Cricket Banter

The MCC have made some changes to the laws which will be implements from October 1st 2026 subject to ratification by the ICC to include them in the International Playing Conditions.
Most of these tweaks are minor, some are purely changes in the wording. The one that I'm delighted about is something I've been telling anyone who will listen for years. The last over of a day will now have to be completed. This is a great change, previously the fielding side were penalized by taking a wicket & robbed of the opportunity to expose another batter under a high pressure situation, the spectators were also had the potential drama taken away.

I've seen a report that due to reaching the playoffs in the IPL, Jofra Archer won't be available to play in the 1st test for England against New Zealand starting on June 4th.

Someone should have seen the possibility and arranged the fixtures accordingly.
And how should have priority, England or a put together one day team.

And how long is this over tedious competition going to run. It's been going for months.

On a positive note he did a good all round performance in the last match.

^^ It does make a mockery of having England players on contracts, this was suppose to prevent this situation. Ben Duckett lost form in the Ashes & has relinquished his lucrative IPL contract & instead played for Notts in the Championship to regain form. Harry Brook has done similar. With both players pulling out late they are now banned from the IPL for at least one season. Bethell had a lack of cricket last summer after spending time in the IPL mostly on the side lines. He looked terrible at the back end of the summer when he eventually played Test cricket, but after a maiden 100 in the Ashes he had nailed down the No.3 position, but again he has been on IPL duty where his form has been poor & has now picked up an injury & is a doubt for the 1st Test. Seems crazy that India control our players, we just don't help ourselves.

Ireland v New Zealand Test Match - Belfast - May 27-31 Day 1 Close
Toss - Ireland elected to field
New Zealand 361-5 (94 overs) Blundell 142 no Ravindra 121 Foxcroft 38 no Williamson 36 M Adair 3-66

(28-05-2026 12:57 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  Ireland v New Zealand Test Match - Belfast - May 27-31 Day 2 Close
Toss - Ireland elected to field
New Zealand 490-8 (119 overs) Blundell 186 Ravindra 121 Foxcroft 98 Williamson 36 M Adair 3-66
Ireland 179 (45 overs) McBrine 73 M Adair 40 Smith 6-40 Sears 2-27
Ireland 65-2 F/O (16 overs) Doheny 36 no Tickner 2-14

(28-05-2026 18:00 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  

(28-05-2026 12:57 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  Ireland v New Zealand Test Match - Belfast - May 27-31 Day 3 Session 2
Toss - Ireland elected to field
New Zealand 490-8 (119 overs) Blundell 186 Ravindra 121 Foxcroft 98 Williamson 36 M Adair 3-66
Ireland 179 (45 overs) McBrine 73 M Adair 40 Smith 6-40 Sears 2-27
Ireland 232 F/O (63.2 overs) Doheny 57 Tucker 50 M Adair 44 no Tickner 5-76 Smith 2-53
New Zealand won by an innings & 79 runs

India v Afghanistan - Only Test - New Chandigarh - June 6 - 10 Day 2 Close
Toss - India elected to bat
India 564-8 dec (127 overs) Gill 126 Rahul 100 Sudharsan 81 Pant 81 Washington 52 Saleem 6-140
Afghanistan 113-5 (39.5 overs) Rahmat 43 no Suther 3-21 Prasidh 2-27

(07-06-2026 10:16 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  India v Afghanistan - Only Test - New Chandigarh - June 6 - 10 Day 3
Toss - India elected to bat
India 564-8 dec (127 overs) Gill 126 Rahul 100 Sudharsan 81 Pant 81 Washington 52 Saleem 6-140
Afghanistan 152 (58.4 overs) Rahmat 60 Suther 6-33 Prasidh 3-37
Afghanistan 112 F/O (35.5) Sediquilah 42 Gurbaz 24 Waashington 4-36 Kuldeep 3-30
India won by an innings & 300 runs

(26-05-2026 12:35 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  ^^ It does make a mockery of having England players on contracts, this was suppose to prevent this situation. Ben Duckett lost form in the Ashes & has relinquished his lucrative IPL contract & instead played for Notts in the Championship to regain form. Harry Brook has done similar. With both players pulling out late they are now banned from the IPL for at least one season. Bethell had a lack of cricket last summer after spending time in the IPL mostly on the side lines. He looked terrible at the back end of the summer when he eventually played Test cricket, but after a maiden 100 in the Ashes he had nailed down the No.3 position, but again he has been on IPL duty where his form has been poor & has now picked up an injury & is a doubt for the 1st Test. Seems crazy that India control our players, we just don't help ourselves.

I would think it is time the Central contract thing needs to be tightened up or dissolved as it does seem to have very little impact safeguarding our players playing abroad, in the Bash or the IPL or whatever, but if they can tighten it up in a way so that players go playing abroad in the Bash or the IPL or whatever, that contract probably has to have a way to be respected by other leagues and they have release clause for when English Test Summers starts, which also needs to be respected.
As for Archer? I don't think many will welcome him back against New Zealand for the next two, but maybe against Pakistan he might feature, but even so he would have to realise he has to make a impact very quickly to not only get fans back onside but also to nail down a place for next winter.