85 th over: England – 8 (Archer 10, Curran 13))Archer down on one knee, driving Wagner where fourth slip might be and down to third man for four- what panache! (LESS OF THE PANACHE PLEASE!)
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84 th over: England 153 – 8) Archer 3, Curran 13).Archer dabs prettily for a couple, then shows a straight bat, before Southee sends a short one through that bounces over both a gently ducking Archer and a leaping Watling. Four byes
Ten minutes or so till tea.
Simon writes in, continuing a discussion that Daniel was chairing earlier.The best Captain that never was was Shane Warne.Taylor & Waugh owed most of their success to his cricketing nous … and 750 Test wickets … and so did Hampshire and the Rajastan Royals. Playboy, diuretic user, waffly commentator, gambler and average poker player .. yes. Helper of fellow spinners too! Cricketing genius … Probably.
I think you’re right, though I suspect his reign would have been a short one, he’d never have kept his powder dry to do a Waugh-ish stint at the wicket. And I wonder how understanding he’d have been of the journeymen in the team?
83 rd over: England 147 – 8 (Archer 1, Curran 13)Wagner again. Curran decides that the best form of defense is glorious attack. He flicks a straight one down to the long leg boundary before getting down on one knee and pings it through cover for four. This promises to be pretty.
82 nd over: England 139 – 8 (Archer 1, Curran 5)Southee gets the honor of the new ball at the other end, and the over doesn’t have quite the threat that Wagner carried. A succession of outswingers; a maiden. Off the pitch we see a family strolling across the grass, eager to find a picnic spot to watch England’s famous tail-end resistance. Remember, of course, that Leach has already batted.
So, is it such an advantage batting first?writes Bill Pennington.This week we have seen three Test matches played more or less simultaneously (AUS v PAK, BAN v IND and NZ v ENG), where the team that lost the toss and batted second has won (or will likely win in the current case) by an innings or more. Quite unusual, I would venture.
81 st over: England 139 – 8 (Archer 1, Curran 5)They keep replaying that shot by Buttler – it’s not a leave for the ages. Oh my, then Archer is hit on the pad, and now Curran has been given out lbw but he reviews immediately and sure enough a fat bat blob beams on hot spot. The end of an eventful over.
Should it come to pass, this would only be thethird timethat New Zealand have beaten England by an innings.
WICKET! Buttler b Wagner 0
And the second new ball claims a victim in its very first delivery. Wagner sends the ball from very wide, Buttler sees, leaves it, plays no shot, and has to stand and watch as the ball swings in and clops the bottom of his off stump. Not one for the scrapbook.
80 th over: England 138 – 7 (Buttler 0, Curran 5)Curran steps back and slides the ball down to the boundary.
Abhijato Sensarma, in a hangover from yesterday, sends through a limerick:
An escape from this precarious position would have been heavenly But England have only gone on and lost DenlyThe task at hand might seem too much nowBut Buttler is known for his heroics, and howEngland are known as the most Pakistani team After Pakistan for a reasonDon’t give up hope just yet, because in cricket every season’s a miracle season!
Thanks Abhijato!
79 th over: England 134 – 7 (Buttler 0, Curran 1)Wagner’s carrying a cape of venom in this spell. Shortish man, biggish attitude. He bowls a good length and Curran jabs down and ball flies interestingly close at backward short leg-ish. One over to the new ball.
78 th over: England 133 – 7 (Buttler 0, Curran 0)Santner’s the man. His long fingers, long arms, long legs, he sends in a succession of balls full of potential, one of t hem steaming out of the rough to cut across Buttler. A maiden.
Unhappy reading for Ollie Pope:
The CricViz Analyst(@ cricvizanalyst)
It’s still very early days in Ollie Pope’s Test career, but he has already developed a bad habit of being dismissed by very wide balls.# NZvEngpic.twitter.com/YSHJI0OPgj
(November) , 2019
77 th over: England 133 – 7 (Buttler 0, Curran 0)Just like to point out that I have had nothing whatsoever to do with the fall of these wickets. New Zealand are buzzing now, there’s a real zip-a-dee-doo to their gait, Watling behind the stumps can’t stop smiling. So Buttler and Curran enter the waiting room of history – they bothcoulddo it …
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WICKET! Pope c Santner b Wagner 6
Oh dear. Pope sees a wide full toss and in a moment of madness decides the best shot is to stretch uncomfortably wider and ping the ball to short extra cover where that man Santner grabs a blinder with his diving right hand.
76 th over: England 133 – 6 (Buttler 0, Pope 6)Just a single from the over.
75 th over: England 132 – 6 (Buttler 0, Pope 5)Hello y’all. So I thought I’d just be sweeping up the cobwebs and emptying the bins. Denly so unlucky there, a ball behaving uncharacteristically, and after an innings of great tenacity too.That’s England’s second wicket since lunch and things are all rather crunchy now.
WICKET! Denly c Watling b Wagner 31
Wagner charges, whangs one in, it pings off the pitch and, as it rises, clips the edge of Denly’s gloves as he desperately lifts his hands and tries to get them out of the way. A leaping Watling catches high abover his head. The umpire originally says not out but New Zealand are cock-a-ho0p and, despite Denly’s poker face, the decision is reversed by the third umpire.
Aaand that’s us done –Tanya Aldred is here to call England home.
74 th over: England – 5 (Denly 31, Pope 5 () Santner gets an over at Pope, whose dressing-room nickname must surely be “Olivia”. After five dangerousosh dots, Pope makes room to cut a long hop through point for four; confidence oozes through him, but he needs to take care because it helped him get himself out in the first innings. That’s drinks.
73 rd over: England – 5 (Denly 31, Pope 1 )With Southee’s job done, Wagner returns and Denly shoves his loosener towards point for two. These are the only runs from the over.
72 nd over: England – 5 (Denly 29, Pope 1)Santner goes a little straighter Pope, but I’d be surprised if the overarching plan isn’t to get him driving at wider ones. But, first up, he’s being made to play, and pads up at an arm ball; there’s another geshray, but Watling knows it was bouncing over the top. Maiden.
“This‘ use the Duke ball everywhere ’stuff?” Asks Andy Roberts. “Pretty sure that Australia consistently take 20 wickets on Australian wickets with a Kookaburra ball. They just marmalised Pakistan yesterday for your most recent piece of evidence. And while in this century advantages have generally gone to the home team, they just showed that they could adapt to the Duke when required. In the past, their dominance of both cricket balls was even more evident, as your own reminiscing of the 80 s and 90 s can probably indicate. Anyway, point being, good bowlers can still take plenty of wickets with a Kookaburra ball by bowling accurately, using the bounce, and getting small but significant variations in the air and off the pitch. Perhaps the problem is either a) the pitch they are playing on today, or b) English bowlers generally don’t adapt to a different ball as well as other bowlers do? ”
It’s not an England thing, and the problem in this Test, as far as I’m concerned, is more the pitch. I don’t mind variations – it’s a beauty of the game – but two sides who can bat, on a flat track and with a Kookaburra ball, is not a good mix.
71 st over: England – 5 (Denly 29, Pope 1)Southee’s second ball tails in and raps the pad – there’s a long, drawn-outgeshrey– but that was clearly sliding down. Pope then gets off the mark with a dab to point – there’s just about a run there, but only just about.
70 th over: England 121 – 5 (Denly 29, Pope 0)Denly does Pope a solid, seeing off another maiden from Santner. That’s 14 for him in this innings now.
“Anyway, it was a thought that hadn’t occurred to me before,” says Malcolm Parfitt. “Brearley, Close and Illingworth were successful captains * because * they weren’t the best players in any discipline in their team. One less pressure. ”
I guess Strauss was the last England captain chosen for what we might call “leadership skills”, though there weren’t many options at the time. The thing about picking your best player isn’t just that they’re the most likely to inspire with deed, but they don’t have to worry about being worth their place in the side. Ultimately there’s no formula, but it’s looking increasingly like Root needs to give it up or have it given up for him.
Updated (at 8.) pm EST
69 th over: England 121 – 5 (Denly 29, Pope 0)So,what is Ollie Pope made ofof what is Ollie Pope made? Can he handle this? He starts by seeing away two dots.
WICKET! Stokes b Southee 28 (England) ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (5)
Is that the crucial blow ?! Benjamin Andrew Stokes, what have you done! A wide one keeps lowish and Stokes has a thrash, dragging on! That is very naughty behavior, and New Zealand are firm favorites now!
69 th over: England 121 – 4 (Denly 29, Stokes 28)Southee persuades one to keep low, which rushes past Stokes’ edge and off stump.
68 th over: England 121 – 4 (Denly 29, Stokes 28)Stokes bunts a single, the only run from the other – though he swipes its final delivery to cover. This extremely impressive from him – he knows he can do anything, which is a nifty piece of psychological scaffolding to own, and also that his dreams will not come to him easily.
“My point was, if the captain had a bad hour / session / day / match,” rejoinders Malcolm Parfitt, “if they’re not the best at what they do (of course they have to be good enough) it doesn’t overwhelmingly affect team morale. That doesn’t work with wicketkeepers. ”
I get that, but I think about it more the other way around: is the team able to wear losing its best player, as has happened to England with Root and as happened to lesser degree but nonetheless, with Cook. In retrospect, making Broad captain when he turned it in would’ve been smart – and funny – but it’s too late now.
67 th over: England 120 – 4 (Denly 29, Stokes 27))Cricinfo note that Boult will go for an MRI tomorrow – that doesn’t sound much like he’ll play at Hamilton. Back in the middle, two twos to Denly raise the 50 partnership – off 143 balls, noch – and this is good from England. New Zealand need something.
“What’s missing in the simplistic question“ Is x better than y? ”Is timeframe,” says Ian Forth. “Frank Tyson might have been a better bowler than Jimmy Anderson – briefly – but he didn’t end up with 575 test wickets. Neither Botham nor Flintoff looked after their bodies as well as they should. You would hope that with Stokes ’fitness ethic his real value to England might be solving the all-rounder problem for many years to come yet. For me this would make him as good if not better than the other two. And he’d probably make a better captain (eventually) than the other two as well. ”
Yes, of course – context is important. Flintoff was a brilliant fast bowler for quite a while, though – for longer than Stokes has been consistent so far. And Botham took what, 383 Test wickets – more than anyone until Hadlee overtook him – so Stokes doing him on longevity seems unlikely. I think there’s a good chance he’d make a good captain, but a better chance they won’t risk finding out – he’s too important to compromise.
66 th over: England 116 – 4 (Denly 25, Stokes 27)After four dots, Denly turns Santner into the on side and they run one. I think we can fairly say that he is now established in the team.
(th over: England) – 4 (Denly 24, Stokes 27)The batsmen take a single apiece from Southee’s first two balls and New Zealand will be starting to wonder. It does seem like they’re relying on errors not jaffas, but as I type that, Stokes leaves on that jags in pretty sharply; I think his stumps were covered. And to make amends, he swipes at the next delivery, edging up and over the slips for four. That wasn’t dissimilar to the shot that got him out in the first innings, but because he committed to it – unlike Root – it wasn’t all that risky.
(th over: England) ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* – 4 (Denly 23, Stokes 22)Denly plays out a maiden from Santner.
“Would Morgan have been a better option as Captain even for a couple of years? ”asks James Fitzpatrick. I’m pretty sure that’s a notion floated on here by his Robness Smyth, and I do see that too. When Morgan was dropped from the Test team it was fair enough, but since then various others have come in without a fraction of his ability – he’s been unfortunate not to get another go. I guess his full focus was desired elsewhere.
(rd over: England) – 4 (Denly 23, Stokes 22)Stokes edges four past slip, the only runs off the over.
“I remember when Yorkshire chose their first professional captain,” emails Malcolm Parfitt. “Best batsman was Phil Sharpe, best bowler was Fred. Choice was Brian Close. Nobody out-argued Close. Yorkshire stopped winning the championship when he left. Similarly Mike Brearley was a great captain. Maybe there’s a benefit in captain not being best player, because loss of form is important, but in being a strong enough character to boss diva batsmen and bowlers, but not ‘the main man’. Broad batting 11 and bowling first change? ”
I see this angle, though the captain has to be assured of their place in the team and, as I said, leading from the front is more important than funk. Brearley was a one-off and it’s probably a bit late for Broad, much as I appreciate the rationale – realistically, we’re talking about Buttler.
62 nd over: England 105 – 4 (Denly 23, Stokes 18)We see a graphic of the shots Stokes has played, and it’s telling: with one single exception, he’s either been all the way forward or all the way back. He nurdles a single into the on side, then Denly sees out the rest of the over. England look decent out there which means we’re about due a ludicrous and self-indulgent hoik.
61 st over: England 104 – 4 (Denly 23, Stokes 17)Southee takes the ball from the other end but Denly looks solid in defense. I admit I was sceptical when England picked him but what you get when you pick someone slightly older is someone who knows their game. They don’t have anything to work out, they’re either good enough or they’re not. Anyway, he’s sawn in half by one that zips past his outside edge – he’s done well with those today – then turns two to midwicket.
60 th over : England 102 – 4 (Denly 21, Stokes 17)Santner will get us underway again, Stokes facing, and immediately he flips what’s almost a half-volley from off to the midwicket fence. Stokes batted beautifully in the first innings – he looks in such control at the moment you’re surprised when he doesn’t get runs. Someone asked me the other day if I thought he was better than Flintoff, and I was forced to say no – he’s a better batsman, obviously, but at his peak Flintoff was as good as any bowler around. But both had and have the ability to refocus a game so it becomes all about them.
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Right, off we go again.If England can lose two wickets or fewer this session, they’ve a decent chance of saving this.
Well that was a strange kind of session.New Zealand would have wanted more than one wicket, but will still fancy themselves, while England know that if they apply themselves, they can save this. The pressure was not as intense as you’d expect on a day 5 pitch because there’s not much help for the bowlers; they’re relying on batsmen getting themselves out, more than anything.
59 th over: England 98 – 4 (Denly 21, Stokes 13)Williamson brings himself on for what’s probably the final over of the session and Denly clips his first ball to midwicket; they run three. Stokes then turns two to midwicket, and the final delivery of the session is squirted behind square on the off side for a single.
58 th over: England 92 – 4 (Denly 18, Stokes 10)Santner lands one in the footmarks and Stokes half plays, probably inside the line on purpose. And the next ball, i don’t even know – it doesn’t land in the rough but it doesn’t bounce either, scuttling by Watling for four byes. strangely, the last ball, which does land in the footmarks, is also a grubber and it’s not far at all from bowling Stokes around his legs, but he manages to prod it away with his toe-end. That is great news for New Zealand: if there’s an area which can stop the ball from bouncing, England are in all sorts.
(th over: England) ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** (4) Denly 18, Stokes 10)Wagner forces one by Denly’s outside edge, who couldn’t help but wave at that ; it was right in his slot, so nature took him to it but nurture pulled him back. Another maiden, and England have two, maybe three overs until lunch.
56 th over: England 88 – 4 (Denly 18, Stokes 10)Boult has a side situation and will stay off until lunch. Meanwhile, Stokes sees away another maiden from Santner, but only just – the final delivery, a fuller one, grips and bounces as Stokes plays at its imaginary twin, just avoiding with with handle and gloves.
55 th over: England 88 – 4 (Denly 18, Stokes 10)Eeek! Wagner bangs one in and Denly hangs into it, top-handling to silly point … but there’s no one there. Then, the final ball kisses his helmet, but it’s a fleeting meeting. Maiden.
“You might find that Hobbs’ captaincy prospects had as much to do with the class system as his tactical acuity, ”says Frank Stark. “He wasn’t‘ one of us ’.”
No, agreed. I first learnt about him when Jossy’s Giants did Question of Sport and were asked who was known as “The Master”. Glenda got it right.
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54 th over: England 88 – 4 (Denly 18, Stokes 10)Santner is pressed straight back into duty and Stokes drives his, er, loosener? tightener? to cover for two. I wonder, is it easier to bowl spin if you’re tall or short? I imagine you have better flighting options if you’re short and better darting options if you’re tall.
53 rd over: England 86 – 4 (Denly 18, Stokes 8)Boult appears to have wandered off and the concern is that he’s got a back or side issue; in commentary, they’re feart that he’s not coming back anytime soon because of how slowly he went up the stairs. Back in the middle Denly pushes forward to Wagner and misses with the face, causing himself a momentary coronary as the ball squirts off his inside edge … but he’s ok. Maiden.
Meanwhile, the OBO’s Tim de Lisle graciously sends in a shot of that Stokes shot.
(Tim de Lisle) *********(@ TimdeLisle)
Shot of the day so far:@ benstokes 38by@ SkySports@ DanielHarrispic.twitter.com/gDLMNgc1tP
(November) , 2019
(Tim de Lisle) *********52 nd over: England 86 – 4 (Denly 18, Stokes 8 )Boult comes at Stokes from over the wicket and his final delivery gives just a little bit of width, so Stokes cracks it to the cover boundary. He’s in.
Sky Sports Cricket(@ SkyCricket)
WICKET!
Big blow for England as Root (11) steers De Grandhomme to gully.
England 69 – 4 at Mount Maunganui# NZvENG
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51 st over: England 82 – 4 (Denly 18, Stokes 4)Five dots, then Denly twizzles two to midwicket. Boult is warming up, and by the looks of things will take over from Santner, who’s bowled a 20 – over spell.
“Did Ken Barrington ever captain England?” Asks John Beaven . “If not, there’s your answer.”
No, and nor did Jack Hobbs now I come to think about it.
50 th over: England 80 – 4 (Denly 16, Stokes 4)Denly has looked alright this morning, and knows he gave it away first innings when he looked set for a maiden ton, so this is a chance for him because he looks in touch. He takes a single into the off side, then Santner drops short and Stokes rocks back to force him to the cover fence. But have a look! Next up, Stokes defends off the back foot, and watches with horror as the ball megs him then rolls back towards the stumps, missing by a fraction! He peers between his legs to check the damage, but he’s good.
49 th over: England 75 – 4 (Denly 15, Stokes 0)Wagner into the attack and he’s over the wicket to Stokes, who leaves a ball that passes his bails by a whisper. Stokes has now faced 24 balls without scoring, meaning that this is another maiden and we consider once again the trick question of how best to bat in such circumstances. On the one hand, if you don’t play a shot you can get out but on the other, if it’s natural to you to maybe you should, at the same time as putting the bowler under pressure.
48 th over: England – 4 (Denly 15, Stokes 0)Santner is bowling pretty quickly now, to a slip, a gully , a short leg and a silly point. Denly plays out a maiden, and this is intense, affirming stuff.
“So who was the best England batsman who was never the captain?” Asks John Starbuck. “And can we learn anything from this?”
In my time, Marcus Trescothick and Ian Bell. Most batsmen don’t play as well once they’re running ting as well, so it’s a tricky thing.
47 th over: England 75 – 4 (Denly 15, Stokes 0)Denly shoves to leg and they run one, giving Colin five balls at Stokes. He handles them well, and I wonder if it’s time for Boult.
46 th over: England 74 – 4 (Denly 14, Stokes 0)Stokes sees away a maiden from Santner comfortably enough . He batted beautifully in the first innings, and I can’t decide if he was culpable for getting himself out. He was seeing it and the ball was there to hit – there’s a risk with every shot – but if he’d not played it, or played it well, it wouldn’t ’have got him out.
45 th over: England 74 – 4 (Denly 14, Stokes 0)Denly looks to play into the off side and instead finagles four to long leg. But Joe Root – that dismissal was so weird because it was the dismissal of a frazzled man who couldn’t decide whether to leave, defend or attack, even though he’d look in control all morning. Something needs to happen at some point, because good though he is, he should be so much better.
“Is anyone mentioning the fact Root now averages less than 31 in his last 21 tests? ”tweets Tony Fitzgerlad. “We’ve managed to ruin a great batsman in exchange for a sub-par captain.”
I actually wrote about this last summer, so excuse me while I quote myself.
“It is now a full year since Joe Root scored a Test century, which is to say that he has failed so to do in 24 innings against a cross-section of Test-match attacks. In the meantime, England have beenthrashed by Australia, (beaten by New Zealand) , andheld to a home draw by Pakistan. Though he has still delivered a consistent diet of 50 s, a batsman of his epochal brilliance is obliged to do more. Like Alastair Cook before him, he was appointed captain not because he has a natural feel for the game or its players, but because, even in cricket, the most important element of leadership is consistent excellence of individual performance. So if, like almost every captain before him, the demands of the job are compromising his standards – it is a long time since he’s looked as uncomfortable at the crease as lately – then he, Ed Smith as the national selector and Trevor Bayliss as the head coach must have a long, painful talk, because England are nowhere near good enough to do without their best player playing his best. ”
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