Its Summer! - the Fever Cricket Thread. (Part 2)

Hopefully Ronchi will play and then we can be bombarded by the term " Australian born New Zealand wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi " as an alternative to "New Zealand/Christchurch born England all-rounder Ben Stokes "...

Don't understand why you don't bring Elliott in for Anderson personally. He's in England anyway playing for Leicestershire so would be used to conditions. I understand they would be looking towards the future and all that but seems a no brainer as a stop gap for this one test to me.

I actually mentioned that to someone today who knows Grant through playing with him. He struggles in the longer form of the game including the 4 day stuff and prefers to stick to the limited overs stuff. The reason is that he has a plan for limited overs as he is a busy player but struggles to find his batting rhythm and therefore form, in the longer versions.  

For how long has Dannevirke been part of Australia?

Ok how about " South African born New Zealand batsman BJ Watling " or " Australian international wicketkeeper now playing for New Zealand Luke Ronchi as if anyone gives a sh*t "...better?

More accurate, but i'm not sure what your point is.

Just that i'm tired of the media referring to Stokes as " New Zealand/Christchurch born " every time his name crops up. Why  don't they refer to the backgrounds of Watling, Wagner, Elliott when they're mentioned? They did the same thing with Caddick when he played for England.Is it some pathetic attempt at snaffling some of the glory? Seems an incredibly " small town " kind of thing. 

Irritating...

I don't think it's just here though.  I do often hear 'South Aftrican born Wagner/Elliott" (not so much Watling).  You also hear "SA born Pietersen" and others in British commentary/media and even in other countries' press.  There is a lot of column inches to write, and not always a lot to say, so they include human interest stuff like this consistently as filler - did you know Jacob Oram was a soccer goalkeeper?

That's a good BJ...

For sure, even the worst BJ is better than, say, sniffing the best rose ... watching the greatest sunset. Hearing children laugh.

 - Victor Mancini from Chuck Palahniuk's "Choke".

Weather permitting, we should win it from here. 

They have 2 days to get near 350. I actually back them. They don't have to play any shots or chase anything wide. It'll be about 2 runs an over....

400 up already, keep piling them on chaps!

Broad's first over of the day..... 0,4,6,4,4,2. Hilarious. 

450 target. Eng 30-0 at lunch. We shouldn't lose from here. Doesn't mean we won't, but we shouldn't.

Mark Craig has had one over before lunch and it looks very promising.

But drawing becomes a possibility when the rain that had been forecast to be one or two intermittent showers turns into most of a day of persistent rain.

Ah, bollocks. Hopefully it doesn't rain for the final day

The forecast sounds good.

That and also maybe because it would be easily the biggest run chase in test cricket history?

I'll be honest in that I don't subscribe to that theory. Lots of teams get 500 plus in their 1st innings. Why can they not do it in the 2nd innings...

Lol, what? You don't subscribe to decades worth of statistics and facts?

because the pitch has had 4 days of cricket played on it? 

because Macca is the captain? 

just no

Well in this case I don't think it will happen but what has NZ's run rate been this test across both innings. Up near 5? I bet you in the past (and I'll say as recent as 3 years), people would have said that's impossible. Gayle and Guptill just smashed 200s in a ODI tournament and I bet no one thought that would have happened. 

I think current trends show that history is not as relevant as it used to be. That's why I take the position that I do. Do I think it will happen? No, however just cause not many other teams have chased 400 does not mean it can not happen especially when teams are knocking 500 with a little frequency.

Conversely, if NZ needed 450 off 100 overs, and McCullum decided to go for it and got to 100 in decent time, would you back him?

Gem from Boult! 8 to go........

Are you new to test cricket or something?

What a hour!!!!!

5 before lunch, great stuff! Poor Stokes haha that looking pretty fudgeing painful!

Decided to stay up for the next session. That first one was just so good!

also! 

Into the tail now. Closing in...

Come on wrap it up. Need some sleep

Williamson's bowling stats are pretty tidy vs England!

Brilliant win. Superb bowling and fielding effort on the final day. Deserve to draw the series, a shame there is no decider really.

Yeah that was epic. I love that our aggression paid off in the second Test.