Posted by We appear to be back to what we call the Gaylian definition of ‘momentum’ where there’s a hard reset every Test match and recent history is more or less bunk. (Unless you’re Zak Crawley, of course, in which case momentum is very real and you’re almost certainly going to get out to Matt Henry again for another single-figure score.)
South Africa v England
You’d be hard pressed to carry much momentum in women’s Test cricket. One of the greats of the game has just played her 17th innings, 10 years after making her debut.
It wasn’t a colossal surprise that it resulted in a hundred for Nat Sciver-Brunt (her second in the format), but even here it’s hard to discern momentum. Her previous innings – a year ago today – was a golden duck.
At the time of writing, Sophie Ecclestone is yet to take a wicket. This is gravely concerning as it means it’s over a year since she took one in this format. (Update: Nope, stand down. She’s just taken one.)
Australia v India
What is going on here? And by ‘is’ we mean ‘was’ and by ‘here’ we mean ‘in the first Test’.
Australia are habitually strong at home, but fresh from being whitewashed at home by New Zealand and despite being bowled out for 150 in their first innings, India positively detonated them in Perth. However, since then, the tourists have twice been bowled out for under 180 and are currently 51-4 after conceding 445.
If you’ve ever ambled around Rome, you’ll know that there’s a lot of graffiti and normal buildings and then suddenly you round a corner and there’s Trevi Fountain or the Colosseum or something. The second half of that first Test feels a bit like that. It was just such a bizarre and unexpected thing to have encountered given what surrounds it.
As far as the state of play in the third Test goes, that 51-4 also comes with the added weight of Rohit Sharma having just come in. Despite a couple of hundreds against England, India’s captain has averaged only 25.08 over the last 12 months.
Rohit’s average batting under Rohit this last year is in fact weirdly similar to Virat Kohli’s average batting under Rohit over the same period (24.06). Maybe he should try batting under Jasprit Bumrah. Kohli averages 105 doing that.
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New Zealand v England
The momentum from New Zealand’s momentous moment in India must surely be languishing on the seabed in the Bay of Bengal because it sure as stumps didn’t make it back home with them. England – fresh from a series defeat to Pakistan – dominated the first two Tests. Needless to say, they have now pressed home their advantage by utterly capitulating in the third.
If there is one seam of consistency running through their recent results, however, it comes in the form of Zak Crawley and his form in the other sense.
Crawley has made 52 runs from six innings this series at an average of 8.66. You’ll no doubt have seen it reported elsewhere that no England opener has batted so many times in a single series and finished with a lower average. (Almost a full run less than David Warner in the 2019 Ashes.)
He’s been out to Matt Henry every single time – although it’s not like his recent Henryless returns have been too hot either. He averaged 27.80 against Pakistan and 24.25 against the West Indies before that.
England’s assistant coach, Paul Collingwood, says Crawley’s “ready to hurt someone” – but it would be helpful if that someone were the opposition.
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I was driving past Kilmarnock yesterday, but I didn’t stop.
In Ayrshire?
No, I just didn’t have the time.
Not as good as your ‘two wrists’ joke.