Trent Bridge classic!

Trent Bridge, another great test match between a very good Kiwi team and an England XI that has managed to perform at its best for a second game in a row.  All of the bowlers got a wicket or two and all of the batsmen made at least a 50+ score, with the exception of Crawley.  Foakes’ keeping was excellent but the catching wasn’t great although this was the same for both teams.  I’m finding it hard to get my head round a game in which New Zealand scored 550+ on first innings yet lost and England were set 300 at six an over yet won?  Did we bat brilliantly or was the bowling rubbish?  I think maybe aggressive batting caused poor bowling?  Apart from Pope coming in for Lawrence this was the same batting line up that played in the West Indies, where they done well in two of the matches.  Maybe we have a unit that is coming together?  Better not speak too soon, again.

Two excellent performances and the series wrapped up I’m not sure I would have predicted that but that’s England, you never know what you are going to get, next week we could be shite again.  Whatever happens it should be fun to watch.

The Bastard and the Lizards

The bastard is still hanging on.  Booed on his way into the cathedral and his MP’s have their knives out but still the bastard clings on.  It took him long enough to get into the top job and by such an unlikely and circuitous route that he will stick like shit to week old underwear and will only give it up if he’s dragged from the building, he will never have the decency to resign.  He more than anyone or anything else is the reason it is embarrassing to be British in 2022, no make that English as they have more sense in the other parts of the UK.

The Lizards had a tea party and some of the population had a weekend off.  Some put up flags and celebrated, some took to the streets but some of those still had enough sense to boo the bastard.  I ignored most of it, even resisted posting the Pistols anthem on FB (it seemed a bit too obvious…)  But I did watch the concert, well some of it.  There were a few decent moments “Throw your curtains wide…” but when they wheeled out that cunt Rod I wanted to jump through the window, I managed to find the door in time.

Ah bless Lizzy Lizard, she’s not a bad old stick is she?  You could argue she’s a lot less trouble than the leaders we get to elect and to be honest she doesn’t piss me off far anything like as much as ‘Her’ government(s).  But monarchy, come on!  The concept is ridiculous and the young lizards know this, they realise just how precarious their position could quickly become and are being trained to behave accordingly.  I’m not sure but I think I might be starting to feel sorry for them, honestly who would really want to do their jobs?  Yes they get to travel the world in luxury but are their lives really their own?  How much of their lives are actually spent doing what others tell them?  Then again, as the Ginger Prince showed a while back, they do have a choice.

Lords

It was a really good test match, maybe even a Lords Classic?  We had a bit of everything, New Zealand will feel like they should have won it, that England did so was mostly down to our four genuinely great players.  How can we be so bad so often with Anderson, Broad, Root and Stokes available for selection?  It’s like the West Indies when most of the greats had retired and they relied on Ambrose, Chanderpaul, Lara and Walsh.  Perhaps we should look at New Zealand, Kane Williamson a great player with a hard working team of very good cricketers punching above their collective weight.

Apart from the fab four the rest of the England XI, Crawley and Lees had brief moments, Potts had an excellent debut and Foakes was almost perfect behind the stumps then held his nerve to support Root and secure the win, his innings shouldn’t be overlooked but will be forgotten when a scapegoat is required.  Parkinson looks interesting, he could be fun to watch in the future.  Bairstow was bowled twice which is almost as predictable as Root getting a hundred but he caught very well in she slips and Pope also did fuck all with the bat but managed a run out.  All round the fielding was much better and all the team will feel like they contributed so the only question will be ‘should Leach come back?’  The second test starts on Friday and England will have to improve because New Zealand certainly will.  Trent Bridge should suit both sets of bowlers so it will come down to which batting line up stands up best and that’s anyone’s guess.