Right, that’s it from me. Be sure to stick around on site for all the reports and reaction from Headingley, and join us again tomorrow for what should be a full day’s play. But for now, cheerio!
Another terrific day in which NZ recovered from 2-2 to reach 297 for 8, from only 65 overs. Def their day.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) May 29, 2015
STUMPS
New Zealand 297-8. After the rain, another thoroughly brilliant day of Test match cricket, though at times it didn’t look much like a Test match. You have to admire this New Zealand team – they’re hugely entertaining, and they’ve got themselves to within sight of 300 after a dreadful start.
Updated
65th over: New Zealand 297-8 (Craig 16, Henry 14) The final over of the day then. Mark Wood to bowl it. Craig fends the first just short of the man at short leg. The next he wafts at outside off. And the third he pokes at, again not making contact. And Craig survives the rest with little fuss.
64th over: New Zealand 297-8 (Craig 16, Henry 14) Henry has a wild flappy pull at Stokes and is delighted to see the ball fly over the slips and away for four. But a couple of balls later he does get hold of one, a thunking pull disappearing to cow corner for four.
63rd over: New Zealand 287-8 (Craig 16, Henry 4) Wood continues but it’s all gone a bit flat out there. A maiden.
62nd over: New Zealand 287-8 (Craig 16, Henry 4) Stokes beats Craig outside off with a beauty, then offers a half-hearted appeal as he thwocks him on the pad with the next.
61st over: New Zealand 286-8 (Craig 16, Henry 4) Henry gets off the mark by hammering Wood through the covers with the power of a million suns.
WICKET! Southee c Lyth b Wood 1 (New Zealand 281-8)
A double change: Mark Wood also returns to the fray. And it’s done the trick: Wood bangs one in short, Southee takes it on, and can only pick out Adam Lyth on the midwicket boundary.
Updated
60th over: New Zealand 281-7 (Craig 15, Southee 1) Ben Stokes returns for a final blast before the close. Craig keeps his powder dry on this occasion as Stuart Broad chunters at Tim Southee at the non-striker’s end. A maiden.
59th over: New Zealand 281-7 (Craig 15, Southee 1) Mark Craig can bat – he unfurls a quite glorious straight drive for four off Broad then punches another through point for three. England’s work today is not yet done.
Updated
58th over: New Zealand 273-7 (Craig 8, Southee 1) Somehow a Moeen Ali over (the 56th) has disappeared from the OBO. I can’t repeat all of what was written now, but you’ll just have to take my word for it that it was full of the usual poetry and sparkling prose that you’ve come to expect. From this Ali over, Craig whips impressively through midwicket for four then skitters through for a single.
Updated
57th over: New Zealand 269-7 (Craig 3, Southee 1) So it’s all got a little shambolic from New Zealand. Two players who would’ve been eyeing centuries fall in differing, but equally frustrating, fashions within the space of two overs. Craig drives for three to get off the mark.
Updated
WICKET! Ronchi c Anderson b Broad 88 (New Zealand 265-7)
The Broad Bouncer Barrage continues to Ronchi … and he’s fallen into the trap. He looks to pivot-pull off one foot and picks out the finest of three fielders on the square leg boundary. As with McCullum, it’s difficult to criticise the dismissal after praising the shot-making previously in the innings. But, come on. That couldn’t have been more obvious.
Updated
55th over: New Zealand 264-6 (Craig 0, Ronchi 86) And note the moment in OBO history, that was the over in which Alan Rusbridger was “banged out” of the Guardian . The wicket came a moment later.
Updated
WICKET! Latham c Root b Broad 84 (New Zealand 264-6)
At last England hold on to a catch, with Root (in for the injured Cook at first slip) the man to cling on to the edge.
Updated
54th over: New Zealand 263-5 (Latham 84, Ronchi 86) Twelve overs remaining and the tone of the day could still go either way really. Luke Ronchi is trying his best to ensure it’s New Zealand’s day, sending another huge slog sweep into the stands at cow corner for six, then rocking back and planting the spinner through the covers for four more.
53rd over: New Zealand 250-5 (Latham 83, Ronchi 74) Broad (10-0-66-1) continues. Soft hands from Latham on this occasion sees an edge dabbed low through gully for four.
“If Luke Ronchi reaches a hundred he will be the oldest Test player to reach a century on debut when not playing in the inaugural Test match for his nation,” writes Ed Hall. “Only Dave Houghton who scored 100 in Zimbabwe’s first Test was older.”
52nd over: New Zealand 245-5 (Latham 79, Ronchi 73) Another huge sweep from Latham, who surely can’t be long for this innings, another appeal, and another shake of the head from umpire Ravi. It looked pretty close, but might’ve just been missing leg stump. He drives for a couple to bring up the 100 partnership from 127 balls.
Bad few minutes for Alis. Prince Ali concedes defeat to Blatter, then Moeen has Latham dropped twice in two balls...
— David Coverdale (@dpcoverdale) May 29, 2015
51st over: New Zealand 243-5 (Latham 77, Ronchi 73) Lyth does well to make a diving stop on the boundary as Ronchi is finally tempted to take the pull on against Broad. Then Broad offers the ailing Latham a wide, full one that he jabs gratefully through the covers for four. THEN HE’S DROPPED AGAIN! Broad straightens him up, finds the edge, but Cook shells another straightforward chance as first slip.
“Ronchi has caught Latham, despite having come to the crease when Latham already had 57 runs to his name,” writes Tom Paternoster-howe. “Which has got me wondering what the biggest headstart a lower order batsman gas reeled in. I bet Gilchrist and King Vivid must both have bested this difference, but does anyone know?”
Reeled in a 57-run headstart within 15 runs, which is perhaps the most impressive aspect.
Updated
50th over: New Zealand 237-5 (Latham 72, Ronchi 72) Latham has looks very uncomfortable against Moeen Ali – he seems a little unsure whether to follow Ronchi’s lead and attack (which clearly isn’t his natural game) or to nudge and nurdle for ones and twos. He misses with a sweep but adds two legs byes to the total as a bit of a Brucie bonus. THEN HE’S DROPPED IN CONSECUTIVE BALLS! This is remarkable. First he sends a sweep straight at square leg, where Wood shells a low chance. Then he feathers an edge to Ballance at leg slip and again the ball goes down. Two bad drops in truth. He’s a walking wicket for Ali at the moment.
49th over: New Zealand 235-5 (Latham 72, Ronchi 72) A short-ball barrage from Broad at Ronchi. The batsman ducks a couple (there are three men on the legside boundary) then tickles one down the leg side – Buttler can’t quite get there, but he was only a whisker away. A third bouncer is called a no ball. That means Broad is forced to pitch one up … and Ronchi responds by driving over extra cover for four more. That takes his score level with Latham on 72. The opener has faced 155 balls, Ronchi has faced 56.
@John_Ashdown 69% of New Zealand's runs have come in boundaries - on Day One. A record? Even England's 407 at Edgbaston 2005 was "only" 68%.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) May 29, 2015
48th over: New Zealand 226-5 (Latham 72, Ronchi 64) Huge appeal as Latham is struck on the pad by Ali. The bowler signals immediately for a review … and Cook concurs, despite the spinner having used up one a moment or two ago. This looks absolutely plumb … hitting middle, two third of the way up … but the impact is umpire’s call! Well, well, well. I reckon that’s one of those occasions where the DRS has failed to overturn a pretty blatantly incorrect decision. Still, Moeen has now mowed through both of England’s reviews in the space of three overs.
47th over: New Zealand 224-5 (Latham 71, Ronchi 63) SHOT! This is sumptuous from Ronchi as Broad returns to the attack – a length-ball loosener disappears to the cover boundary as Ronchi finds the meat of the meat of the middle. And a couple of balls later he top-edges a pull down to fine leg for four more. He ends the over with a couple more swipes, neither of which make contact. What is it with New Zealand wicketkeepers?
46th over: New Zealand 216-5 (Latham 71, Ronchi 55) Latham has a jaunt down the pitch and a huge heave but Root – I think – under the lid at short leg can’t gather and effect a stumping. The opener plays pretty much a shot-a-ball this over but barely makes contact with one.
45th over: New Zealand 216-5 (Latham 71, Ronchi 55) The New Zealand plan seems to be: keep out Anderson, attack Ali. While the spinner takes a bit of tap at the other end, England’s record wicket-taker can barely draw a shot in anger from the batsmen.
44th over: New Zealand 215-5 (Latham 70, Ronchi 55) Ronchi has another heave at Ali but this time skims his drive low to mid off where Broad can’t quite get his hands to the ball, diving forward. It might’ve just about carried but it was a tough chance. Ronchi celebrates the reprieve with a magnificent slog-sweep for another six. That takes him to a 37-ball fifty, the fastest Test 50 ever at Headingley. But not quite fast enough to join this lot.
43rd over: New Zealand 205-5 (Latham 70, Ronchi 45) Great shape from Anderson from round the wicket, slanted in and swung away. Latham does well not to nibble at it. A very good probing over all in all.
42nd over: New Zealand 204-5 (Latham 70, Ronchi 44) CLONK! Ronchi smashes Ali back over his head for six (just – the ball plonked into the rope on the full). He follows that up with a firm sweep for one. Ali responds well by beating Latham with what looked to be an arm ball. Appeal. Shake of the head. Review. And the video replay shows a big inside edge onto the pad, but at least we get to hear third umpire Marais Erasmus say “Just rock and roll that”, which is always a treat.
41st over: New Zealand 197-5 (Latham 70, Ronchi 37) Anderson continues to search for wicket No402. He looks to tempt Latham outside off but the opener isn’t interested.
@John_Ashdown Thanks for the name check! The proof: pic.twitter.com/UNqU18CzuI
— Matthew Collins (@mdcollins1984) May 29, 2015
40th over: New Zealand 197-5 (Latham 70, Ronchi 37) Ali drops a little short and is milked for a trio of singles to start the over. Then he fizzes one horribly down the leg side and watches as the ball trickles rather apologetically away for four byes. And from the last a sweep from Ronchi goes fine for four to bring up the 50 partnership. It’s come from just 55 deliveries.
39th over: New Zealand 185-5 (Latham 68, Ronchi 31) Another lucky escape for Ronchi. With two slips and a gully in place the wicketkeeper edges Anderson … straight through the gap. Replays show slip-based despair and also a beer snake shattering in the background (one of the most antisocial things you can do at a cricket ground, by the way).
“I’ve just had a nosey at that 952-6 scorecard,” writes Harkarn Sumal. “There was a chap bowling for India that I’ve not come across before – Nilesh Kulkarni. It transpires he was on debut, and took a wicket from his first ball in test cricket (the only Indian ever to have done so), rendering SL 39-1. Right then in that moment, he must’ve been swaggering about, thinking “this test cricket’s a right doddle”… Sadly he finished with figures of 70-12-197-1, and only played two more tests. She’s a cruel mistress, cricket. A cruel mistress. But he’ll always have the way he felt in that moment.”
38th over: New Zealand 180-5 (Latham 68, Ronchi 26) Time for some spin. Latham blocks out a maiden as Ali wheels in.
37th over: New Zealand 180-5 (Latham 68, Ronchi 26) Just a single for Latham off Anderson.
And we get a brief clothes-washing lesson from Messrs Botham and Hussain.
Nasser: “Good day for the laundary today. Apart from when it was raining.”
Iron Bottom: “Yeah but you can wash it then.”
Nasser: “Windy and sunny.”
Iron Bottom: “Perfect. Perfect for the students.”
Students don’t actually wash their clothes these days do they?
36th over: New Zealand 179-5 (Latham 67, Ronchi 26) Stokes ends up taking a bump on his backside after Ronchi offers the sliver of a caught-and-bowled chance. Instead he picks up four runs. And Ronchi is sending the ball to all parts here. Well, mainly the cover boundary. A toe-ended drive flies uppishly away for four, and from the last a cracker whistles into the same area. Ronchi goes to a McCullumesque 26 from 18.
Success! “India were 678-9 against Sri Lanka in 2009,” writes Matthew Collins. “I think that’s the only one.”
Updated
35th over: New Zealand 167-5 (Latham 67, Ronchi 14) With blood in the water, Anderson returns. Ronchi works the ball to third man for three. And from the last Latham biffs neatly – he is a neat player – back past the bowler for four.
“I’d highly recommend taking young kids to the cricket,” writes David Stranger-Jones. “I took my two year old boy and four year old girl to Lord’s on Monday and spent a great day in the stands and the Nursery Ground. I’m not sure they quite appreciated the significance of what was going on, but they loved being able to shout their heads off in public with no parental reprimand. And the chips.”
34th over: New Zealand 160-5 (Latham 63, Ronchi 11) Latham, who has been starved of the strike, has a bit of an escape with an inside-edge off Stokes cannoning into his pads rather than the stumps. He celebrates the reprieve with another quietly efficient drive for four. Stokes goes round the wicket and tempts a nervy poke outside off as a result.
“When Sri Lanka made their Test record 952-6 dec in 1997 against India, you’d have thought there might have been a moment where the score was 876-5 or a 765-4 – not a chance,” writes Darren Beach. “Had they batted on just a tad longer, they could so easily have declared at a splendid 987-6.”
33rd over: New Zealand 156-5 (Latham 59, Ronchi 11) Tempting fate I know, but I reckon we might have an uninterrupted run through to the close here. The showers that were loping towards Headingley over the Dales seem to have dissipated.
Ronchi hammers Wood back down the ground for four to keep the scoreboard ticking over
A plea:
@John_Ashdown Do you, or anybody else, fancy a game for @pulboroughcc 2nds in sunny Sussex tomorrow?
— Rich Flower (@richflower82) May 29, 2015
32nd over: New Zealand 150-5 (Latham 59, Ronchi 5) A couple of singles from Stokes’ latest.
“Yes, take your child to Headingley and stop worrying,” writes Matthew Tom. “The blazing hot afternoon I spent as a child amongst the beery, sweaty, orange-face-painted-but-not-really-racist-honest Yorkshiremen on the Western Terrace at Headingley (England v Pakistan, 1982) is still one of my most cherished cricketing memories.”
31st over: New Zealand 148-5 (Latham 57, Ronchi 4) Ronchi almost picks up a golden duck on his Test debut. A devilish just-back-a-length delivery surprises the keeper but the edge loops over the slips. He picks up four runs but New Zealand are on the ropes.
“Re Smylers’ query (27th over),” writes Susan Perry. “I took my daughter to Lord’s on the Monday v India last year – she was six years old at the time and greatly enjoyed jumping up yelling Rooooooot whenever he got a boundary. The free card with ‘4’ and ‘6’ on it was very popular too, though I did have to explain that only one side of it was likely to be required that day …”
WICKET! Watling b Wood 14 (New Zealand 144-5)
What a delivery! The utterly out-of-sorts Wood finds a jaffer from nowhere – a fizzing delivery that was slanted in on middle, hit the deck, then jinked away to hit the top of off. Watling played all around it. And New Zealand are in some serious bother now.
Updated
30th over: New Zealand 143-4 (Latham 57, Watling 14) Stokes, who seems a transformed bowler since 2014, keeps things tourniquet-tight.
“Does a scoreline of 123-4 have a name? If not I suggest ‘a dubious ascent’,” writes Nick Watts. I wonder what the highest version of that has been since in Test cricket – 456-7 and 567-8 are pretty likely. 678-9?
29th over: New Zealand 142-4 (Latham 56, Watling 14) Wood offers up some short, wide filth that Watling flat-bats through the covers for four. A couple of balls later another half-tracker gets similar treatment. Wood responds, though, with a beauty that angles in and moves away from a groping edge. The last, however, is pushed to leg and glanced away for four more.
“I took my then-five-year-old daughter to a one-dayer against Australia at Old Trafford in 2013, and we had a marvellous time,” writes Paul Turp. “I dressed as Robin, she as Batman, and we spent the day in the family stand with some lovely families and older couples, who were very fond of her. My daughter only half-watched the game (and with Michael Clarke and George Bailey destroying us, that was fair enough), but she did some sketches, read her Beano annuals, and grazed on our picnic. Thoroughly recommend it.”
28th over: New Zealand 130-4 (Latham 56, Watling 2) Watling takes a single off Stokes’ next. And Latham, who has cooled his jets since a feisty start, blocks out the rest.
“I would advise that three years old is a little early to endure an England batting collapse,” writes Chris Eden.
27th over: New Zealand 129-4 (Latham 56, Watling 1) Wood also continues after tea. Watling gets off the mark with a single and Latham adds one of his own before punching economically down the ground for four from the last.
“Anybody got experience of taking children to cricket matches?” asks Smylers. “Would it be foolish to go to Headingley on Monday with a toddler? Prices are reasonable, and I see they have an alcohol-free family area. The nearly-3-year-old in question likes people-watching and has a reasonable record of sitting contentedly in churches services, cinemas and theatres, and on long train journeys.”
26th over: New Zealand 123-4 (Latham 51, Watling 0) Replays show McCullum wasn’t even looking at the fielder when Wood took that catch. He had already turned his back for the trudge back to the pavilion. Still, you can’t revel in the attacking shots and sing his praises but then criticise when he gets out in that fashion. It’s just a bit of a shame for the game. Anyway, he’s gone for 41 off 28 and Watling, playing as a specialist batsman, blocks out the next five.
WICKET! McCullum c Wood b Stokes 41 (New Zealand 123-4)
Urgh. U.G.L.Y – that shot ain’t got no alibi. McCullum looks to repeat his first-ball drive over the top from the first ball after tea but mistimes horrible and plops a gentle catch to mid off.
Updated
The players are back out. A bumper 40-over final session is ahead of us. Weather-wise things are looking pretty good.
TEA
New Zealand 123-3. Great fun, as pretty much every session of this mini-series has been.
25th over: New Zealand 123-3 (Latham 51, McCullum 41) Wood offers McCullum another bouncer – again he takes it on, but this time there’s a glove that beats the diving Buttler by a couple of feet at most. He has 41 from 27 at tea.
“I sometimes get the impression with McCullum that we underestimate the contribution his sense of humour makes to his batting style,” writes Robert Wilson. “I get the feeling there is quite a lot of I shouldn’t play this shot or that would be going way too far just before he does both in spades. I can’t help thinking that it’s sometimes because it makes him giggle. A private chuckle is still a chuckle. I think bowlers might profitably try telling him jokes between deliveries.”
24th over: New Zealand 118-3 (Latham 51, McCullum 36) The penultimate over before tea. Ben Stokes will bowl it. He tries a bumper at McCullum, but the New Zealand captain isn’t having any of that. He swats to backward square for four. Then follows it up with another smart steer into the leg side.
23rd over: New Zealand 113-3 (Latham 51, McCullum 31) Mark Wood, who struggled for rhythm in his earlier spell of 5-2-20-0, returns. A straight drive brings two more for McCullum and a dink into the leg side brings him a single. He moves on to 31 from 18.
@John_Ashdown The NZ team surrounding a batter mid-over and doing the Haka would make for one hell of a sledge.
— Tregaskis (@Tregaskis1) May 29, 2015
22nd over: New Zealand 110-3 (Latham 51, McCullum 28) Bang! Another boundary for McCullum as Stokes is a foot or so off target with an attempted yorker and is punches through the extra cover. But he’s an inch away from getting Latham a few balls later. A length ball just gets a little big on the opener and catches the shoulder of the bat – Root leaps like a salmon at gully but can only get his fingertips to the ball as it loops over his head.
21st over: New Zealand 103-3 (Latham 50, McCullum 23) New Zealand bring up the 100 courtesy of a McCullum drive off Broad that squirts away off a thick edge and boings away to third man for four. This innings is rattling along at just above five an over.
We have sunshine now at Headingley. Which takes me back to when I watches England take on the West Indies there a few years ago. Blustery day but clear. No sunscreen. Very red bonce. Had to usher at a friend’s wedding the following weekend. Spent the entire time glowing like a belisha beacon.
20th over: New Zealand 98-3 (Latham 50, McCullum 18) Nerves for Latham as he looks for his 50 – a wafty drive off Stokes connects with nothing but Yorkshire air. But next up he makes it to the landmark after a push for a single. And a very decent knock it has been.
Tom Latham's steady progress as a Test cricketer shows that you can be anything you want to be – even if you are a Fisher Price man. #EngvNZ
— Vithushan (@Vitu_E) May 29, 2015
Updated
19th over: New Zealand 96-3 (Latham 49, McCullum 17) McCullum mis-times a swish outside off but runs through for a single. He has nine from four deliveries and is yet to play out a dot ball. From the next an inside edge bobbles wide of Buttler. McCullum, brain fizzing at the moment, calls Latham through for a single. Buttler scampers, gathers and sends the ball towards the stumps at the bowler’s end … and watches in dismay as the ball disappears to the boundary rope for four overthrows. That takes the opener to 49. McCullum then plays out a dot before returning to type as Broad strays to leg and whipping down to cow corner for four. Another dot and then a thumping cover drive for four more. McCullum races on to 17 from eight.
18th over: New Zealand 82-3 (Latham 44, McCullum 8) Ben Stokes, the lion of Lord’s, gets a first bowl of the day and is greeted, as he will be for much of his career you imagine, with guttural beery cheers from the terraces. He can take a little while to get himself motoring and this is a bit of a tune-up over, dead-batted by Latham.
@John_Ashdown The image of Daniel Vettori prancing around with his tongue out probably put NZ off doing the Haka. Maybe now he's retired...
— Adam Marshall (@theadammarshall) May 29, 2015
@John_Ashdown imagine Richard Hadlee doing the Haka. Such a pity.
— Matthew Davies (@Matt_Davies1705) May 29, 2015
17th over: New Zealand 82-3 (Latham 44, McCullum 8) McCullum faces his first ball … and clubs it over cover for six! The stones on this guy. It was a length ball from Broad and the New Zealand captain just plonked a foot down the track and hefted him over the rope. His first ball. Sheesh. And the batsmen add a few singles for good measure.
Updated
16th over: New Zealand 72-3 (Latham 42, McCullum 0) Wood continues. Latham latches on to another short and wide effort from the bowler and creams him square for four. England’s third seamer is struggling a the moment.
15th over: New Zealand 68-3 (Latham 38, McCullum 0) A horrible moment for Taylor. Grim stuff.
“Because to do the Haka properly you need to line up your lot against the other lot, which doesn’t happen in cricket, apart from the recently-introduced official hand-shaking, which would be inappropriate at that point,” says John Starbuck. “You could do it in other sports, but in boxing it seems superfluous since you’re supposed to be actually attacking the opponent rather than just threatening them, while in rowing you’d have to do when clutching a boat on your shoulders. I reckon doing it in tennis (especially doubles) and snooker would be good.”
WICKET! Taylor lbw b Broad 20 (New Zealand 68-3)
Stuart Broad returns. Taylor stands up on his tip-toes and punches through point off the back foot for four. Broad moves his gully out to cover point as a result. Nasser isn’t happy – setting the field for a bad delivery, he reckons. This isn’t a bad delivery, though … but it’s a nightmare for Ross Taylor. He shoulders arms to one that jags back towards the stumps and the ball has barely left his pad before he’s making his way back to the pavilion.
Updated
14th over: New Zealand 64-2 (Latham 38, Taylor 16) And after a few ragged run-filled overs we have a nice, tidy maiden from Wood.
Updated
13th over: New Zealand 64-2 (Latham 38, Taylor 16) Shot! Again! And it’s Taylor this time, leaning into a cover drive beautifully. And, again, we have back-to-back boundaries with the latter part of the pair squirted through the vacant gully region. There’s a brief delay as Rod Tucker – or should that be the evil alien mastermind that lives inside Rod Tucker – has lost his hat and that’s followed by a nervous grope outside off from Taylor as Anderson lands one on the right spot.
Updated
12th over: New Zealand 56-2 (Latham 38, Taylor 8) Shot! The joyous thwack of leather on sweet spot rings around Headingley as Latham thrashes Wood through point for four. The second boundary in a back-to-back pair is much streakier, though, and squirted wide of the four-man slip cordon. That brings the New Zealand 50 up. Latham makes it three from the over by clipping to square leg for four more from the last.
The drizzle returns but it’s just a quick splash-and-dash from the heavens.
“Why don’t the Kiwis do the Haka when playing cricket?” wonders Tony O’Hanlon. I’d never really thought of that before. You see it in ice hockey, basketball, I’ve seen the women’s football team perform it. Anyone know if there’s any specific reason?
Updated
11th over: New Zealand 44-2 (Latham 26, Taylor 8) Anderson offers Taylor a little too much width and gets cut through backward point for his troubles. A glance to leg and a push wide of midwicket concludes a profitable over for New Zealand.
Looking at the rainfall radars, I reckon we might get through until the 4.10pm tea break without further interruption. But there’s a bit of wet stuff building up over the Dales after that.
Updated
10th over: New Zealand 36-2 (Latham 26, Taylor 2) Mark Wood continues and Latham misses with an attempted flick to fine leg – fortunately for the batsman it pings away off the thigh pad and rattles away for four regardless. Latham has a bit of a nibble at one outside off a couple of balls later.
That terrifying picture of Hot Spot Rod Tucker is more than a little reminiscent of They Live (which features the acting skills of Rowdy Roddy Piper):
Updated
9th over: New Zealand 32-2 (Latham 26, Taylor 2) Hello all. John Ashdown here for the remainder of the day – do send me an email on john.ashdown@theguardian.com or get in touch via Twitter: @John_Ashdown. We’ve got 64 overs remaining in the day, though there remains a few showers around so I doubt we’ll get them all in. Tea will be at 4.10pm BST.
Updated
That raindrop photo: a clarification. “Huge drops were falling from the pavilion roof on to a puddle on top of some TV equipment,” writes photographer Philip Brown. “I just captured the drops and did not thrown anything or any pebbles anywhere. Thanks for your interest.”
Update: play to restart at 3pm BST, at which point John Ashdown will take over OBO duties. Bye! It’s been, well, damp.
Play to start again a few minutes! Now 64.4 overs left in the day (at least we hope) #engvnz #leeds ^CE
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) May 29, 2015
A shameless charity plug from Oliver Smiddy. “This Sunday, instead of watching the cricket I’ll be running and swimming around the Stockholm archipelago in the Uto Swimrun,” he writes. “It’s the third of three races I’m doing this year to raise money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research – the others being a 50 mile run over the South Downs and a 100 mile run from London to Oxford. I’m nearly into four figures for donations, so if any OBOers could spare a few quid and help me over the line, they can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/osmiddyultra/. Thank you!” You’re welcome!
News!
Let's not get too excited, but some of the covers coming off here in Leeds - play might not be too far away... #engvnz ^CE
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) May 29, 2015
Thanks to Edmund King for the tip here. This is brilliant.
Hotspot Rod Tucker is terrifying. #ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/s0s7ZuWZ8o
— Phil Makepeace (@AlteredCourse) May 29, 2015
I’m not sure what’s going on in this picture. Surely it isn’t an authentic raindrop? If it is, they’ve had some absolutely killer raindrops in Yorkshire today. Or is it a photographer throwing pebbles into a puddle?
Updated
Now it looks like there’s hail on its way. At least we’re playing New Zealand, another country that’s forced to deal with wildly unreliable summers.
@Simon_Burnton hailing in Leeds! #EngvsNZ
— peaches (@1mile_2pence) May 29, 2015
Three minutes later the sun is out, and the umpires are discussing with the groundsman. Their conclusion, I think, is to let the great big dark cloud that’s approaching the ground to roll over before they try to play again. And on comes some supplementary plastic sheeting.
Rain stops play again!
This might be one of those days. Off they trot again.
8.2 overs: New Zealand 32-2 (Latham 26, Taylor 2)
Two balls later – the first of which Taylor prods through midwicket for a couple to get off the mark – it starts raining more heavily, and this time all the players leave.
Updated
Rain stops play! For about 20 seconds!
The umpires discuss the weather and then, to loud boos from the crowd, some of the players leave. Some of them don’t. And then the ones that did are told to come back.
8th over: New Zealand 30-2 (Latham 26, Taylor 0)
Mark Wood replaces Broad, and his first ball, like the first of Broad’s third and last-for-now over, goes for four, this one cut past point. More bad news from our man at the scene (the scene being, perhaps surprisingly, a mile or so away from Headingley). Rain is falling at Headingley, but not enough of it to force them off yet:
@Simon_Burnton it is raining pretty heavily up the road now
— Ben O'Connell (@oconnellben) May 29, 2015
7th over: New Zealand 26-2 (Latham 22, Taylor 0)
Anderson bowls five deliveries wide of Latham’s off stump, easy leaves. Then the world holds its breath and waits for No6. Will he get an inswinger to rap into the nonplussed batsman’s pad? Well kind of – it starts wide of off stump, swings in a tiny fraction, and is hit past gully for three.
Updated
6th over: New Zealand 23-2 (Latham 19, Taylor 0)
Another lovely shot by Latham, still the only one of four New Zealand batsmen to score a run (He’s faced 23 deliveries so far, the rest 13). This time he hits Broad’s first delivery through midwicket for four.
@Simon_Burnton Oh I agree 100%! I just wanted something on which to hang a shoutout to Dizzy, who seems as good a bloke as he was a bowler.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) May 29, 2015
Not out!
The ball clipped his pocket, having left his bat well alone. Not at all out.
WICKET! Or is it? Latham reviews immediately!
There’s a noise, the ball flies through to Buttler and England celebrate. The umpire raises his finger, after a delay, but Latham reviews straight away.
5th over: New Zealand 18-2 (Latham 14, Taylor 0)
Anderson tempts Latham into a drive, which he absolutely nails, the ball flying through the covers for four, and then he flicks the next off his pads to the square leg boundary. Two lovely shots. I’m afraid I’ve got to disagree with you here, Gary. I’d love a less antipathetic Ashes series. The fewer pub punches and threats of broken limbs the better, as far as I’m concerned.
@Simon_Burnton Someone tell Dizzy to stop being so decent and start being more Aussie? We can't rely on Warner alone to stoke the antipathy.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) May 29, 2015
Updated
4th over: New Zealand 9-2 (Latham 5, Taylor 0)
Broad bowls across Latham again, and he plays at a ball he should have left alone, and is lucky to get away with it. The next ball flicks off his thigh pad and disappears past Buttler for four more leg byes, following that Lord’s first-innings LBfest. He then pushes through midwicket, the wet outfield getting the ball to stop before the rope, and Anderson to fall over as he tries to pick it up. They run three.
“Interesting tactic by NZ,” writes Sam Fox (not that one, I’m guessing). “Usually when you are chasing a test-match win you pick an extra bowler, but they have gone for an extra keeper, making it four in all in the team.” There is an extraordinary number of recognised wicketkeepers in this Kiwi side.
3rd over: New Zealand 2-2 (Latham 2, Taylor 0)
So after a brief appearance away goes the rain, and in comes Kane Williamson. And then after an even more brief appearance away goes Williamson, and in comes Ross Taylor, who sees his first delivery swing wildly across him and past leg stump.
@Simon_burnton and for you next update, clear skies for a while. pic.twitter.com/cxdA902OBS
— Ben O'Connell (@oconnellben) May 29, 2015
WICKET! Williamson c Buttler b Anderson 0 (New Zealand 2-2)
That’s just too good! Anderson bowls at Williamson’s off stump, forces him to raise his bat, then the ball moves away slightly and is nicked through to Buttler! 401, and counting!
Updated
The covers are coming back off now, so this looks to be a mercifully brief stoppage.
Fantastic achievement Jimmy Anderson to reach 400 test wickets. Congratulations. #HardWorkPaysOff #ENGvNZ
— Jason Gillespie (@YCCCDizzy) May 29, 2015
Rain stops play
A great moment for Anderson, and he doesn’t really get time to enjoy it, so quickly is he ordered to set off back to the changing rooms.
Updated
WICKET! Guptill c Bell b Anderson 0 (New Zealand 2-1)
A few spots of rain, umbrellas are raised, and then the players are taken off. The final action sees Anderson take his 400th Test wicket, a classic slip catch, taken high by Bell at second slip!
Updated
2nd over: New Zealand 2-0 (Guptill 0, Latham 2)
A strange delivery from Broad, who gets his run-up wrong, does a few tiny little half-steps as he approaches the crease, and then completes the delivery anyway. Latham leaves it alone, and then gets a bit of a scare when the next flies across him and just past the bat. He eventually gets the first runs of the innings by working the final delivery to square leg for a couple.
@simon_burnton it's now raining up the road and heading the grounds way. Just a light shower
— Ben O'Connell (@oconnellben) May 29, 2015
1st over: New Zealand 0-0 (Guptill 0, Latham 0)
Nice first over from Anderson, as a couple of balls angle in to Guptill before moving away, just past the bat. Maiden. “Looks like we’ve got some pretty good sunshine for a while,” Sky inform us. That’s not what my Leeds-based sources suggest, though:
@Simon_Burnton this is the view of the sky about 2 miles from the ground, heading to the ground pic.twitter.com/CQmI5Fwy8Q
— Ben O'Connell (@oconnellben) May 29, 2015
Another update: the covers have already come off. That must be one of the all-time shortest cover-unleashments in cricket history. They were out there for less than 60 seconds. And now the players come on!
Updated
As you can see from the radar, there’s still a chance of further showers, though the bad stuff has gone east.
The even more latest from Headingley: the covers are coming back on! Though it’s not raining very hard, we’re told.
The latest from Headingley: still cloudy, really.
The sun starting to poke through here at Headingly (finally) #engvnz ^CE pic.twitter.com/CEBO6LtWiw
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) May 29, 2015
A stat, courtesy of John Ashdown, who is sitting to my left very much looking forward to his turn in the OBO hotseat a couple of hours from now: last year’s defeat to Sri Lanka was the first time anyone had won the toss at Headingley, chosen to field, and lost since 1991 (since then there have been four wins, two draws, and that one defeat).
The teams, then, look rather a lot like this:
England: Alastair Cook, Adam Lyth, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, BJ Watling, Luke Ronchi, Mark Craig, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Matt Henry.
“It is quite dry,” reports Nasser Hussain from the wicket. “I understand why Alastair Cook has bowled first here, because he thinks it is going to be a reduced game. But, if the forecast had been for five hot, dry, sunny days, this would have been a bat first pitch, because I reckon come Tuesday it will turn. The other positive, coming from the Kirkstall Lane end there is a beautiful breeze, perfect for Anderson.”
“We weren’t sure what to do, to be honest,” says Brendon McCullum. “I’m not unhappy about batting. Either way you’ve got to do well first up.”
One change for the Kiwis: Luke Ronchi replaces Corey Anderson, will bat No7 and keep wicket.
England win the toss and will bowl first
“Not a straightforward decision,” says Alastair Cook. “There’s been a lot of rain about. There’s a green tinge but it’s a dry wicket, so it’s interesting.”
England are unchanged, apparently.
So they’re about to toss a coin. Finally, some action!
toss about to happen. 1.30 start. all means late finishes each day. but headingley has floodlights now.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) May 29, 2015
Not only is it no longer raining, it’s actually sunny.
Play to actually start at 1.30pm BST
The pitch has been inspected, the umpires are happy and the coin will now be tossed at 1pm, with play to happen at 1.30pm.
So the pitch is about to be inspected, after which I suppose we’ll hear about the toss, which makes a 1.10pm start seem a little optimistic. More news as I get it …
The umpires have completed their pitch inspection, and enjoyed it so much they’re going to do another one:
There will be a pitch inspection at 12.45pm. # ENGvNZ
— Yorkshire CCC (@Yorkshireccc) May 29, 2015
“I live in NZ and had never heard it!” writes Chris Bowden of the Six60 smash hit we featured earlier. “I assume you noticed the Test cricketers in the video? As well as the Highlanders rugby squad and the NZ Warriors rugby league?” Er … well … I didn’t actually watch it all. I did listen to it, promise. Anyway, I have now, and did indeed spot a bit of Boult.
The good news just keeps on coming – the covers are off, and the umpires are out right now, inspecting the pitch. Those clouds look pretty angry still, mind.
The covers are coming off. Lunch at 12.30pm. #ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/W9PrPCFn1S
— Yorkshire CCC (@Yorkshireccc) May 29, 2015
The forecast is for a lot of cloud over the next five days, with a good chance of further rain, particularly on Sunday and Tuesday. But if we’re going to have a shortened day today, with moisture on the pitch and in the air, heavy cloud cover and floodlights in play, surely it would be tempting to have a bowl?
@Simon_Burnton Wonder if BMac would be bold enough to put England in a second time. No other captain would, but he might #EngvsNZ
— Mike Jakeman (@mikejakeman) May 29, 2015
Play to start at 1.10pm BST (fingers crossed)
Actual newsy news! An early lunch will be taken at 12.30pm, and play will get under way 40 minutes later, unless it rains some more. Here’s the latest rain radar:
And another one!
Mopping up at Headingley and a lot brighter.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) May 29, 2015
A vaguely optimistic update from Headingley:
Less umbrellas noticeable around Headingley now. Looks to be minimal rain. #fingerscrossed
— Yorkshire CCC (@Yorkshireccc) May 29, 2015
Here’s a minty-fresh picture from Headingley:
Apparently the rain has stopped and the clouds aren’t as grey and dismal as they were half an hour ago. Still no word on a start time.
Latest from the ground: no play for “at least an hour and a half”, according to Sky. England’s players are already kicking their heels in the dressing room, while the New Zealand side are still hanging out at their hotel.
Hello world!
So without further ado, the key picture of the morning:
That’s what the Met Office satellites are spying at the moment. The rain is moving in an easterly direction, so the good news is that the bad bit has passed already, and there’s very little scary stuff to the west of this image, waiting to come in. The bad news is that it might keep raining, however lightly, for much of the morning.
So, you and I might have a couple of hours to kill. Let’s start with some music – this is the biggest-selling New Zealand-based single in the Kiwi charts at the moment. Warning: there is one naughty word, about 38 seconds in.
Simon will be here soon enough. While you wait, here is Vic Marks on why Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali showed they are true talents during England’s win over New Zealand at Lord’s but how not all players can pair versatility with quality. Enjoy.
You can never have enough all-rounders in your Test team but you can have too many bits and pieces players. So what is the difference between these two categories, how is an all‑rounder defined and what do England currently have in their team?
Try this definition: for someone to be a true Test all-rounder, one of the disciplines of the player concerned should be good enough to get him into the team even if he does not bat or bowl as well. There is a more exacting statistical scale which is beautifully simple. If someone’s batting average exceeds his bowling average then he is a formidable all-rounder.
Since the war only six England cricketers qualify by this measure (a minimum of 10 Tests required). They are Trevor Bailey (batting average 29, bowling 29 but the decimal point is in his favour), Ted Dexter (47, 34), Basil D’Oliveira (40, 39), Tony Greig (40, 32), Ian Botham (33, 28) and – take a deep breath – Moeen Ali (32, 29).
The most notable absentees are Andrew Flintoff (31, 32), a formidable all-rounder nonetheless, and, given the excitement of the past few days, Ben Stokes (36, 40). In Stokes’ case there is plenty of time for him to join the top five above (Moeen’s career will also be a triumph if he can remain in that company).
Both Stokes and Moeen can currently be classified as all-rounders and for purposes of clarification here is an incomplete list of players, all worthy in their own way, who can be bracketed as bits and pieces Test cricketers: Gavin Hamilton, Mark Ealham, Ronnie Irani, Dermot Reeve, Chris Lewis, David Capel, Chris Cowdrey, plus – sadly and all too briefly – Vic Marks. By and large the bits and pieces men do not last long at the highest level.
