Key occasions
Lunch! England recovering quick (101-3)
And that’s luncheon, with these two stretching their partnership to 80. New Zealand began so effectively however then declined to go for the jugular, settling for 3 slips and a gully when Steve Waugh or Ben Stokes would have had 4 slips and two gullies. Joe Root has been the outdated Joe Root, making 23 off 65 balls; Harry Brook has performed the one manner he is aware of, racing to 51 off 52 balls. He has ten instances as many fours because the outdated grasp on the different finish. Time for some toast.
Another fifty to Harry Brook!
twenty sixth over: England 101-3 (Root 23, Brook 51) Southee takes himself off and turns to Bracewell for our outdated good friend, the token over of spin earlier than lunch. He’s taken two catches, can he take a wicket too? He can’t. Root, a supreme participant of spin, takes a single after which Brook throws his fingers right into a sq. drive to convey up yet one more Test fifty. His fifth in a row! Greentop, what greentop?
twenty fifth over: England 96-3 (Root 22, Brook 47) Wagner continues, and Brook geese a bouncer! Showing that he’s able to discretion in addition to valour. But then there’s a bouncer that doesn’t stand up a lot, and he simply has to tug it, onerous, for 4.
twenty fourth over: England 91-3 (Root 21, Brook 43) Back to that Southee-Root stalemate, till the final ball, which Root works away for a single. He now has one 4 from 59 balls confronted, whereas Brook has eight from 46.
“Don’t be fooled by the green colour of the pitch,” says Chris Bowden. “There have been a few pitches in NZ that look like this on day one that flatten out over the course of the match. This was the pitch where Brendon McCullum (remember him?) scored 300 after NZ were bowled out for 192 in their first innings.”
twenty third over: England 90-3 (Root 20, Brook 43) Even Brook is being saved quiet now, by Wagner – for 3 balls, anyway, all of them full. Then Brook thinks “sod it”, backs away to leg and whacks one other full one over mid-on. He’s a lot enjoyable to observe.
twenty second over: England 86-3 (Root 20, Brook 39) Southee, into his ninth over now, beats Root with a magnificence and picks up one other maiden. He has one for 26, Henry two for 27. The digicam finds Brendon McCullum, huddled in a hoodie.
twenty first over: England 86-3 (Root 20, Brook 39) Brook hits Wagner for 4, twice, by midwicket – as soon as off the entrance foot, as soon as off the again. But he additionally misses out on a few hook photographs, so Wagner is to not be written off but.
twentieth over: England 76-3 (Root 19, Brook 30) A few singles off Southee, after which Root picks up two as Henry, at mid-on, flops excessive of the ball like a wounded seal.
Fifty partnership!
Nineteenth over: England 72-3 (Root 16, Brook 29) Wagner has been in his seldom-seen pitch-it-up mode, however now he goes brief to Brook. One bouncer is so excessive it’s a large; one other is extra testing. Brook miscues his hook and may be caught at midwicket if Southee had seen it earlier. The batters take a single which brings up the fifty partnership – price 100 on this pitch.
18th over: England 67-3 (Root 15, Brook 27) Root pulls Southee, however just for a single; Brook would have hit that out of the bottom. Root continues to be standing a yard exterior his crease after which taking a stride down the observe, however the impact is stalemate: the bowlers go shorter, Root will get tucked up and performs a defensive push.
seventeenth over: England 65-3 (Root 14, Brook 26) Ah, right here is Wagner, changing Mitchell. He’ll be pleased to seek out that Ollie Pope has already crashed and burned. He begins with a few smooth deliveries on the pads, duly clipped away, and can be eased by the covers by Root if it weren’t for a pointy cease by Bracewell, the fielder of the match up to now.
sixteenth over: England 61-3 (Root 11, Brook 25) Southee provides Henry a belated relaxation and, nonetheless not fancying Wagner, brings himself again. He is correct sufficient to maintain Root quiet and this can be a maiden.
Root now has 11 off 32 balls, which is promising. I want Stokes would simply give him a licence to not thrill. Stokes may even lengthen it to himself.
fifteenth over: England 61-3 (Root 11, Brook 25) Mitchell once more drops too brief, so the batters milk him, enjoying reduce photographs for a single to the quilt sweeper. Blundell goes again to encourage Mitchell to pitch it up – which he does, solely to seek out Brook belting him over mid-off. Brook has 25 off 25 balls.
“Hi again from Norway Tim ;),” says Brendan Large. “Is this pitch better or worse than the ones seen on England’s tour to Pakistan? It may sound stupid but those let nothing happen & this would seem to let ALL happen. My problem with this is that winning the toss might be too important.” You’re proper, they’ve gone from one excessive to the opposite – from a featherbed to a minefield. It’s fortunate this isn’t the pink-ball Test.
14th over: England 54-3 (Root 9, Brook 20) Henry bowls a seventh over. Root stands a yard exterior his crease, narrowing the angle, lowering the motion sand forcing the bowler to drop shorter. Five dots after which a single off the final ball, as Harry Styles’s As It Was rings out.
“Jack Leach and Jimmy are both due a big knock,” reckons Kim Thonger. “Can I be the first to predict a game changing big daddy record 10th wicket partnership, eclipsing the frankly inadequate 198 runs scored by Joe Root and James Anderson against India at Nottingham on 9 July 2014.”
Drinks: NZ lording it
thirteenth over: England 53-3 (Root 8, Brook 20) Tom Blundell comes as much as the stumps for Mitchell, to maintain each batters in their crease. Root cuts for a single, gently; so does Brook, with extra snap. Mitchell is simply too sluggish to bowl brief, and realises it. As he goes fuller, Root props ahead and takes one other single. And that’s drinks, with NZ effectively on high.
“Evening Tim,” says Showbizguru. “Anyone who watches cricket in Ireland regularly will tell you that wicket is a bone-dry road.”
twelfth over: England 50-3 (Root 6, Brook 19) Henry continues and has Harry Brook in all types of bother. The first ball is inside-edged into the pad; the second is a waspish bouncer, fended off uncertainly. Another brief ball runs away for 4 off the thigh pad, to convey up England’s fifty, earlier than a size ball raps Brook on the hand. He’s not in Karachi now.
eleventh over: England 46-3 (Root 6, Brook 19) Southee has solely three seamers in this match, however right here he’s discovering a fourth one! He takes himself off, spurns Neil Wagner for now – the ball clearly isn’t in a foul sufficient state for him – and turns to Daryl Mitchell’s navy medium. Root treats him with respect, and that’s the second maiden of the morning.
tenth over: England 46-3 (Root 6, Brook 19) Root, taking no discover in any respect of Julian Menz’s argument, square-drives Henry for 4, slicing it a bit. Henry retorts by beating him exterior off.
“I hope,” says Rob Lewis, “the Basin Reserve is a tad warmer than when I visited for NZ vs India in Feb 1976. It was so cold in Windy Wellington that the Indian team needed 3 captains, 2 withdrawing with colds; India were bowled out for 81 and the Kiwis won by an innings. Thanks again for your sterling work.” It’s our pleasure.
ninth over: England 41-3 (Root 1, Brook 19) Root, masking his stumps, works the ball off his toes to get off the mark. That clears the stage for Brook, who hits Southee for 4, 4, 4 – a traditional drive, a meaty reduce, a merry slog. He’s acquired 19 off 12 balls!
“Root was questioning his role in the new set-up,” says Julian Menz, “and now he’s found it. Stick around, glide and caress the ball, and score a 200-ball ton (no ramp-shots necessary).”
eighth over: England 28-3 (Root 0, Brook 7) Brook will get an edge too! But it goes by the hole in the cordon, between third slip and gully. That hole wouldn’t have been there underneath some captains we may point out.
Here’s Brian Withington. “How green is my alley?” he chortles. “Quick runs/wickets and a declaration before lunch whilst pitch still juicy?”
seventh over: England 24-3 (Root 0, Brook 3) So Harry Brook is on the crease in the seventh over! A very good take a look at for him after a dream begin to his Test profession. He goes down the observe, like Pope and Root, and nearly yorks himself earlier than adjusting and enjoying an on-drive for 3.
WICKET! Duckett c Bracewell b Southee 9 (England 21-3)
Well NZ could also be dangerous at opinions, but it surely appears they know bowl. And catch. Southee attracts a thick edge and Bracewell clings on, simply, after a juggle. He was at full stretch, grabbed the ball with one hand, after which noticed it come out as his elbow hit the bottom, earlier than having the wit to seize it once more.
sixth over: England 21-2 (Duckett 9, Root 0) That partnership was going so effectively – bustle from each batters, Duckett whipping for 3, Pope for 2, then that beautiful 4. But Henry was cool, calm and artful, sending a fielder out to deep sq., which saved Pope in his crease, anticipating a bouncer that by no means got here.
Joe Root comes in, strolls down the observe … and Henry thinks he’s acquired him LBW first ball! Southee opinions once more, will get it incorrect once more, and now NZ have solely one left.
Wicket!! Pope c Bracewell b Henry 10 (England 21-2)
Another one! After enjoying an beautiful cowl drive, Ollie Pope will get squared up and offers a pointy likelihood to 3rd slip, which is fantastically snaffled by Michael Bracewell.
fifth over: England 12-1 (Duckett 6, Pope 4) Duckett, going through Southee, will get an enormous fats vanguard however escapes scot-free because the ball loops over gully. Before the wicket, a caption knowledgeable us that Duckett and Crawley are the 2 fastest-scoring openers in the world this winter – Crawley simply forward of the pack on 68 runs per hundred balls, Duckett miles out in entrance on 99.
4th over: England 9-1 (Duckett 3, Pope 4) That was good bowling from Henry, who bowled a nip-backer, simply wanting a size, after which went fuller with a ball that held its line. No blame for Crawley, but it surely does make him that bit extra prone to be the person who makes manner for Jonny Bairstow’s return in the summer time.
Ollie Pope, immediately extra assertive than Crawley, dances down the observe and throughout to off stump. He misses together with his first tried flick, however nails his second for the primary 4 of the day.
Wicket! Crawley c Blundell b Henry 2 (England 5-1)
Here we go! A very good line, a tentative push, a skinny edge, a predictable demise.
third over: England 5-0 (Crawley 2, Duckett 3) Crawley, going through Southee, picks up a second single that’s extra assured, clipped off the toes. Duckett goes for an enormous cowl drive and will get an inside edge.
Only 5 off three overs! So a lot for this new England.
2nd over: England 4-0 (Crawley 1, Duckett 3) Here’s Matt Henry, recent from paternity depart. He begins with a pleasant loosener which Ben Duckett tucks away for 2, then produces a 3rd ball that’s unplayable, leaving Duckett and lifting. Southee opinions however regrets it when UltraEdge glints solely because the ball brushes the thigh. Crawley then flirts with hazard, going too early with an off-push and nearly giving Henry a return catch. The pitch, up to now, is as juicy because it seems to be.
1st over: England 0-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 0) First ball, Southee beats Zak Crawley on the within edge and appeals for LBW. Going down, it appears. Second ball, he finds the skin edge, however Crawley’s fingers are smooth sufficient to maintain it down. Third ball, cartoon outswinger, left alone, finally ends up between first and second slip. Fourth ball, swinging away once more, in the channel however safely left. Fifth ball, thick exterior edge, once more managed. Sixth ball, left once more. It’s a maiden! Something NZ didn’t handle for 40 overs in the primary Test.
Some correspondence! “OK Tim…” says Brendan Large on Twitter. “I heard the pitch was green but WTAF. It looks like the groundsperson had a few too many last night & painted the pitch on the outfield. Will it play as stupidly as it looks? If it does is that good or bad for NZ? Surely Bazball is made for a crazy wicket?”
I want I knew. What I can say is, there’s loads to be stated for low-scoring matches.
Yes, it is windy
As the New Zealanders sing their anthem, they’re wanting a bit ruffled – by the wind, which the Basin Reserve is legendary for. Those trousers are billowing.
The gamers are on the market …
… and so is the solar! As God Save the King rings out.
Meanwhile the Man United sport has ended. Permission to hitch Scott Murray.
Very Nineteenth-century
Teams: England
As marketed. But how will they go on a greentop?
England 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wkt), 8 Ollie Robinson, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Jack Leach, 11 Jimmy Anderson.
Teams: NZ
Last week’s debutants, Kuggeleijn and Tickner, drop out. Matt Henry comes in as anticipated and Will Young joins him to stiffen the batting.
New Zealand 1 Tom Latham, 2 Devon Conway, 3 Will Young, 4 Kane Williamson, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Daryl Mitchell, 7 Tom Blundell (wkt), 8 Michael Bracewell, 9 Tim Southee (capt), 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Matt Henry.
Toss: NZ win and bowl
Well, you’ll, wouldn’t you? And Tim Southee does.
Pitch: sure, it is inexperienced
David Gower introduces us to the pitch, which is as inexperienced as we must always all be today. And, for now, it’s not raining.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the ultimate match of England’s tour of New Zealand. Not that way back, excursions have been a marathon – in 1974-75, England’s two Tests in NZ have been tacked on the top of a gruelling six-Test sequence in Australia, as organized by directors who evidently hadn’t heard {that a} father might need a component to play in household life.
Nowadays most excursions are a dash. A two-Test sequence continues to be a horrible thought, as a result of neither facet can come from behind to win it. But a minimum of with these protagonists, each bearing the imprint of Brendon McCullum, we all know that the competition will probably be very watchable whereas it lasts.
For New Zealand, there’s a sequence to sq. and a rating to settle after 4 successive defeats to Ben Stokes’s courageous new England. They can have Matt Henry again from paternity depart (what would these Nineteen Seventies directors have fabricated from that?). He is predicted to share the brand new ball with Tim Southee, permitting Neil Wagner to return his customary function because the one meting out the punishment fairly than taking it.
For England, there may be momentum to be maintained. And as Chris Rogers tells Daniel Gallan in this illuminating take a look at Stuart Broad’s scorching spells, “momentum is real”. After six Test wins in a row, one other one would put Stokes on a par with Michael Vaughan, who received seven in the house season of 2004. It would additionally give Stokes a pair of whitewashes: his third in a Test sequence (following NZ final summer time and Pakistan in the autumn), and the primary whole-winter clean-sweep ever by an England captain with greater than three Tests on his plate.
There is a few rain across the Basin Reserve, so it’s simply conceivable that Stokes must accept the primary draw of his regime. Should that occur, his document for the winter – received 4, drawn one – would be the greatest by an England captain enjoying greater than three Tests since JHWT Douglas did one thing related in South Africa, simply earlier than the First World War. Douglas, fondly often known as Johnny Won’t Hit Today, had an unfair benefit in the good SF Barnes, then aged 39 and nonetheless sending down medium-fast cutters that might transfer both manner. In his closing sequence, Barnes took 49 wickets at a median of 11 in 4 Tests and boycotted the fifth after a distinction of opinion with the administration. His a hundred and fiftieth anniversary is now approaching, to be celebrated in the 2023 Wisden.
Stokes has an unfair benefit too in James Anderson, who ought to certainly be often known as Jimmy Won’t Miss Today. He’s simply returned to the highest of the world rankings on the ridiculous age of 40. The phrase was that he was a bit sore after his exertions at Mount Maunganui, which introduced his second-best match haul in 77 abroad Tests (seven for 54). You suspect that no quantity of soreness, nor even a distinction of opinion with the administration, would cease him having a bowl on the inexperienced inexperienced grass of Wellington.
It’s a day sport, for a change, performed with a pink ball. Play begins at 11am native time, 10pm GMT, and I’ll be again about 25 minutes earlier than that with information of the toss, assuming it hasn’t been delayed.
Discussion about this post