Anyway , most of the regulars were missing for Australia (both this series and the one against Pakistan).
Bilaterals literally mean nothing other than squad building etc for most of the teams. It’s only Pakistan who persists in playing their full strength team on doctored wickets against the C strength Aussie team.
I do think Bangladesh has made some good strides in cricket but it’s their test win against the Pakistanis which stood out more for me.
Hmmm
Simon Doull alluded to this the other day. Shame he’s done it in the middle of a series without much chance for some fanfare but I suppose you know when your time is up.
Great player, the best produced on those shores.
Yeah might have been nice to play one test to say goodbye but if he just feels he can’t do it then its not fair on the team in general. Hopefully he sticks around on tour so they can pay some respects to him before the test or something.
Very strange timing.
I hope there’s nothing wrong behind the scenes. Always liked him as player and a man.
He said the Lords test was going to be his last and the commentators mentioned that was the last time we’d be seeing him representing NZ in tests.
I guess closing the chapter at Lords had a big appeal. All the best to him.
Shame he didn’t get a last chance to display his talents 
England team for next test:
Duckett
Gay
Bethell
Root
Brook
Cox
Smith
Archer
Tounge
Fisher
Baker
Feels a bit harsh on Rew, but Cox is a great player who also deserves his chance.
I think once the priority has shifted for Williamson , it’s better to leave immediately.
Drop Duckett and send him to get over his alcoholism (and work on getting a little bit more humble to better match his actual ability) which may set a better example for Brook and Bethell to get to grips with their talent instead of wasting it. Think back to the Aussie team of the early 90s - a tough grafter like Allan Border was integral to ensuring talents like S Waugh, S Warne etc took their games seriously which filtered through to about 20 years of mental edge over everyone else to go with their talent. Even show ponies like Michael Clarke performed with the bat. The likes of Bethell and Brook would have the best brought out of them and could be stars in that system; that system would drop plonkers like Duckett and he’d never get another chance until he’d remade himself.
Cricket is one game where individuals can individuals. But - the team & balance has to come first.
Agree on Duckett. I think there are better out there and his drinking was pathetic. As for Brook? Time to knuckle down watch Joe Root and become what you can be. Do not be like KP. Great career but could have been sensational.
It interesting that, though individual performances can be impactful/consequential, there is also room for sub-teams within the team, i.e. bowling partnerships (Wasim/Waqar, Walsh/Ambrose, Thompson/Lily, etc) and (opening) batting partnerships (Greenidge/Haynes, Cook/Strauss, etc) can also come into play.
That was nice. Quite meditative.
Rew does get his chance, as Jamie Smith is absent to be with his pregnant partner.
5 changes after winning a test, unheard of really.
I’m really unfamiliar with all these new blokes, but isn’t Cox a wicketkeeper?
with respect to KP, I think the England management failed him more than the other way round.
Not sure if Brooke is that much of a knob.
Pretty poor from England this morning. Giving the game away.
Yup, almost the opposite of turning the screw, is it 3 games? as I can see this being 1-1 unless England bat better than I’ve seen them do so in about 5 years.