England tour of New Zealand (2024)

[BouncerGuy]

NZ are a bunch of cowards, you have 500 runs lead and you still dont feel comfortable to declare lol

still 2 full days left. maybe they are thinking about declaring before lunch tomorrow.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Dropping Harry Brook 5 times in England's first innings of this series cost NZ massively.

That was such an amateur performance.

 

[sweep_shot]

still 2 full days left. maybe they are thinking about declaring before lunch tomorrow.

I guess they don't want to take any chance.

England can score 600 runs in 6 sessions. Better to give a target of 650 in 5 sessions.

 

[Hellion]

NZ should bat till they get bowled out. No need to declare.

 

[Hellion]

I guess they don't want to take any chance.

England can score 600 runs in 6 sessions. Better to give a target of 650 in 5 sessions.

England haven't scored even 300 in a 4th innings away from home in the Bazball era.

Only someone with a degree in women's studies/gender studies or another equally useless humanities degree is expected to make such unintelligent posts tbh.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Injury blow for England with skipper hurting hamstring against New Zealand

England's inspirational skipper could be set for a stint on the sidelines after he injured his troublesome hamstring against New Zealand.

England have confirmed skipper Ben Stokes injured his hamstring during the third day of his side's Test match against New Zealand in Hamilton.

Stokes clutched his left hamstring after pulling up sore midway through an over when bowling to New Zealand youngster Rachin Ravindra at Seddon Park and immediately left the field to receive treatment.

It is the same hamstring Stokes injured during The Hundred in August and that forced the all-rounder to miss the opening ICC World Test Championship contest against Pakistan in Multan during October.

While it is unknown whether Stokes will attempt to bat during his side's second innings in Hamilton or how long the 33-year-old will be sidelined for, it is more than one month until England are fixtured to play their next international match.

England are fixtured to play a total of eight white-ball contests in the lead-up to next year's ICC Champions Trophy event, with a five-match T20I series and three-game ODI series against India commencing from January 23.

ICC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Lead is already enough. They should just declare and bowl remaining 10 overs against England.

Day 3: 3rd Session - New Zealand lead by 647 runs
ENG 143
NZ 347 & 443/8 (99.5) CRR: 4.44

 

[followed]

Hahah they want to give them the target of 700 I think.

 

[followed]

Shoaib bashir will score double century by the looks of it. LOL

 

[Hellion]

Bashir has been completely outbowled by Bethell.

 

[followed]

No double century for bashir. LOL

 

[BouncerGuy]

As I predicted.. Brrilliant from Kiwis. Declaring just few overs early and getting 2 wickets as well. England losing this one. white wash saved.

Day 3: Stumps - England need 640 runs

NZ 347 & 453
ENG 143 & 18/2 (6) CRR: 3

 

[BouncerGuy]

Stokes blow compounds England slide towards defeat

Third Test, Hamilton (day three of five)

New Zealand 347 (Santner 76; Potts 4-90) & 453 (Williamson 156, Young 60, Mitchell 60)

England 143 (Henry 4-48, Santner 3-7, O'Rourke 3-33) & 18-2

England need 640 runs to win

England's slide towards a massive defeat in the third Test against New Zealand was compounded by a concerning recurrence of Ben Stokes' hamstring injury.

Stokes was in visible distress as he left the field clutching the same left hamstring he injured in August, subsequently missing four Tests.

The captain was bowling his third over of the third day, midway through the afternoon session. He pulled up in the follow-through of his second delivery, went straight to the dressing room and did not return for the remainder of the New Zealand second innings.

Even before Stokes was injured, England were staring down the barrel as an inevitable Kane Williamson century built New Zealand's monstrous lead.

After rain delayed play by two and a half hours, Williamson moved to 156. He added 107 with Rachin Ravindra, who made 44, and another 92 with Daryl Mitchell, who helped himself to 60.

When New Zealand were finally bowled out for 453, England's target was a world-record and improbable 658.

England were left six overs to bat, in which time Ben Duckett played an awful hack to drag on off the retiring Tim Southee and Zak Crawley was lbw to his tormentor Matt Henry.

The tourists will resume on 18-2 when play gets under way at the earlier time of 10:30 (21:30 GMT Monday) on day four.

Dry weather is forecast for days four and five, giving New Zealand plenty of time to salvage a consolation victory from a series England have already won.

For England, the bigger worry is Stokes' long-term fitness.

Cruel blow for injury-hit Stokes

This is a devastating blow for Stokes, whose progress from left-knee surgery at the end of last year has now been hit by two hamstring injuries in the space of five months.

The first, sustained playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, ruled him out of the home series against Sri Lanka and first Test in Pakistan. Stokes later admitted the mental toll the battle to get fit in Pakistan took on him, made worse by a break-in at his home while he was away.

The captain has looked near to his best in New Zealand, the country of his birth, both as a leader and a player.

The 33-year-old had been able to play a full role as a fourth seamer, but it is the repeat injury after such a bowling workload that is the cause for alarm.

The 23 overs he bowled on the first day of this Test are the most he has bowled in a single day, his 36.2 overs in the match his most since June 2022 and the 66.1 overs in the series his most as captain.

Stokes pulled up with a back problem during the first Test in Christchurch, though was able to stay on the field. His immediate reaction here was an instant indication of the severity of the issue.

As Ravindra hoiked to mid-on, Stokes hobbled off, covering his face as he left. Ollie Pope, already standing-in as wicketkeeper, took over as captain.

Stokes had treatment and will be assessed further before England make a decision on whether he bats in the second innings.

His spell with MI Cape Town in the SA T20 in January will surely be cancelled and any slim prospect of a return to the England one-day team for the Champions Trophy is over. More important are the questions over his long-term prospects as a Test bowler.

Williamson's Hamilton home comforts

When New Zealand resumed on 136-3, leading by 340, England's prospects were already bleak and Williamson mercilessly removed any semblance of hope.

On his home ground, Williamson racked up his seventh century and nudged his average at Seddon Park to 94.94. From 50 overnight, he was watchful and correct, mainly waiting for England to drop short in order to cut to the square boundary.

On 73, Williamson survived the tightest lbw shout from Brydon Carse and on 80 miscued Shoaib Bashir over Carse at mid-wicket. On 86, a pull at a Stokes bouncer was parried by Pope flying down the leg side. It would have been a magnificent catch.

When Stokes was injured he was replaced in the attack by left-arm spinner Jacob Bethell, whom Williamson hit for six over long-on to go to his 33rd Test hundred. The action simply became about how many runs New Zealand wanted to amass.

Williamson seemed nailed for a double, only to sweep Bashir to sub fielder Rehan Ahmed at deep square leg. Mitchell holed out to long-off to become Bethell's first Test wicket.

The futility of New Zealand continuing to grow their lead bordered on farce. England spared their seamers and Harry Brook bowled with the second new ball.

The crowd chanted for Southee and got their wish after Mitchell Santner was out for 49, including five sixes. England gave Southee his second guard of honour of the match, his quest to add to his 98 career sixes ended by lofting Bethell to long-on. Next ball, Bethell bowled Matt Henry to end with 3-72.

Zak Crawley overturned being given out leg before to Henry from the fifth ball of the innings, before Duckett's ridiculous charge at Southee.

There was still time for Henry to get Crawley for the sixth time in six innings in the series. Crawley ends with a series average of 8.66 – no England opener has ever batted as much in a single series and ended with a lower average.

BBC

 

[batandballbattle]

O'Rourke bowled a spicy over.
Got up to 150ks at one stage.

 

[sweep_shot]

England are batting well.

106/2 (23 overs).

552 more to win.

 

[sweep_shot]

Root is out for 54.

ENG - 122/3.

536 more to win.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Root is out for 54.

ENG - 122/3.

536 more to win.

Target is huge.. Impossibe for Eng to save this Test

 

[sweep_shot]

Target is huge.. Impossibe for Eng to save this Test

England suffered a huge defeat.

NZ won by 423 runs.

 

[FearlessRoar]

New Zealand thump England in series finale​

Third Test, Hamilton (day four of five)

New Zealand 347 (Santner 76; Potts 4-90) & 453 (Williamson 156, Young 60, Mitchell 60)

England 143 (Henry 4-48, Santner 3-7) & 234 (Bethell 76, Root 54; Santner 4-85)

New Zealand won by 423 runs; England won series 2-1

England's year ended with a thumping defeat by New Zealand, who sent seamer Tim Southee into retirement with a consolation victory in the third and final Test.

Set a fanciful 658, England were hustled out for 234 midway through the fourth afternoon to lose by 423 runs, their largest defeat by the Black Caps in terms of runs and fourth-largest by anyone.

Jacob Bethell further enhanced his growing reputation with 76, coming through an electrifying spell by New Zealand pace bowler Will O'Rourke.

Bethell added 104 with Joe Root, who made 54. When Root was out, Harry Brook perished to O'Rourke for one and wickets fell with regularity in Hamilton.

The nadir was vice-captain Ollie Pope being bowled for 17 attempting a reverse scoop at Matt Henry.

Captain Ben Stokes, who suffered a recurrence of a left-hamstring injury on day three, did not bat. He had been expected to have a scan prior to the fourth day but will instead be assessed on Wednesday.

England's final demise, with their last four wickets falling for 19 runs, meant Southee was not required to bowl after lunch.

He instead led his team from the field, the 36-year-old ending a 16-year, 107-Test career with 391 wickets.

England still win the series 2-1. They embark on a white-ball programme after Christmas before the Test summer begins against Zimbabwe in May.

A 2024 that began with an all-time great victory over India in Hyderabad ended with a humbling in Hamilton. For the fourth time in five series, England have lost the final match, three of them dead rubbers.

A first series win in New Zealand since 2008 is a superb result, concluded with this meek surrender. England have a habit of not just losing, but getting hammered.

The decision to bowl first at the toss can slightly come into question, though this game was lost on a second day when England folded to 143 all out, including a collapse of 8-66.

England's record for this year reads nine wins and eight losses. They probably deserve marginally more credit than the numbers suggest, given eight of their Tests were in Asia and they have revamped their side with the introduction of a number of young players.

Still, they enter a new year with a number of questions. The form of opener Zak Crawley is a concern and off-spinner Shoaib Bashir seems to have gone backwards. Can room be found for Bethell in the summer? Most importantly, can Stokes stay fit enough to function as an all-rounder?

India at home and an Ashes in Australia await in a defining 2025 for Stokes, Brendon McCullum and England.

An eyebrow-raising selection for the tour and an even bigger surprise to bat at number three, Bethell now has three half-centuries, enough to give England a selection decision.

Admittedly all of Bethell's fifties have come in the second innings, yet this one was all the more impressive given the way he played O'Rourke, who discomforted Root and Brook, ranked the two best batters in the world.

From 18-2 overnight, England's first hour was relatively calm, bar Root being dropped by second slip Tom Latham off Southee. Bethell, playing late, was handsome on the drive and quick on the pull, especially with a six off Southee.

Root's missed sweep at Mitchell Santner, given lbw on review, opened up the game. Brook fended O'Rourke's snorter and Bethell, having come through the O'Rourke barrage, sliced the first ball of a new Southee spell to deep point to waste the opportunity of a maiden hundred.

Pope's dismissal was ludicrous, typifying England's performance. Gus Atkinson and Matthew Potts holed out in the space of three Santner deliveries and Brydon Carse was last out, stumped off the same bowler.

In all, England batted for only 83 overs across the entire match.

From the high of a 3-0 win in India, New Zealand were well below their best for the first two Tests against England, by which time the series was gone.

They found a performance here, boosted by the recalls of India heroes Will Young and Santner. Kane Williamson made yet another century at Seddon Park.

The real focus was on Southee, completing his farewell tour on his home ground. He ends as New Zealand's second-highest Test wicket-taker and his 98 sixes is bettered by only three men.

In reality, Southee was a bit-part player in the New Zealand attack, the work being done by the skilful Henry and exciting O'Rourke. The 23-year-old, born in Surrey, took three wickets in eight balls in the England first innings and produced a terrifying burst on Tuesday.

In an eight-over spell, O'Rourke hit Root in the groin and again had the number of Brook, whom he dismissed twice in four balls in this match. He touched 93mph and averaged 89.5. Only England's Mark Wood has bowled a quicker eight-over spell in Test cricket in the past five years.

Southee was not needed for a fairytale finale, instead Santner ended with seven wickets in the match to go with scores of 76 and 49 with the bat.

New Zealand bowler Tim Southee: "I want to thank New Zealand Cricket for everything you have done. My family, who are there for the ride and see the ups and downs.

"And my team-mates. These guys have made the ride so much more enjoyable, I have loved every minute."

England captain Ben Stokes: "We want to come out and win every game we play. We wanted to leave with three victories in the bag.

"We'd like to end on better terms, it's not the best way to end a Test."

New Zealand captain Tom Latham: "It is pleasing to finish the series in that fashion.

"We were not quite at our best in the first two games but the way we were able to adapt to the different surface here was very pleasing."

New Zealand vs England: Hosts seal crushing 423-run win in Tim Southee's final Test

England's year ends with a crushing 423-run defeat by New Zealand in the third and final Test in Hamilton.

www.bbc.com

 

[kron]

Maybe santner has improved. Will young is a good player

Santner waa the key to win it seems.