginative could England be, if Billings gained some keeping experience at international level?
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Toys R Us latest:
Michael Vaughan just said on TMS that he has “never been stopped so often by people wanting to talk about the cricket and how exciting it is.”
That’s Michael Vaughan.
Never seen so many people excited by English cricket.
Apparently.
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In his defence I think you can take that a different way. What I think he is hinting at is that the ECB got it completely wrong for decades, and now the public is enjoying this new style. It is a roundabout way of saying…….. “They have finally listened to us.”
Of course the people who come up to him are probably cricket fanatics anyway so it’s not really lots more new people. When he was captain in 2005 he would not have been with so many fans at the grounds because he was captain.
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…and in 2005 there were between 4 and 9 million (peak) able to watch FTA…
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Does that mean the team will all get MBEs now?
Kinda funny — a drawn test series and two ODI wins out of four and the press is falling over themselves……again.
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Who would want to chat with an arse like Vaughan….. He thinks wind turbines are beautiful and wonders what they do. He is special needs as a human being, outside the bubble of CRICKET
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As a complete aside, if you want to see what trouble the bogfather causes, and what we are dealing with, you can do worse than follow my Twitter feed tonight.
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I still think England are a nurdler light. Taylor should be in the side. Not all series will be played on roads, and you have to have more than one batsman with a bit of stickability.
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On the subject of Wood, can anyone imagine the snarling, chippy Anderson or Broad saying “good shot” to a batsman who had just paddled a short ball behind for six? I cannot recall an England side under Captain Teapot ever playing with smiles on their faces like this current incarnation.
I dread the return to test cricket and the feeling of indifference it will bring.
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Elsewhere, Pakistan had taken a first innings lead of 117 against Sri Lanka in the first Test. Sri Lanka are 63/2, at Stumps Day 4, with Sangakkara being dismissed a few minutes before close. 98 overs in the last day. Draw still looks like the most likely result, but some winning chances for Pakistan. Provided the rains stay away.
Sarfraz, and Shafiq batted beautifully, and a lot of credit to Babar as well, for a near run-a-ball 56.
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Some innings from Sarfraz Ahmed in particular. Coming in at 96/5 against an opposition your team haven’t beaten since 2009 and hitting 96 off 86 balls. He’s the proberbial ‘work in progress’ with the gauntlets but, boy, he can bat.
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Flintoff on TMS thinks England should be favourites for the Ashes – “man for man England are superior”. England have “our best ever batsman Cook, our best ever bowler Anderson”, while of the Australians “Smith is a decent player but there’s not much else to worry about”. People are “talking up Johnson too much, Harris is the one to watch” (no mention of Starc or Hazlewood).
Has anyone seen Flintoff and “ballsintherightareas” in the same room…?
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Flintoff is an idiot.
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IAWTC
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I heard that today as well. Good old Freddie… He must be punch drunk after his boxing career.
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Sounds more like he is suffering from a migraine.
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Ok, bored now with ODI’s and fake possible results, let’s #moveon
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Does not look too good for England. 45/5, after 8.1 overs after Santner took out Hales, Root and Morgan. Wheeler took care of Stokes. And Mathieson takes out Roy, with his first ball in international cricket.
The target is 192 from 26 overs, so, still possible. But a really tough ask for Bairstow and Billings.
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Staggeringly inept death bowling from NZ. No idea why Williamson was never tried either.
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Ian Smith particularly scathing on the telly. Couldn’t believe the bone-headed stubbornness of the short ‘please hit us in the air where you like’ lengths. I suppose if you’re in England long enough, it starts to rub off.
Bairstow has looked the best player in CC this season. I’d have him in for Ballance, with readjustments, at the mo.
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It was the telly I was watching, at Grandad’s. I shared Smith’s appalled astonishment. They didn’t even make it hard. No way should that game have failed to reach the last over. Southee (2) and Mathieson (1) bowled yorkers Eng couldn’t get away, yet still the buffet went on.
Didn’t hear anyone asking why Williamson was never used though. Spinner bowls through, takes three, and you ignore the other one in favour of a debutant. Is McCullum just infallible, does no-one dare question these things?
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Thought the same, Arron. Rashid and Santner both bowl their most economical, dangerous spells of the series, yet Williamson wasn’t even given a cursory over. To be frank without Boult NZ’s attack doesn’t look any better than Englands.
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We should not forget that New Zealand were basically fielding a second rate bowling attack. No Boult, McClenaghan, Milne, Anderson, Vettori (obviously, retired). Mathieson only got a go, since he happened to be in England, and it was impossible to import yet another quick on such short notice.
Idiotic tactics by McCullum. Bowling Santner out at a go, and then not even bothering with Williamson. And trusting Mathieson at the death was always going to be asking for trouble. The drops did not help either.
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I suspect the reason why Williamson didn’t bowl was that he’s a much better bowler at LHBs (all his wickets at Headingley were LHBs) and most of England’s batting yoday was done by RHBs.
That said, he should have had at least an over – probably when Elliott was tried.
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