New Zealand 🇳🇿 v England 🏴 2nd test Wellington
- Thread starter Liverpool Beachball
- Start date
alexraeschin
Central Defender
By the finest of margins.
Salem Street South
Striker
It was a wide but wow what a game. Gutted for Foakes and all our players but chuffed for New Zealand tbh. Don’t mind losing to them at all. Classy team and classy blokes.
Hongkongphooey
Striker
Over confidence, which the way England are playing, is understandable
scotch
Striker
And why they needed a reality check before the Ashes, not during
Salem Street South
Striker
Had absolutely everything that game. Some sublime cricket and some utter village stuff. Thought Foakes showed why he has to play in the Ashes.
scotch
Striker
Foakes' dismissal was fair enough, he backed himself to get the 6 and tie the game given the field, just didnt get enough on it
skullmeister
Striker
A fantastic test match, I thought Leach might have tried to at least get a single when he blocked out the whole of that 2nd last over, Anderson must have thought cheers mate 
Thunder Road
Midfield
Any other point in the game and it's a wide.
chopsfc007
Striker
Umpire ruined it f***ing arseholes
scotch
Striker
Actually getting more annoyed about it now, it was well down leg and above head, England only got themselves to blame there 60 runs with 5 wickets and they all fell to the short ball
Salem Street South
Striker
Yeah 100% and hopefully they can use losing a game they should have won in this way as a bit more motivation come June.
Was the wrong shot imo. Hadn’t put a foot wrong till then, he’d kept everything down, he just had to carry on what he was doing. But that’s being ultra critical, he was excellent and so unlucky not to see us home
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scotch
Striker
Hindsight, Foakes takes a single and we probably win 2 overs later.
I think whats most dissapointing is that a tie would have been much easier to take for the sake of that wide
Salem Street South
Striker
So many what-ifs that in my view it’s pointless overthinking it or going back over it, just got to enjoy it for what it is. Gutting the umpire didn’t give it wide, but you could point to any of the singles Foakes turned down or any number of other moments. Just an absolutely fantastic, utterly absorbing Test match.
seaham ftm
Winger
Only themselves to blame. Reality check before the ashes. You can’t declare, enforce a follow on and get beat when you need a draw to win a series.
scotch
Striker
If we're gonna lose, at least let it be to the kiwis
rentaghost
Striker
The declaration is a nonsense discussion. They declared in the first innings of the first test after 50 odd overs and won. They declared in Pakistan test leaving them a very gettable total and they won. They backed themselves and had every right to and no one complained.
However in this game it was a great declaration in the context of the game for a number of reasons:
1. All of the experts tell you the basin reserve gets better for batting as the game goes on
2. We had a good first innings total and there was rain around
3. Getting them in then allowed us to bowl at them when conditions were at the best they would be bowling wise and get them out cheaply allowing us control of the game
4. The declaration allowed us to be in charge of the game and do what we want after first innings. We can take the ‘safe’ route and bat again or we can get them to follow on recognising that the pitch should stay good for the full 5 days when we chase. I was 50/50 on this but if any tactical criticism is to be given it should be here although personally I think it was a fair call.
5. The reason we lost was because we didn’t play good enough cricket in the second half of the match. This wasn’t an 80 hit 5 pitch and the batting this morning was really poor.
However it’s wrong to be too critical of the players or the tactics it’s their brave approach that has given you the last 12 months and 11 brilliant victories out of 12.
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