Ladies and gentlemen. I think we might have a game on our hands. After the second day’s play at Headingley, England are effectively one hundred behind with five first innings wickets left. The game is finely balanced. Let’s just hope the weather doesn’t spoil it all.
If the rain stays away, and conditions are merely overcast, then day three could prove decisive. England could get bowled out cheaply this morning, and then I expect New Zealand to bat with all guns blazing. They’ll lose wickets, but score quickly, and maybe set England around 250-300 to win.
I have mixed feelings about England’s performance yesterday. With clear skies for much of the day, perhaps we should have done a little better. Headingley is hard work for batsmen when it’s swinging around, but generally decent for batting when the sun’s out.
What a shame that our strong position was squandered during the last hour. Fair play to New Zealand though. The Black Caps fought back extremely well.
There were two big stories yesterday. The first was Alastair Cook moving past Gooch’s record. I had my say about this yesterday. Although our skipper is very much the establishment’s man, and I do think he’s benefitted from this enormously throughout his career, it’s hard to begrudge his success.
I know that some people blame Cook for the Pietersen debacle, but I don’t see him as a ‘weasel’. I think he’s a little over-sensitive, but I see his actions (or perceived actions, as we don’t really know what’s been said behind closed doors) as the result of insecurity and his apparently placid nature. In other words, he simply did what his employers wanted.
You can hardly blame him. He wants to play cricket for England, and the ECB have made it very clear what happens to players who go against the grain and embarrass them in public.
Cook’s position has been awfully tenuous over the last year or so. He was hardly in a position to make ultimatums. I think Alastair is very much a puppet rather than a puppet master.
My thinking on this has evolved somewhat recently. I’ll tell you why. Pietersen himself says that Cook is essentially a nice bloke in his book. In fact, all the players and ex-players seem to say he’s a nice bloke. Maybe he actually is? Maybe going along with what his employers want, rather than making a fuss, is exactly what Ned Flanders would do?
I know many of us think Cook has been given an easy ride during his career, but perhaps certain journalists like him so much because they’ve genuinely warmed to him; therefore their prejudice is the result of personal affection rather than any ECB driven agenda? Do you see my point. I suppose we’re all guessing though.
The other big story about yesterday’s play – and this one is much more significant in terms of the Ashes – was Adam Lyth’s excellent century. I thought he played really well. In my opinion he looks the part.
Lyth played very straight when the ball was moving around. It probably helped that Headingley is his home ground. He looks pretty organised to me.
Although there will be tougher assignments ahead – I’ve been impressed with Trent Boult but the other New Zealand bowlers haven’t looked particularly threatening in my opinion – I think the signs are good.
Feel free to add your comments on day three below. It could be a cracking day.
James Morgan
@DoctorCopy
Well said James. There is little to suggest that Cook is anything but a nice bloke, and if he is naturally a bit sensitive… well he’s not the only person in the world. This seems to be the collective views of those who know him, irrespective of whether they are Cookites or anti-Cooks. I think you are also right that he is a loyal servant, working within the culture of the ECB (a “puppet”). He either had to put up, or shut up – he chose shut up. KP put up (starting when he was Captain with Moores as coach), and Cook saw and decided to do what he needed to play for England.
Seen little of Lyth’s batting, but the sense I get is that he is a positive and organised cricketer. He has secured an Ashes starting place, but it’ll be interesting to see how long he lasts if he doesn’t get another score soon. I sense that Bayliss may have a big say, and it’ll be interesting to see how he judges Lyth (and the other players) in terms of taking England forward. Will he make some changes early on, having spent some time with the players.
Today could be very interesting – Bell has just gone, and the conditions will favour bowling for this morning at least. England will need to reduce most of he deficit before they a bowled out, otherwise NZ could make it very difficult for them in the fourth innings.
Cheers Teece. We’ve just lost Jos & Mo now too. Not looking good. Southee looks a different bowler when it’s swinging. He’s been excellent this morning. Conditions massively in favour of the bowlers today. Can see this game moving forward at a rapid rate. NZ will probably lose wickets too unless it brightens up.
Yeah not looking good. Agree that NZ might lose wickets quickly but England will need to get the ball fuller than they normally do. As Vaughan has been saying, if you can keep getting the ball around the top of off-stump you will be in the game at Headingly.
Sorry James, but I still can’t feel the love. Inclusive of his duplicitous behaviour regarding the post Ashes debacle, his statement after the WC absolutely put the tin hat on it for me! He is definitely cut from the same bolt of weasel cloth as the rest in the ECB.Uncle Giles has groomed him very carefully! Good batsmen as I reckon he is, doesn’t make him a stand up bloke, and a couple of good innings cannot, for me, whitewash over all that’s gone on, and i very much doubt that England’s current enjoyable resurgence has much to do with Cook’s leadership input.
Like many on his board, I am in the paradoxical situation of loving England, despising the ECB, and, as you quite rightly say, Cook is Establishment through and through. He’s going to have to do more than just bat well for me, he has to come out with the truth, and tell his side of the story!!
I’m just trying to see the other side really. He’ll never be one of my favourite players, for reasons regular readers know, but it’s important to be objective.
It’s interesting to see recent reactions to Strauss. Many were opposed to his appointment (including me) and I found myself disliking him during his recent interviews. However, it suddenly dawned on me that I used to quite like Strauss. He’s an Ashes hero, and although I got frustrated with his captaincy style in the end, and don’t buy into his cheesy concept of ‘team’, he was a good leader who gave a lot to English cricket. It just seemed bizarre to suddenly start disliking him. It made me think about my own prejudices.
The problem, of course, is that the ecb is so thoroughly unlikeable. But why should I let them ruin my love of cricket?
IB,
Be careful what you wish for. There’s not much doubt that Cook’s version of “the truth”, if he ever writes it, will be very very damaging to KP.
Quite a bit of doubt, actually… though you might not share it.
In what way? If Cook had any real dirt on Pietersen, it would have emerged by now. Even Pietersen’s worst enemies have never concocted claims of great crimes committed by Pietersen against Cook.
One point today that has passed almost without anyone noticing is that play started at 11.15 after heavy overnight rain. This is a tribute to the modern drainage systems. These only ever seemed to get mentioned in relation to pitches becoming drier and less helpful to seamers.
Today shows why even if that is true (and plenty of groundsmen reject it) it is a price worth paying. Someone of my generation can remember days in the 70s and 80s when we’d have been sitting around for half the day waiting for the outfield to dry. Those days are gone and good riddance – but we are in danger of taking the reason why too much for granted.
Great shout Simon. Must admit, I hadn’t even thought of this, and wouldn’t have done without someone flagging it up, cheers!
The game continues to be finely poised as McCullum is (slightly unluckily adjudged lbw).
I didn’t realise only eight tests in history have had identical first innings scores…
No doubt in my mind that the selection of Wood has made a pretty big difference to England. We were carrying one too many bowlers-who-can-bat / batsmen-who-can-bowl.
Wow, Cook was given not out to a ball hitting middle stump halfway up. McCullum given out to a ball missing the stumps. I think DRS needs a review.