World Test Championship Final

Off for bad light now. You know this should have been played at Lords, the ground dries so quickly. The Bowl is notorious as a bad drying ground, it's in the middle of nowhere and if you don't have a car a bugger to get to. In fact if you do have a car it takes about two hours in normal times to get out of the car park. I see why they wanted the hotel on the ground facility, but really there are plenty of hotels near Lords and it wouldn't have been that much more difficult to manage. You know with a huge Indian TV audience the ICC have made a mess of what was meant to be a showpiece. It's likely to be a draw looking at the weather over the next 3 days, even with a possible 6th Day. I'd be surprised if they bother with this again. And once more it's behind a pay wall on Sky with no highlights even on terrestial TV. Live radio commentary on 5 Live Sport only. Ridiculous. But of course football takes over from all programming on BBC and ITV. After last night I won't bother.

India scored 217 from 91 overs, New Zealand have so far scored 101 from 49.

Surely this underlines why the classic form of the game (or "red ball" if you prefer) does not lend itself to a one-off 'final'. Teams are preoccupied with not losing rather than winning. It discourages enterprise and makes for a borefest.

On another note I see that Sanga has been put into the ICC Hall of Fame. I miss his elegance, what a player.

Some people will moan about anything...

It's been a great, high-quality match so far. It's also swinging round corners and VERY hard to score.

Looks like the days lost to rain is building up to a thriller here. You can keep your T20.

Just think if NZ win this, you've got a team from a country with around 4 million people (more sheep), with a fraction of the cricket budget and support that England and the big boys have, sitting on top of the World. I wonder why? In fact it's about proper player development, something we lack, amongst everything else in our sorry set up.

Still not a fan of "finals" in long-form cricket, but the last day has made up for much of what preceded it which I still maintain was very negative cricket, albeit in challenging batting conditions.

Can you imagine what a damp squib this would have been without the extra day built in to allow for poor weather? People pay a lot of money these days to watch test cricket: in this country, a reserve day for test matches should be standard, even if it means playing fewer international matches. As so often in life, less is more.

As I write, the man who would have won Surrey more than one county championship if we'd only signed him when I implored us to has just bowled Latham. Captain Kane has just arrived to steady the ship. Come on NZ!

be amazing that a country with more sheep than people will be top of the World in both cricket and rugby

First ever world champions in the format which really counts.

Good guys DO come first.

Great win by a really well deserved side. You know yesterday was a great days Test cricket despite losing two days, you wouldn't get much better entertainment for your money. I know I'm not a T20 fan, but really there's just no comparison for me. That England/Sri Lanka last night, oh dear.

The 3 games England have against SL are worthless, as SL are so poor a reckon a decent County side could beat them

However, if you look at the England team from yesterday, it virtually covers every base. Batsmen that are destructive, a keeper who can bat, bowlers that cover every angle (pace, left arm, death bowling) and a world class spinner

The players that are in the squad that didnt play yesterday (Ali, Billings, Tom Curran, Dawson (how is he still knocking around the squad) and Willey) could come in for anyone in the XI and not disturb the side too much (bar Dawson) and then you have players like Archer, Foakes, Topley and Stokes who are unfit, and Root and Hales who cant get near the side

I reckon this team would beat most International teams

Hales, Ali, Root, Billings, Stokes, Foakes, Dawson, Tom Curran, Willey, Archer, Topley

I am sure I have missed some players out, but England certainly do have a huge talent pool to choice from when it comes to white ball cricket. If the WT20 wasnt in India (or the sub continent) I would have us as overwhelming favourites. The fact it is in India tips the scale towards them some what

Coatesy wrote:The 3 games England have against SL are worthless, as SL are so poor a reckon a decent County side could beat them

However, if you look at the England team from yesterday, it virtually covers every base. Batsmen that are destructive, a keeper who can bat, bowlers that cover every angle (pace, left arm, death bowling) and a world class spinner

The players that are in the squad that didnt play yesterday (Ali, Billings, Tom Curran, Dawson (how is he still knocking around the squad) and Willey) could come in for anyone in the XI and not disturb the side too much (bar Dawson) and then you have players like Archer, Foakes, Topley and Stokes who are unfit, and Root and Hales who cant get near the side

I reckon this team would beat most International teams

Hales, Ali, Root, Billings, Stokes, Foakes, Dawson, Tom Curran, Willey, Archer, Topley

I am sure I have missed some players out, but England certainly do have a huge talent pool to choice from when it comes to white ball cricket. If the WT20 wasnt in India (or the sub continent) I would have us as overwhelming favourites. The fact it is in India tips the scale towards them some what

There is the possibility that it will take place in UAE should India not be able to hold it.