So, after a slow start to the day, England looked set fair to sail into the sunset – but from 177-0 and 215-1, they were undone by the new ball, Trent Boult particularly menacing as the hosts closed on 235-5, with Joe Root and Ben Stokes back in the pavilion for a grand total of seven runs.
For England, the star man today was surely Adam Lyth, who built a shaky, defensive start into a memorable maiden century, and on his home ground to boot. Less impressive on home turf was Gary Ballance, who tipped, well, the balance back towards New Zealand by causing Lyth’s run out, before Boult sent him packing.
Our final word, however, must go to Alastair Cook, who ground out a typically stoic 75 off 187 balls on his way to becoming England’s highest-ever Test run scorer. He’s the spit of a young Picasso, to boot. Thanks for joining. Bye!
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Stumps on day two – England 253-5, trailing by 97 runs
We’re still yet to see a poor day’s play in this series – and this one remains right in the balance after a topsy-turvy day in Yorkshire.
88th over: England 253-5 (Bell 12, Buttler 0) Final over of the day, and Southee has six balls to add another name to Ballance, Root and Stokes, all claimed by the new ball – and Buttler has to think fast to get his bat out from under a short, fizzing delivery. Buttler then plays through the covers for two – he asks for three, but Bell is having none of it. Buttler stays on strike, is made to wait an age, then flicks a full ball away for a single. And that’s stumps.
87th over: England 250-5 (Bell 12, Buttler 0) No nightwatchman, with Buttler coming in as expected. The first delivery is a peach, full and straight, and Buttler has to act – but he stays calm to flick through midwicket for three. Bell is on strike, and Boult can’t test him with his final two balls. England are 32-4 in the last twelve overs; I can’t help but feel partly responsible.
WICKET! Stokes c Craig b Boult 6 (England 247-5)
Three more overs for England to see out – but they won’t do it! Boult, in his final over of the day, finds Stokes’ outside edge again – and this time, it carries to Craig at second slip! That’s a big wicket.
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86th over: England 247-4 (Bell 12, Stokes 6) Southee’s turn, but Bell is simply straight batting or leaving as required. A maiden. Boult’s reward for that imperious over is to be consigned to the outfield, where he is serenaded by a section of the Headingley faithful. He tries to look impassive, but fails.
85th over: England 247-4 (Bell 12, Stokes 6) Boult and Southee, frustrated by Lyth and Cook, deserve credit for coming back in, late in the day with overs under their belt, and showing such determination.
Stokes has acquitted himself well so far, and snaffles a pair of runs through the off side. Boult fires in a shorter ball and Stokes is a lucky man – he’s late too it, and it clatters off his gloves to safety. The final ball is pitched up and swings past Stokes’ outside edge, with the batsman bamboozled. Terrific, tactical over from Boult.
84th over: England 245-4 (Bell 12, Stokes 4) Bell rotates the strike with an inside edge down the leg side, so Southee will follow Boult in trying to dislodge Stokes before stumps. His first effort, surprisingly, is a wide so howlingly awful it reduces even Rod Tucker to giggles. It’s a one-off, as line and length are solid on the next delivery, which Stokes pushes through the off side for a single. Bell sees the rest of the over out.
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83rd over: England 242-4 (Bell 11, Stokes 3) As Nasser Hussain rightly points out, a different sort of challenge for Stokes today. With half a dozen overs left, there’ll be none of that gung-ho nonsense, thanks very much.
McCullum has four slips, a gully and a short cover in – but Stokes does what’s required, seeking only to defend Boult’s short, shaping deliveries, before picking up two quick runs with a push through point.
82nd over: England 240-4 (Bell 11, Stokes 1) It’s Ben Stokes time – and he does very well to escape first ball, as Southee gets the new ball to swing once more. This time, Stokes is able to squirt a shot away to fine leg, for a single. England still trailing by 110 runs despite that serene afternoon session.
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WICKET! Root c Ronchi b Southee 1 (England 239-4)
Ah. Joe Root, after a long day in the pavilion, lasts just five deliveries, before Southee does for him with an utter ripper that darts away down the off side, leaving Root helpless to avoid a thick edge through to Ronchi.
82nd over: England 239-3 (Bell 11, Root 1) It’s Joe Root, hoping to restore some Yorkshire pride after a difficult half-hour. Boult starts him off with a short bouncer, which so nearly carries to short leg! England rocking, but Root gets off the mark with a quick single from a full, swinging delivery.
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WICKET! Ballance b Boult 29 (England 238-3)
...the reprieve doesn’t last long! Ballance looks supremely uncomfortable, and a full, straight delivery does for him. Clean bowled, and England need to be careful now.
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81st over: England 238-2 (Bell 11, Ballance 27) It’s Boult charging in impishly with the new ball, and Ballance has his feet all wrong, forced into an ugly edge, which at least gives him a couple of runs...
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Getting gloomy over Headingley, where the PA confirms we’ll have nine more overs, with play stopping at 6.30pm or thereabouts. It’s new ball time, and those magnificent white rose floodlights are switched on for the final half-hour. More themed floodlights in sport, please.
80th over: England 236-2 (Bell 11, Ballance 27) Craig takes the ball for its final over. A single each, before a wide delivery catches a divot left by Trent Boult, and comes mighty close to catching Bell’s stumps! In the end, it’s four byes. Unfortunate.
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79th over: England 230-2 (Bell 10, Ballance 26) Thanks, Dan, Hi, everybody! Kane Williamson is in for a bowl, with two overs until the new ball. Boult and Southee are stretching in the outfield. Could be a tricky last few overs here, although Ballance sees this over out for a maiden. Speaking of Ballance, here’s a song for our Gary:
78th over: England 230-2 (Bell 10, Ballance 26) 11 overs left today and now there’s a sweeper out at point for Ballance; good move, I reckon as the Yorkshire man cuts a short one out to that man for a single. There’s no point for Bell though and he deflects one, uppish but safe and late, behind square on the off-side for four more.
Niall McVeigh is returning from Scottish Cup duty to guide you through the day’s final 10 overs. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. Cheers for your emails and such; sorry I couldn’t use them all. Bye!
77th over: England 225-2 (Bell 6, Ballance 25) Bloody hell, Ian Bell gets off the mark with a six! It’s tossed up on a good length by Craig and Bell just sashays down to get to the pitch and drives exquisitely over long off. He’s definitely, definitely getting out to the same shot soon, isn’t he? McCullum brings in a couple of close catchers at short leg and silly point just to tempt him into going for it. Oooh he thinks about it, changes his mind, rocks back and misses an attempt at a cut. The final ball keeps a bit low and drifts past the outside edge.
76th over: England 219-2 (Bell 0, Ballance 25) Four more to Ballance, who probably needs a big score now to save himself from the wrath of the Yorkie crowd. He gets forward – relatively, anyway – and eases a full, wide one through extra cover. It’s getting cloudy now, which will please Brendon McCullum with the new ball four overs away. Maybe worth giving Williamson a quick go with this one?
Fucksake, Yorkshire. Get it together. #ENGvNZ
— Chris Deeley (@ThatChris1209) May 30, 2015
75th over: England 215-2 (Bell 0, Ballance 21) I was about to write that we were just counting down the time until the new ball, before that wicket startled everyone. I’ve also been a touch harsh on Lyth, as Atherton reckons that it was Ballance who made the call.
Wicket! Lyth run out 107
Oh Adam! Ballance cuts to backward point and Lyth calls for the single. Boult, the left-hander, is the fielder and he can get the return throw in very quickly. Ronchi removes the bails and Lyth is a yard or so short.
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74th over: England 215-1 (Lyth 107, Ballance 21) Henry has his head in his hands as Lyth yet again leaves one alone that flies inches from his off stump. The Yorkshireman has played the odd false shot today, but his judgement has been pretty damn good when it comes to leaving it.
73rd over: England 215-1 (Lyth 107, Ballance 21) Another Craig maiden. He’s settled very well today, on a ground where spinners don’t tend to do too well. 1-30 from 19 overs aren’t bad figures at all and, after a dodgy start in which he got away with a fair few bad balls, he’s probably just about earned them.
72nd over: England 215-1 (Lyth 107, Ballance 21) Henry, round the wicket, angles one in very sharply back to Lyth. It traps him on the crease but has hit him on the top of the pad and looped to slip. They half go up for LBW, then half go up again for the catch, but realise it’s not really close to either. The next ball, Lyth looks to pull around the corner but it takes a thin bottom edge over the stumps, just past the diving Ronchi and down to long leg for four.
71st over: England 211-1 (Lyth 103, Ballance 21) We have another 18 overs to get through this evening, assuming the light holds. I’m assuming that we can go through to 7pm, but I haven’t had confirmation of that yet. Lyth drives to short extra cover for a single, then Craig comes very close to finding Ballance’s edge with one that just fizzed up a bit quicker than expected off the surface.
Refreshing the page will also prove that I never misspelt “razing”.
If you refresh the page, you’ll get the rest of that over as I might have been over-enthusiastic on clicking “launch”. Also, that’s drinks.
70th over: England 210-1 (Lyth 102, Ballance 21) Another short ball from Henry and an identical cut behind point, where there is no fielder, for four to Ballance. That’s rather brainless bowling. Two balls later he’s a bit fuller, but not enough, and Ballance rocks back to play a lovely, deft cut, slightly later this time and down to third man for four more. The final ball is then too full and Ballance drives through extra cover for the third boundary of the over.
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69th over: England 198-1 (Lyth 102, Ballance 9) Lyth reverts to obduracy against Craig, though it raises the heart rate a touch when he leaves one that doesn’t turn.
Adam Lyth is only the second Yorkshire player to reach a maiden hundred at Headingley. The other being Joe Root #bbccricket
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) May 30, 2015
Let’s face it though, Yorkshire need kicking out of the County Championship and Headingley razing to the ground for that pavilion.
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68th over: England 198-1 (Lyth 102, Ballance 9) Ballance gets drawn into the drive at a full, wide one from Henry and gets beaten all ends up. The next ball is wide again, but short, and Ballance leans back and cuts deftly through backward point for his second boundary. This is a nice mini contest, with Ballance not looking entire comfortable against Henry’s extra bit of pace. He lets another one go inches by off stump.
Lyth century
67th over: England 194-1 (Lyth 102, Ballance 5) Another change of bowling and Lyth should really be gone. Craig is the new man, he sends it down on a length and Lyth clips it in the air to mid on, where Wanger – on as a sub – steps left when he should go right. That was an easy catch! The ball goes away for four then, two balls later, he goes down on one knee and slog sweeps brilliantly for four to midwicket to bring up his maiden Test century. And the Whitby man does it at Headingley to boot. He brought that up in typically pugnacious Yorkshire fashion and was rewarded with a beery local standing ovation. Well played.
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66th over: England 186-1 (Lyth 94, Ballance 5) Change of bowling, with Henry on for Southee. He has four slips in place, plus a silly point, which feels optimistic. A full one to Ballance gets driven, upppishly but well wide of the bowler, down to long off for four.
65th over: England 182-1 (Lyth 94, Ballance 1) More short stuff from Boult, but he’s not generating the pace to offer anything but easy runs to Lyth, who turns another to fine leg for a single. Fuller to Ballance though and he’s finally underway, from his 18th delivery, with a push to mid on for a quickly scampered on. Lyth though is then trapped on the crease, fishes at one and the ball squirms under the bat.
This is remarkable.
@DanLucas86 Check out the uncanny resemblance between Alastair Cook & this self portrait of Picasso as a young man pic.twitter.com/ClTdZvDAsA
— Tregaskis (@Tregaskis1) May 30, 2015
64th over: England 180-1 (Lyth 93, Ballance 0) The last six overs have seen two runs scored for the loss of one wicket. I think that’s something of a stalemate. Make that three runs in seven, as Lyth helps a short one off his ribs, round to fine leg for a single. Five minutes until drinks and I could do with something strong.
63rd over: England 179-1 (Lyth 92, Ballance 0) Boult is really bending his back to generate a bit of zip here, but probably needs to be a touch fuller to Ballance. On Sky, Bumble and Botham lament the lack of people in fancy dress as Elvis.
62nd over: England 179-1 (Lyth 92, Ballance 0) It’s a change of ends for Southee, who replaces Craig at the football stand end. It’s not a bad move as he sends down a couple of beauties from round the wicket that do all but take Lyth’s edge or off stump. The wicket just seems to have perked New Zealand up a bit here.
61st over: England 179-1 (Lyth 92, Ballance 0) With Ballance at the crease, McCullum turns back to Trent Boult hoping that he can find a bit of late movement to trouble the new batsman, who continues to hang a long way back. Lyth takes a single from the first ball, giving Ballance a chance to test his technique straight away. He goes back and is beaten by a ripper from Boult, that nipped away from the left-hander off the crease with Ballance fishing. A couple of balls later the bowler goes up enthusiastically for a catch behind, but he’s alone in that. It missed the edge by a hair’s breadth.
60th over: England 178-1 (Lyth 91, Ballance 0) I’ll give it to Mark Craig, that was actually a very, good ball, although if we’re being hyper critical then it was the wrong line and length to be sweeping at. Lyth stands tall and punches through gully for a single.
“Cook and Rowan Atkinson, Buttler and Mark Hamill. What do you reckon?” suggests Jake Dodds on lookalikes. Errr, not sure about those two to be honest!
59th over: England 177-1 (Lyth 90, Ballance 0) I’m trying to work out if I ever managed Adam Lyth on an old version of Football Manager, but it’s not ringing any bells. Oh suddenly Cook has gone! England’s record run scorer misses a sweep and is plumb. I’m not entirely sure why the on-field umpire gave that not out in the first place. In comes Yorkshire’s Gary Ballance.
Wicket! Cook lbw b Craig 75
This is close. He was looking to sweep and the ball passed under the bat. He’s gone I reckon... yes it’s hitting two thirds of the way up middle and leg.
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Review! Cook lbw b Craig 75
Craig hits Cook flush on the pads with a full delivery. It’s given not out and they review.
58th over: England 177-0 (Lyth 90, Cook 75) A very nice ball from Southee, who has come round the wicket, pitching it up and drawing Lyth into the drive while the change of angle takes it past his outside edge. Oof and then an even bigger scare as he bottom edges into his pads, the ball trickles back towards the stumps, Lyth – formerly on the books at Manchester City – misses with his attempt at kicking it away and the ball bounces into the stumps, but the bails stay on! A maiden, but not one you’d call drama free.
57th over: England 177-0 (Lyth 90, Cook 75) Lyth moves into the 90s with a push to cover – the only run of the over – while I hastily fix the phantom over issue. If you refresh the page, I’ll look a bit more competent.
56th over: England 176-0 (Lyth 89, Cook 75) A run out? Cook pushes to McCullum at mid off and sets off for a sharp one; the New Zealand captain hits the stumps at the non-striker’s end with his throw, but no, Cook was safe by a good couple of feet. They’re trying to get Cook on the drive here, but with movement neither through the air nor off the pitch, it’s not going to duly worry England’s leading Test run scorer.
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55th over: England 174-0 (Lyth 88, Cook 74) Craig’s length has been better than it was at Lord’s, with fewer short balls just begging to be tonked away, but he looks to be forcing it through a bit more and as such looks less likely to take a wicket. I guess with only four bowlers, New Zealand can’t afford for him to leak runs so badly and so he has to play, or try to play anyway, more of a holding role. I’m not going to lie: he, like everyone else in the New Zealand attack today, as looked ordinary. Cook chops to backward point for a single from the last, after the first had been cut to point for the same by Lyth.
54th over: England 172-0 (Lyth 87, Cook 73) I can’t for the life of me see where a wicket is coming from here, unless Lyth gets fretful approaching a ton. Cook pushes down the ground for a single, then Southee gets his line to Lyth wrong again and the batsman flicks off his hips for four to long leg. That takes the partnership to 171, which is England’s highest ever for the first wicket at Headingley. A flick to fine leg brings Lyth one more.
53rd over: England 166-0 (Lyth 82, Cook 72) Lyth punches the first ball of Craig’s over out to cover for one, before Cook knocks away for the same. These two look about as troubled as Jason Statham in a fist fight.
“There seems to be a problem around the 30th and 31st overs (just looking at who was bowling when)” notes Evelyn Williams, who appears to be on to something. I’ll go through and make the corrections when I get a moment.
52nd over: England 164-0 (Lyth 81, Cook 71) And from the Kirstall Lane end, it’s Tim Southee. He got a few to move about threateningly with the new ball, but you’d be surprised if his 79-82mph lot is going to be much threat with one that’s more than 50 overs old. Lyth pushes him to cover point off the back foot for the only run of the over.
51st over: England 163-0 (Lyth 80, Cook 71) It’s Mark Craig to get the final session underway. With such a long session ahead, it’s pleasing to see him race through his over, keeping a full line and Cook blocking the lot out.
Ahh, it’s just been pointed out to me that the below is a spoof Twitter account. Good spot, James Dart.
What?
Former PM Sir John Major has given more details on his affair with Edwina Currie stating that she dressed as Mrs Thatcher several times.
— ITV News (@ltv_news) May 29, 2015
Here we go then. 38 overs to be bowled in the final session. Niall will be along at some point, but it’s me and my phantom overs for now. England are 187 behind.
Re. the two 49th overs. John Pyle reckons the 26th might be missing, but it looks like it’s there to us. I appear to have invented an extra over, but I’ve genuinely no idea how or where it is. Sorry.
“Well, at least they are not going to have to follow on,” writes optimism’s Janet Stevens. “They need to aim for 600-plus here and spare us all the traumas if they bat 4th on the last day on a wearing Headingly wicket.”
Well, that couldn’t have gone much better for England, could it? New Zealand’s lead has been almost halved without a single wicket being lost. In truth, not a single wicket has looked like being lost.
Tea
50th over: England 163-0 (Lyth 80, Cook 71) An over of alternative spin before the break then, with Williamson coming on for a bowl. And, er, I appear to haver gained an extra over somewhere, somehow. Anyway, Cook cuts in front of square for a single, then Lyth does the same, harder and that one beats the cover fielder and gets to the rope for four. And that’s tea.
49th over: England 158-0 (Lyth 76, Cook 70) Lyth cuts behind point for a single, before Cook drops into the off side for a quick single that has his partner scampering into the striker’s end. He leaves the next ball and Ronchi just stands, leaden footed and watches a short ball disappear past him and down to long leg for four byes.
“This must be England’s best opening partnership in a while, when did they last notch up a century opening stand?” asks Tom van der Gucht. The answer is about a month ago, when Cook and Trott did it in the second Test in the West Indies.
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48th over: England 150-0 (Lyth 74, Cook 68) Alastair Cook is, uh, cooking now. After Lyth nudges to cover point for one, he leans into an overpitched one outside off and caresses it through extra cover for the boundary that takes the partnership to 150.
Alastair Cook has now batted for 26800+ mins in Tests 4 Eng only Mike Atherton has batted more 27612 mins Record:Rahul Dravid 44152 #EngvNZ
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) May 30, 2015
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47th over: England 145-0 (Lyth 73, Cook 64) A slightly nervy four for Alastair Cook as he plays away from the body, but, with soft hands, manages to get it down and through the slips for four off a thick outside edge. Two more from the final ball as he cuts a short, wide one to point where Henry has to move sharpish to his left to prevent the boundary.
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46th over: England 139-0 (Lyth 73, Cook 58) Another full toss from Craig and Lyth pumps that one to deep midwicket for three. Then, from the last ball, there’s a rare fumble from the fielder collecting Cook’s cut at point and they jog through for a single.
“Just to say that this revival of English cricket began the moment I had to give away my ticket for the Saturday of the Lord’s Ashes test,” writes Paul Griffin. “I hope viewers remember this when Sports Personality of The Year is decided. Also, can I be the first to point out that The Guardian has gone right downhill since Rusbridger left.” Ah yes, today is the first day of our brave new world here. It’s mega different.
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45th over: England 135-0 (Lyth 70, Cook 57) Far, far too easy this for England. Boult overpitches on off stump and Lyth just plays a checked drive back past the bowler for four to long on. The next ball is full again, this time worked off the legs, square, for three as the man on the rope reels it in well to save one.
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44th over: England 128-0 (Lyth 63, Cook 57) A tough chance, but this has to go down as a drop: Cook gets a faint edge off the toe end through to Ronchi, but the ball clatters out of the keeper’s gloves, denying him a maiden Test dismissal.
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43rd over: England 128-0 (Lyth 63, Cook 57) Boult returns in place of Henry, who looked pretty flat in his last over and took some tap. Lyth gets a thick inside edge and is saved by his pads. The left-armer’s pace is a fair way down, barely over 80mph, and swing is drying up with the ball at this age. The final ball is short, Lyth goes up on his toes and times sweetly through cover for four.
“Talking about cricketer look alikes,” writes Krishnan Patel I was sure England had called up Jay Spearing to open with Cook when I saw Lyth walk out at Lords. And Michael Vaughan in his teenage years could have played Simon from Inbetweeners.” I’m hearing the Inbetweeners mentioned too much today. It’s a rubbish show and I’m judging you all for watching it.
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42nd over: England 124-0 (Lyth 59, Cook 57) The inevitable poor delivery from Craig arrives, short and wide outside off, and this time Cook puts it away behind point for four.
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42nd over: England 120-0 (Lyth 59, Cook 53) Edged! It’s the closest New Zealand have come to a chance this afternoon, as Cook flashes the cut at one too close to his body, but it takes a thick outside edge and goes up and over the slips, down to third man for four. That’s a half-century for Cook. He then clips square for a single, before Lyth prods the ball back down the track and is relieved to see it die just six inches or so before reaching the bowler on the follow through. The next ball is crunched to deep midwicket for two, then Lyth drives the final ball nicely through cover point off the front foot for four more. Expensive over, that.
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40th over: England 109-0 (Lyth 53, Cook 48) Really should be the first runs against Craig of the afternoon here, as he bowls very wide outside off, but Cook can only toe-end it to the man at point. Cook then misses out on a sweep, down leg, but finally connects with a repeat effort, getting it down to fine leg.
“Surely I can’t be the only one who sees the likeness between Trent Boult and Stewart Downing?” asks Nathan Atkinson. That’s a very good shout.
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39th over: England 108-0 (Lyth 53, Cook 47) Four byes as Henry hurls one miles down the leg side. Ronchi will probably be annoyed that those count against him rather than being called five wides. New Zealand are missing a fifth bowler here – Wagner would have made a world of difference, I’ll wager.
If anyone is interested, Alan Smith has the Premiership rugby final between Bath and Anzhi Makhachkala right here.
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38th over: England 104-0 (Lyth 53, Cook 47) Craig sends down another maiden with no alarms and as many surprises. By reckoning, he hasn’t conceded a run in this spell.
“You London centric journo’s are all the same, anything north of Watford,” writes Dave Beere. “That said I am pretty much the same with anything south of Sheffield! I think you should probably refer to the barren flatlands between Leeds and York as ‘The Vale of York’.” Now now. I know Manchester and Lancashire pretty well. It’s only Yorkshire I don’t care about know.
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37th over: England 104-0 (Lyth 53, Cook 47) Width again from Henry and yet another cut for four by Cook, before he turns a straighter one to square leg for one more. With all eyes on a ludicrously huge beer snake in the crowd, Lyth pulls a bouncer high, but safe, and it drops just inside the rope before skipping over it for four; that’s fifty for Adam Lyth. Two more, squirted off the outside edge through point. Hunred partnership is up too... obviously.
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36th over: England 93-0 (Lyth 47, Cook 42) A juicy low full toss and Lyth’s eyes light up at the prospect of a maiden Test 50. He bunts it to the mid on fielder. He backs away a couple of balls later, but decides late to leave it. Then a big sweep at one that’s drifting down leg and he misses. He’s just looking a bit fidgety now, the Yorkeshireman. A pretty poor maiden, if we’re honest.
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Cook has beaten Gooch's record in fewer Tests with more hundreds and at better average.
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) May 30, 2015
Yes congratulations to Alastair. He’s not perfect and he’s had a dodgy few years, but he’s looking back in decent form and it’s hard not to be pleased for him.
35th over: England 93-0 (Lyth 47, Cook 42) There’s a strangled appeal for LBW against Lyth, but he walloped the leather off it. The ball did fly up off the pads, but didn’t get anywhere near the bowler following through. A very wide ball then keeps low and skids away, through first slip for another bye. Cook then inside edges on to his thigh pad: an inch or two higher and “the right sort of family” would be the “not getting any bigger family”. That’s drinks.
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34th over: England 92-0 (Lyth 47, Cook 42) Cook is about as interested in Craig’s over as I am in The Inbetweeners.
“I’ve always thought Boult looks like Jay, the pervy one out of the Inbetweeners,” writes Moz.
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33rd over: England 92-0 (Lyth 47, Cook 42) A slower ball from Henry goes all wrong, turning out a low full toss that Cook times dismissively back down the ground for four. A few balls later, Ronchi tumbles to his right and spills the ball, allowing the first bye of the innings, then falls over again as he regathers the ball and throws it back to the bowler.
Meanwhile, across the Pennines (is it across the Pennines? I have no idea about Yorkshire geography.
Clever Cookie wins Grand Cup at York - no doubt in tribute to Alastair reaching top of class in Test runs
— Richard Gibson (@richardgibson74) May 30, 2015
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32nd over: England 87-0 (Lyth 47, Cook 38) A double change, in fact, as Mark Craig comes on. I liked what I saw from Craig in the first Test – yes he got a bit of a pummelling, and no his First Class and Test averages are pretty ordinary, but there’s something pleasing about his slow, floaty action that suggests there’s something to work with. Lyth leaves the last ball, a straight one that passes about six inches past off stump.
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31st over: England 87-0 (Lyth 47, Cook 38) Speak of the devil; here’s a bowling change, with Matt Henry coming back into the attack with figures of 5-1-16-0 from his first spell. He was probably the pick of the bowlers in the morning session and the early signs are the same here, if only because he looks to have a bit of extra pace that might trouble the batsmen. A bouncer gets called a wide, but then a couple of balls later, after Lyth nudges into the on side for one, a good, full one beats Cook’s attempted straight drive. The batsman just went down the wrong line there.
Oh also, re. the last over, congratulations, Ally.
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Still the 30th over: England 85-0 (Lyth 46, Cook 38) Still no bowling change, but Southee beats Lyth with a neat off cutter. Not much else happens in the over.
“It’s always a struggle to keep up with the cricket score during a marriage service,” writes Susan Perry. Fortunately fellow OBO-fan Ally Maughan has taken care of this at her wedding....”
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30th over: England 85-0 (Lyth 46, Cook 38) This is all just a little bit easy now for England: a half tracker, sent down in glorious sunshine, is cut right out the middle of the bat, in front of point for four.
Cap'n Cook was from the village of Great Ayton I believe @DanLucas86
— Duncan Montgomery (@DMontgomery91) May 30, 2015
29th over: England 81-0 (Lyth 46, Cook 34) After a bouncer is called a wide, Lyth stands tall to Boult and drives absolutely exquisitely. It’s worth six on aesthetics, but none in actual runs at it was straight at the fielder. He runs a single down to backward point a few balls later, before Cook keeps the strike with a flick to square leg for the same.
Alastair Cook becomes England's leading Test run scorer
28th over: England 78-0 (Lyth 45, Cook 33) Like an episode of Mad Men, New Zealand opt to have a muted conversation instead of actually letting anything happen at the start of the over. Conference done, Southee comes in and, with a scrambled seam, wide delivery, beats Cook’s flashed cut shot. The next ball though is slightly fuller, wide still and Cook drives through cover point for four runs. That makes him England’s leading Test match run scorer, with 8,902, breaking Gooch’s 21-year-old record. He’s all right, I suppose.
“Afternoon Dan,” writes Simon McMahon before the excitement of the Scottish Cup Final. “I’ve been to Whitby, even if Michael Holding hasn’t. Loved it. Remember lots of steps, fish and chips and a bridge that closed for boats. Also remember getting caught by the tide and having to scramble across some rocks in waist deep water with my young daughter on my shoulders. Not clever. Wasn’t Captain Cook from Whitby as well? Not Alistair - though whatever you think of his captaincy, leading English run scorer in Tests is a great achievement.”
All I know of Whitby is that it’s where Dracula’s ship landed. I re-read Dracula recently. Jonathan Harker is an idiot: of course the guy is going to be evil. His name is Count Dracula for crying out loud!
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27th over: England 74-0 (Lyth 45, Cook 29) Four more for Lyth, getting a thick inside edge on a straight one, turning it off his hips and down to long leg for four. It’s not been Boult’s day so far, but an excellent surprise bouncer has Lyth rocking back and nearly losing his balance.
26th over: England 70-0 (Lyth 41, Cook 29) Another one for Cook, whom we’ve barely seen this afternoon, pushed to cover where McCullum tumbles to his right to make a stop. The way McCullum seems to insist on diving and tumbling to stop every single thing in the field is a little reminiscent of Tim Allen in the second greatest movie of the 1990s, Galaxy Quest. Southee looks to change things up a bit, coming round the wicket to Lyth, and sends a big booming inswinger a long way down leg. Straighter next time, right on the ankles, and Lyth clips neatly through mid on for three more. Thus ends the round the wicket experiment from Southee.
25th over: England 66-0 (Lyth 38, Cook 28) Personally I think Trent Boult looks a bit like Ryan Reynolds.
Another maiden that Lyth is happy to leave alone. There’s a bit more swing now for Boult, perhaps on account of the ground warming up a bit.
24th over: England 66-0 (Lyth 38, Cook 28) Lyth goes back to a short one and cuts west, behind point. It was a bit too straight, perhaps, for the shot to be a comfortable one and as such he can’t quite get the timing needed to find the boundary. Three men give chase and three runs are scored. Cook then pulls for a single to move to within a boundary of taking the record for himself. Southee drops a touch short on leg stump and Lyth attempts to pull it round the corner; it takes the top edge, but lands safely at leg gully and they run one.
@DanLucas86 Morning Dan! Enjoying the cricket here with a cheeky beer and your commentary. But re:13.26, surely you mean late-period ABBA?!
— David Edwards (@albion1981) May 30, 2015
You know it’s a close thing, but Fleetwood Mac certainly did the better albums. Abba’s best LP is Gold.
23rd over: England 61-0 (Lyth 34, Cook 27) The forecast tomorrow is apparently for heavy winds. How that suits England depends on today, really – if they’re only one or two down at the close then they’ll back themselves to see off the conditions, whereas if they’re about 250-5 it could be a real struggle. Maiden, with Cook barely having to lay bat on ball.
22nd over: England 61-0 (Lyth 34, Cook 27) Southee from the other end and Lyth pushes him nicely down to long on for a couple; McCullum chasing it down and reeling the ball back in to save two. Ooh and then an absolute cracker of an inswinger beats the inside edge, cuts the batsman in two and fizzes a couple of inches past off stump. Ronchi dives well to his right to make the stop low down after that moved a hell of a way. That’s a decent over from Southee, getting it to move both ways and getting good zip.
21st over: England 59-0 (Lyth 32, Cook 27) Lyth is on strike first up, facing Trent Boult. The Kiwi paceman will probably be a wee bit disappointed with how little swing he found this morning. The second ball is a touch wide, doesn’t swing and gets cut very nicely behind point to the boundary with wonderful timing by Lyth. A couple of balls later the bowler does find some nice shape away from the left-hander. “I ‘ate a leave,” says Botham, before Lyth works a straight one to deep fine leg for a single.
Here we go. Can Ian Bell get the 1,550 runs he needs to become England’s all-time leading run-scorer?
Adam Lyth a big chance here to become the new Nick Compton, Sam Robson or Michael Carberry. #ENGvNZ
— Dan Liebke (@LiebCricket) May 30, 2015
Ouch. He’s been a bit iffy so far this morning, but that’s to be expected. Making his debut in this series has been, as expected, a bit of a hospital pass. It’s exposed the decision not to play him in the West Indies as the foolishness we all suspected it might be. Still, he’s worth sticking with for the time being, much as I’d love to see Alex Hales open.
Afternoon folks. Well that could have gone better, I guess, for England, but they won’t be too disappointed. The good news for the neutral is that this Test could still go either way, especially now that Niall has ensured that Alastair Cook will be out on the hook shortly after lunch for 30.
New Zealand probably have 50 more than they should, but that’s nothing that tough, obdurate batting can’t deal with. And tough, obdurate batting is what England’s top three was made for. Play resumes in 15 minutes or so, which is plenty of time to listen to this ditty over and over again. Has there ever been as good a pop band as this incarnation?
Play will resume at 1.40pm. My colleague Dan Lucas is here to guide you through the afternoon session. I’ll be back after tea, by which time Alastair Cook should be England’s all-time leading Test run scorer. Sorry for jinxing it, everyone.
So, England in the end staying very much on the defensive – but after an unseemly struggle to dispose of the final New Zealand wickets, they will be content with how things stand. For Adam Lyth, on his home turf and desperate to make an impression, and for history-chasing Alastair Cook, keeping their wickets intact was imperative. They’ve done that, and despite outscoring their opponents by a solitary run in that session, they’ll be happy enough.
“Surely Michael Holding, aka Whispering Death, has been to Whitby; it is the go-to northern town for goth types. Dracula and all” says Graeme Arthur.
He’s not wrong – book your tickets now. Vince Ripper and the Rodent Show sound particularly intriguing.
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20th over: England 54-0 (Lyth 27, Cook 27) The last over before lunch, and Mark Craig gets a chance to offer some spin, in a last, desperate attempt to dislodge one of these doughty openers. Cook and Lyth exchange tidy singles, and the captain is on strike, one big booming six from becoming England’s all-time leading Test run scorer. He bats it out. That’s lunch.
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19th over: England 52-0 (Lyth 26, Cook 26) Adam Lyth is from Whitby. Bumble asks Michael Holding if he’s ever been to Whitby. Michael Holding has never been to Whitby. His loss. Lyth is looking more settled out there now, opening the face of the bat to send Southee for four, beyond third man.
18th over: England 42-0 (Lyth 21, Cook 25) Cook edging closer to Gooch’s record, with lunch fast approaching, taking three runs from Henry’s off-side delivery. Otherwise, another tight over from Henry, with Lyth forced to get the captain moving for a single to close the over.
17th over: England 42-0 (Lyth 20, Cook 22) Southee giving Lyth plenty to think about, the opener still not through that tricky settling-in period as a result. He’s nervous, and so nearly clips the ball to short midwicket – but he stays patient, and clips away a four, for his first runs in about twenty minutes.
Here’s Simon McMahon on Bolt: “a fine film, made even better for having the wonderful Jenny Lewis on the soundtrack”. Fun fact about Bolt: for some reason, I have a DVD copy in my flat, but I’ve never watched it. Maybe tonight.
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16th over: England 38-0 (Lyth 16, Cook 22) McCullum shifts his field, but he’s not helped by Henry, who sends down a couple of underwhelming short ones – the first is pulled through square leg by Cook for two, before the captain punishes Henry, hammering him in the same direction for four. Henry almost gets his man, finding an outside edge, but it falls short of gully.
15th over: England 32-0 (Lyth 16, Cook 16) Southee returns, and he sticks to the game plan, pitching full and outside off, hoping to find a bit of swing. Cook is having very little bother, leaving or defending as required – until, for some reason, he races after a quick single, and is almost caught out by McCullum! Well, that was unnecessary. Four straight overs with just a Cook single to show. England not exactly going for broke here.
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14th over: England 31-0 (Lyth 16, Cook 15) Cook takes a single from a full Henry delivery, which means Lyth returns to the crease to face the man who’s given him the most trouble so far. Henry mixes up his length, chucking in a bouncer in the middle of several fuller balls. A bouncer sandwich, if you will. Glacial pace, but no wickets lost – in the first Test, England had lost four by this stage.
13th over: England 30-0 (Lyth 16, Cook 14) Personal battles developing out there, with Boult ready for another pop at Cook, who stays firmly on the defensive, taking just one with an outside edge to point. Cook now just three clattering sixes from surpassing Gooch’s record. Boult, who will get a rest after seven overs, has figures of 0-17; not bad, but he’ll be a touch frustrated.
12th over: England 29-0 (Lyth 16, Cook 13) Henry will get another crack at Lyth – but he’s up to the challenge, controlling a shorter ball for four behind point. Cat and mouse ensues, with Henry keeping Lyth guessing, and the batsmen, for his part, moving onto the front foot. That coaxes Henry into attempting the yorker, but Lyth (just about) keeps it at bay.
11th over: England 25-0 (Lyth 12, Cook 13) Cook’s conservatism forces Boult to offer up a straighter ball, which Cook clips serenely away for four. For a variety of reasons, the New Zealand attack will be keen to get shot of Cook – and Boult appeals heartily when the captain looks to have edged one. Replays show it caught his back leg – hence the lack of appeal from Ronchi behind the stumps. Two balls later, Boult’s at it again, calling for lbw – but it looks to be outside the line. Boult getting closer, though.
10th over: England 21-0 (Lyth 12, Cook 9) Here comes Matt Henry for his first spell. Lyth and Cook, both used to dealing with Southee’s swing, have a new challenge to puzzle out – and Henry looks dangerous, beating Lyth all ends up with a first ball that slides by outside off, and building from there. Lyth is lucky to avoid an outside edge from a fuller delivery, and suddenly looks shaky once again. A maiden, and an impressive one to boot.
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9th over: England 21-0 (Lyth 12, Cook 9) Lyth picks up the habit of leaving things well alone down the off side, before snicking a single to deep square to keep the strike. That’s the sum total of the over. I can’t imagine either captain will be too deeply concerned by the opening exchanges in this innings.
8th over: England 20-0 (Lyth 11, Cook 9) Southee to Cook, and a maiden. You sense England won’t have it quite so easy for much longer, with both bowlers finding their range and doing their best to mix things up. Southee outfoxes Cook with a delivery that doesn’t swing back as expected, but it evades the edge. Otherwise, steady stuff from Cook.
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Laura Ashe has this: “Trent Boult looks like Bolt the Dog. This cannot be coincidence, surely?”
Are you suggesting he is Bolt the Dog, Laura? I’ll let you decide – personally, he more readily brings to mind Jay from the Inbetweeners, particularly when grinning away at the crease.
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7th over: England 20-0 (Lyth 11, Cook 9) McCullum has four slips, plus a gully, lined up, and Ronchi playing his first Test innings behind the stumps. Lyth has looked composed so far, biding his time with Boult searching for swing, before pushing daintily through the covers for four. Twenty from seven overs; New Zealand managed more than fifty. Diff’rent strokes, and all that.
6th over: England 16-0 (Lyth 7, Cook 9) Interesting over from Southee, starting with a filthy full toss that Cook should do better with. The captain is a pillar of patience so far, demonstrated by a couple of canny leaves before pouncing on a full delivery, driving through covers for four. Shot! McCullum chases it gamely, crashing over the rope and into an advertising hoarding at a decent lick. He seems to be OK.
5th over: England 11-0 (Lyth 7, Cook 5) Boult and Southee are both struggling for swing, making life easier for the openers. Just two singles off the over, as England try to see off the new ball. The crowd give a sleepy rendition of ‘God Save the Queen’. The day has lost a fair chunk of its earlier oomph.
4th over: England 10-0 (Lyth 6, Cook 4) Lyth drives down the ground, beyond Southee’s half-hearted dive, but Brendon McCullum is on hand with a sterling piece of field work at mid-on. Just a single when it looked like a four all day long. Cook is back on strike, and Cook is leaving it, leaving it, leaving it.
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3rd over: England 9-0 (Lyth 5, Cook 4) I’d love to say Cook is swinging the willow at everything in sight, but that’s patently not the case. An over of leaving well alone from the England captain – if he’s going to overtake Gooch today, he’ll be doing it the old fashioned way. A maiden – the first of the day.
2nd over: England 9-0 (Lyth 5, Cook 4) Southee comes in from the Kirkstall Lane End, and Lyth is off to a positive start, twice pushing pitched deliveries through the covers for a couple of doubles. The rest of the over sees Southee go fuller, with Lyth staying on the defensive. Interesting puzzle for the New Zealand pacemen, with three left-handers at the top of the order.
1st over: England 5-0 (Lyth 1, Cook 4) A side note, but a pretty important one: Alastair Cook will become England’s all-time leading Test run scorer with 32 more of the things today. I mean, it doesn’t have to be today. But it would be nice. He’s in no hurry here, leaving Boult’s wide deliveries well alone, before flicking a straight delivery away to fine leg for four.
Only ten minutes before England get their innings off and running. “New Zealand’s run rate seems close to an English one day innings”, quips Zia Faruqui. The tourists’ rate was 4.84, and rose to 6.30 for the final ten overs.
And why not – if this is a big Test match for England, it’s equally significant for New Zealand. Winning this particular Test is the difference between 3rd and 7th in the next ICC rankings, such is the congestion below South Africa and Australia.
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WICKET! Boult b Broad c Lyth 15 – New Zealand all out for 350
Broad has had enough, and with a good length delivery outside off, he catches Boult cold, and his looping shot is easily taken by Lyth at point. So, England do tidy up the tail, but at the expense of an extra fifty runs. Stuart Broad collects a five-wicket haul, but he won’t be celebrating too wildly.
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72nd over: New Zealand 350-9 (Craig 41, Boult 15) Trent Boult may never face a field like this again, but he and Craig have earned England’s respect with this start. A tighter over from Stokes here, who keeps Craig guessing until the final ball, which is punched through the covers for four. That’s 350, and New Zealand will be delighted.
71st over: New Zealand 346-9 (Craig 37, Boult 15) Regrettable scenes here, as Cook implores Lyth down at deep midwicket to move left to field a Craig drive. He needs, in fact, to move right, and instead stands frozen as the ball trundles away for four. It doesn’t get much more basic than that. Broad changes his line with Boult on strike – but the No11 gets back in on the boundary action, cutting away for four past third man. That was the shot that did for Boult at Lord’s – much better this time.
70th over: New Zealand 337-9 (Craig 32, Boult 11) Well, this isn’t quite the start Alastair Cook had in mind. Craig punishes a wide delivery from Stokes, sending it haughtily back down the ground for another six! The pace bowlers keep firing it short and wide, and that’s the results you’re gonna get. Time for Moeen? Time for a yorker? Time for something, with New Zealand accelerating towards 350.
69th over: New Zealand 328-9 (Craig 24, Boult 10) Another boundary, this time from Craig, with the left-hander sending Broad over backward point. A single puts Boult back in the spotlight, and Broad goes short – but Boult is ready for it, and smacks it over mid-on for another four. He’s grinning from ear to ear, is Boult – and he’s only denied another by exceptional fielding work from Joe Root at deep cover.
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68th over: New Zealand 317-9 (Craig 19, Boult 4) Craig flicks a Stokes delivery away for a couple, before the field closes in as Boult moves onto strike. He catches them cold with a canny drive through the covers for four. The tail enders enjoying themselves out here.
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67th over: New Zealand 310-9 (Craig 16, Boult 0) So Henry goes after a tasty cameo appearance, and here comes Trent Boult, who was good value in the first Test, facing deliveries from a starting position about a foot to the left of the stumps.
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WICKET! Henry c Buttler b Broad 27 (New Zealand 310-9)
That was fun while it lasted, but from the final ball of the over, another short ball has Henry swiping at thin air, and he top-edges through to Buttler.
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67th over: New Zealand 310-8 (Craig 16, Henry 27)
Stuart Broad, who went for almost six an over yesterday, is the next man in. With the field spread far and wide, Broad fires down a few feisty short ones, the third of which catches poor Henry in the ribs. Henry remains resolutely unruffled, pulling Broad dismissively into the Western Terrace for six...
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66th over: New Zealand 304-8 (Craig 16, Henry 21)
So it’s Ben Stokes who gets things started, from the Football Stand End. After fielding the first delivery nervously, Henry takes two with a flick to square leg, before pummelling a shorter ball in the same direction for four! No signs of slowing down from the New Zealand batsmen. That’s 300 up, and smart fielding was required to keep it to seven off the over.
The players are out, ready for an 11am start. Why didn’t we start a little earlier, with overs to be made up? Listen, this is England. That’s not how things are done.
McGrath, Walsh, Dev, Hadlee, Pollock, Akram, Ambrose. Those are the pacemen other than Jimmy Anderson that have notched over 400 wickets. He’s being pressed on the issue ahead of play starting, but is staying humble. So we’ll let Vic Marks sing his praises instead.
Here’s Headingley helpers The Yorkies, with attire that in no way conforms to lazy linguistic stereotypes:
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A big day for England opener Adam Lyth in prospect – he’s at his county ground, playing his second Test after knocks of 7 and 12 at Lord’s, looking for a marked improvement with the Ashes looming. No pressure, then.
So, New Zealand start the day on 297/8, with Mark Craig and Matt Henry at the crease. Now, nothing says heavy metal like Saturday morning cricket – so here’s one for Luke Ronchi after yesterday’s efforts:
Preamble
Hello. I’ll cut straight to the chase – what we have here is a Test match that’s beautifully poised, even as early as the second morning.
Attack has been a recurring feature of this series so far, with both sides taking opportunities to pile on the runs – not least during yesterday’s drizzle-laced proceedings, where New Zealand went hell for leather in the latter stages, slogging to just under 300 in 65 overs. That’s not to say a bit of grit wasn’t required, too – top scorers Tim Latham and Nick Ronchi, who reached 84 in 180 balls and 88 in 70 respectively, neatly demonstrate the options open to England’s batsmen.
Providing England can clean up the New Zealand tail quickly, Alastair Cook has, in theory, a full day’s batting to plan. Priority #1, on one of the calmer days Headingley will serve up for these players, is to avoid trouble. England surely won’t get away with stumbling to 30-4 again, but Cook has seen both the hosts and tourists work their way back into games by cutting loose. Runs are clearly there to be made, and England may not get a better chance.
If England finish the day where they started - a shade behind their swashbuckling opponents – they may be relieved, but also disappointed. With three more days and plenty more rain to come, here’s a chance to feel the collar of this Test match and show it who’s boss.
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