Ali Martin is here with his report of a fantastic day three for England at Hagley Oval:
Stumps: New Zealand by 4 runs
49th over: New Zealand 155-6 (Mitchell 31, Smith 1) A quiet end to a marvellous day for England, who look set to continue Test cricket’s winter of the unexpected. They are in a great position to beat New Zealand who beat India who beat Bangladesh who beat Pakistan who beat England.
Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse, aka Chalk and Cheese, took three wickets apiece to reduce New Zealand to 155 for 6 on what remains a pretty good pitch. There were some poor shots but also some brilliant deliveries, most notably the beautiful nipbacker from Woakes to dismiss an ominous looking Kane Williamson for 61.
Carse – if only Tony Greig was still with us to commentate on him – also hit three sixes in an unbeaten 33 that helped England to 499 all out. Ben Stokes made 80, equalling his highest score since the Lord’s Ashes rampage of 2023, and Gus Atkinson pumped 48 from only 36 balls.
48th over: New Zealand 155-6 (Mitchell 31, Smith 1) It’s the end of a long day, but Carse continues to hit the pitch like he wants to hurt it. No joy in that over, with Mitchell defending very solidly, so Carse finishes another memorable day with figures of 12-3-22-3.
There’s time for one more over from Gus Atkinson. I guess if he takes a hat-trick England could claim the extra half-hour.
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47th over: New Zealand 154-6 (Mitchell 31, Smith 0) Bashir off, Atkinson on. Mitchell continues to kick it down the road, defending or leaving everything. He’s now made one run from 32 balls since the dismissal of Kane Williamson and Tom Blundell from successive deliveries.
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46th over: New Zealand 153-6 (Mitchell 31, Smith 0) A wicket maiden from Carse, whose match figures are quite outstanding: 30-4-85-7. He also pumped 33 not out with the bat earlier in the day.
WICKET! New Zealand 153-6 (Phillips LBW b Carse 19)
The big man has struck again! Phillips, on the back foot, pushes around a sharp nipbacker and is hit on the back leg. It’s close on height so Phillips reviews the decision – but it’s umpire’s call and Carse has his third wicket of the day. He is a revelation.
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45th over: New Zealand 153-5 (Mitchell 31, Phillips 19) Phillips pulls Bashir firmly for three, with Crawley making another excellent save on the boundary edge. Those runs take New Zeland into the lead; like England they have a very short tail, so this game isn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion. You’d think they need a lead of at least 200 though.
44th over: New Zealand 148-5 (Mitchell 31, Phillips 14) After a game-breaking spell of 5-0-15-2, Woakes gives way to the indefatigable Carse. Phillips widens his eyes after the first delivery hits his defensive bat much harder than expected. Even when Carse’s pace is nearer 80mph than 90 he seems to take batters by surprise.
Mitchell, meanwhile, is playing for the close; since that Woakes double strike he’s scored 1 run from 23 balls.
43rd over: New Zealand 147-5 (Mitchell 31, Phillips 13) Phillips moves back in his crease to punch Bashir square for four, a reminder that you don’t need to take risks or go aerial to hit boundaries off the spinner.
42nd over: New Zealand 140-5 (Mitchell 31, Phillips 6) Since you asked, the last time Kane Williamson failed to convert two fifties in the same Test was against Sri Lanka in December 2015. That’s a triumph for England because Williamson is as good as anyone in the world at turning fifties into hundreds.
Woakes, the man who dismissed him, hustles through a fairly uneventful over. New Zealand trail by 11 and there’s around half an hour’s play remaining.
41st over: New Zealand 137-5 (Mitchell 30, Phillips 4) Ben Stokes dangles the carrot by bringing Shoaib Bashir back in place of Carse. He tosses a few deliveries up but Phillips and Mitchell are able to resist temptation, for now.
40th over: New Zealand 136-5 (Mitchell 30, Phillips 3) Another accurate, challenging over from Woakes, who has made the batters play at pretty much everything in this spell.
In other news…
It’s far from ideal, as Josh Hazlewood was Australia’s best player in the first Test, but it is an area in which they have decent cover. It’s surely more palatable to lose Hazlewood than, say, Nathan Lyon or Travis Head.
39th over: New Zealand 135-5 (Mitchell 30, Phillips 2) England would love one more wicket tonight so that they are into the bowlers before the morning. New Zealand bat deep, with Southee at No10, but that burst from Woakes has made England huge favourites. It’s barely 24 hours since they were 71 for 4 and in all sorts.
Carse tries to york Mitchell, who plays it well and then receives a bit of a mouthful from Carse.
38th over: New Zealand 134-5 (Mitchell 30, Phillips 1) Phillips pulls Woakes smoothly for a single to get off the mark, then Mitchell is beaten by some extravagant seam movement from a good length.
Woakes’ spell, which started with Williamson almost goading him by steering successive boundaries to third man, now reads 3-0-11-2.
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37th over: New Zealand 133-5 (Mitchell 30, Phillips 0) Stokes shows his sadistic side – towards both batters and bowler - by inviting Carse to bowl another spell of short stuff. Mitchell protects Phillips and plays out a maiden pretty comfortably.
I’m still reeling from those two wickets from Woakes. Both were outstanding deliveries but the Williamson LBW is one for the books. For a split-second, as he implored the umpire to raise the finger, Woakes was a 24-year-old hunting his first Test wicket.
36th over: New Zealand 133-5 (Mitchell 30, Phillips 0) Glenn Phillips defends the hat-trick ball. That’s a beautiful moment for Woakes, who wasn’t great in the first innings and might have been playing his last Test overseas had he struggled again in the second.
Figures of 10-1-34-3, including the key wicket of Kane Williamson at a crucial time, do not constitute a struggle.
Blundell is out! There was the thinnest outside edge through to Pope, so thin that Blundell didn’t feel it, and Chris Woakes is on a hat-trick! It was another jaffa, this time straightening off the seam from a perfect length.
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WICKET! New Zealand 133-5 (Blundell c Pope b Woakes 0)
Tom Blundell is given out caught behind first ball – but he’s reviewed the decision straight away and that usually means the batter hasn’t hit it.
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Woakes bowled a gorgeous nipbacker that beat Williamson’s defensive push and hit him on the back leg. It was given out LBW and, though Williamson reviewed, his body language suggested he knew he was on his way. It was actually closer than it looked: the ball was hammering the stumps but the point of contact was umpire’s call, so Rod Tucker’s on-field decision was crucial. What a breakthrough for England!
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WICKET! New Zealand 133-4 (Williamson LBW b Woakes 61)
Chris Woakes has just experienced his greatest moment in an overseas Test!
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35th over: New Zealand 132-3 (Williamson 61, Mitchell 29) Bashir is starting to get into his work and again concedes only one run from the over. You’d expect him to continue but I’d tempted to try either Carse or Stokes – who looked dangerous in a short two-over spell – at the other end.
34th over: New Zealand 131-3 (Williamson 61, Mitchell 28) Woakes returns to the attack and is immediately steered for four by Williamson. It was in the air and not far wide of backward point. To prove he knows exactly what he’s doing, Williamson glides another boundary between keeper and slip.
An affronted Woakes replies with a good delivery that nips back to take the inside edge. This is fascinating cricket.
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33rd over: New Zealand 121-3 (Williamson 53, Mitchell 28) It would have been easy for Stokes to take Bashir off after he conceded 32 from his first four overs. That, emphatically, is not how he rolls so Bashir continues and bowls a better over that costs only one run.
32nd over: New Zealand 121-3 (Williamson 52, Mitchell 28) Williamson punches Atkinson off the back foot for three to reach a quietly dominant fifty from 74 balls. He’s been immaculate. England cannot even acknowledge the concept of potential victory until they get rid of him.
Mitchell, who is also playing really well, drives Atkinson through extra cover for four more. New Zealand trail by 30.
31st over: New Zealand 114-3 (Williamson 49, Mitchell 24) As expected, New Zealand are going after Bashir. Williamson thumps a boundary through extra cover, Mitchell chips another over midwicket and then reverse sweeps the third of the over.
Inbetween those Mitchell deliveries he was beaten by a nice delivery that skidded straight on. Pope dropped it but I don’t think there was an outside edge. Replays confirm as much.
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30th over: New Zealand 101-3 (Williamson 44, Mitchell 16) Atkinson bowls a challenging over to Mitchell, probably his best in this innings. No runs off the bat, just a no-ball.
29th over: New Zealand 100-3 (Williamson 44, Mitchell 16) Williamson skids back in his crease to slap Bashir through the covers for two. I know I keep saying it but he looks in ominously touch from an England perspective – not just for this game but the rest of the series.
28th over: New Zealand 98-3 (Williamson 42, Mitchell 16) More classy strokeplay from Williamson, in this case a back-foot punch for three off Atkinson. England would to sub Matthew Potts in for a few overs; he has a head-to-head average of 1.00 against Williamson in Tests.
27th over: New Zealand 95-3 (Williamson 39, Mitchell 16) Ben Stokes changes tack and brings Shoaib Bashir back into the attack. Mitchell, who loves to take on the spinners, promptly reverse sweeps for four.
Williamson also whips through midwicket for three in a productive over for New Zealand; nine runs from it.
26th over: New Zealand 86-3 (Williamson 35, Mitchell 11) Atkinson replaces Carse and has a field for orthodox bowling. His third ball is slightly too full and driven handsomely through mid-off for four by Mitchell. The rest of the over won’t make the highlights.
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25th over: New Zealand 82-3 (Williamson 35, Mitchell 7) Mitchell averages 70 in Tests against England, mainly because of a spectacular series in 2022, but his recent form isn’t so good. Having scored five Test hundreds in his first 25 innings, he’s hit none in the last 23.
Woakes gets one to snarl back off the seam to rap him on the glove. There’s no short leg – England have both a leg slip and leg gully – so the ball lands safely.
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24th over: New Zealand 81-3 (Williamson 35, Mitchell 6) Carse, who is doing a fantastic job as Mark Wood’s deputy, takes the role a bit too literally by falling over in hsi delivery stride. Next he’ll be riding an imaginary horse.
A couple of short balls to Williamson are called wide before Williamson pulls a legal delivery for a single.
23rd over: New Zealand 77-3 (Williamson 34, Mitchell 6) Woakes is back, presumably with the new batter Daryl Mitchell in mind. A nice outswinger is followed by a nipbacker that bounces over the stumps with Mitchell offering no stroke.
After Pope does well to save four leg byes, Mitchell flicks riskily but also effectively past leg slip for four.
22nd over: New Zealand 73-3 (Williamson 34, Mitchell 2) Now Williamson gets in a bit of trouble against Carse, top-edging a hook well short of fine leg. There’s no real need for New Zealand to take Carse’s short stuff on, especially as they’ve already lost a key wicket in both innings.
Carse switches around the wicket for the last ball of the over and almost strikes when Williamson cuts on the bounce to backward point. He hasn’t looked comfortable against Carse all game.
21st over: New Zealand 71-3 (Williamson 33, Mitchell 1) Stokes tries to york Williamson, who clips the ball to the right of mid-on. Carse saves three runs with a fine sprawling stop. But there’s nowt anyone can do when Williamson places a back cut between gully and backward point for four. Beautiful batting.
20th over: New Zealand 64-3 (Williamson 27, Mitchell 0) Daryl Mitchell is greeted by a sharp lifter from Carse that rams into the glove and drops safely on the off side.
I have only one question, your honour: how the hell does Brydon Carse have a first-class bowling average of 33? He looks terrific.
WICKET! New Zealand 64-3 (Ravindra c Bethell b Carse 24)
Brydon Carse has burgled another wicket! Rachin Ravindra couldn’t resist taking on the short ball but top-edged it high towards deep backwards square, where Jacob Bethell backpedalled smartly to take an awkward catch with aplomb. That’s a precious breakthrough for England – and for Carse, who is making a sensational start to his Test career.
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19th over: New Zealand 64-2 (Williamson 27, Ravindra 24) That’s a promising start from Stokes, who is targeting the stumps – and occasionally the helmet – and gave the two batters nothing they could leave.
18.2 overs: New Zealand 62-2 (Williamson 26, Ravindra 23) Stokes’ second ball zips off the surface to beat Williamson and thump into the helmet. Williamson was trying to pull but was hopelessly late on the shot, which tells a story given how much time he usually has.
Stokes checks on Williamson, who is smiling and seems fine. There’s a short break in play while he is checked for concussion.
Ben Stokes is bringing himself on at the start of the evening session. England would love one of his force-of-personality breakthroughs right now, especially if it’s Williamson.
Only three of the other 18 players with at least 9,000 Test runs, only three have higher average than Kane Williamson.
57.40 Kumar Sangakkara
56.40 Steve Smith
55.37 Jacques Kallis
54.87 Kane Williamson
53.78 Sachin Tendulkar
Is it possible to be an all-time great and still underrated? If so, Kumar Sangakkara’s your man.
Tea
18th over: New Zealand 62-2 (Williamson 26, Ravindra 23) Williamson top-edges a hook off Atkinson for a single. It was safe enough, landing well short of fine leg, but that will encourage England. He did a false stroke! That run takes Williamson to 9,000 Test runs, a lovely milestone for the humblest genius in world cricket, maybe world sport.
Ravindra almost falls to the last ball before tea, snapping his head round nervously after a defensive stroke off Atkinson bounces behind him. It missed the stumps so Ravindra and Williamson will resume their gracefest after tea.
England did pretty well to winkle out the openers on what now looks a belter of a batting pitch. They lead by 89, which is handy but not necessarily decisive in the context of a high-scoring game, especially not while Williamson has an asterisk against his name. This match is beautifully poised.
17th over: New Zealand 59-2 (Williamson 24, Ravindra 22) Shoaib Bashir replaces Carse and will bowl to Ravindra, who he dismissed in the first innings. Ravindra starts round two with elegant authority, sweeping carefully to the fine leg boundary before collecting a pair of twos. New Zealand trail by 92.
16th over: New Zealand 50-2 (Williamson 24, Ravindra 14) Sound the Short Ball Ploy klaxon: Gus Atkinson is coming on for Woakes with a field set for some rough stuff. He has a fine leg, deep square leg, square leg, midwicket and mid-on for Ravindra, who jumps back to drop a single on the off side. It was only one run but mediocre players can’t play a shot like that.
Williamson deals with the rest of the over. Should be time for two more before the tea beak.
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15th over: New Zealand 50-2 (Williamson 24, Ravindra 13) Ravindra clips and pulls Carse for a pair of twos. The second was a fine shot which again demonstrated how much time he has at the crease.
This is starting to look like a big job for England on a pitch that has flattened out in the last 24 hours. For now Ben Stokes still has very attacking fields but that will change as the ball gets older.
14th over: New Zealand 45-2 (Williamson 24, Ravindra 8) Williamson plays a rare false stroke, a thick inside edge off Woakes for a single. Ravindra then times a lovely shot through mid-on for three.
13th over: New Zealand 41-2 (Williamson 23, Ravindra 5) One or two of the England cordon appeal for caught behind when Carse gets a bit of extra bounce to Ravindra. England missed a thin nick in the first innings, but not this time: there’s nothing on UltraEdge.
Carse is almost rewarded for a no-ball when the extra delivery beats Ravindra’s defensive push. He was keen to discuss a review, the rest of the team not so much. Carse is bowling nicely, with good pace and the usual awkward bounce. A lot can happen in 12 months – look at the state of that banana – but right now he feels like a shoo-in for the Ashes squad.
12th over: New Zealand 39-2 (Williamson 22, Ravindra 5) Woakes changes ends to replace Atkinson (5-1-17-0). Ben Stokes still has three slips and a gully even though the new ball hasn’t really done much; he knows the value of getting Williamson, who has a stunning conversion rate, before he reaches fifty.
Williamson pushes a single to move to 22. Ravindra, another batter who seems to have so much time, forces a high-class boundary through extra cover. England have done well to take two early wickets because this pitch looks flatter than at any stage in the match. Don’t be surprised if we see Shoaib Bashir before tea.
11th over: New Zealand 33-2 (Williamson 21, Ravindra 1) Carse gave Williamson some problems in the first innings so this should be an intriguing contest. He has a nice rhythm, with his pace just shy of 90mph, but Williamson still has plenty of time to wave a cut for three. Crawley did very well to save the boundary.
Tell you what, Dame Fortune, Williamson looks in seriously good nick today.
10th over: New Zealand 28-2 (Williamson 17, Ravindra 0) A meek short ball from Atkinson is pulled classily for four by Williamson, who then takes a quick single on the off side. Atkinson’s strongest suit is the only thing letting him down today. DO YOU HEAR THAT MOTHER CRICKET.
9th over: New Zealand 23-2 (Williamson 12, Ravindra 0) If there was any doubt, today has confirmed that Gus Atkinson is a three-dimensional cricketer. He belted 48 from 36 balls and how now taken a quite brilliant catch.
WICKET! New Zealand 23-2 (Conway c Atkinson b Carse 8)
Brydon Carse has struck in his first over! Conway pulled a shortish delivery towards mid-on, where Atkinson dived moved smartly to his left and dived forward to take a fantastic catch. It’s being checked by the third umpire but I’m pretty sure he got his hands under the ball. He did indeed: that is a marvellous catch!
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8th over: New Zealand 21-1 (Conway 6, Williamson 12) Williamson, who looks in ominously good touch, drives Atkinson past the diving mid-off for four. He has a bit of a scare when a defensive stroke bounces behind him in the general direction of the stumps. Williamson tries to kick the ball away, misses and almost gives the off stump a whack instead. All’s well that ends well.
We mentioned this on the first day but it’s worth reiterating just how formidable Williamson is on home soil. He averages 68 from 50 Tests in New Zealand, and in the last 20 games that averages rises to 88. That’s one helluva cheat code.
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7th over: New Zealand 16-1 (Conway 6, Williamson 8) Thanks Taha, morning everyone. This is a gripping arm-wrestle within an arm-wrestle: England trying to make Conway and Williamson play as much as possible; Conway and Williamson leaving whenever they can.
Woakes’s fourth over isn’t the best, allowing as it does five leaves out of six. Not sure why I turned into Angus Deayton there.
6th over: New Zealand 15-1 (Williamson 7, Conway 6) Gorgeous from Atkinson, who finds some decent carry as he squares up Conway from around the wicket. That’ll be all from me – Rob Smyth is in for the rest of the day.
5th over: New Zealand 15-1 (Williamson 7, Conway 6) Woakes brings the ball back into Williamson, but the little master judges his leave perfectly before punching the next ball into the covers for two. The over ends with the former Test captain driving through mid-off for four, a touch uppishly.
4th over: New Zealand 9-1 (Williamson 1, Conway 6) Conway gets properly going with a solid punch through mid-off for four.
3rd over: New Zealand 3-1 (Williamson 0, Conway 2) Woakes gets the ball to shoot past Kane Williamson’s outside edge with a lush outswinger. The quick is finding his rhythm.
WICKET! Latham c Brook b Woakes 1 (New Zealand 3-1)
Woakes strikes! He goes around the wicket with the wobble seam, forces Latham to play, and the outside edge is nabbed by Harry Brook, low at second slip.
2nd over: New Zealand 3-0 (Latham 1, Conway 1) Atkinson goes around the wicket to Conway, who he had caught and bowled in the first innings. Conway decides to play it slow, allowing the bowler a maiden … oops, no, Atkinson oversteps with the final ball. Conway leaves the re-bowled delivery alone.
1st over: New Zealand 2-0 (Latham 1, Conway 1) Chris Woakes takes the new ball against Tom Latham … and immediately has the ball zipping past the outside edge. The next ball is tucked away into the leg side for one. Woakes didn’t look his sharpest in the first innings, going wicketless, still trying to prove his worth overseas. Conway tucks away for one himself.
What a bizarre innings, with New Zealand dropping an obscene amount of chances. Henry finishes with 4-84 while O’Rourke bowled brilliantly for figures of … 1-138 from 25 overs. England lead by 151.
England are all out for 499
WICKET! Bashir c Southee b Henry 5 (England 499 all out)
Matt Henry finds Bashir’s outside edge … but the ball flies past slip and away for four. Bashir ends the over with a slog … the ball flies high and Southee does very well, running to midwicket to hold on.
102nd over: England 495-9 (Carse 33, Bashir 1) Carse opts against singles early in the over, protecting Bashir from the wrath of O’Rourke. The England fast bowler hits down the ground to pick up two before ending the over with a heave over long-on for six! England’s tail are having a ball today.
101st over: England 487-9 (Carse 25, Bashir 1) I mean no disrespect to Shoaib Bashir, but there’s quite a batting drop-off from Carse to him. The No 11 clips for one before Carse dabs into the off side for a single.
WICKET! Stokes c Southee b Henry 80 (England 485-9)
There won’t be a ton for Stokes. His cross-bat hit off Henry, the ball dug into the surface, finds Southee at long-on.
100th over: England 485-8 (Carse 24, Stokes 80) O’Rourke wears a pained expression walking back to his mark, perhaps stunned by how he only has one wicket despite bowling well and creating several chances. The quick tests Carse out with an electric yorker, but the bat gets down in time. Carse then dabs the ball over the slip cordon for a boundary. And then six, with Carse walking across his stumps before launching over fine leg!
99th over: England 475-8 (Carse 14, Stokes 80) Carse is tested by Henry’s short ball … and swings hard over fine leg for six! More bumpers follow but Carse doesn’t get in any trouble.
98th over: England 466-8 (Carse 6, Stokes 79) Stokes shuffled across to the leg side numerous times in that first session, and he’s up to the same after lunch, but can’t make contact against O’Rourke. New Zealand’s giant quick peppers Stokes with the short ball, the England captain eventually getting himself a single before Carse is dropped! The No 10 swings hard and Glenn Phillips can’t hold on, making plenty of ground from point. New Zealand’s misery in the field continues.
And we’re back for the second session, Stokes and Carse the batters, O’Rourke the bowler.
Here’s some fun stats stuff: Harry Brook’s Test batting average against New Zealand is exactly 100 after five innings, with his strike rate 101.01.
Lunch
97th over: England 459-8 (Stokes 78, Carse 5) The lead, I should state, has risen to three figures. Stokes punches for one to end the over and the session. It’s been a fine one for England – they’ve gone at six an over.
Nathan Green makes a great point: “Is this peak Bazball? England has a first class hundy at 10 but not at 3.”
96th over: England 456-8 (Carse 5, Stokes 76) Brydon Carse is greeted with a quality yorker from Will O’Rourke, which the No 10 somehow squeezes away to the boundary. Carse has two first-class tons and averages 30-odd in first-class cricket, by the way. Stokes shuffles to the leg side before pulling O’Rourke away for four.
WICKET! Atkinson c Phillips b Smith 48 (England 445-8)
Don’t bowl short to him! Atkinson hooks Smith over fine leg for six to move to 44 off 34. He then shuffles to the leg side to slap Smith through extra cover for another boundary. But he won’t get a 50 … Atkinson doesn’t nail the pull this time round as Glenn Phillips does well to hold on at deep backward square.
95th over: England 445-8 (Carse 0, Stokes 70)
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94th over: England 431-7 (Atkinson 35, Stokes 69) Atkinson hits the ball really hard. He cracks one to deep point for a single before Stokes shows off some finesse, punching O’Rourke through mid-off for four. Stokes shuffles to the leg side twice to make room but O’Rourke follows him with the ball to stop any damage.
93rd over: England 426-7 (Atkinson 34, Stokes 65) Stokes wants to match Atkinson, swinging wild against Smith, but has to settle for an edge that travels over slip to the boundary.
92nd over: England 421-7 (Atkinson 33, Stokes 61) Stokes is happy to take the singles so Atkinson can let loose, which is some compliment. And then another four, this time off O’Rourke as Atkinson swings hard through the off side. There’s a small appeal as a catch loops up to backward point, but the ball just slapped Stokes’ thigh pad, not the bat.
91st over: England 413-7 (Atkinson 27, Stokes 60) Atkinson smashes Smith through the covers for four – he’s going at better than a run a ball. Atkinson then plays another pull, this time along the carpet, behind square leg for four more. He’s thriving against the bumper.
90th over: England 402-7 (Atkinson 17, Stokes 59) Atkinson pulls Matt Henry for six! He does have all-rounder potential. Another pull shot ends the over … with the ball not carrying to Rachin Ravindra in the deep.
89th over: England 395-7 (Atkinson 10, Stokes 59) Nathan Smith is back, replacing Southee. Stokes has curbed his adventure at the crease since Brook’s dismissal, cutting out the skip down the pitch. He hits to mid-on for a single before Atkinson collects two with a leg-side clip.
88th over: England 390-7 (Atkinson 6, Stokes 58) Atkinson gets the forward defence out as Matt Henry thunders in. The over ends with the No 9 squirting the ball through point for another three.
87th over: England 387-7 (Atkinson 3, Stokes 58) Gus Atkinson, Test centurion, joins Stokes, with Southee getting the ball to hoop. Atkinson shows his batting chops with a leg-side clip for three.
WICKET! Woakes c Latham b Southee 1 (England 382-7)
Southee strikes immediately after drinks, with Tom Latham getting rid of his catching blues with a low grab at second slip! Woakes pushed at the ball outside off. It goes up to the TV umpire to check the catch is clean – cue the awkwardness of the slo-mo replay which makes every grab look a little sketchy. Think he’s OK here, though, and the umpire agrees. Out.
86th over: England 382-6 (Woakes 1, Stokes 56) Chris Woakes is up next and there’s still a lot of work to do: the lead is hardly enormous. Stokes takes a blow to the arm after failing to middle a pull shot off Henry. Ouch.
WICKET! Brook c Blundell b Henry 171 (England 381-6)
Sixth time lucky as New Zealand finally hold on! Brook tries to play that guide to third man again, but an outside edge travels into the hands of Tom Blundell.
85th over: England 381-5 (Brook 171, Stokes 56) Oh my days. Brook has sent Southee on to the roof, swatting away over the leg side for six. Then comes a delicate guide behind point for four. Get yourself a man who can do both.
Krishnamoorthy v asks a pertinent question: “What is the record for most dropped catches for one batsman. I do not recall 5 for a single player - this is qctually nuts.”
Don’t think Cricinfo have a list for this kind of stuff.
Half-century for Ben Stokes!
84th over: England 370-5 (Brook 160, Stokes 56) Ben Stokes has his first 50 since the summer, and he wants more: out comes a shimmy down the pitch and slap through the covers for four – off Matt Henry. Stokes and Brook have put on 51 in 10 overs today.
Harry Brook reaches 150!
83rd over: England 362-5 (Brook 159, Stokes 49) Brook moves to 152 with serious swagger, skipping down the pitch to thrash Southee through the off side for four. He then tries the scoop … but fails to make contact. The two batters exchange singles before Brook clips into the leg side for a couple. A leg-side swat from Brook to the ropes ends the over. The runs are flowing and these two are in a rush.
82nd over: England 350-5 (Brook 148, Stokes 48) Stokes doesn’t lace his cover drive off Matt Henry, nearly offering Williamson a catch but the ball drops just short. The left-hander looks a bit fidgety, trying to force things with the bat.
Guy Hornsby writes in:
Doesn’t Christchurch look like an absolutely beautiful place to watch cricket? Those panned back shots to games going on in the shadow of the ground are the best thing. Even better seeing girls playing. I went to those wonderful islands back in 2001, a truly great time it was, but late May wasn’t the time for Test cricket, sadly. Perhaps the Black Caps fielders feel like getting on the bus themselves, rather then shell yet another catch. They really are giving so many lives to England. But it’s new ball time, should be interesting!
81st over: England 350-5 (Brook 148, Stokes 48) Time for the second new ball, with England trailing by just one. Stokes skips down the pitch immediately, but doesn’t connect with Tim Southee’s inswinger. Stokes is dancing around his crease, making his intentions known: he wants to have a whack. He sneaks through a quick single before Brook does the same to produce a first-innings lead.
80th over: England 347-5 (Brook 147, Stokes 46) Stokes pulls Smith to claim a couple. TV replays show the five times Brook has been dropped in this innings – this is so unlike New Zealand.
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79th over: England 340-5 (Brook 147, Stokes 41) O’Rourke gets the ball to thud into Brook’s front pad, though it’s high and probably sliding down leg as well. A bumper follows and the six-foot-very-tall quick is still causing the guy on 147* problems … and then another drop! Brook looks up to the skies and smiles. He slashed outside off, it went to Glenn Phillips at gully, and it really should have been taken. Straight to him, but popped out.
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78th over: England 340-5 (Brook 147, Stokes 41) Smith gets one to leap up towards the shoulder of Brook’s bat, but the ball keeps low as it bisects the slip cordon. Brook then crunches a drive through extra cover for four; England are quicky making their way towards a lead.
77th over: England 332-5 (Brook 140, Stokes 41) Stokes nails a cover drive off O’Rourke … but Kane Williamson pulls off a cracking dive to his right to collect before firing a throw at the striker’s end. The England captain is forced to turn back and launch himself to make his ground.
76th over: England 329-5 (Brook 138, Stokes 41) Nathan Smith, very impressive on day two, is in from the other end. Brook is quick into his work, though, driving through point for his first boundary of the morning. Then comes the immaculate forward defence, quite possibly my favourite shot of his (a bit boring, I know). I reckon he could thrive at No 3.
75th over: England 324-5 (Brook 133, Stokes 41) Will O’Rourke opens up, with six overs remaining until the second new ball is available. Brook is on strike and quickly off it, tucking behind square on the leg side for one. Stokes throws the bat at a wide one but only connects with the air; he leaves the next one well alone. I wonder if he’s keen for a thrash before the new ball? He nails a pull shot for four to bring up a century stand.
Ben Stokes and Harry Brook, all smiles, make their way out to the middle. Let’s get going.
“Morning from a wet Auckland,” writes Chris Pitts. “Assuming England can push on this morning, what would be a lead?”
England would probably be very chuffed to get to 450, get themselves a 100-run lead? Considering where they were at lunch yesterday, any lead feels a fine achievement.
TalkSport, providing radio comms on this series, have had their cameras nicked!
William Lane writes in, offering some herbal wisdom:
Sorry to hear you’re under the weather.
Can’t go wrong with classic lemon lemsip, but I like to make my own lemon and ginger mix on the hob to stir the powdered stuff into. Tablespoon of honey in there too and you’re onto a winner.
Not much to say on the cricket itself to be honest, it’s all a bit “classic England” isn’t it? Ride our luck to be in touching distance of the first innings score with a few wickets in hand, collapse, concede a sizeable 3rd innings score before an all-time great chase in the fourth innings. Yawn....
Mark Quinn’s having a lovely time. As I crank up my electric heater, the jealousy grows. “Longterm reader first time writer… Just thought I’d drop you a line as we’re on holidays in Christchurch. Watching test cricket barefoot sat on a grass bank was a real joy, and to top it off, it was a cracking day yesterday. The first session looked tricky yesterday but would be fantastic for Stokes to get a century in his birthplace…”
Elsewhere in the Test game, there’s this mad scorecard. Aside from the obvious ‘Sri Lanka, what you doing?!?!?’, it’s worth noting that Temba Bavuma, a fine player who struggles to convert his fifties, has got his third Test ton.
Where does Ollie Pope want Ollie Pope to bat? He’s made it pretty clear, despite an impressive knock at No 6 on day two.
Preamble
New Zealand, England, the Hagley Oval, day three and it could end up being a tight game. This is how you do a Friday night, right?
The hosts had a bit of a stinker in the field yesterday, dropping several catches, and Harry Brook took advantage to post his seventh Test hundred and sixth away from home, which is just a bit ridiculous. He remains unbeaten on 132, with Ben Stokes, searching for form, alongside him on 37. England trail by 29, with five wickets still in the bag.
Feel free to drop me a line with your thoughts, queries, views on where Ollie Pope should bat, favourite Lemsip flavour (I’m feeling a bit meh), whatever makes you happy.
