That’s all for today. Ali’s report should be on the site in the next hour and we’ll be back tonight for day three of this topsy-turvy match. Big first hour!
Stumps: England trail by 29
74th over: England 319-5 (Brook 132, Stokes 37) A sharp bouncer from Smith is pulled very awkwardly for a single by Stokes. If that ball is anything to go by, Brydon Carse will be an unwelcome handful in the third innings.
That’s the last incident of a thrilling day’s cricket that produced 348 runs and seven wickets. England were in serious bother at 40 for 3 and 71 for 4, but Harry Brook and Ollie Pope rode their luck in a manic, match-changing partnership of 151 in just 31 overs.
Brook was dropped four times during a sparkling unbeaten 132; Pope, who led the counter-attack, fell for 77 to an outrageous catch from Glenn Phillips. And Ben Stokes looked in preetty good order, making 37 not out in an unbroken partnership of 97 with Brook.tg
73rd over: England 317-5 (Brook 131, Stokes 36) A good ball from Phillips is inside-edged between his own legs and just wide of the stumps by Stokes. But for the most part England have played Phillips comfortably. It’s a world away from their ordeal at the spinning fingers of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali in October.
Time for one more over, two at a push.
72nd over: England 312-5 (Brook 128, Stokes 34) New Zealand will be happy to get off the field and start afresh in the morning. The second new ball is due after 80 overs so they’ll still fancy their chances of keeping England below 400.
71st over: England 308-5 (Brook 126, Stokes 32) I think that’s seven catches New Zealand have put down today: Duckett two, Brook four and now Stokes. It’s almost unfathomable, especially as Glenn Phillips then took by far the toughest chance.
70th over: England 306-5 (Brook 125, Stokes 31) Brook drives Smith for three to take England past 300. Optimistic soul that I am, I didn’t give them a prayer when they were 71 for 4 and the ball was talking like Brian Blessed.
And now Stokes has been dropped! The ball after threading a gorgeous drive for four, one of the shots of the day, he had an off-balance swipe and was put down by Latham at short cover. It was a sharp, two-handed chance, but I reckon he’d take that eight times out of 10.
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69th over: England 298-5 (Brook 122, Stokes 26) Tom Latham is going to try to buy a wicket before the close. Glenn Phillips is coming on, and you have to think at least one of the England batters will go after him before the close.
For now it’s more of the same, a pair of singles and some studious forward defensives from Stokes.
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68th over: England 296-5 (Brook 121, Stokes 25)
67th over: England 294-5 (Brook 120, Stokes 24) Brook averages 92 in away Tests, second only to Don Bradman of those who have batted at least five times overseas. That includes six of his seven Test centuries so far.
Phillips saves three runs with a flying stop at backward point. England have scored so many runs behind square on the off side today; Stokes ads two more with a deft steer. England trail by 54.
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66th over: England 287-5 (Brook 116, Stokes 21) Stokes is batting like Ben Foakes at No7 – but that’s fine as he’s with a free-flowing top-order batter. If he’s left with Nos 10 and 11, Stokes’ approach will change faster than you can say “six more”.
Back where our feet are, Nathan Smith comes back for one more spell before ethe close. He jags one back to hit Brook in the ribs, another reminder that, even with the old ball, there is still a bit in this pitch. Stokes then top-edges a hook for four to move to 21 from 45 deliveries.
New Zealand desperately need to take at least one wicket beofre the close; they have half an hour to do so.
65th over: England 279-5 (Brook 113, Stokes 16) I wonder which top-order batter has been dropped the most in a single innings. I think England dropped Adam Gilchrist four times, the same as Brook today, when he made 90 at Lord’s in 2001. A few of those were sitters as well.
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64th over: England 279-5 (Brook 113, Stokes 16) O’Rourke cuts Brook in half with a beauty that cuts back off the seam. He looks horrible to face, especially when he gets the ball to follow the right-handers, and figures of 16-1-82-1 don’t do justice to his performance today.
The last four of those runs came from a Stokes slash that flew between slip and gully. Life moves pretty fast: 42 overs ago, England were 71 for 4 and in all sorts.
63rd over: England 274-5 (Brook 112, Stokes 12) Matt Henry returns with New Zealand in urgent need of a wicket or three. Brook gets more than halfway down the track before being sent back by Stokes and has to scramble to make his ground. The throw missed anyway and it’s a maiden from Henry.
Stokes, taking his own sweet time, has made 12 from 40 balls. Brook has 112 from 133.
62nd over: England 274-5 (Brook 112, Stokes 12) Has Brook been dropped again? He flicked at a legside delivery from O’Rourke which was then dropped by Blundell and ran away for four.
The umpire gave four leg-byes but Steve Harmison in the commentary box thinks Brook got a touch on it. Replays show he’s right! Brook has been dropped for the fourth time. It looked a pretty straightforward chance for Blundell, although there’s a chance it might have wobbled at the last. Even so, he should have caught it.
A hugely frustrating over for New Zealand ends with Brook inside-edging just past the stumps and away for ofur.
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Harry Brook reaches his seventh Test century
61st over: England 262-5 (Brook 104, Stokes 12) That’ll do! Harry Brook back cuts Southee for four to reach an exhilarating century: 123 balls, eight fours, two sixes. He’s been dropped three times – three times! – but has also played some glorious strokes.
Brook’s celebration is modest: he raises both arms before pointing his bat skywards to salute his late grandmother Pauline.
60th over: England 255-5 (Brook 97, Stokes 12) I forgot to say that this is the first time Stokes has been down to bat No7 in a Test since the Marlon Samuels salute game in the Caribbean in 2015. He’s come in at No7 on a number of occasions since but only ever because of a nightwatchman or a reshuffle.
Harry Brook, a man who will surely never bat No7 in his Test career, takes a couple of singles to move closer to his seventh Test hundred.
59th over: England 251-5 (Brook 95, Stokes 10) Harry Brook, on 91, deliberately ramps Southee over the keeper’s head for four. That’s outrageous. He lost his balance and ended up lying his back, Rishabh Pant-style. The only difference is that Pant would have hit it for six.
58th over: England 243-5 (Brook 88, Stokes 9) Stokes cuts the new bowler O’Rourke to the right of Phillips at gully. Phillips dives to save the boundary and flings the ball at the stumps in the same movement, forcing Stokes to scramble to make his ground. He’s one of the all-time great fielders.
The next ball is a nasty 89mph lifter that beats Stokes, who smiles at the inherent absurdity of nostalgia impossibility of playing a ball like that when you’ve just come to the crease. This could be a fun contest because neither player will back down. Stokes swivel-pulls smoothly for four, his first boundary of the innings, then moves inside another sharp lifter.
Time for drinks. England trail by 105 runs.
57th over: England 237-5 (Brook 87, Stokes 4) Stokes has started in a manner that suggests he means business. He’s barely offering a stroke, and when he does it’s usually a watertight forward defensive. Most of his best innings have started this way, most notably Headingley 2019 and Lord’s 2023.
We don’t know whether Stokes is in sufficiently good nick to make runs but he looks in a good place mentally, with none of the cat-on-a-hot-tin-roof stuff we saw in Pakistan. He hasn’t even thrown his bat at square leg for heaven’s sake.
56th over: England 233-5 (Brook 86, Stokes 1) Short and wide from Smith, which allows Brook to slash a deliberate boundary over the slips. A reminder that he was dropped on 18, 41 and 70, a festival of buttered fingers that could cost New Zealand the game.
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55th over: England 226-5 (Brook 79, Stokes 1) Stokes nails a nice drive off Southee that is stopped in the covers. Then he has a dangerous flirt outside off stump and is beaten. A maiden.
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54th over: England 226-5 (Brook 79, Stokes 1) Stokes flicks Smith for a single to get off the mark from his eighth ball. This is an important series for him – he’s down at No7, which makes sense but also feels unbecoming, and he needs runs after a pretty modest 2024.
Stokes’ away form is a particular concern given the focus on you know what. Since batting imperiously in South Africa just before Covid, Stokes averages 25 from 25 Tests away from home.
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53rd over: England 222-5 (Brook 76, Stokes 0) New Zealand and England never let us down, do they? Every series they play is topsy-turvy, even the ones that end 3-0. We’ve already had multiple momentum shifts in this game and Pope’s wicket could be the catalyst for another.
WICKET! England 222-5 (Pope c Phillips b Southee 77)
Glenn Phillips ends the partnership with a stunning catch! Pope slashed a back cut off the new bowler Southee, a shot he has played all day, but this time Phillips flew to his right and stretched to take a one-handed blinder. We’ve seen Phillips do it several times but it still takes the breath away.
With the possible exception of myself, I’m not sure any other fielder in the world would have caught that. Pope goes for a fabulous counter-attacking 77 from 98 balls.
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52nd over: England 222-4 (Brook 76, Pope 77) Brook takes a single off Smith to bring up a riotous 150 partnership in barely 30 overs. As well as substantially reducing the deficit, it has given England’s lower middle order a great chance to punish a tiring New Zealand attack tonight.
Brook dropped for the third time!
51st over: England 219-4 (Brook 75, Pope 75) This is getting silly. New Zealand are normally so reliable in the field but today they’ve put down five chances. Brook hoicked Phillips high towards deep midwicket, where Conway shelled an awkward runnings chance.
50th over: England 213-4 (Brook 70, Pope 74) The speed at which England score means games can change at dizzying speed, especially when they are relatively low-scoring. It’s less then 30 overs since the dismissal of Ben Duckett put New Zealand in complete control; now they are arguably second favourites. They could do with a timeout, even a drinks break, to compose themselves and discuss bowling plans.
That’s not an option just yet so Nathan Smith returns to the attack. Brook charges a short ball, is hit in the gut and gets four leg-byes for King and country when the ball deflects past the diving Blundell. It was a no-ball as well.
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49th over: England 206-4 (Brook 69, Pope 74) Latham stations himself at short mid-on and is almost in business when Pope jabs at Phillips with those familiar hard hands. The ball reaches Latham on the bounce.
Pope continues to attack, thumping Phillips inside out through the covers for three. Brook works a single to bring up 2000 Test runs at the startling average of 58.82. This is his 36th innings, which puts him joint-eighth on the all-time list with Viv Richards and Arthur Morris among others.
48th over: England 200-4 (Brook 67, Pope 70) Pope drives O’Rourke sweetly through mid-off for three; Brook pulls him brusquely through midwicket with the same result.
New Zealand are under serious pressure for the first time in the field. England are only 148 runs behind, the ball is getting old and, crucially, are no longer riding their luck with the bat.
47th over: England 191-4 (Brook 63, Pope 66) Pope works Phillips for two to reach 3000 runs in Tests. His overall average is modest (34.49) but it’s worth reiterating that he averages 38.62 since Ben Stokes took over as captain – and almost all of those runs have been made batting out of position. Goodness knows who bats No3 for England next summer. Shoaib Bashir?
46th over: England 186-4 (Brook 62, Pope 62) O’Rourke reminds Pope what time it is with a couple of beautiful bouncers. Both zip past Pope’s attempted uppercut, with the second one also putting him on his backside. The wicketkeeper Blundell did really well to save four byes.
45th over: England 186-4 (Brook 62, Pope 62) Phillips overpitches to Brook and is scrunched through extra cover for four. Beautifully timed. Batting looks more comfortable* than at any stage in the England innings, which presumably means Brook is about to slog one up in the air.
* Less uncomfortable is probably a better way of phrasing it.
44th over: England 180-4 (Brook 56, Pope 61) O’Rourke has a strangled LBW shout against Pope, who was saved by a big inside-edge.
43rd over: England 179-4 (Brook 56, Pope 61) Glenn Phillips continues after tea. He’s a canny, brisk offspinner who took some absolutely crucial wickets in India and has a Test bowling average of 27. That average almost drops further when Brook plays and misses outside off.
42nd over: England 177-4 (Brook 55, Pope 61) O’Rourke starts after tea to Pope, who rolls his wrists to collect a couple through midwicket. Brook then flashes lustily outside off stump and is beaten.
Pope has had such an up and down year.These are his scores in Tests in 2024: 1, 196, 23, 23, 39, 3, 0, 0, 11, 19, 57, 121, 51, 10, 6, 6, 1, 17, 154, 7, 0, 29, 22, 3, 1, 61*.
This will be an extended evening session, with 38 overs still to bowl. If England are still batting at the close they’ll be close to parity, possibly even in the lead.
Musical interlude
41st over: England 174-4 (Brook 54, Pope 59) Glenn Phillips, an occasional offspinner who shouldn’t really be called an occasional offspinner because have you seen his recent record, is given the final over before tea. It’s an uneventful affair, with Pope and Brook collecting three singles to complete a breathless session.
England scored 129 in 26.3 overs for the loss of Ben Duckett. Brook and Pope needed plenty of luck – Brook was dropped twice – but they deserved plenty of it for having the courage and skill to counter-attack in bowler-friendly conditions. Most England teams of my lifetime would be 120 for 6 at tea, not 174 for 4.
Pope was particularly good and looks more natural at No5 or 6. Over the course of this series he could become one of the few batters in Test history to earn a demotion through weight of runs.
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40th over: England 171-4 (Brook 53, Pope 57) Pope turns O’Rourke for a single to bring up a vital, potentially game-changing half-century from 59 balls. It’s been streaky at times, sure, but it has also showcased some of Pope’s best qualities.
It’s been a busy, selfless and relentlessly positive innings – and it continues with a deliberate uppercut for four later in the over. There were two men out behind square but he bisected them perfectly. A thump through extra cover for three brings up the hundred partnership from 112 balls. For an England fan, it’s been the cricket-watching equivalent of a ride on the Big Dipper.
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39th over: England 162-4 (Brook 52, Pope 49) Pope plays across the line at Henry and is hit on the flap of the pad. New Zealand plead unsuccessfully for LBW, then barely discuss a review when Rod Tucker turns them down. Too high? Yes, but not by much – it would have been umpire’s call.
Another turbulent over ends with Brook flashing an edge just short of gully.
38th over: England 158-4 (Brook 51, Pope 48) Will O’Rourke replaces Smith and will have time for a couple of overs before tea. He has a bob each way, with two slips and two men out for the hook. Everything knows the short ball is coming – and when it does Brook whirls a pull to long leg for six to bring up his half-century. It’s been a vital innings: 65 balls, five fours, two sixes. Oh and two dropped catches, which may come back to bite New Zealand somewhere intimate and painful.
37th over: England 151-4 (Brook 45, Pope 47) Pope overtakes Brook, who had an 18-runs start, by edging/steering Henry through the slips at catchable height for four.
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36th over: England 146-4 (Brook 45, Pope 42) Pope jumps all over a short ball from Smith, pulling for four with a brusque authority. He gets another boundary later in the over, flicking wristily over the head of midwicket. There were a few shouts of 'catch!’ but it cleared the fielder fairly comfortably. A quick single takes him to 42 from 47 balls; it’s a typical Ollie Pope joyride, he’s just doing it from a different position.
England have belted 50 runs from the last nine overs. Brook was dropped in that time, and this certainly hasn’t been a counter-attack for the ages, but they’ve played with game-changing intent. It takes courage to do that in this situation, especially if you’re also under pressure for your place like Pope.
35th over: England 135-4 (Brook 43, Pope 33) Henry replaces Southee, whose figures of 11-2-35-0 are a minor scandal. The ‘0’ bit anyway. England continue to live liek they’ll die tomorrow, with Pope picking up five runs of varying streakiness.
Whatever the technical merit, it’s great entertainment. New Zealand won’t be worried yet, but they might be if these two are still in after tea. We’ve got about 25 minutes of the afternoon session to play.
34th over: England 128-4 (Brook 43, Pope 26) Brook has been dropped again! He launched into a drive at Smith and snicked the ball towards Latham at first slip. Latham was beaten for pace and spilled a very sharp two-handed chance above his head. The ball looped up, a discombobulated Latham ran in the wrong direction and Southee at second slip couldn’t reach the rebound. To complete the comedy, Latham’s sunglasses fell off as he looked desperately for the ball.
There’s only one soundtrack for that replay.
33rd over: England 126-4 (Brook 41, Pope 26)
32nd over: England 122-4 (Brook 38, Pope 25) The impressive debutant Nathan Smith returns to the attack. Brook drives uppishly but well short of mid-off, then gets in a bit of a tangle as he keeps out a nipbacker.
Brook has the last word, at least for this over, by steering classily through the slips for four. That brings up a white-knuckle fifty partnership from 64 balls.
31st over: England 116-4 (Brook 33, Pope 24) Pope, not for the first time in this innings, slashes a back cut in the air for four. Not even Glenn Phillips could catch that; he was beaten for pace at backward point and the ball flew to the boundary.
There’s never a dull moment when Pope is at the crease. He has vroomed and veered to 24 from 33 balls.
30th over: England 111-4 (Brook 32, Pope 20) A touch of class from Brook, who times Henry to the left of mid-on. It only brings a couple of runs but it was a lovely shot.
29th over: England 108-4 (Brook 30, Pope 19) Pope, who has started pretty well in a position that suits him far better than No3, drives Southee impatiently through extra cover two more. The positive spin for England is that New Zealand’s seamers should start to tire soon, the ball is getting old and England have Test centurions at Nos 8 and 9. The negative spin is writ large on the scoreboard.
Thanks Taha, morning everyone. This is fun, as sport tends to be when it’s attack v attack. New Zealand are on top but England are trying to hit their way back into contention.
28th over: England 106-4 (Brook 30, Pope 17) Matt Henry returns and Harry Brook, out of nowhere, uses his wrists to whip the ball over fine leg all the way for six. A mad, brilliant shot. Pope drives nicely through mid-off for three and this pair are starting to settle, three figures up for England. And that’ll be me. Time for Rob Smyth to have some fun.
27th over: England 96-4 (Brook 23, Pope 14) Brook gets the forward defence – head still, eyes down – out against Southee before pulling away for one.
26th over: England 95-4 (Brook 22, Pope 14) Pope cuts O’Rourke over gully for four. And then comes another O’Rourke lifter that Pope can’t do anything about; it hits the shoulder of the bat and flies over the cordon, producing another boundary. The bounce from the six-foot-something man, at close to 90mph, is causing serious grief.
25th over: England 87-4 (Brook 22, Pope 6) Southee returns to the attack and Pope cuts away a wide one for four, enjoying a rare gift.
24th over: England 82-4 (Brook 22, Pope 1) Pope looks a touch awkward trying to fend off O’Rourke, but gets off the mark with a dig into the leg side. Brook nearly brings Southee, at leg gully, into play with an aerial flick that runs away for four.
23rd over: England 77-4 (Brook 18, Pope 0) Beautifully strummed by Harry Brook as he drives Nathan Smith through the covers for four. Brook looks so assured … and then he’s dropped at gully! It’s his first loose stroke, a flash outside off that probably surprises Glenn Phillips, who can’t hold on to give Smith a third wicket.
22nd over: England 71-4 (Brook 12, Pope 0) Ollie Pope arrives, in his new position at No 6 as a keeper-bat. O’Rourke beats him with pace and bounce to thud the thigh pad. He’s got a touch of Morne Morkel to him, this guy. He’s going to take loads of Test wickets. A bouncer ends a fine over.
WICKET! Duckett c Conway b O'Rourke 46 (England 71-4)
It’s been coming. O’Rourke thuds the ball short and Duckett’s pull finds the safe hands of Devon Conway at deep backward square.
21st over: England 71-3 (Brook 12, Duckett 46) Duckett has struggled for fluency since the break and nearly chips a return catch to Smith before edging a pull to the fine-leg boundary for four. He’s living on the edge. Smith gets the ball to leap up at Brook and challenge the gloves. It remains a tough ask for the batters out there.
20th over: England 64-3 (Brook 12, Duckett 39) Duckett gets some luck, a wayward attempt at finding the leg side off O’Rourke prompting an edge that flies over the cordon and to the boundary. The left-hander gets even looser, nearly dragging on to his stumps with a cross-bat hack.
19th over: England 59-3 (Brook 12, Duckett 34) Smith is nagging away from around the wicket against Duckett, threatening the stumps but also the outside edge with his wobbling seam. The quick has settled into a decent rhythm here.
18th over: England 58-3 (Brook 12, Duckett 33) Brook handles O’Rourke’s bounce again, punching off the back foot behind point for four. The bowler launches a strong retort later in the over, nearly inviting an outside edge in the channel outside off. For all his attacking strokes, Brook’s forward defence is immaculate, played right under the eyes – he shows it off moments later.
17th over: England 54-4 (Brook 8, Duckett 33) Smith skips in, his no-ball problem solved with a bit of lunch, and concedes a single.
16th over: England 53-3 (Brook 7, Duckett 33) On comes the towering Will O’Rourke, offering quite the contrast to Ben Duckett. Brook guides the ball nicely to the third-man rope for four, riding the bounce perfectly. With the final ball of the over, O’Rourke gets the ball to leap off a length and surprise Brook, the edge taken but the ball not looping into a dangerous area. O’Rourke, playing his eighth Test, is averaging less than 20.
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15th over: England 45-3 (Brook 0, Duckett 32) Smith gets his first ball to climb on to the top of Brook’s bat, the edge to the cordon keeping low. Duckett, at the other end, was excellent this morning, playing with restraint and still somehow getting to 32 off 40.
And we’re back: Nathan Smith has three legitimate balls left in his over. Harry Brook is in, and England could do with a special one from him: they trail by 303.
Brendan Large offers this – can anyone answer it? “This might be world’s stupidest question, but … with all the paint strewn around the field, why can’t they mark the stumps on the crease so the batters don’t have to use time every over/ball to ask the umpire where middle is?”
Lunch
That’ll be lunch and it’s New Zealand’s session after that over – which isn’t done yet – from Nathan Smith. England lost Crawley quickly before Jacob Bethell helped out Ben Duckett with the rebuild in very tricky conditions. But then came Smith, who looks a real threat when he’s got control of his front foot.
WICKET! Root b Smith 0 (England 45-3)
Smith is still having a bit of trouble with his front foot, bowling consecutive no balls. But then he gets Joe Root for a duck! It’s angled into the right-hander, who drags the ball on to his stumps with a prod off the back foot. What a start for Nathan Smith!
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WICKET! Bethell c Blundell b Smith 10 (England 43-2)
Debutant gets debutant! Smith ends Bethell’s innings with a corker, the wobble-seam ball from around the wicket finding the outside edge before Blundell holds on behind the stumps. There’s a no-ball check … but Smith can celebrate.
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14th over: England 43-1 (Bethell 10, Duckett 32) Henry continues and, after watching Bethell leave another one outside off, decides to go around the wicket. An inside-edge takes Bethell to double figures.
13th over: England 41-1 (Bethell 9, Duckett 31) Jacob Bethell isn’t the only debutant in this match; Nathan Smith is going through the same nerves for New Zealand. He bowls a no-ball but looks sharp, bowling around the wicket to Bethell … who picks up his first four with a leg-side shovel, a good-looking stroke. A cut shot moves Bethell to nine – all of a sudden, he’s racing.
12th over: England 31-1 (Bethell 1, Duckett 30) Bethell has to contend with another lbw shout, but he’s safe from any real danger. The leaves continue from the newbie.
11th over: England 30-1 (Bethell 1, Duckett 29) Bethell’s having to do his A-levels without any revision here, Southee and Henry seizing upon these conditions to make the ball dance. The 21-year-old is happy to leave outside off for now. He can’t beat the field with his leg-side clip to end the over.
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10th over: England 29-1 (Bethell 1, Duckett 28) Bethell finally has a Test run! With his 13th delivery he drops Henry into the leg side and scampers through for a single. Henry then finds Duckett’s outside edge … and he’s dropped by Tom Latham at second slip. The New Zealand captain had to get low but you’d expect that to be snaffled up. Duckett responds with an off-side thrash for four.
9th over: England 23-1 (Bethell 0, Duckett 23) Southee opts for a change in angle, going around the wicket to Duckett … and the batter nearly drags the ball on to his stumps, chasing after an inswinger. Then comes the best shot of the innings, Duckett offering a straight bat to drive Southee through mid-off for four.
8th over: England 15-1 (Bethell 0, Duckett 15) Bethell, still on zilch, takes back the strike after one ball. New Zealand are doing everything to halt that first run, with Henry unleashing an unplayable delivery that nips away from the left-hander. The over ends with an on-drive … but Henry gets down to get a hand to it. No freebies in this game.
7th over: England 14-0 (Bethell 0, Duckett 14) Southee continues to extract plenty of swing before Duckett punches back, driving a wider delivery through the covers for four. And breathe. A swing-and-miss follows from Duckett. The senior batter keeps the strike for the next over after a quick single.
6th over: England 9-1 (Bethell 0, Duckett 9) Henry’s wobbling seam sees the ball skip past Bethell’s forward prod. The debutant has a fairly classical setup at the crease and swishes at the final ball of the over, with New Zealand appealing for a catch behind. They opt against the review … and the replays show they were right. Another maiden.
5th over: England 9-1 (Bethell 0, Duckett 9) Southee’s inswinger to Duckett is trying its best to sneak through and rattle the stumps, but the opener is happy to go hard at the ball. Duckett tries repeatedly to beat the man at short mid-off but can’t. Coldplay’s Don’t Panic rings around the ground.
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4th over: England 9-0 (Bethell 0, Duckett 9) Bethell has to contend with a half-hearted lbw shout from his first ball faced. Welcome to Test cricket.
WICKET! Crawley lbw Henry 0 (England 9-1)
Crawley’s wait to free his arms continues … before Henry slaps his front pad with a nipbacker! The umpire takes his time before raising the finger. Crawley opts against the review and his troubles against New Zealand go on. Time for the new kid.
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3rd over: England 9-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 9) Duckett, already looking more comfortable than Crawley, tucks Southee into the leg side for a couple … before nearly poking an outside edge into the hands of Tom Blundell. Southee then squares up Duckett, but the edge doesn’t produce any carry. It’s tricky out there for the batters.
2nd over: England 5-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 5) Matt Henry takes off from the other end, going close to yorker-length with his first ball, dug out by Ben Duckett. The southpaw finds four with the next delivery, driving an overpitched ball through mid-off. Henry eventually finds his length and a bit of nip, the ball zipping past Duckett’s outside edge.
1st over: England 0-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 0) Tim Southee opens up, sending down some banana outswing, his second a beaut that whispers sweet nothings into Crawley’s outside edge. The veteran than shows off his wobble seam before another gorgeous outswinger nips past Crawley’s tentative prod. A very decent first over from the New Zealand legend.
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Zak Crawley averages an ugly 11.13 after 15 Test innings against New Zealand. Yikes. But he’ll still give it a whack.
I’m going to rely on some local expertise, with Paul Cockburn writing in just before the fall of the last wicket:
Watching from Wellington (free to air in NZ). These are useful runs early doors on Day Two. Hagley is a lovely strip, but it doesn’t tend to score big on the first knock. 280/290 is a decent first innings score. It’s going to be fascinating when this next wicket falls...
New Zealand are 348 all out
Carse sneaks the ball between Phillips’ bat and pad but somehow misses the stumps, the ball beating Ollie Pope too to run away for four byes. The fun is over moments later, however, with a cracking Carse yorker rattling O’Rourke’s stumps. The quick finishes with a four-for, Phillips walks off with an unbeaten 58.
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90th over: New Zealand 341-9 (Phillips 55, O’Rourke 0) Phillips slaps Woakes off the back foot through the covers for four. England’s attack leader hasn’t looked himself this morning, though he nearly finds Phillips’ outside edge with an outswinger. A hooping inswinger ends the over but can’t dislodge the towering O’Rourke.
Half-century for Glenn Phillips!
89th over: New Zealand 335-9 (Phillips 50, O’Rourke 0) Phillips makes room to thrash Carse through the off side, finds third man, and sprints back for two. It takes a cracking dive from Phillips to make his ground. A pull shot for one brings the No 7 a half-century, his fifth in Test cricket. O’Rourke has to deal with the final two balls of the over, and does so.
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88th over: New Zealand 332-9 (Phillips 47, O’Rourke 0) Shot! Glenn Phillips unfurls the scoop to send Woakes over the keeper’s head for four.
Mark Beadle writes in: “Are they trying to buy Woakes some confidence here, wouldn’t England be better off with Atkinson in tandem with Carse? Or even Bashir going for a Michelle?”
I see your point but it makes sense to entrust Woakes with the new ball when that’s his main skillset. He’s not been at his best though.
87th over: New Zealand 327-9 (Phillips 43, O’Rourke 0) Ooof. Phillips top-edges the ball from Carse on to his helmet, the lid partly coming off. Good to see he’s OK, and he signals for a fresh helmet. Play resumes and Phillips is willing to have a swing at everything … he finds a bit of luck. He pokes the bat, edges to Root at slip, who can’t hold on diving with one hand to his right. A tough chance.
Damian Clarke has read my preamble and contributed this:
Thoughts: Please let me sleep.
Queries: Why does the abbreviation of refrigerator add an extra letter?
Midnight snack suggestion: Toasted crumpets with criminal amounts of butter and strawberry jam.
Fave Denzel film: Impossible question. Can I have all of them? If not, then the ones where he hurts a lot of people. I like it when he hurts people.
General life wisdom: Never eat yellow snow.
Whatever makes you happy: See question 1.
86th over: New Zealand 326-9 (Phillips 42, O’Rourke 0) Phillips tries to hit Woakes back to Birmingham but misreads the slower ball, his swing of the bat only finding the Christchurch air. Ollie Popes collects well down the leg-side as Woakes temporarily loses control of his inswinger. Another leg-side take is required, but Pope can’t hold on and they run through a leg bye.
85th over: New Zealand 325-9 (Phillips 42, O’Rourke 0) Carse shows Will O’Rourke his bouncer but also sends in some sixth-seventh-stump outswingers that are safely left alone.
WICKET! Southee c Atkinson b Carse 15 (New Zealand 325-9)
Well, that wasn’t too hard. Brydon Carse thunders in, drops it short, and Southee toe-ends a pull shot into the deep where Gus Atkinson safely holds on.
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84th over: New Zealand 325-8 (Phillips 42, Southee 15) And we’re off, Phillips immediately up and running with a leg-side clip for one. Tim Southee is in a fun mood, skipping down the pitch to slap Woakes down the ground for four; never mind the new-ball swing. Southee dabs a gentle outswinger into the covers for one to end the over.
Before we get going, I really do like Glenn Phillips at No 7 for New Zealand, in as a specialist gamechanger. Whacks it with the bat, is averaging less than 30 with his offies and is an insane fielder. He’s out in the middle with Tim Southee, with Chris Woakes taking the ball.
More from Ali’s day one coverage. Kane’s back.
Tom V d Gucht writes in: “That’s a great list of number 3 debutante and a real reminder of how fallible our memories are. I could have sworn that Trott batted at 3 in the 2009 Ashes when he replaced Bopara. I wonder who did in that match?”
It was Ian Bell! Trott came in at five, after Paul Collingwood.
I’d also like to share this, passed on by Tom Davies, another OBO colleague. A group are running a marathon in memory of their friend Josh Baker, the Worcestershire spinner who passed away this May. You can find out more here.
We’ll most likely see Jacob Bethell stroll out at No 3 later today. My colleague Rob Smyth passed on this very handy list of England men’s Test debutants at No 3. There have been four this century, though Rehan Ahmed was in as a nightwatchman, while Jason Roy was meant to open against Ireland (Jack Leach did it instead, hitting 92). Owais Shah and Tom Westley were the other two, the former hitting 88 against India, the latter 59 against South Africa. Those were to remain their highest Test scores. Roy’s best, a 78-ball 72, also came on debut.
Ali Martin is our man on the ground, and here’s his day one report. Great intro.
Preamble
Hello, fellow night owls (in the UK), and welcome to our coverage of the second day’s play at the Hagley Oval. Christchurch looked a picture yesterday, and the game was pretty decent, too. New Zealand were 199 for three on a pitch that was green but hardly treacherous before England snapped back, Shoaib Bashir sneaking in an opening day four-for and Brydon Carse looking more and more like a very serious Test bowler. It ended 319 for eight, the visitors probably a touch happier.
The morning should be fun, with Glenn Phillips (41*) and Tim Southee (more Test sixes than Virender Sehwag) out in the middle, up against the second new ball. Once that wraps up – something’s gone horribly wrong with England if not – we could end up getting a glimpse of Jacob Bethell, the debutant in at No 3.
Feel free to share your thoughts, queries, midnight snack suggestions, favourite Denzel film, general life wisdom, whatever makes you happy.
