We head to New Zealand then, first up is a Test series. Jerome Taylor is dropped almost certainly ending his international career, Cornwall is also dropped due to the lack of spin on offer in New Zealand. Sunil Ambris and Raymon Reifer are the replacements leaving the squad as: Holder (c), Ambris, Bishoo, Brathwaite, Bravo (vc), Brooks, Chase, Cummings, Dowrich, Gabriel, Hetmyer, Hope. K, Hope. S (wk), Joseph, Reifer, Roach, Singh, Warrican
We make two changes to the XI from our last match; Brooks is replaced by Hetmyer and Gabriel drops out for Roach. The New Zealand team looks seriously strong although, astonishingly given the amount of cricket we’ve played, this is their first test of the year hopefully that gives us a slight advantage. We win the toss and bat.
There was promise to this innings but we fell short again; three fifties but not a score higher than 56 is very disappointing. However there is no doubt this is a tricky wicket and a score of 231 leaves us very much still in this match with a good bowling performance.
Well we were taught a lesson there, with wickets only really falling towards the end of their innings as they looked to go overtly aggressive. Warrican again impressed in conditions not suited to spin bowling 40 overs at an economy of 2.7 a whole run less than any other bowler. Thus we faced a deficit of 272 runs after the first innings with over two days left.
Well we were absolutely blown away by Boult and co. to cap a really disappointing performance all round. A resounding loss of an innings and 137 runs.
Test match awards:
5 – Holder, a solid bowling effort as usual and the single only person to offer any resistance in the final innings.
3 – Warrican, an impressive bowling performance as he fulfilled a different roll compared to previous tests
1 – Singh, of the three fifties scored in the first innings his was the most impressive
***
We have two further games to go in the series and we need to produce a far superior performance if we are to get any positive results. We opt to make no changes, as do New Zealand. New Zealand win the toss and generously put us in to bat.
A better performance this time round but ultimately we finish below par. However there were some very pleasing individual efforts; Chase falling just short of a fantastic century, Hope knuckling down for a hard earned 60 and Hetmyer showing promise in the longer format with a nice 45.
There were two sublime hundreds by Williamson and Taylor which really sunk our chances, but outside of those innings’ we did bowl well, but sadly we came across two world class batsmen today. Some bowling again by Cummins and Warrican resulted in 450 all out.
Well we respond to the tricky first innings deficit with a very pleasing second innings effort. Brathwaite, who has had a very underwhelming season, responded with a gritty 78 however we were soon reduced to 182-6 but then up stepped Hetmyer and Holder with a lovely 138 partnership to drag us to 339 all out, given New Zealand a chase of 178.
We gave it a great go but we just couldn’t get over the line. A loss by two wickets after an absolute smashing the previous test represents a great turn around. Yet again Warrican was brilliant, ably supported by all three seamers in a very impressive all round bowling display.
Test awards:
5 – Warrican, 7 wickets, the best bowling in both innings, just another great performance
3 – Hetmyer, very good contributions in both innings give him his first Test points
1 – Holder, gets this point entirely for his batting as his bowling still isn’t offering enough
***
We’re 2-0 down in this series then, which is the score line from our last tour down here, heading into the final test match. We make one change; dropping Kyle Hope at the top of the order, pushing Hetmyer up to that position and bringing in Bishoo. We are therefore playing five bowlers then and relying heavily on the top 7, which now includes Captain Jason Holder. New Zealand are unchanged and put us into bat under very cloudy skies.
We lost three early wickets before the last two sessions were rained out. Then, in better batting conditions Chase, Hope and Holder stepped up to get us to a good score. Hope finally getting a match-defining score after continuously getting out after making starts was very pleasing, as was Holder hitting a good half century after being promoted to the top 7.
Again our bowling unit, even with 5 options, just didn’t have enough about it to cause a top international team too many problems as they coasted to 495-8dec. We were therefore up against a lead of 154, with a little over a day to play.
Again we were just blitzed as is the case far too often, when one or two wickets fall we just fold far far too easily. A few experiments have failed here; Hetmyer at the top of the order in tests and a five man bowling unit.
New Zealand knocked off the 45 required to win and complete a series whitewash with ease.
Awards:
5 – S. Hope, a maiden century test match century, brilliant effort
3 – Singh, got his runs in a tricky situation which I prefer and rate much higher
1 – Chase, twice in two games he has been out above 95 but not got a century, good innings nevertheless
End of a series, another loss but again positives to take out. However at this point we need the ‘positives’ and the ‘promise’ to result in better performances against the better side and we need to challenge much more regularly.
We make two changes to the XI from our last match; Brooks is replaced by Hetmyer and Gabriel drops out for Roach. The New Zealand team looks seriously strong although, astonishingly given the amount of cricket we’ve played, this is their first test of the year hopefully that gives us a slight advantage. We win the toss and bat.
There was promise to this innings but we fell short again; three fifties but not a score higher than 56 is very disappointing. However there is no doubt this is a tricky wicket and a score of 231 leaves us very much still in this match with a good bowling performance.
Well we were taught a lesson there, with wickets only really falling towards the end of their innings as they looked to go overtly aggressive. Warrican again impressed in conditions not suited to spin bowling 40 overs at an economy of 2.7 a whole run less than any other bowler. Thus we faced a deficit of 272 runs after the first innings with over two days left.
Well we were absolutely blown away by Boult and co. to cap a really disappointing performance all round. A resounding loss of an innings and 137 runs.
Test match awards:
5 – Holder, a solid bowling effort as usual and the single only person to offer any resistance in the final innings.
3 – Warrican, an impressive bowling performance as he fulfilled a different roll compared to previous tests
1 – Singh, of the three fifties scored in the first innings his was the most impressive
***
We have two further games to go in the series and we need to produce a far superior performance if we are to get any positive results. We opt to make no changes, as do New Zealand. New Zealand win the toss and generously put us in to bat.
A better performance this time round but ultimately we finish below par. However there were some very pleasing individual efforts; Chase falling just short of a fantastic century, Hope knuckling down for a hard earned 60 and Hetmyer showing promise in the longer format with a nice 45.
There were two sublime hundreds by Williamson and Taylor which really sunk our chances, but outside of those innings’ we did bowl well, but sadly we came across two world class batsmen today. Some bowling again by Cummins and Warrican resulted in 450 all out.
Well we respond to the tricky first innings deficit with a very pleasing second innings effort. Brathwaite, who has had a very underwhelming season, responded with a gritty 78 however we were soon reduced to 182-6 but then up stepped Hetmyer and Holder with a lovely 138 partnership to drag us to 339 all out, given New Zealand a chase of 178.
We gave it a great go but we just couldn’t get over the line. A loss by two wickets after an absolute smashing the previous test represents a great turn around. Yet again Warrican was brilliant, ably supported by all three seamers in a very impressive all round bowling display.
Test awards:
5 – Warrican, 7 wickets, the best bowling in both innings, just another great performance
3 – Hetmyer, very good contributions in both innings give him his first Test points
1 – Holder, gets this point entirely for his batting as his bowling still isn’t offering enough
***
We’re 2-0 down in this series then, which is the score line from our last tour down here, heading into the final test match. We make one change; dropping Kyle Hope at the top of the order, pushing Hetmyer up to that position and bringing in Bishoo. We are therefore playing five bowlers then and relying heavily on the top 7, which now includes Captain Jason Holder. New Zealand are unchanged and put us into bat under very cloudy skies.
We lost three early wickets before the last two sessions were rained out. Then, in better batting conditions Chase, Hope and Holder stepped up to get us to a good score. Hope finally getting a match-defining score after continuously getting out after making starts was very pleasing, as was Holder hitting a good half century after being promoted to the top 7.
Again our bowling unit, even with 5 options, just didn’t have enough about it to cause a top international team too many problems as they coasted to 495-8dec. We were therefore up against a lead of 154, with a little over a day to play.
Again we were just blitzed as is the case far too often, when one or two wickets fall we just fold far far too easily. A few experiments have failed here; Hetmyer at the top of the order in tests and a five man bowling unit.
New Zealand knocked off the 45 required to win and complete a series whitewash with ease.
Awards:
5 – S. Hope, a maiden century test match century, brilliant effort
3 – Singh, got his runs in a tricky situation which I prefer and rate much higher
1 – Chase, twice in two games he has been out above 95 but not got a century, good innings nevertheless
End of a series, another loss but again positives to take out. However at this point we need the ‘positives’ and the ‘promise’ to result in better performances against the better side and we need to challenge much more regularly.
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