And thus concludes one of the best Test matches we’ve seen in years. England were 30-4 on Thursday morning. They were getting stuffed at the close of play on Friday. They fought back on Saturday to keep in touch and yesterday, thanks to some magnificent batting from Root, Cook and Stokes, they gave themselves a chance. They rounded it off with a wonderful performance today from the whole bowling attack – the wickets shared around and everyone contributing at important times – and end up with a quite resounding win. It’d be unfair too, not to give Cook due credit for his captaincy, which was very good in the fourth innings.
The margin of victory, 124 runs, doesn’t really reflect how well New Zealand played at times either. You wouldn’t be surprised if they bounced back at Headingley, because these are two very closely matched teams and it’s a real shame that this is only a two-match series.
The Premier League season finished yesterday, and the rugby season is just about done. It’s Test cricket’s turn to have a few days in the sun, I guess, and no one who saw this match could fail to have loved it. The result is great for England, yes, but more importantly the way in which they – Stokes, Root and Moeen in particular – approached the game, was brilliantly refreshing. Credit to both sides, this was the most glorious way to start the summer.
Thanks for reading, and for all your tweets, emails and whatnot. Apologies for not being able to use them all. The second Test starts at Leeds on Friday, so do join us for that. Bye!
That was actually a cracking catch by Moeen. He dashed around and had to go back, but clung on superbly on the dive.
Wicket! Boult c Ali b Broad 10 England win by 124 runs!
68th over: New Zealand 220 (Henry 10) It’s Broad again. Somehow I don’t think we’ll get our wish for the spinner. Round the wicket and Boult guides it just wide of the man at short leg for a couple of rather pointless runs. But then he uppercuts a short one, Moeen comes running round from third man and takes the catch!
67th over: New Zealand 218-9 (Boult 8, Henry 10) 11 overs to go, back on comes Jimmy “399 Test wickets” Anderson. On the telly, Nasser suggests that “c Stokes b Anderson” would be a lovely way to finish this match. He bangs in a bouncer that’s called as a wide. Then he finds the thick outside edge and it flies wide of fourth slip! It was at a good height, but just flew out of reach of both Root at slip and Stokes at point. Stokes moves round to slip and then another edge loops up to the vacant point region! BAH! Anderson says some bad, bad words.
“Have we reached the point where the pro KP, anti ECB stuff is set aside and we can all get behind a hugely talented, likeable young England side?” asks Tom Bright. “The optimists always said that Cook the batsmen would come good and that Root, Stokes and Buttler will be superstars. They just needed time, they’re not the finished article yet, but let’s all unite behind them! Come on Superman lets wrap this up, what a test match!!!”
You know what Tom? It’s just lovely that this performance has inspired this kind of optimism. So yeah, it’s been absolutely bloody brilliant.
66th over: New Zealand 215-9 (Boult 8, Henry 8) Of the 36 deliveries sent down by the seamers to this pair, three would have hit the stumps. Anderson is warming up now; surely though Ali would force the batsmen to play and offer catches? Surely? Boult is backing away and exposing his stumps, but still gets the bat down in time to keep out Broad’s fuller, straighter ones. At least he’s bowling them. Four runs, guided through point very cooly. Remarkably that brings up the record for the most runs ever in a Lord’s Test: 1,605 of them. The last one is a slower ball, but kept out again.
65th over: New Zealand 211-9 (Boult 4, Henry 8) Perhaps, spin is the way to go here. Stokes is bowling too wide and the batsmen aren’t having to play at it. They’re hardly going to be going for the big booming off drives. A bouncer down the leg side gets called a wide, then Henry chops a yorker down to fine leg for four via an inside edge past the stumps. 12 to go.
Nathan Astle & Danny Morrison batted for 166 mins for the 10th wkt in the 3rd inngs vs Eng at Auckland in Jan 1997 to save the Test #EngvNZ
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) May 25, 2015
Ugh, Morrison.
64th over: New Zealand 206-9 (Boult 4, Henry 4) Broad now, with 14 overs left. England have had their troubles blowing away tails recently, but surely this one isn’t going to the wire? Boult has played 40 Test innings and faced, on average 15 balls per innings. Here, he steps back and spanks Broad back down the ground for four to long off.
“Another encouraging aspect for future is that after the two old lags made initial inroads, the rest have been winkled out by the new boys.” A good point, Henry Lubienski. It’s only a couple of months since we were bemoaning the lack of depth in England’s bowling reserves. If Broad or Wood were to go down though then Plunkett is a nice, fast, tasty one to step up.
63rd over: New Zealand 202-9 (Boult 0, Henry 4) Stuart Broad is warming up, but for now it’s the man who is about to usurp The Hulk as everyone’s favourite Marvel superhero. Two short ones to Henry, who is surrounded by five slips, leg gully and a short leg, then a length one that gets driven to cover for two. Another bumper into the ribs is kept out. The yorker has to come soon, no? Here it is, but Henry keeps it out. Just the 143 runs needed now...
62nd over: New Zealand 200-9 (Boult 0, Henry 2) Five men around the bat now: a silly point, two slips, leg slip and short leg. After three balls of the over, a third slip comes in, so Boult goes on the attack, slog sweeping, but it doesn’t carry to mid on. That’s drinks.
61st over: New Zealand 200-9 (Boult 0, Henry 2) Can England’s greatest ever human being finish this off? The dastardly Henry does his best to ruin the narrative by punching to cover off the back foot for two.
“The world is too full of short term thinking when one despairs for some long range vision,” reckons David Wolfe. “It’s bank holiday weekend with a test match. Were it on terrestrial TV, thousands of youngsters would be watching and falling in love with test cricket. They are the future. Instead, greedy for Murdoch money, huge numbers are denied this thrill. What a shame. ECB should hang their heads in shame.”
I’m not avowedly anti-Sky. Their coverage is, for the most part, pretty damn good and they’ve pumped a hell of a lot of cash into the game. But yes, it certainly is a double edged sword.
60th over: New Zealand 198-9 (Boult 0, Henry 0) Another bowling change by Cook and another wicket, this one with the first ball. You have to give Cook credit for the way he’s shuffled his pack this evening. Boult is the new batsman and England are convinced they have him at short leg. They don’t though.
Not out
Didn’t hit the bat.
Wicket?
They’re going up for a bat pad. Given not out but England review.
Wicket! Southee c & b Ali 20
Tossed up outside off, Southee couldn’t resist having a go. He doesn’t get hold of it at all and Ali, tumbling to his left, takes a good low catch.
Updated
59th over: New Zealand 198-8 (Southee 20, Henry 0) Ben Stokes is on! Stop what you’re doing and revere him. Southee has 19 from 11 balls, so this could be spicy. He drags one to Lyth at mid on and the debutant shows great accuracy, knocking the top off middle stump with his throw. Sadly for him, the batsman hadn’t at any point left his crease. He clips to midwicket for a single, then from the last ball, Stokes gets the wicket. Back in a sec, writing my marriage proposal.
Wicket! Craig b Stokes 4
Full and swinging back in, the ball brushes the pads and clatters into off stump!
Updated
58th over: New Zealand 197-7 (Southee 19, Craig 4) Another unnoteworthy maiden. Let’s focus on an email instead.
All the way from Scotland, Simon McMahon writes: “Evening Dan. I love Test cricket. If I knew how, I’d have written that using a heart instead of the word love. And maybe a set of stumps instead of cricket. Test cricket, though, eh?” I’m not on the IPL now, Simon. That’s where yer mojus and smilies and what have you, you kids, belong.
57th over: New Zealand 197-7 (Southee 19, Craig 4) Wood drops short and wide and, as you’d expect him to, Southee pumps it away to point for four on the cut. Next ball he rocks back and plays a lofted straight drive, hitting it slightly low on the bat perhaps, but back over the bowler’s head and down the ground for four. Another short one and he goes back and uppercuts to third man for a third boundary on the bounce. The fifth ball gets driven to point with no great timing for three more, then Craig drives down to long off for the same. 18 from the over.
56th over: New Zealand 179-7 (Southee 4, Craig 1) Look I seriously can’t fathom why Root is getting yet another over. Terrible captaincy, a rubbish decision and a waste of precious overs. I don’t care how many runs he’s got today, I don’t care how many he’s got over the years: this warrants a sacking and his axing from the team. Bloody clown, Cook, bowling his part-timer Root here.
Nope, it didn’t work this time.
55th over: New Zealand 179-7 (Southee 4, Craig 1) After a pause for running repairs to the bowler’s landing area, we resume and Craig prods to point for a single. Stokes stumbles while fielding, slips and turns his tumble into a somersault as he gets back up. I bloody love Ben Stokes. Southee, surprising no one, tries to play a couple of big booming cover drives, but both are well stopped at, well, cover. Wood finds the edge, but it’s played with hands just soft enough to ensure that it landed just a foot or two short of Bell at slip. The batsmen run two.
“Afternoon Dan,” writes Thomas Hopkins. “So, not a walker? Glad to hear it, that’s the sort of ruthless professionalism we’re looking for in the OBOccasionals.” Professionalism? Uh oh, I’m for the sack if I’m letting that creep in.
54th over: New Zealand 176-7 (Southee 2, Craig 0) Quite why Joe Root is having another over, with a man out at deep point, is beyond me... Look, that’s a Test wicket for me. OK? C J Anderson, written out, D T Lucas 67. Southee comes in and drives his first ball just wide of the bowler for two to long off.
“Afternoon Dan.” Afternoon, Mac Millings. “I missed Ben Stokes’s thrilling innings yesterday as I was with my family at the beach, trying to follow the OBO on my phone in the bright sunshine, while making mini sand sculptures of turtles sharing an intimate moment. Today, I have been missing the thrilling climax to the Test firstly at the launderette, and now at the local McDonald’s play area while not purchasing any of their, for want of a better word, ‘food’. It’s all glamour here. Not spending any money; more than likely exposing the kids to a dangerous cocktail of disease; not remotely jealous of birthday boy and Lord’s attendee, Gary Naylor.”
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Out!
He’s gone! It’s missed the bat and is just brushing leg stump. Not by much – it’s umpire’s call – but it was given out and stays out.
Wicket? Anderson lbw b Root 67
Struck in front by one that doesn’t turn, it’s given out but Anderson reviews. I reckon just because he’s the last batsman.
Updated
53rd over: New Zealand 174-6 (Anderson 67, Craig 0) A bit more on that Root LBW appeal: it was also missing the stumps. Anderson cuts out to point for a single, exposing Craig to Wood’s pace. Craig is no mug, but his Test average of 39 is (a) from only 12 innings and (b) includes four asterisks. He has a first class hundred to his name, but then so does Stuart Broad.
52nd over: New Zealand 173-6 (Anderson 66, Craig 0) Three men round Corey Anderson’s bat for Root, so the batsman clumps a half volley through mid on for four. He takes a single from the last ball, giving Craig the strike for one ball. He’s trapped in front and they go up, but there won’t be a review. It was pad first, but I think hit him outside the line of off.
Heh, this is pretty funny. Well played.
#JohnTerry pic.twitter.com/VMsLAnrn3w
— Alex Hales (@AlexHales1) May 25, 2015
51st over: New Zealand 168-6 (Anderson 61, Craig 0) There was a minor bit of drama on the wicket, as the umpires decided to check the no ball, but he was fine by an inch or so. Watling walked too, which I guess was nice, although I’m not one who thinks you should. Craig comes in, with four slips, a gully and a short leg and he’s beaten by another nice short one from Wood. He’s looked really, really good on debut. Wicket maiden.
Wicket! Watling c Buttler b Wood 59
There’s the breakthrough! A good lifter just brushes the glove as Watling looks to sway out the way and he walks.
Updated
50th over: New Zealand 168-5 (Anderson 61, Watling 59) Here, indeed, is Joe Root, accompanied by the chant that sounds like booing. In fact, they’re saying Roo-urns. Anderson leaves one that doesn’t turn, much to the excitement of the bowler, but it was nowhere near the stumps.
49th over: New Zealand 168-5 (Anderson 61, Watling 59) We do have a new bowler: Wood, rather than Stokes. Anderson leaves the first ball on length and is a lucky boy as it only passes six inches or so over middle stump. A leading edge, along the ground, to mid on, brings a run. Looks like Joe Root is warming up. A floaty, 81mph half volley is dismissively flicked off middle and leg, through midwicket for four. 28 overs to go.
48th over: New Zealand 163-5 (Anderson 60, Watling 55) This partnership is now worth 100. One issue for England might be the amount of time they batted on this morning: it means there will be no second new ball today. You feel that they need a spark from somewhere, sometime soon or New Zealand could be comfortable. Oh for Graeme Swann. Anyway, Watling drives to deep extra cover for the only two runs of the over.
It's been Stokes' match...time for another spell #engvnz
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) May 25, 2015
47th over: New Zealand 161-5 (Anderson 60, Watling 53) In that last over, Watling joined the exalted company of Matt Prior and Jeff Dujon as wicketkeepers who have scored two 50s in the same Lord’s Test. Broad is round the wicket again and Anderson drives beautifully on the up through extra cover for four. Four more a couple of balls later as he just pushes a wide one past gully to the third man boundary. The sun looks to be coming out a bit at Lord’s, which will please this pair. Anderson gets a thick inside edge driving hard, but his pad prevents the ball from cannoning back into the stumps.
Updated
46th over: New Zealand 153-5 (Anderson 52, Watling 53) Yet another excellent take by Buttler, leaping to his left and taking it high, one-handed when Anderson fires a bouncer down leg. He has no chance with the next one though, which Watling whips off his pads for four to fine leg. That takes him to 49, and he moves past 50 next ball with a bottom edge that squirms low between Buttler and slip for four to fine third man. Ow and then he’s hurt as Jimmy nips one back down the slope and into Watling’s unpadded ribcage.
“Hi Dan,” writes Seth Ennis. “How many overs/time do New Zealand have to survive to earn a draw?” A very reasonable question, Seth. There will be 31 more overs after this one, assuming the light holds.
45th over: New Zealand 145-5 (Anderson 52, Watling 45) Anderson – Corey, that is – apparently has a slight back strain, which means he won’t like ducking. There are three men out on the hook too. Anyway, he does manage to get on top of a bouncer that only gets to chest height, pulling it to midwicket for one. Broad switches back to over the wicket for Watling. He sends one in and thinks it’s hit pad then bat, but the umpire is unmoved. Alastair Cook says he couldn’t tell and doesn’t review. For the record, it hit the face of the bat first, the ground second and the pad never. Watling knocks one out to midwicket for a single, but there are three men behind square on the leg side so it’s a no ball too. That’s very sloppy.
44th over: New Zealand 142-5 (Anderson 51, Watling 44) There’s not as much swing on offer for Anderson now, as you’d expect with the ball 43 overs old. As such, Watling has no trouble turning a straight one off his hips and down to fine leg for a couple of runs.
43rd over: New Zealand 140-5 (Anderson 51, Watling 42) Broad from the other end, coming round the wicket to Watling and has a pretty packed leg side field. Watling plays a shortish one off his ribs for a single, bringing the left hander Anderson on strike. Broad sticks to round the wicket for him, again loading the leg side and sending it in short. They twice go up for a catch behind when Anderson swishes his bat under a bouncer, but nothing doing. Still, he looks to be playing into Broad’s hands here.
42nd over: New Zealand 139-5 (Anderson 51, Watling 41) Anderson starts things off after tea and Watling starts with a nice punch off the back foot, through cover point for four. Watling is then given out, but it doesn’t take Rod Tucker long to overturn that decision: it was very much the howler that DRS is there to overturn. That’s excellent use of the system. The next ball is edged short of slip and they get a single.
Love the third umpire having to tell the on-field umpire that he made a terrible decision: "I'm not sure how to break it to you..." #ENGvNZ
— Alt Cricket (@AltCricket) May 25, 2015
On the subject of players with the same surname, Roderick Stewart (really?) sends this gem of a story over.
Not out
The bat brushed his pad, creating the noise, but the ball was nowhere near his bat.
Updated
Wicket? Watling c Butter b Anderson
It’s given out, a tickle down the leg side, but the appeal was muted and Watling reviewed immediately.
Another email, from OBO correspondence veteran Ian Copestake all the way over in the States: “Hoping England can bring home the bacon and dedicate their achievement to birthday boy and renaissance man Gary Naylor.”
Ahh I almost forgot! Happy birthday, Gary.
Meanwhile Krishnan Patel offers the following suggestions: “If only surnames count, I can think of Zaheer Khan of India bowling to Younus Khan and other Pakistan players named Khan a lot of times. Jerome Taylor must have bowled a lot to Ross Taylor and maybe in the future will bowl to James Taylor. And if ever Steven Smith rolled his arm over against Graeme Smith , that would count too.”
Er...
#ApunKaSuperstar @AlexHales1 strikes a pose! Celebrations are on! Champions 2015 pic.twitter.com/P4kQn3diDA
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) May 25, 2015
Hello again folks. I have to admit that, when Ben Stokes ripped out two wickets in two balls and lit Lord’s up, I wasn’t sure if I’d be back with you. But I am, largely thanks to some excellent counterpunching from this pair. Obviously New Zealand aren’t going to win it now, but they might yet save the Test. The pleasing thing is that whatever the result, it will be deserved: if New Zealand hang on it will have been a cracking batting effort, while an England win would reflect their best performance since India 2012.
Oh and in response to Jonathan Evans, I’ve got Damien Fleming bowling to Stephen Fleming in three ODIs between 1994 and 2000.
TEA
And that’s tea. New Zealand require another 211 runs, England require another five wickets. One won’t happen, the other might. Whatever it is, Dan Lucas will talk you through it. Bye!
Updated
40th over: New Zealand 134-5 (Anderson 51, Watling 36)
Broad continues, with the electric buzz of certain imminent-wicketness dissipating rapidly, though the crowd continues to slow-handclap the bowler through every run-up. Ivan Dowling nominates one famous case of same-name bowling/batting interactions. As Wikipedia describes it: “On England’s 1948–9 tour to South Africa, the England captain George Mann was bowled by his namesake Tufty Mann. John Arlott memorably described it as “a case of Mann’s inhumanity to Mann”.
39th over: New Zealand 131-5 (Anderson 51, Watling 33)
Anderson switches to the Nursery End, and bowls a maiden at Anderson. Botham and Bumble end it with a ludicrous duologue as the cameras follow a woman, who appears to have forgotten where she’s going, to her seat with a couple of pints. Beefy jokes about his wife losing the car in the car park, etc and so forth.
38th over: New Zealand 131-5 (Anderson 51, Watling 33)
Broad takes the ball and Lyth straps on some pads, the fielders tossing the ball among themselves as he does so. Mark Wood goes a little too close to Lyth as they do so, and the pair of them end up in a heap of humanity and half-strapped pads. Lyth eventually moves to short leg, with a leg slip also in place as Broad goes short to Watling, who at one point gloves one in the air, but in the wrong direction from England’s point of view. Maiden.
@Simon_Burnton does anyone know other examples of a bowler bowling to a Batsman with the same surname? re: @selvecricket
— Jonathan Evans (@AcademicJon) May 25, 2015
37th over: New Zealand 131-5 (Anderson 51, Watling 33)
Anderson hits successive deliveries for four, sweeping the first, hitting the second over long off and then sweeping the third. Turns out it’s not such an idea to bowl full-tosses to a batsman rattling along at a run a ball. Who knew? Anyway, he’s got a 45-ball half-century now, and England don’t seem entirely sure what to do about it.
36th over: New Zealand 119-5 (Anderson 39, Watling 33)
Anderson bowls, and Watling works the ball through midwicket for four. Nice shot. The bowler then throws the ball to the umpire, wondering if there’s any chance of swapping it for another. There isn’t. England, of course, could have had a second new ball to look forward to had they declared early today. Meanwhile, it’s not too late to go to Lord’s, and after 3.40pm adult tickets are only £10.
35th over: New Zealand 115-5 (Anderson 39, Watling 29)
Anderson boffs the ball in the air to mid on. “Catch!” shouts Moeen, but there’s nobody there. There are a couple of really promising deliveries here though, flighted nicely, landing in the rough, kicking up a little cloud of dust and moving wildly.
34th over: New Zealand 109-5 (Anderson 33, Watling 29)
More leg byes – two of the little blighters – though the ball actually hit Watling’s glove. That’s 41 leg byes to the Kiwis in this match.
33rd over: New Zealand 107-5 (Anderson 33, Watling 29)
Stokes isn’t bowling any more, Moeen swapping ends to replace him. Anderson hits him to long on, where Cook chases and eventually dives to stop the ball a foot from the rope, hits it away from the boundary but into his other arm, which knocks it back the other way. Four. The next ball goes to the long off boundary – nobody bothers chasing it this time.
32nd over: New Zealand 98-5 (Anderson 25, Watling 28)
For the first time in the match, Anderson bowls to Anderson (only Broad, Wood and Stokes bowled to him on his way to a 20-ball nine in the first innings). Maiden.
bowler now bowling to a batsman with same surname. doesnt happen very often i cant imagine.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) May 25, 2015
31st over: New Zealand 98-5 (Anderson 25, Watling 28)
A slightly strange moment here, as Stokes bowls and Anderson basically doesn’t move at all, the ball flicking off the top of his thigh pad – we’re pretty much talking butt-cheek here – and running away, and the umpire calling the resulting run a leg bye.
30th over: New Zealand 94-5 (Anderson 24, Watling 26)
Anderson, going at a fraction over a run a ball (he’s faced 23 so far), goes down on one knee to sweep through midwicket for a bullet four.
29th over: New Zealand 87-5 (Anderson 20, Watling 23)
You’d have to rip the ball out of Stokes’ cold, pulseless palm before you’d get him to stop bowling at the moment. Anderson picks up a full delivery and hits it in the air, safely over mid on for four. Stokes as a result decides to bowl his final couple of deliveries from round the wicket, and Anderson bashes the second of those through cover for a couple.
@simon_burnton Of course one should be wary of burdening the young man, but I've been sitting in the crowd and the adulation is Flintoffian.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) May 25, 2015
28th over: New Zealand 81-5 (Anderson 14, Watling 23)
A drama-free maiden from Moeen.
28th over: New Zealand 81-5 (Anderson 14, Watling 23)
Stokes bowls, and after the first ball hits Watling’s glove and pootles down the leg side for four, the same batsman hits it into the ground and it bounces just out of the bowler’s reach. “Ooooooh!” exclaims nearly everybody in Lord’s. Really, who knows what Stokes’ future holds, and who cares. If he left leg falls off tomorrow, he’ll always have the last 48 hours.
Updated
27th over: New Zealand 76-5 (Anderson 14, Watling 17)
Hello again! Moeen bowls for the first time today, with a single slip, a silly point and a short leg in place. Watling gets a single from his first delivery. At the end of it, Mike Atherton compares some classic footage of Andrew Flintoff with some of Stokes bowling today. Talking of which …
@Simon_Burnton Ben Stokes the new hero for England. Not the new Andrew Flintoff, don't burden him, he is his own man
— Jonathan Evans (@AcademicJon) May 25, 2015
26th over: New Zealand 75-5 (Anderson 14, Watling 17) target 345 Stokes has figures of 3-3-0-2, so it’s probably worth giving him another go. He’s tailing it in and bowling full here, although Anderson clips his second ball quite gloriously off the pads and through midwicket for four. Either side of that, the left hander does very well to dig out a couple of excellent yorkers. It’s like someone told Stokes that he’s Waqar Younis. Shorter and Anderson pumps a flat-bat shot back past the bowler for four more. Oh and then another short one, pulled over midwicket for six. That’s drinks and Simon Burnton is stepping back into the OBO shoes for the next hour.
— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) May 25, 2015
Spiky, tenacious and absurdly talented. Kids will take up cricket because they want to play like Ben Stokes. And that's absolutely great.
— Charlie Morgan (@CharlieFelix) May 25, 2015
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25th over: New Zealand 61-5 (Anderson 0, Watling 17) target 345 Oof, Wood now gets one to rip back into the batsman while rising sharply. It snaps into Watling’s gloves but drops short of gully. It’d be rather nice to be at Lord’s right now – the atmosphere is electric. Fuller from Wood and Watling fishes at it outside off. Being at the crease right now must be a horrible feeling.
24th over: New Zealand 61-5 (Anderson 0, Watling 17) target 345 Absolute snorter from Stokes, slightly back of a length but it’s fast, rises nastily and jags away from the bat as Williamson tried to play off the back foot. The next ball isn’t half bad either, beating Williamson again outside off, then third time everything’s coming up Milhouse! Here comes McCullum, who might just want to curb his enthusiasm here. Not that he’ll get a chance. Corey Anderson the new man.
Hat-trick ball...
England have six slips, a short leg and a leg slip, as well as mid on and cover. Stokes bangs it in and Corey Anderson leaves it alone outside off. The crowd stands to applaud that – it was Flintoff to Langer and Ponting at Edgbaston 2005-esque.
Wicket! McCullum b Stokes 0
BOWLED HIM FIRST BALL! I have to say I shivered a bit there. This is another absolute beauty, the ball sent down at pace on a good length and tearing back in towards McCullum. It goes through the gap and takes out middle and leg.
Updated
Wicket! Williamson c Root b Stokes 27
Williamson could have left this on length but chose to play at it. Rising sharply outside off, he tried to drive through backward point but could only guide it into the hands of Root at gully!
23rd over: New Zealand 61-3 (Williamson 27, Watling 17) target 345 Wood appears to be an OBO-reader out in the field, as he’s bowling a tighter line here. Watling turns a short one to backward square leg for one, then Williamson drops into the off side and they go sharply for the same. There are rumours that Trevor Bayliss has hopped on a plane to England.
22nd over: New Zealand 59-3 (Williamson 26, Watling 16) target 345 Our first bowling change of the day: Your New God Ben Stokes is on for Broad. Williamson bottom edges an attempted late dab into the ground: it bobbles to slip and for some unknown reason the crowd cheer. It’s getting cloudier, which is excellent news for England. Another maiden for Stokes.
21st over: New Zealand 59-3 (Williamson 26, Watling 16) target 345 This pair have survived for an hour now. Personally I’d like to see Wood go a touch straighter and make the batsmen play at more: most of his deliveries are being left alone and zipping through to Buttler. A yorker has Watling in a touch of bother, as the batsman loses his balance a touch but just about manages to dig it out. Too straight now and it comes off the batsman’s hip on its way for four byes.
20th over: New Zealand 54-3 (Williamson 25, Watling 16) target 345 Williamson takes a single to midwicket, but then Watling is nearly done in: a full, quicker delivery moves away a touch off the pitch and the batsman is an inch or less away from edging it as he goes for a big straight drive down the wrong line. The ball went through the top just a tiny bit, which suggests it might be worth getting Moeen Ali on soon. Watling turns one round the corner for one, then Williamson clips crisply off the back foot to square leg for the same.
19th over: New Zealand 51-3 (Williamson 23, Watling 15) target 345 Watling guides the first ball of the over at catchable height, but just wide of fourth slip for four to third man. Wood comes back at him with an excellent bouncer, which once again moves late but is easily taken above the head by Buttler. And then another, this one putting the batsman on his knees as he gets out the way. Ian Smith has now called Michael Atherton “one of the biggest wimps ever to play the game.” I know it’s a reference to Atherton’s bookishness, but come on! Buttler ends the over by making a fine take, flinging himself left.
18th over: New Zealand 47-3 (Williamson 23, Watling 11) target 345 Lyth took a bit of a knock at the end of the over, backing up at short leg and wearing a too-hard throw on the wrist. Williamson knocks the ball to midwicket for one, then Watling goes down to mid off for the same. Ooh and then there’s almost a catch down the leg side as the ball gets big on Williamson, loops up off the glove and goes over Buttler’s head for four down to long leg.
17th over: New Zealand 41-3 (Williamson 18, Watling 10) target 345 A clever change of angle nearly does for Williamson: Wood goes a touch wider on the crease and Williamson, dangling the bat out, misses it. Same again next ball, but it takes the outside edge and runs out to backward point, along the ground, for a couple. Nice soft hands there. Four, a couple of balls later, as Williamson gets up on his toes and drives expertly through point. There’s also a scampered single at the end of the over.
16th over: New Zealand 34-3 (Williamson 11, Watling 10) First runs off the bat of the morning as Williamson goes back on his tiptoes and pushes to cover for two. Although his speed is way down on Wood’s – around 83-84mph – he seems to be getting a bit more carry through to the keeper on account of his height (I guess). A single brings Watling on strike and he drives a wide floaty half volley through backward point for four. A couple of sharp singles to cover makes it a productive over, nine coming from it.
Updated
15th over: New Zealand 25-3 (Williamson 7, Watling 5) Wood continues after lunch and his first ball brings four byes, a bouncer swerving very late, after the batsman and deceiving Buttler. The man behind the stumps isn’t happy that those are byes rather than wides. More late movement next as Wood passes the outside edge by inches with a 90mph ripper. It’s so, so nice to see an English bowler who can hit that pace consistently after so many years in the 85mph-identikit-seam wilderness.
14th over: New Zealand 21-3 (Williamson 7, Watling 5) Broad is back into the attack after lunch, having taken two for seven in that outstanding first spell. “It’s greatly disappointing from the game’s point of view that New Zealand didn’t get off to a safe, solid start,” says Ian Smith on Sky. Yep, from the game’s point for view, sure, Smithy. Williamson sees out a maiden, meanwhile at Hove:
Chris Wright has ducked into a bouncer and there appears to be blood coming out of his chin. Doesn't look great.
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) May 25, 2015
He's taken his top off cos it's covered in blood, as are his pads and bat. It's a good job I am not the queasy sort.
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) May 25, 2015
Another stat, with play due to restart any moment now.
If England win, will be sixth-biggest 1st inns deficit they have overturned (therefore excluding Centurion in 2000) http://t.co/PHqZivfCrT
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) May 25, 2015
This is only the second time in 23 years, and the first since Adelaide 2010, that England have taken the first two wickets in an innings without a run being scored. Thanks to Rob Smyth for showing me how to find that one out on Statsguru.
Abu Choudhury sends this question for you to ponder while I grab a BLT sandwich:
“Do we know what the England boys prefer for dessert? I’m guessing Moen is a fruit salad man whereas Stokes must be a cheesecake sort of lad...”
Afternoon folks. Not to blow my own trumpet or anything, but here’s what I wrote before play yesterday:
Morning folks. Look, I know it’s a remote possibility, about as likely as the new Jurassic Park movie being as good as the first, but – and whisper this softly – England can still win this. Shut up, yes they can!
Their task today: Bat. Bat as though your lives depended on it, but play your natural game. The runs will come, your wickets will be preserved and New Zealand’s lead will disappear. Then bat some more, out of hell and into a healthy lead by, I dunno, lunchtime tomorrow. Then go at them.
If England bat like they’ve never batted
beforesince 2012 then bowl magnificently, like they did to Australia at Durham in 2013, for example, then they can use the scoreboard pressure to run through New Zealand in two sessions and claim a magnificent win. Dare to dream, England, and people might start to like you again.
Well what do you know? England batted magnificently yesterday and bowled magnificently this morning. New Zealand, with three batsmen back in the hutch and two more semi-crocked, are rocking. And in the precariously-perched-atop-a-cliff sense, rather than the Led Zeppelin one.
I like this New Zealand team. It’s impossible not to. And Stuart Broad is doing his best to stop public opinion on England from turning with his celebrappeals (cf. someone on Twitter). But boy oh boy this has been such a wonderful, heartening performance in a wonderful, heartening Test match that, even if England can’t quite win you over yet, you can’t help but fall back in love with cricket.
LUNCH
What a start to this innings for England. England have 64 more overs to bowl, and have surely done enough to remove at least one possibility from the equation – they’re not going to lose this from here. With Williamson at the crease and McCullum to come, though, there might still be some momentum-swingage. Dan Lucas will take you through the first chunk of post-luncheon action – emails to dan.lucas@theguardian.com, if you’d be so kind.
Updated
13th over: New Zealand 21-3 (Williamson 7, Watling 5)
Wood gets the ball to jag away from the batsman, off the seam and up the hill, and then the next the other way. Watling leaves them both safely enough, but that kind of stuff has got to befuddle a batsman. Befuddled or not, he then chases something short and wide, and the ball flies just wide of Root at third slip. “Root veg soup,” notes Graham O’Reilly. “This is a wind-up, right?” Believe it.
12th over: New Zealand 17-3 (Williamson 7, Watling 1)
Despite the phenomenal conclusion to his fifth over, Broad too is hooked. Stokes replaces him, and one of his deliveries bangs into the pitch and just refuses to bounce, beating both batsman and Buttler and yielding a bye. England scurry about a bit in a bid to squeeze in one final over before lunch, and succeed.
@Simon_Burnton England haven't taken a wicket for four overs. They really do set out to disappoint.
— justin mccurry (@justinmccurry) May 25, 2015
11th over: New Zealand 16-3 (Williamson 7, Watling 1)
Mark Wood has a little go with some extra pace before lunch, and New Zealand score as many runs off this one over as they have off the last four combined (two). Here, meanwhile, is what New Zealand’s lunchwatchman is working towards:
LUNCH MENU: Here's what the players will tuck into in a few minutes time: #LoveLords #ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/clQOFbQX6P
— Lord's Ground (@HomeOfCricket) May 25, 2015
10th over: New Zealand 14-3 (Williamson 6, Watling 0)
Finally, after all the leaves, Broad, bowling from wide in the crease, angling the ball into Watling, tempts the batsman into a shot, the ball straightening and passing just past the bat. Like, just past. Then the last ball of the over flies right into Watling, and the panicked batsman pushed his bat at it, the ball flying off a glove and landing safely before gully. Lovely bowling, and another maiden.
@Simon_Burnton Excited that our change bowling is a fired-up and confident Stokes and the pacy Wood. Short afternoon session...
— Jonathan Evans (@AcademicJon) May 25, 2015
Updated
9th over: New Zealand 14-3 (Williamson 6, Watling 0)
Anderson bowls a corker at Williamson, full and straight then moving away. The batsman starts to move towards it, but then changes his mind and leaves it alone. Delighted with his decision, he also leaves every other delivery. Maiden.
8th over: New Zealand 14-3 (Williamson 6, Watling 0)
England are still sticking a fielder at third man for Kane Williamson, which looks sillier now than it did five overs ago, and it looked pretty silly then. I quite like the idea of a lunchwatchman, perhaps because I might have, at long last, found a key role in a cricket team that I might be able to fill.
@Simon_Burnton So is Watling in as lunch watchman?
— Ravi Nair (@palfreyman1414) May 25, 2015
@Simon_Burnton have New Zealand just sent out a lunch-watchman?
— V (@urbsmanchester) May 25, 2015
7th over: New Zealand 13-3 (Williamson 5, Watling 0)
A Williamson single is the extent of the scoring from Anderson’s fourth over. “Earlier I’d started composing a message imploring England to open the bowling with Wood ahead of either Broad or Anderson for some extra pace shock impact after they’d made little impact with the new ball,” writes Tom van der Gucht. “Two wickets in the first two overs later, I’ll keep my tactical advice to myself …”
6th over: New Zealand 12-3 (Williamson 4, Watling 0)
Broad bowls short to Taylor, who pulls it away for four with a particularly loud crack. Two balls later only Taylor’s pad stops the ball ripping out middle stump, and he’s on his way. BJ Watling comes out, with the Kiwi captain hiding in the dressing-room. He’s welcomed with an absolute ripper, that flies through to Buttler with the batsman at no point looking like he had a clue what was happening to him.
Taylor hits all round straight ball from Broad and is lbw. New Zealand in disarray at 12-3, and Watling has come in instead of McCullum
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) May 25, 2015
WICKET! Taylor lbw b Broad 8 (New Zealand 12-3)
As with Latham, Broad runs away celebrating without looking back at the umpire – that was as out as out things can be. It took England 86 overs to take New Zealand’s third wicket in their first innings!
Updated
5th over: New Zealand 8-2 (Williamson 4, Taylor 4)
A single for Taylor, and five dots for Williamson. New Zealand would be happy with a largely action-free dawdle to lunch.
4th over: New Zealand 7-2 (Williamson 4, Taylor 3)
Dropped! Broad’s first ball finds Taylor’s edge and the ball flies low to Root at fourth slip, but he puts it down! It arrived ankle-high, but he didn’t have to move.
3rd over: New Zealand 6-2 (Williamson 4, Taylor 2)
Williamson cracks Anderson’s final delivery through midwicket for four. “Methinks another reason why yesterday was so entertaining,” writes Marie Meyer, “was what Warne was doing the IPL and Strauss has been promoted and so the Sky commentary was easier on the ear than it has been for ages.” Warne is an incredibly opinionated human being, but then I guess that’s how he makes his living these days. Looks like the Guardian’s music editor is at Lord’s:
Pretty thrilling morning so far. pic.twitter.com/ZTjEiWbLTs
— Michael Hann (@MichaelAHann) May 25, 2015
2nd over: New Zealand 1-2 (Williamson 0, Taylor 1)
Broad, having taken the last wicket of the first New Zealand innings, takes another with his first delivery of this one. There’s no hat trick, though, as Taylor digs out a wide yorker, prodding it safely to point. With the wind blowing in England’ direction, they bring in a fourth slip and a short leg, though after Taylor gets a single and Williamson returns to strike, the third man returns. Gary Naylor makes a fair point here.
@Simon_Burnton What did McCullum expect from Tom Latham after he had kept wicket for the injured Watling for 129 overs? Not good captaincy.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) May 25, 2015
WICKET! Latham lbw b Broad 0 (New Zealand 0-2)
Latham strolls forward to discuss a possible review with Williamson, and is told that he might as well just walk. That’s plumb, the ball straightening and on its way into leg stump, which it would have hit halfway up!
1st over: New Zealand 0-1 (Latham 0, Williamson 0)
A wicket maiden to get things rolling, Anderson’s 399th Test wicket coming off the second ball of the innings. As Williamson comes in England move a fielder to third man, to widespread derision.
The newest name of the Lord's Honour Board - @trent_boult #backtheblackcaps #engvnz #lords ^CE pic.twitter.com/OGijSDLHqn
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) May 25, 2015
WICKET! Guptill c Ballance b Anderson 0 (New Zealand 0-1)
What a start for England! Guptill pushes at a ball that moves away a fraction, and Ballance at third slip takes a good catch to his left!
Updated
So out come the teams. In the entire history of Test cricket teams chasing 345 or more in the final innings have won on eight occasions and lost 295 times, with 136 draws.
Updated
New Zealand require 345 runs to win
129th over: England 478 all out
Boult at least will be happy about the lack of declaration – it made a New Zealand defeat less likely, and made his five-for more likely. He took all four of today’s wickets and will have his name on the honour’s board as a result.
WICKET! Anderson b Boult 0 (England 478 all out)
Boult sends off stump spiralling, and England’s innings is over!
WICKET! Moeen Ali lbw b Boult 43 (England 478-9)
The ball would have clipped the top of the sumps, and so they stay with the decision of the on-field umpire. England still don’t declare.
Updated
REVIEW! Is Moeen out here?
He looked pretty much plumb, but I suppose if England don’t mind taking up a few more minutes, then they might as well review it.
128th over: England 478-8 (Moeen 43, Wood 4)
Another over, the highlight being Moeen pulling a hip-high delivery for four, and it ends with the ball flicking off Wood and going for four leg byes. England’s lead is now 344, but time is passing. Tick tock.
127th over: England 467-8 (Moeen 36, Wood 0)
Broad thumps Boult’s opening delivery over midwicket, but once it lands the ball pretty much stays where it is, and the batsmen run two. The bowler then bowls a short one, not particularly quickly, and Broad pulls it for six! The next takes out his middle stump.
Updated
WICKET! Broad b Boult 10 (England 467-8)
Broad is outfoxed by a short ball-yorker double-whammy. He hits the first of them for six, but then misses the second entirely.
Any successful run chase would now be the highest in New Zealand Test history. #bbccricket
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) May 25, 2015
Updated
126th over: England 459-7 (Moeen 36, Broad 2)
Southee peppers Broad’s helmet with short balls, inevitably, and he eventually gets a single from the final ball of the over. Twitter is currently losing it about the continuing lack of declaration.
@Simon_Burnton Trevor Bayliss (the wind up radio one) is going strong on eel pie island. Often seen smoking a pipe in his vintage Jag.
— Shaaaarps (@Shaaaarps) May 25, 2015
Updated
125th over: England 458-7 (Moeen 36, Broad 1)
England innings continues following their captain’s dismissal. Broad comes out, and after his first delivery flicks a pad on its way down leg he runs a couple of leg byes, bringing to 19 England’s total tally of extras in this innings – precisely 48 fewer than New Zealand enjoyed in theirs.
Updated
WICKET! Cook c Latham b Boult 162 (England 455-7)
Hotspot shows the tiniest mark on the bat, and snicko confirms it – Cook is out!
Updated
REVIEW! Is Cook out here? New Zealand think so!
But the on-field umpire doesn’t. Boult seemed pretty excited about it, as the ball passed just past the inside of Cook’s bat on its way through.
124th over: England 455-6 (Cook 162, Moeen 36)
Runs for Cook! He has another go at the shot Williamson so smartly fielded a couple of overs ago, and this time it beats third slip and rumbles to the third man boundary. And as if that wasn’t enough, Southee’s next ball disappears through the covers. Still no sign of a hint of a declaration.
123rd over: England 445-6 (Cook 153, Moeen 35)
Moeen flicks the ball off his legs and past square leg for four, off the very middle of his bat. He’s scored all 16 of this morning’s runs so far.
122nd over: England 440-6 (Cook 153, Moeen 30)
A lovely cover drive from Moeen earns four runs, and extends England’s lead beyond 300 – it currently stands at 306. Ali Martin has filed his story on Trevor Bayliss, and it looks like a done deal.
Despite positive talks with Jason Gillespie, his fellow countryman Bayliss became the No1 choice with contact between the 52-year-old and the England and Wales Cricket Board having stepped up a gear over the weekend, and their offer is now understood to have been accepted.
Bayliss was lukewarm to the board’s initial approaches but has been swayed by a package that would see the money he earns as coach of New South Wales and the Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders doubled, with reports in Australia claiming he could earn as much as £300,000 a year in the role.
121st over: England 433-6 (Cook 153, Moeen 23)
Thanks in the main to a fine stop from Kane Williamson at third slip, when the ball was otherwise on its way boundarywards, that’s another maiden for Boult. Peter Salmon proposes another potential new coach: “How about Jagadish Chandra Bose, who, apart from sounding like a good Indian spinner from the eighties, used electromagnetic waves to ignite gunpowder and ring a bell at a distance? This seems to combine practicality and eccentricity in a way that would well suit the England team.” The main downside, I’d say, is that he died in 1937.
120th over: England 433-6 (Cook 153, Moeen 23)
It takes until the 11th ball of the day for England to look at all bothered about scoring runs. Then Moeen thumps Southee high but safe over cover for four.
And little work was done that day. Unless Cook plays safe and bats til tea, enraging millions #ENGvNZ @Simon_Burnton pic.twitter.com/tNAoeh95pS
— Harry Phillips (@Yes_IAmHarry) May 25, 2015
119th over: England 429-6 (Cook 153, Moeen 19)
A maiden, from Boult, to start the day. Sky have yet to mention the words “Trevor” or “Bayliss” this morning, which is a bit weird in the circumstances. Our cricket writers are busily trying to confirm the news, I’ll let you know more when I get it. Gah! As I write that, Bumble mentions Trevor Bayliss. The rotter!
Updated
There are still tickets – if you’re in London, you know what to do. But do it fast – the players are out, and play starts in seconds.
TICKET UPDATE: Queues dying down and still plenty of room in the Ground. If you were in two minds, head to Lord's! #LoveLords
— Lord's Ground (@HomeOfCricket) May 25, 2015
The five-minute bell has been rung. Cricket imminent.
Updated
“Morning Simon,” writes Simon McMahon. Morning. “I have an original ‘freeplay’ radio in my garage that still works and sounds great. England could have done worse than appoint the inventor of the wind-up radio as their new head coach. English, eccentric, innovative and visionary.” Well being English obviously stopped being a significant criterion some time ago. It would be quite entertaining to see the team in the hands of a group of eccentric innovators, though.
Queues outside Lord’s this morning. There’s already a decent crowd in. The official Lord’s account tweeted 16 minutes ago that everyone queueing at that stage would get in.
PHOTO: Queuing round the block this morning #ENGvNZ #LoveLords pic.twitter.com/yH3ZFJbZQL
— Lord's Ground (@HomeOfCricket) May 25, 2015
The queue outside Lord's this morning - and it's a lot longer than this... pic.twitter.com/ff48cDd57X
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) May 25, 2015
Day 5 Lords test huge queues! pic.twitter.com/CWH2bM1Nb4
— Bryan Waddle (@bawads) May 25, 2015
On a declaration. He’s got some batting to do yet:
It’s a tough one because there’s enough in that wicket, but as you can see from the scores it’s hard to stop people if they get a partnership going. So who knows? What I do know is it’s going to be an exciting day.
Captain Cook on Stokes:
Just fantastic batting. We all know how talented he is, and that was another huge step in his cricketing career. The way he played, it was just a pleasure to watch. For a 23 year old to go and do that, he took the bull by the horns and he was just fantastic. It was a huge credit to him, because he’s had an interesting international career, to say the least. He thinks about things a lot more than people give him credit for.
Alastair Cook talks to Sky:
I think it’s been a brilliant Test match. Clearly yesterday was a good day for us. We’ve been under the cosh quite a lot of this Test match but we’ve shown a lot of spirit and put ourselves in a position where, at the beginning of the day, it didn’t look like we’d get there.
It is a bit of form. That’s what happens when you’re in form – things tend to move better. When you’re out of form those movements are early or late. I’ve done a lot of work with Goochy since January, and with a guy called Gary Palmer as well, and I’ve got some rewards for it in the West Indies tour and here.
On leaving deliveries that he’s got out to before: When you haven’t scored runs for a while you try to go at the ball, try to get going, then you do stuff that’s not natural to you. It takes belief in that ability that’s worked before. When you haven’t done it for a while, it’s hard to believe that’s the way to go. And also people have bowled slightly fuller to me, and I’ve had to adapt to that as well.
The big news swirling around cricketland this morning:
Exclusive: England set to appoint Trevor Bayliss as new head coach - by @NHoultCricket http://t.co/BAsIsRuc8x pic.twitter.com/lwqrnaCBzE
— Telegraph Sport (@TelegraphSport) May 25, 2015
Important point of information: this is Trevor Bayliss, Australian coach of New South Wales, not Trevor Baylis, inventor of the wind-up radio.
Hello world!
And so, today it will be decided. It’s been a superb four days of Test cricket, now in search of a conclusion to match all that’s preceded it. Today is also, for those in London and at a loose end, one of the great bargains in world sport – £20 for grown-ups, £10 concessions, free for Under-16s – there really is no excuse, contractual obligations notwithstanding, for being anywhere else. Anyway, hello. Welcome. Send me your funnies.
Simon will be here soon enough. While you wait, here is Vic Marks on Ben Stokes and how his staggering century in 85 balls thrilled England fans and left New Zealand bowlers defenceless and bereft. Enjoy.
A remarkable day at the Britannia Stadium and Lord’s. Up in the Potteries, Stoke City hit six against Liverpool; in St John’s Wood, Ben Stokes kept hitting sixes against New Zealand.
For once the exploits of the cricketer may be of more significance than those of footballers at the end of their season. Mark Hughes and his team can go on holiday with a smile. But now at the start of a cricket season laden with pitfalls and polarisation, Stokes has allowed the cricketing fraternity to dream again. The summer of 2015 may not be viewed with such constant trepidation after all.
Here Stokes cracked the fastest ever Test century at Lord’s. It took him 85 balls, two fewer than the angry century by Mohammad Azharuddin against England in 1990. Stokes’ knock was mesmerising and in less than two hours it changed the balance of the match. All the while his captain, Alastair Cook, looked on from the other end admiringly – and gratefully. Eighty yards away the England balcony was crammed full; even the pros had their eyes popping.
When Stokes scampered the run which took him to his century, there was Joe Root, smiling broadly and delivering his mischievous military salute, a reference to Marlon Samuels bidding Stokes farewell after his ugly dismissal in Grenada a month ago. Stokes himself celebrated with some verve – he had, after all, missed out on three figures by an agonising eight runs in the first innings.
But he batted with even more verve. Upon his arrival the match was tottering. England were 232 for four, a lead of 98, a far better situation than the one that greeted Stokes in the first innings (30 for four) but precarious nonetheless. It did not take long to establish how Stokes was going to play – the same way as on Thursday: if the ball was there to hit, he was going to hit it. Thus he produced an “I was still there” innings.
