England v New Zealand Test Series - June 2026

[Banana]

This is getting silly now.
This is all about Ben Stokes.

and I'm loving it.

 

[davebee]

and I'm loving it.

Nobody can say this is dull! Win or lose this will be entertaining.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

This is getting silly now.
This is all about Ben Stokes.

It's not. His best role is getting decent runs now and making the target smaller. No point in coming out at 3pm tomorrow if the game is almost gone.

 

[davebee]

Also a clever tactic. Smash a few balls and the field is scattered. Get through the new ball and less chance of getting nibbled out. Unless he gets out cheaply...

 

[The Pipe]

Well it certainly isn’t boring!!! Trying to bat a day and a half just isn’t in our DNA anymore so May as well attack and see what happens!!

 

[TW3Bee]

Well that was fun while it lasted.

 

[Untouchable]

Stokes out for 30.

 

[davebee]

Well that was fun while it lasted.

 

[Banana]

Is Gay injured?

 

[TW3Bee]

Bethall padded up out for 0.

 

[Cham]

Bethell wat a numpty

 

[Banana]

Bethall padded up out for 0.

Why has he reviewed that????

Maybe Ben needs some drinking buddies

 

[stevil]

Oh Jacob

 

[davebee]

Why has he reviewed that????

Probably the same reason he left a straight one!

 

[Banana]

Certainly having some fun with the batting order.

 

[stevil]

Play properly FFS

 

[davebee]

On the one hand teeing off like this is slightly disrespectful to the game and the opposition. On the other, we arent getting 370odd on this wicket batting normally so may as well try and score quickly and see if someone can get a big hundred that makes the target achievable.

 

[TW3Bee]

Brook gone.
72-3.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Not sure I understand that Brook innings.

 

[stevil]

Yeah - don't get this at all. Mental.

 

[German Bee]

Awful batting and batting order!

 

[Gazza Bee]

Stupid - typical BazBall, guess Stokes wanted to go out this way but won't be in a winning cause

 

[Jam Jar]

Idiots really. This England team needs a fresh approach time to get rid of Baz. I feel this England team cannot adapt they could have consolidated after the flyer having scattered the field but playing scoops and high risk shots just foolish.

 

[Banana]

Already under 300 and a whole day to go with Root and Duckett at the crease. No problem.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Already under 300 and a whole day to go with Root and Duckett at the crease. No problem.

Bairstow called up as a concussion substitute for Bashir who accidentally got hit by 7 cricket balls in the nets.

 

[stevil]

Bairstow called up as a concussion substitute for Bashir who accidentally got hit by 7 cricket balls in the nets.

The very definition of “like for like”.

 

[Hippobee]

Stupid - typical BazBall, guess Stokes wanted to go out this way but won't be in a winning cause

I'm really hacked off with this, even though others seem to think it's fine.

As I predicted, it turned into the Ben Stokes show; guard of honour, open the batting, etc. Fine if it works I suppose.

Trying to smash NZ 20/20 style all round the park isn't going to work when you're chasing 373. If Stokes is going to promote himself to opener in his last test, then he needs to lead by example. Not much he can do now sat in the pavilion, is there.

The crowd & TV viewers might like a bit of swashbuckling, but they tend to go off it quite quickly when wickets are chucked away.

Stokes' supporters would say he's earned the right to come out and open. If it's for the good of the team, then okay. I'm not sure it's helped in the slightest; just emphasised that Bazball to this degree is going to lose more matches than it wins.

Stokes has been a brilliant talisman over the years, but going out like this hasn't done him any favours, imo. Doubt he'll worry about that when coining it in at the IPL though.

 

[davebee]

I'm really hacked off with this, even though others seem to think it's fine.

As I predicted, it turned into the Ben Stokes show; guard of honour, open the batting, etc. Fine if it works I suppose.

Trying to smash NZ 20/20 style all round the park isn't going to work when you're chasing 373. If Stokes is going to promote himself to opener in his last test, then he needs to lead by example. Not much he can do now sat in the pavilion, is there.

The crowd & TV viewers might like a bit of swashbuckling, but they tend to go off it quite quickly when wickets are chucked away.

Stokes' supporters would say he's earned the right to come out and open. If it's for the good of the team, then okay. I'm not sure it's helped in the slightest; just emphasised that Bazball to this degree is going to lose more matches than it wins.

Stokes has been a brilliant talisman over the years, but going out like this hasn't done him any favours, imo. Doubt he'll worry about that when coining it in at the IPL though.

I get what you are saying. The whole culture around this team needs to change and that comes from the top. Daryl Mitchell batted magnificently today - it wasn't pretty, it wasn;t really all that entertaining.

English cricket hasn't really been winning cricket for a good period of time now. I would really like to see what kind of team setup someone like Alec Stewart could cultivate.

 

[Jam Jar]

Also shows a staggering amount of disrespect to New Zealand who are a top 3 /4 side in test cricket

 

[malvernbee]

Look on the bright side for thousands of people. A couple of hours of free cricket & then a nice lunch & other establishments.

 

[davebee]

Regardless of England's batting in the last hour, this game definitely felt like win the toss, win the match. The opening partnership between Conway and Latham felt pretty decisive, and although England threatened to fight back at times we have always been a bit behind. The wicket has just continued to deteriorate and 370 is basically an impossible total to chase.

 

[BS7Bee]

Stupid - typical BazBall, guess Stokes wanted to go out this way but won't be in a winning cause

And I guess McCullum won't be too invested given he's a.....erm....kiwi.

 

[Hullbee]

And I guess McCullum won't be too invested given he's a.....erm....kiwi.

Ben Stokes is also a Kiwi born in Christchurch

 

[Les Beeavinu]

That was all pretty memorable in good and bad ways. I'm not sure other sports can build that drama in the way cricket does.

Edit: test cricket, not various versions of cricket burp.

 

[davido_i]

I’m not the greatest fan of McCullum, but Stokes has been amazing. Let’s remind ourselves how timid we were under Root, a fantastic batsman but bang average captain. I’ve a nasty feeling we will miss Stokes badly and that the next captain may suffer in comparison.

 

[Isleworth_Bee]

That batting display was horrid.

I get Stokes having a swing, but they set up a good start and should have reigned in the nonsense that is Baz ball.

The way the others threw away their wickets just summed up the need to make wholesale changes in the England set up.

 

[rebus]

That batting display was horrid.

I get Stokes having a swing, but they set up a good start and should have reigned in the nonsense that is Baz ball.

The way the others threw away their wickets just summed up the need to make wholesale changes in the England set up.

He just made it all about him. Pathetic.

 

[HMDBFC]

An iconic cricketer who made incredible things happen under the hardest of circumstances. A warrior in every sense of the word and will leave a huge hole in the English test set up. He obviously has other issues which as with so many other generational sportsmen have exposed flaws that will damage his legacy. That is a real shame

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Think I'll watch Wimbledon.

 

[Les Beeavinu]

Decided not to but it's obvious now why we tried to get ahead of the game yesterday when the ball was new. The pitch is incredibly difficult now. I don't think it was a self publicity stunt by Stokes at all.

 

[Isleworth_Bee]

Shambles.

Changes needed.