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Oh well! England’s hopes of a 3-0 series win were smashed to smithereens by Will O’Rourke and friends on the second day in Hamilton. Now they – and we, although I suppose you are free to go to bed if you like – must endure the admin of defeat. For the next couple of sessions, England’s bowlers are likely get an insight into how Sisyphus felt.
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New Zealand will resume on 136 for three, a lead of 340, with Kane Williamson on 50 and Rachin Ravindra on 2. England will tell themselves they can chase anything. But even in Test cricket’s year of the unexpected, an England win feels impossible.
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That doesn’t mean today’s play has no value. It’s a particularly important day for Shoaib Bashir, who is having a poor end to a largely excellent first year in Test cricket. Bashir is probably England’s greatest concern ahead of their big year. He looks tired, mentally rather than physically, and a few months off will do him good.
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Bashir can still end on a high. A three-for would make him the second youngest bowler to take 50 Test wickets in a calendar year (the youngest was Kapil Dev in 1979). Even allowing for the inordinate volume of Test cricket that England have played it would be a lovely achievement and a reminder – to us and more importantly to Bashir – that what he has achieved is not remotely normal.
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main events
England women's players are also playing in Bloemfontein against South Africa. On the first day of the one-off Test, Maia Bouchier scored an enchanting debut century and Nat Silver-Blunt reaffirmed her all-time greatness. Her consistent talent, especially with the bat, is amazing.
The weather is forecast to improve after lunch. I'm sure there will be a lot of fun. If not, there will always be Australia vs India at the Gabba. Wait a minute, the forecast there is also a little sketchy.
“Evening Rob” writes Kim Tonger. “I spent the last few days in Germany. The majority of Germans are passionate about the sport, but I can confirm what we all knew: no one has the slightest interest in cricket. Not yet.
“I've always wondered, aren't those responsible for preparing school playing fields always intimidated by the imperial measurements used to create pitches and equipment?
“For example. Below is a list of imperial units used in cricket and their metric conversions.
cricket pitch Length 22 yards (66 feet) is approximately 20.12 meters
cricket pitch 10 feet wide is approximately 3.05 meters
boundary distance Typically ranges from 50 to 90 yards, which equates to 45.72 to 82.29 meters.
bat length Maximum 38 inches or approximately 96.52 centimeters.
ball weight 5.5 to 5.75 ounces, or approximately 156 to 163 grams
“With a little compromise, the pitch could be, for example, 20x3m, and the ground staff in the village of Guschlachtenbretzingen in Baden-Württemberg (which actually exists) could be more open-minded. ”
Is there no one interested in cricket in Germany? Tell that to Ben Kohler-Cadmore.!
Start is delayed
Due to rain in Hamilton, the match will not start as scheduled at 10pm GMT. I don't know what else to say.
I'm with Cory. England weren't very good yesterday, but the game fell under the spell of Will O'Rourke's fast bowling. The great West Indies players of the 1980s would have been proud of their bowling.
preamble
I have no choice! England's hopes of winning the series 3-0 were dashed by Will O'Rourke and company on the second day in Hamilton. Now they, and I think we, sleep free if you like, have to endure the administration of defeat. Over the next few sessions, England's bowlers will understand the spirit of Sisyphus.
New Zealand resumed at 136 for 3 with a lead of 340, with Kane Williamson scoring 50 and Rachin Ravindra scoring 2. England will tell themselves they can chase anything. But even in an unexpected year for Test cricket, England's victory feels impossible.
That doesn't mean today's play wasn't worth it. This is a particularly important day for Shoaib Bashir, who has had a disappointing first year in Test cricket. Bashir is probably England's biggest concern ahead of a big year. He seems more tired mentally than physically and will get better after a few months of rest.
Bashir could still end up with a high price. Three fors would make him the second-youngest bowler to take 50 Test wickets in a calendar year (the youngest being Kapil Dev in 1979). This is a great achievement, even if you take into account the huge amount of Test cricket that England have played so far, and for us, and more importantly for Bashir, what he has achieved is by no means ordinary. It will serve as a reminder that there is no such thing.
