New Zealand take a 2-1 lead with two to play
And that’s all from me. It’s been another decent match, close to being close, if not actually close. England’s 302, with more than four overs unused, never looked good enough, and so it proved – though the three dropped catches added a slight funk of haplessness to a team that has been so busily and thrillingly shedding all traces of it of late. Kane Williamson was however magnificent, Taylor excellent, and New Zealand’s victory well merited. The fun continues in Nottingham on Wednesday! Bye!
Updated
New Zealand win by three wickets
49th over: New Zealand 306-7 (Wheeler 3, Southee 5)
Stokes bowls at the stumps, Southee leans back, and then, just as Stokes is preparing to hear the clatter of falling wood, he deflects it to third man for a single. Wheeler then hits to cover for another single, and England move all their fielders in to defend the single run that separates the teams. Southee promptly clobbers the ball over extra cover to win it, with precisely one over to spare!
Updated
WICKET! Ronchi c Roy b Stokes 13 (New Zealand 300-7)
Ronchi massively top-edges a slower ball into the twilit sky, and Roy’s underneath it when it comes back down, a while later.
48th over: New Zealand 300-6 (Ronchi 13, Wheeler 2)
Root starts his third over with a dot, and you’re tempted to think … well … who knows? But then Ronchi smashes his second over square leg for six, and finally removes all doubt.
47th over: New Zealand 291-6 (Ronchi 6, Wheeler 0)
Wood’s final over, leaving Stokes and Root to finish the game off. It starts with four dot balls – a maiden now might just have made things interesting (so long as it was immediately followed by at least one more, ideally two). In the end it only yields a single. New Zealand need 12 more, at four an over.
Updated
46th over: New Zealand 290-6 (Ronchi 5, Taylor 0)
Englad are going to lose this, but not by much. And if they’d only … well … it’s hardly worth torturing themselves, is it? Got to agree with this though, but then maybe Morgan decided, the way his team were dropping things, there wasn’t much point moving them into catching positions.
@Simon_Burnton England should have three slips, a gully and a short leg. If it were a Test match in this situation, they would.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) June 14, 2015
WICKET! Taylor b Willey 110 (New Zealand 290-6)
Taylor’s innings is finally over! A fine innings, with several let-offs, ends when he edges the ball into the top of off stump! And even then he fancies another let-off, and waits for the umpires to check on everything, but there would be no fourth lifeline.
45th over: New Zealand 288-5 (Taylor 109, Ronchi 4)
Santner pulls the second ball of the over for four – the ball getting to within perhaps eight feet of the rope before bouncing – and is then out next ball. Ronchi hits his first ball for two, and enjoys it so much he does it again. New Zealand need three an over.
WICKET! Santner c Root b Stokes 21 (New Zealand 284-5)
Santner edges and Root takes a fine catch, low to his left, at second slip!
44th over: New Zealand 280-4 (Taylor 109, Santner 17)
Willey’s back, and any lingering possibility of an unlikely late England surge is surely ended as Santner hits consecutive boundaries, one through midwicket, not quite cleanly struck but it’ll do, the next past cover, about which no complaints are possible, and then the should-have-been-final ball goes down the leg side for five wides. New Zealand need just 23 runs, at the rate of just 3.8 an over (and this one went for 16).
43rd over: New Zealand 264-4 (Taylor 109, Santner 6)
Finn’s first ball goes for a single, but then Santner makes nothing of his second, third and fourth, before embarking on a panicky run to mid-on that yields a run-out chance (Morgan took a while before he threw, and missed the stumps anyway, by which time it looked like Santner was just in).
42nd over: New Zealand 260-4 (Taylor 107, Santner 5)
Talking of which, here is Stokes. Four singles and a three result, which would have been four but for Hales’ diving stop a couple of feet from the rope. An air of slightly weary resignation hangs over proceedings. Can the New Zealand applecart (Kiwicart?) still be upset?
41st over: New Zealand 253-4 (Taylor 104, Santner 1)
Finn’s penultimate over – Wood’s also got one more up his sleeve, Willey has two, so Stokes and Root will need to contribute a bit more yet – brings three singles, and a wide down the leg side.
40th over: New Zealand 249-4 (Taylor 102, Santner 0)
Adil Rashid’s final over. In the first match of the series he scored 69 blistering runs and took four wickets; in the second he scored 34 but took nerry a one, and in this third match he got a duck and had no wickets until, with his very final delivery, he finally got something to show for his day’s labour. 10 overs to go, 54 runs needed at [does difficult mental arithmetic] 5.4 an over.
WICKET! Elliott c Root b Rashid 5 (New Zealand 249-4)
Elliot nicks one to first slip, and the Kiwi collapse continues! Well, collapse of sorts. They’ve lost two wickets quite quickly, is all.
39th over: New Zealand 244-3 (Taylor 100, Elliott 2)
Six! A six! Williamson with it, hoisting the ball back down the ground. It was to prove his final scoring stroke but, hey, what a way to sign off, eh?
WICKET! Williamson c Wood b Willey 118 (New Zealand 242-3)
An Englishman just caught a ball! Some measure of redemption for Wood, who dropped a much simpler catch moments ago, and this time picks the ball out of midair as it flies well over his right shoulder. An excellent catch. And a wonderful innings, really pretty perfect in the circumstances.
Updated
38th over: New Zealand 234-2 (Williamson 110, Taylor 100)
Back-to-back centuries for Taylor, this one taking 105 balls, three fewer than Williamson. Really the only question here now is when the match ends, rather than who wins it. New Zealand are yet to hit a six, or even nearly hit a six, which I think is a little slack.
Updated
37th over: New Zealand 226-2 (Williamson 109, Taylor 93)
Calamity for England! Williamson scoops the ball straight to Wood at mid off, where it flops gently into his hands at stomach height. But, bizarrely, it doesn’t stop there! Instead it falls through his floppy fingers and into his bent knee, bouncing briefly upwards and giving him a chance to drop it again, which he does! Horrible stuff, this. Fielding over the very lowest order. A triple helping of drop scones. Previously, Taylor had crashed Willey’s first two deliveries wide of mid-on and then over mid-off, both for four.
36th over: New Zealand 217-2 (Williamson 109, Taylor 84)
The power play is signalled … and … bosh! Taylor smashes Finn over mid-on – who’s inside the circle – for four. Another record bites the dust:
This is now the highest partnership for any wicket for New Zealand v England in ODIs. #bbccricket
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) June 14, 2015
Updated
35th over: New Zealand 209-2 (Williamson 106, Taylor 79)
Willey returns. It strikes me, with Michael Holding in the commentary box (earlier, at least – he’s not there now) that today has seen a return of the celebrated Holding-Willey cricketing double act. And another let-off for Taylor! This time he tries to work the ball off his pads but it just flicks off his bat and heads down leg side, but it bounces six inches before it nestles in Buttler’s glove.
34th over: New Zealand 208-2 (Williamson 105, Taylor 79)
Don’t let me suggest that records aren’t being set here, but they’re being nurdled rather than bludgeoned. Finn returns, and the Kiwis creep four runs closer to their goal in drama-free fashion.
This partnership is also now the highest for the third wicket against England in all ODIs. Superb from Williamson and Taylor. #bbccricket
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) June 14, 2015
Updated
33rd over: New Zealand 204-2 (Williamson 104, Taylor 76)
And Wood too has just a single over remaining. Williamson hits the first ball of his ninth to long leg, running the two he needed to reach triple figures. Then a couple of deliveries later the same batsman hits to a similar spot, this time for four. Gary Naylor’s got a decent point here – in this series we’ve had drama, we’ve had thrills, we’ve had statistical annihilation. Today, we’re getting competence. Cold, hard competence.
@Simon_Burnton maybe we've been spoilt recently, but watching this NZ innings feels like observing a very competent tiler doing the bathroom
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) June 14, 2015
32nd over: New Zealand 198-2 (Williamson 98, Taylor 76)
No run is scored from the first ball of Rashid’s penultimate over, but the rest all bring singles, and Williamson now stands on the brink of a century.
Updated
31st over: New Zealand 193-2 (Williamson 95, Taylor 74)
Dropped again! Taylor hammers the ball straight to Stokes at midwicket. That’s a vicious blow, but it’s straight at the fielder, who gets two hands to it but can’t hold on. So Taylor gets a third chance, and starts it by running a couple before Stokes has stopped shaking his head and muttering to himself.
30th over: New Zealand 186-2 (Williamson 93, Taylor 69)
More good fortune for New Zealand, as Williamson trots down the pitch and then scoops the ball high into the air, the ball clearing extra cover and falling safely to the turf. That’s the final ball of Rashid’s over, which brings five singles and a two. The Kiwis need 5.8 runs an over from here.
29th over: New Zealand 179-2 (Williamson 88, Taylor 67)
Dropped! Wood bowls, Taylor edges and it’s a regulation catch for Buttler, just to his right. He goes one-handed, and gets it all wrong. That’s horribly galling for England, who so desperately need a wicket, and must continue to wait for it. Still, a tight over, two singles from it.
28th over: New Zealand 177-2 (Williamson 87, Taylor 66)
Rashid bowls and Williamson batters the ball to midwicket where it’s well but painfully fielded, saving a few runs. No matter, the same batsman drives the final ball of the over down the ground, and there’s no stopping that one.
Updated
27th over: New Zealand 171-2 (Williamson 82, Taylor 65)
Taylor tries to hook Wood’s first ball, which flies through to Buttler. England appeal loudly, but the umpire is unmoved and the one review has just been used up (not that it would have made any difference here: turns out there was no contact twixt bat and ball). Later, the same batsman flicks the ball off his ankles, over midwicket and off for four, nice stroke.
26th over: New Zealand 164-2 (Williamson 82, Taylor 59)
Rashid bowls, and Williamson cuts just past a diving backward point for four. The latest and presumably final, for now, update from Arundel:
The match at Arundel has been abandoned. Thoughts and very best wishes to Moises Henriques and Rory Burns #cricketfamily
— NatWest T20 Blast (@NatWestT20Blast) June 14, 2015
25th over: New Zealand 158-2 (Williamson 77, Taylor 58)
Halfway through the innings, and New Zealand are emphatically on course. They’re sailing home here. Credit to Wood for trying to mix things up here, though, shortening his run-up, and nearly getting a wicket with a slow full toss.
Updated
Not out!
Hawkeye shows the ball clipping leg stump, so the on-field decision stands. “Well done, mate,” says the TV umpire Steve Davis as he reports back to Bruce Oxenford (though the ball would have hit leg stump, so it was a poor decision, though not quite poor enough to overturn).
Updated
REVIEW! Is Williamson out here?
The umpire says no, and Wood’s expression says, “Are you actually totally kidding me?” England review immediately.
24th over: New Zealand 154-2 (Williamson 75, Taylor 56)
Rashid’s back, and he gets the ball to turn just past the proffered edge of Taylor’s bat. More from Arundel: both players are now in ambulances and on their way to hospital, both apparently conscious.
Wilson, Mahmood and other Surrey players now on field. Burns putting two thumbs in the air as stretchered onto third ambulance.
— Jonathan Norman (@FulhamJon) June 14, 2015
Ambulances (3 of them) leaving Arundel now. Hope the players are OK. Must have been at least 45 minutes stoppage. pic.twitter.com/sU3ouljD7I
— Shaun Keyte (@shakey007) June 14, 2015
23rd over: New Zealand 149-2 (Williamson 72, Taylor 55)
Taylor’s half-century went shamefully unremarked-upon in over 22. No longer, and he cracks the ball to midwicket with a smashing – in every sense – pull shot to add four more to his tally. Play at Arundel has been suspended, and surely will not resume.
Really hope the two lads at Arundel are ok #T20Blast
— Chris Woakes (@crwoakes19) June 14, 2015
22nd over: New Zealand 143-2 (Williamson 71, Taylor 50)
Root bowls, and four more singles are added to the five scored in his first. Latest from Arundel: Henriques is now in an ambulance, and waves (of sorts) to the crowd as his stretcher was lifted. Rory Burns remains where he landed, more than half an hour ago.
Crowd in applause as one player is placed in the back of ambulance. Waves in appreciation. #Arundel #Sussex #Surrey pic.twitter.com/9AXN8ECdrb
— Matthew Brown (@Argus_MatthewB) June 14, 2015
21st over: New Zealand 139-2 (Williamson 69, Taylor 48)
Ouch! To audible laughter from the crowd, Taylor bottom-edges an attempted pull right into what medics would call his groinal region. It forces a lengthy delay before Stokes can complete his over, which in the end costs just three.
20th over: New Zealand 136-2 (Williamson 68, Taylor 46)
Joe Root’s first over and every ball goes for something – the first for three, the rest for singles. I’ll keep you updated with the latest from Arundel. Hard to type with your fingers crossed …
We have now 3 ambulances on the field of play treating Rory Burns and Moises Henriques...
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) June 14, 2015
19th over: New Zealand 128-2 (Williamson 65, Taylor 41)
Stokes bowls for the first time today, and there are four singles and a wide. England need a wicket very badly indeed, I’d say. Meanwhile at Arundel, Surrey’s Moises Henriques and Rory Burns have collided in the field, with both players apparently quite badly injured. There are now two ambulances on the field:
This is serious at Arundel @surreycricket. My thoughts are with the players. pic.twitter.com/lapDR36Xhh
— James Martin (@James_R_Martin) June 14, 2015
Updated
18th over: New Zealand 123-2 (Williamson 64, Taylor 39)
Rashid’s first ball after drinks is pushed to the long on boundary by Williamson, who brings up his 50 off 46 deliveries. By the end of the over he’s nearly a third of the way to a second 50 – he top-edges the next over Buttler for a couple more, then goes down the track to spear back to long on for four, before pushing the ball between midwicket and mid on for a third boundary, and deliberately working the last very fine – no slips now – for a fourth. That’s 18 runs off the over.
Updated
17th over: New Zealand 105-2 (Williamson 46, Taylor 39)
It’s still pretty close on the old overcomparisonometer – England were 98-2 at this stage, and didn’t lose another wicket until the 26th over – but then when England started to lose wickets, they really got stuck in. Williamson hits Finn to deep square leg for a couple, and the other three runs are all singles.
16th over: New Zealand 100-2 (Williamson 42, Taylor 38)
Rashid bowls and the Kiwis add nine to their total, the pick of the shots being Taylor’s cover drive for four. There’s a sense of drift about the game at the moment, and it’s not an Englandwards drift.
15th over: New Zealand 91-2 (Williamson 38, Taylor 33)
Finn’s back, and his first delivery is cut past point by Taylor, before the second heads to almost exactly the same spot. That allows the batsman to relax for the remainder of the over, and indeed he does, not adding to his score, though the bowler doesn’t again give him the kind of width that makes it easy.
14th over: New Zealand 83-2 (Williamson 38, Taylor 25)
Rashid again, and Williamson, whose innings thus far has been unhurried and unworried, trots forward to hit over extra cover for four.
13th over: New Zealand 77-2 (Williamson 33, Taylor 24)
Wood bowls and Taylor, without moving his feet, slashes his bat at a wide one, missing it by a smidgeon – really quite an ugly shot, and the batsman is lucky to get away with scoring no runs off it. And talking of luck, Taylor edges the last but it flies well wide of first slip – second slip, had there been one, would have had to dive to his right – and flies away for four.
12th over: New Zealand 70-2 (Williamson 32, Taylor 19)
Rashid bowls, Taylor reverse sweeps, and Buttler spots him preparing for it and sets off. And he nearly got his reward as well, the ball flicking off his left glove and into the air to safety – had the glove been six inches higher, the ball would surely have stuck. One of four singles results.
11th over: New Zealand 66-2 (Williamson 30, Taylor 17)
Better over from Wood, and it costs just two, scored by Taylor to midwicket off the third ball. “It’s a signal of how times have changed that we can anticipate the next touring side by filing the work ‘boorish’ for ready use and get depressed at the prospect,” notes John Starbuck. You never know, they might play nice.
Updated
10th over: New Zealand 64-2 (Williamson 30, Taylor 15)
Willey’s over, like Wood’s before it, starts with a two and then successive fours – the second, pulled through square leg, is fielded by a diving Finn, whose leg clips the rope while his hand flicks the ball away. At the end of the powerplay New Zealand are 23 ahead of where England were after 10 overs, having lost the same number of wickets. “There seem to have been a lot of marginal LBW calls go England’s way during this tour,” writes Giles. “Hometown advantage, I suppose.” Perhaps, but the delivery that did for McCullum would, if we trust Hawkeye, have hit leg stump, so the decision to give him out was correct. Hardly cause for griping.
9th over: New Zealand 52-2 (Williamson 18, Taylor 15)
Successive boundaries for Taylor, first smacking Wood’s short ball high past midwicket, then driving through the covers. Just half-way through it was already the second most expensive over of the innings. But the momentum stalls a little bit, Taylor adds only two more and it remains in No2 spot.
8th over: New Zealand 40-2 (Williamson 18, Taylor 3)
Taylor gets the full crowding treatment, with a couple of slips and a short fielder on each side of the wicket, and he fails to score off Willey’s first three deliveries. The next three each bring singles.
7th over: New Zealand 37-2 (Williamson 17, Taylor 1)
… and rightly, as Hawkeye shows it was clipping leg stump, and a review would have been unsuccessful. Wood’s first ball was pretty decent, flying just past Williamson’s edge, and then his third does the big damage. “What’s this? Everyone’s smiling on the pitch. It’s almost like there’s a correlation between enjoyment and a good game,” writes Iain Little. “Either way, it’s much better than this macho posturing nonsense that’s become so prevalent. Bless the Kiwis. They have to be the most likable team in sport, no? You have to credit them for this – I for one hope that this change in spirit carries on. Even Beefy’s sounding cheery.” Indeed, the Kiwis’ deportment has been almost as commented-on as their cricket. I fear England’s next visitors won’t be quite so friendly.
WICKET! McCullum lbw b Wood 11 (New Zealand 36-2)
McCullum didn’t look convinced about this – looked like it might be heading a fraction down leg – but once the umpire’s finger was raised, he walked.
Updated
6th over: New Zealand 35-1 (McCullum 11, Williamson 17)
Williamson punches the ball through the covers, and then McCullum hits down the ground, both fours. So after four overs England were 20-0, New Zealand 12-1. After six England were 34-1 (and about to score seven off the next 24 deliveries), New Zealand 35-1.
5th over: New Zealand 22-1 (McCullum 5, Williamson 10)
A boundary! The first of the innings, Williamson with it, rolling the ball just wide of mid on and thence to the rope. And then, a single later, another boundary! McCullum, duck-worries banished, pulls off his hip past square leg.
4th over: New Zealand 12-1 (McCullum 0, Williamson 5)
Willey’s first ball swings between McCullum’s bat and his pad but flies a few inches high of the stumps, the batsman totally flumoxed. Then the next flicks off that batsman’s boot and runs to deep fine leg, where Finn stops it just before the rope – McCullum’s legs have scored four runs off as many balls now, but his bat is still on a duck. Williamson diverts the third to backward point, where it lands a foot in front of Roy. And there’s still time for a nice diving stop and same-movement off-balance shy-at-the-stumps from Billings. Another fine over from Willey.
3rd over: New Zealand 9-1 (McCullum 0, Williamson 5)
Five dot balls in Finn’s second over, with Williamson getting a couple off t’other.
David Willey is a bit of James Faulkner cricketer - how did he go in his last ODI? @Simon_Burnton
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) June 14, 2015
Faulkner? Wasn’t he man of the match in the World Cup final?
2nd over: New Zealand 7-1 (McCullum 0, Williamson 3)
Nice first over from Willey. Full of length, precise of line, a hint of swing. This is Hawkeye’s illustration of the precise level of Guptill’s plumbiness.
WICKET! Guptill heads back to the pavilion for two after Willey traps him plum lbw: http://t.co/jjKOjNMIOP pic.twitter.com/xJIOPmEk7g
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 14, 2015
Updated
WICKET! Guptill lbw b Willey 2 (New Zealand 4-1)
Willey takes a wicket with his second delivery! The ball swings in to Guptill, and looks on its way into middle stump when Guptill’s pad stops it!
1st over: New Zealand 4-0 (Guptill 2, McCullum 0)
Steven Finn’s first ball is a little wide, and Guptill smashes it hard, but straight to the man at cover. His second ball is also a little wide, and down the leg side, and the run chase starts with an extra. A single and a leg bye later Guptill, trying to pull, scoops the ball high into the air, but it lands just out of the reach of Hales at midwicket.
The players emerge from their lunch-filled dressing-rooms, Brendon McCullum swishing his blade and bumping fists with Martin Guptill in a manner that can only be described as mildly concerning.
Glass half full:
England have scored more runs in three matches than they did in five-match series at home in 2011, 2012, 2013 (Champions Trophy) and 2014.
— Rob Smyth (@100ashesquotes) June 14, 2015
Glass half empty:
Does England's new spirit or intent mean they leave their brains in the dressing- room? They may still win but should have made 350
— Derek Pringle (@derekpringle) June 14, 2015
Hello world!
Well that feels like a terrible disappointment. To go from 288-5 to 302 all out is somewhat less than optimal, while only Stokes and Billings scored at considerably more than a run a ball (Butler’s 13 from 10 and Hales’ 23 from 21 shouldn’t really count). But then, it’s not exactly a total failure, and England have only ever scored more than 302 31 times in their 648 one day internationals. They’ve reached 300 37 times in all, so in 5.71% of those ODIs. This summer they’re still running at 100%, even on a bad day. So, silver linings.
Updated
So, New Zealand have a relatively modest target, by the standards of this series. England batted with much the same approach as they showed in the previous two matches, but the tourists never quite let the innings get away from them this time, with the seamers in particular doing a decent job – plaudits to Wheeler and Southee in particular. For England Root, Morgan and Stokes continued to prove their form and their worth, Stokes in particular - not least because his dismissal ripped the guts from the innings. It’s still nicely set up, though you’d have to make New Zealand favourites now. Their innings will be expertly described by Simon Burnton. Thanks for your company and emails.
Wicket! Finn b Southee 0, England 302 all out
45.2 overs: England 302 (Wood 3)
Wood concedes the strike straight away with a single on the onside, as Southee is brought back on for the kill. He obliges, uprooting Finn’s offstump, and that completes something of a collapse, frankly.
Updated
45th over: England 301-9 (Wood 2, Finn 0)
England have two newbies at the crease with five testing overs to come, and the real risk of not batting out the overs – a cardinal sin in Old Cricket, less so these days. Still, Stokes will be ruing the agricultural attempted slog from which he got out, but that’s the yin that comes with the yang (or is it the other way round?) of his admirable approach to the game. A single each brings England to 300 before another mistimed wallop is caught, Willey dollying up a short one that goes straight up in the air and is taken by the New Zealand captain. And it looks as if England might not go the distance now – the old-fashioned virtue of having wickets in hand having deserted them. Still, at the start of the World Cup everyone would have been congratulating England for this sort of score – as we did halfway through the Sri Lanka game in NZ for example.
Wicket! Willey c B McCullum b Henry 8, England 300-9
Willey falls into the trap and gives McCullum an easy catch from a mistimed slog.
Wicket! Stokes b Wheeler 68
44th over: England 298-8 (Willey 7)
Willey clubs a single from the first ball of Wheeler’s over and Stokes does likewise with a similarly not quite timed shot. New Zealand have not quite been their usual efficient selves in the field though, and Willey’s pull to the square leg boundary is fumbled over the ropes by Elliott for four. Another single sends Stokes down the other end, and Wheeler bowls him. A key wicket as Stokes swings and misses; his stumps are clatted.
Apropos of nothing …
Updated
43rd over: England 291-7 (Stokes 67, Willey 1)
A leg-bye starts Henry’s over before Rashid suffers a first-ball duck, dollying up to Guptill in the gully. These are important inroads for New Zealand. Willey is at the crease, an exciting cricketer and exacting time, and is greeted with a proper Henry bouncer this time. He’s off the mark next ball though but Stokes can’t work the final delivery of the over away. An excellent over.
Back on gates and verbs, here’s Michael Gorman, snaffling an easy chance. “If there were something scandalous about the last dismissal, it would, of course, be Billingsgate.” Cashback!
Wicket! Rashid c Guptill b Henry 0, England 290-7
Rashid goes first ball – momentum swings back.
42nd over: England 289-6 (Stokes 67, Rashid 0)
Stokes, as if afeard of being upstaged, carves Wheeler nonchalantly and yet forcefully through the offside for four. Billings then survives a sustained caught behind appeal after mis-hitting an attempted reverse sweep, but not the next ball, which he scoops up high behind him on the offside and McCleneghan pouches the catch. The batsmen crossed though, which means Stokes faces the final ball of the over, from which he adds a single.
“The discussion isn’t complete until someone mentions Devil’s Peak behind Newlands,” completes Simon Brereton. “Especially when the sun is setting. Having mentioned it and killed the conversation, can I just congratulate my wife on her first international wicket playing for Germany against Denmark a few weeks ago?” You can, well done her.
Wicket! Billings c McCleneghan b Wheeler 34, England 288-6
Billings goes, but he’s done his job.
Updated
41st over: England 283-5 (Stokes 61, Billings 34)
The commentators are now talking about an England 350 total as if it’s the most routine occurrence in the world – three months is a long time in cricket. They’ll get there quickly if Henry keeps conceding wides with bouncers, which he does with the first ball of the over at Stokes, who mistimes a lofted straight drive next up, but it dobs down safely enough on the outfield and they take two. An on-drive for one from a better-targeted yorker follows. Billings is in the mood though, hammering a length ball over mid-on for four before going down on one knee to SWEEP a quick bowler over the keeper’s head for yet another four. It’s wonderful stuff and keeps coming – the Kent player lofting the final ball of the over straight down the ground for four.
40th over: England 267-5 (Stokes 58, Billings 22)
Stokes stumbles again after toe-ending McCleneghan’s full toss round the corner, but manages to pick up a single. Another full toss is met assertively by Billings who bunts it over the in-field on the offside for three. A single puts Billings back on strike and he hits three boundaries in a row – scooping cleverly behind square on the legside for four, adds another boundary with a pull on the onside, and repeating his scoop on the legside. This is excellent stuff – just what he needs. And it ends an excellent powerplay for England.
Back to architecture and (a)morality, here’s Dan Lucas on Northampton cricket landmarks:
What’s Europe’s second largest lift testing tower then? Will Northampton ever be dethroned in this regard?
Updated
39th over: England 250-5 (Stokes 56, Billings 7)
McCullum’s been a proper tinkerman in this powerplay – changing bowlers after each over. Henry gets a go this time, but starts with one that’s high, wide and not very handsome, and prompts umpire’s outstretched arms and one more to the extras total. Stokes mistimes a pull but gets a single. A hurried one for Billings follows as Henry can’t manage to deflect the ball onto the stumps. Stokes pulls to long-on for another single before Billings gets a chance to play a nice Proper Cricket shot, a pleasing cover drive for two. The batsmen then run hard and well for three after Billings slogs into the onside front of square. The 250 comes up.
38th over: England 240-5 (Stokes 52, Billings 1)
Stokes deals with an attempted yorker from McCleneghan not by digging it out but driving it forcefully back past him for four. That’s a measure of the man. But he then cops an awkward full-toss in the upper thigh, which must smart a little. He’s OK to continue though, and swipe a glorious six over square leg to bring up his fifty. That went straight into the hog roast stand and out again. Another low full-toss is clumped away from the single to end a productive over for England.
Apologies for the gremlin-glitch that appears to have wiped out all record of the 31st over by the way. It did happen. Runs were scored from it.
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37th over: England 229-5 (Stokes 42, Billings 1)
Buttler cracks Southee for four to the long-off boundary before getting just a little too cocky and looking to belt another wide one through the covers and only edging it behind. I rather jinxed Buttler there by eulogising his pairing with Stokes in the previous over. Sorry. Billings gets a testing ball first up too – it’s speared into his pads and sparks an lbw appeal but it’s missing leg stump by some distance. Another full-length attempted yorker has to be dug out by the Kent man before he gets off the mark with a clip down to deep square leg.
On the subject of the new batsman, Dave Brown wrote earlier: “As a Kent man it pains me to say this but does anyone in the country think that Billings is a better batsman than James Taylor? If he isn’t keeping then I find his selection strange to say the least.” Certainly Taylor’s as well suited to the New Brand of cricket as any – and was one of the few who sought to play it in the World Cup - but let’s give Billings a bit of a chance for now.
Wicket! Buttler c Ronchi b Southee 13, England 227-5
No sooner had Buttler started revelling than he goes, slashing and edging a wide one.
36th over: England 223-4 (Stokes 41, Buttler 9)
The batting powerplay commences, with Wheeler bowling. Stokes cuts for one before Buttler signals his intent with an astonishing, almost exaggerated ramp shot over the keeper for four – showing any passing aircraft the maker’s name there. It was even more astonishing given how wide on the offside the delivery was. A single brings Stokes on strike and he larrups a short-ish ball straight past mid-on for four, and celebrates by hammering the next ball through the covers for another boundary. Are there two better batsmen to watch in tandem at the moment in English cricket than this pair?
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35th over: England 209-4 (Stokes 32, Buttler 4)
Southee also returns to the attack ahead of the batting powerplay and a couple of twos follow as Buttler gets off the mark, but nothing more. Momentum in this innings is swinging one way and the other with each over.
I know what you’re all thinking though: why aren’t there more pictures around of pet tortoises of famous cricketers watching their owners bat? Well, wonder no more:
@joeroot05 Seve watching his Dad bat! pic.twitter.com/2sXsvSGs6y
— Matt Root (@RootMatt) June 14, 2015
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34th over: England 205-4 (Stokes 32, Buttler 0)
One of the pleasing things about England at the moment is the sense that there’s always more entertainers to come when one of them gets out, as Buttler joins Stokes at the crease. Meanwhile the thus-far excellent Wheeler returns to the attack, though as with his first spell he begins with a couple of awry ones, one of which is milked for two by Stokes and the other is a wide. Stokes seizes the moment by smacking the bowler down the ground for four and taking two more with a square cut. Before you know it, he has 32 off 21 balls.
33rd over: England 194-4 (Stokes 22)
Morgan clumps Williamson to the onside boundary, brilliantly piercing the two fielders stationed at long-on and deep midwicket before he’s bowled, trying to swipe across the line. And a fine captain’s innings ends straight before the drinks break.
Wicket! Morgan b Williamson 71, England 194-4
Morgan goes to slog, misses, is bowled.
32nd over: England 190-3 (Morgan 67, Stokes 22)
Morgan clears the in-field with a delightful lofted drive for four off Elliott. Emboldened, he goes two better by clumping a SIX that lands exactly on the ropes (and thus has to be TV-reviewed to check it carried). Both these batsmen look in the mood now.
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30th over: England 170-3 (Morgan 49, Stokes 20)
We have a bowling change, Elliott on for Santner. It’s a very economical over until Stokes smartly reverse sweeps a short cutter for four with supreme quick-wittedness.
“Why is it that all left arm bowlers from Australia and New Zealand have to be called Mitchell?” asks Mick Denman. “Is it a law in those countries?” Yes, it is. Big Government still has a role to play in this deregulated world of ours.
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29th over: England 165-3 (Morgan 48, Stokes 16)
McCleneghan’s mixing his length up quite a bit, with a predilection for the slightly shorter ball, one of which Stokes cuts for a single. Another carved Morgan single keeps the strike rotating before England take advantage of a rare McCullum fumble from a Stokes straight drive to add two more. Stokes round off the over with a rasping square cut for four. He looks in the mood from the off, as he always is at the moment.
28th over: England 157-3 (Morgan 47, Stokes 10)
Santner starts his over with a wide, before Stokes decides it’s time to start having some fun, swinging lustily and smiting a SIX over long-on. A one and a two follows.
“County Hall near Trent Bridge was an OK building when i worked there in the 1970s,” recalls Jon Starbuck, “but for memorability it has to be Trent Bridge House (actually a modest skyscraper) which was very useful for displaying XXL banner commiserating when a well-known Yorkshire batsman ran out the local favourite batsman/star fielder. It still rankles, you know.” Trent Bridge also used to be memorable for offering viewpoints of not one but TWO sets of football ground floodlights, but the Radcliffe Road End stand blocks them out a bit now. God I’m enjoying this conversation.
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27th over: England 147-3 (Morgan 45, Stokes 2)
The boundary ropes have been decidedly unpeppered in recent overs, and Morgan knows as much, trying a big hoik at McCleneghan and missing altogether. He has to content himself with an on-driven two off the fourth ball of the over. England have to be clever to locate the boundary at the moment, and Morgan duly does so with a deft uppercut over the slips for four. And it’s nice and sunny in the field in Hampshire now
26th over: England 140-3 (Morgan 39, Stokes 1)
Morgan pushes Santner down the ground for one before he bowls Root, with a ball angled in towards his pad. It looks as if he’s found some rare turn initially but it in fact deflected off the batsman’s pads onto the stumps, though Santner did well to follow him with the delivery as he sought to make space. Stokes is off the mark with a clipped single, but it’s a very inexpensive, very good over.
Wicket! Root b Santner 54 (England 138-3)
Santner cramps up Root with one speared into him and gets his reward.
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25th over: England 138-2 (Root 54, Morgan 38)
Root tries to cut loose at McCleneghan but the tight offside field hems him in. He manages a single but no more from the over, and the same goes for Morgan. And at the halfway stage, England have a score that’s modest by comparison with the previous two matches. This could prove to be quite a decent containing job by New Zealand at the moment, or will England take advantage of having batsmen in hand?
“Re: outside the ground landmarks, not sure if they quite qualify seeing as they usually park at the side, poking into the ground, but do the Gallones ice cream vans (or van if it’s a cold day) at Wantage Road count?” asks David Wall. “They’re suitable ramshackle and look as though they’ve not been for a tune-up since the end of the 70s so they’re in keeping with very much of the ground (the Lynn Wilson End apart). And their Old-English Toffee is unmatched in terms of ice-cream flavours.” One of my very first cricket-ground ice creams was at Wantage Road, so that counts. And we need some unconventional and modernist ones too – the dual carriageway at Chelmsford anyone?
24th over: England 136-2 (Root 53, Morgan 37)
Santner continues and Root brings up the hundred partnership with another single – it’s been a different type of partnership to those seen earlier in the series but an intelligent and well-judged one nonetheless. The ones continue to dribble but it’s a good over.
“Two balls do not seem to be bowled often enough: the yorker and the lifter into the armpit. Neither easy to deliver, but still,” tweets Gary Naylor. Agreed – bouncers are ten-a-penny but a proper shoulder-height snorter is a thing of beauty. He adds a vote for the Galle fort as one of the great cricket ground landmarks.
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23rd over: England 133-2 (Root 51, Morgan 36)
Root straight-drives Henry for a single before the bowler has a loud shout for lbw against Morgan after a full-ish delivery thumps him on the pad, but they opt not to review it – possibly because it pitched outside leg-stump. A single brings on strike Root, who brings up another confident fifty with a single. The flow of fours has been stemmed, but the flow of ones and twos has not.
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22nd over: England 127-2 (Root 48, Morgan 34)
Santner starts with a dobbled wide short outside leg stump, but he wants to test Morgan in that area, and the captain struggles with a similar ball next up, which he feathers behind but Ronchi can’t react in time to gather it. It’s a risky area to bowl in though, and another two wides follow. The batsmen are content to just gently rotate the strike – seven from the over, three wide.
Talking of gasometers, what other outside-the-ground landmarks are we fond of? There’s the cathedral at Worcester, there used to be those long willow trees behind the Kirkstall Lane End at Headingley, and you’ve got the castle at Durham. Favourites please.
21st over: England 121-2 (Root 46, Morgan 33)
Morgan stretches at a wide Henry ball outside off-stump and swats it away for a single. A Root pull brings another, but as the bowler tries to find the right blend of line and length he overdoes it with a wayward bouncer that’s called wide. Another single ensues with a Morgan cut to deep extra cover.
Carrying on the discussion about the Oval and broadening it out a bit,” adds Tim Bromilow “... brilliant article today on gasometers starting with a wonderful quote from Blowers. Can the Oval ever be the same if the gasometer is removed?” And here’s the piece.
20th over: England 117-2 (Root 45, Morgan 31)
We have spin for the first time, in the form of Mitchell Santner, who had something of a torrid time in the first two ODIs (as most bowlers did, to be fair to him). Root bunts his first ball to mid-on for a single, and Morgan takes Santner’s introduction as a cue to tee off, taking advantage of the brought-in straight boundary ropes to crack the spinner over long-on for the first SIX of the day. It’s not a terrible over though – it’s nicely mixed up – but England will be happy enough with taking eight from it.
19th over: England 109-2 (Root 44, Morgan 24)
McCullum has a tight offside field in for Morgan too, which proves its worth when Williamson dives smartly at short extra-cover to cut out a fierce drive and prevent a run. This is a good, stifling over from the seamer that yields only three singles. I’m not that keen on the projected “WASP” score being projected on Sky’s score bar – it sort of takes some of the speculative fun out if it, much in the way election exit polls do. Less is sometimes more.
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18th over: England 106-2 (Root 42, Morgan 23)
Morgan’s controlled drive off McCleneghan brings a single before Root brings up the hundred with a pleasing open-shouldered cover drive for two. He then confounds McCullum’s off-side heavy field with a lovely smart clip on the on-side for four. A squirted single down to third man follows. England’s projected score now is a mere 335.
“I’m sure I’m not the first to coin the phrase ‘Gategate’,” modests Tim Lezard, “but I did use it last year to describe a situation where a teacher was disciplined for leaving the school gate open. If you continue this thread simply to attract readers of your blog, could that be described as clickbaitgate?” That, and almost the rest of the entire internet, Tim.
17th over: England 98-2 (Root 35, Morgan 22)
Morgan clips Henry away for three, as runs continue to trickle along, slightly in the manner of ‘middle-overs lulls’ of old, but only slightly. One of the pleasing features of recent 50-over cricket has been the gradual erosion of the Boring Bit In The Middle of innings.
I’m going to prolong The Oval discussion as it’s no longer about Duckworth-Lewis and has morphed into a much more exciting one about local authority bye-laws.
Some might say that floodlight glare would be quite low down the list of things that might disturb a Friday night in south London, but not me. Good Lord, no. Honest.
16th over: England 91-2 (Root 32, Morgan 18)
Morgan’s keen to get down the pitch to meet the fuller deliveries, even if he’s not always getting hold of them, as he demonstrates again when chipping McCleneghan over mid-off for two. A riskier single ensues – had Wheeler’s throw hit Morgan would have been ‘hutched’, to steal Tim Lezard’s earlier verb – before Root’s neatly timed clip through midwicket brings two more.
And that’s drinks – this is nicely poised, though who knows what might be a par score in these crazy times, or whether such things as par scores even exist anymore.
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15th over: England 86-2 (Root 30, Morgan 15)
Root takes two off the first ball of Henry’s over, and another push through the heavily populated offside field brings him a single. There’s one more for Morgan in what is a much better, more intelligent over.
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14th over: England 82-2 (Root 27, Morgan 14)
McCleneghan replaces Wheeler and starts terribly, Root capitalising on looseners outside off stump with two square cuts for four. Another pull on the legside brings a couple more, but the rest of the over is reasonably accurate.
Last, last word on The Oval, comes from Stephen Cooper: “The game wasn’t extended under floodlights because of restrictions on Surrey Cricket Club’s license for the ground from the local authority, which minimises noise nuisance to local residents.”
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13th over: England 73-2 (Root 18, Morgan 14)
The first bowling change – Henry for Southee – heralds a rare Kiwi fielding lapse, as McCleneghan fumbles Morgan’s padded nudge down to fine leg over the ropes for four leg-byes. The captain cuts for two more, and then gets four with a lovely drive on the off-side. New Zealand’s bowlers are suddenly up against it, as Henry’s next three balls – a stray wide and two high wides - demonstrate. Morgan, emboldened, advances down the track to belt the last ball of the over down to long-off for two. That was all very uncharacteristically lax from New Zealand.
‘“Gate’ is also used as a verb in sound mixing and chemistry,” science-boffins Mark (BBB), “this is entirely separate to its use as a suffix to mean scandal – since Watergate. But is Tim Lezard is sufficiently alarmed that could also apply to this use in cricket – “gate-gate”’ The use of “gate” to describe scandals would be banned if I had my way.
12th over: England 58-2 (Root 18, Morgan 6)
England want to cut loose now, with the powerplay done, and Morgan hammers Wheeler over mid-off. He doesn’t quite time it though, which means he gets two rather than four, and then nudges a single. Root and Morgan trade another couple of ones before the former inside-edges a flukey four down to fine leg – it really didn’t miss the stumps by much at all.
11th over: England 49-2 (Root 13, Morgan 2)
McCullum, delighted undoubtedly with his seamers’ dominance, keeps Southee on for a sixth over. But Root at last gets two looseners to feast on – one, outside off stump, that he belts hard and low through extra cover for four; and another, wide down the leg side which he nudges past the keeper Ronchi for another boundary.
One final point about D/L before we focus on today’s Issues, from Graham O’Reilly: “The calculation of runs required was clearly unfair. Change is required. As for the time, apparently the floodlights had to go out at 9.15 for local bylaws. Why this should be so when the sun sets at about the same time and it will remain light for another hour is a mystery. But perhaps most frustrating was the 20 minutes wasted after the rain stopped before the match restarted. A complete triple whammy, then, which needs addressing.”
10th over: England 41-2 (Root 5, Morgan 2)
There’s something pleasingly old-school about all this: The opening bowlers each getting five consecutive overs at the start, and multiple slips in place throughout. Wheeler continues to keep things tight as well, forcing Morgan to play orthodox backward defensive shots, or inducing play-and-misses. This is really good bowling.
“‘Gated’ is already a verb,” smartarses Jon Starbuck, “but not the one Athers means. My dictionary states ‘verb transitive: confine to college or school entirely or after certain hours’. It also adds stuff about the word as an adjective but that’s entirely irrelevant for our purposes.” Good point – you’re pedanting very well for a Sunday morning.
9th over: England 40-2 (Root 4, Morgan 2)
Review! Southee has a very worthwhile shout for lbw against Morgan with a fantastic yorker, which is turned down, seemingly on the grounds that the England captain hit it. The review shows the ball has struck pad before bat but it’s shown to be missing off stump so Morgan is reprieved. He marks his reprieve by essaying a controlled pull square on the legside for one and Root clips two more before squirting down to third man for one.
News: Boult will miss the rest of the tour, a major setback for New Zealand, though his replacement Wheeler is bowling excellently.
Opinion: Gary Naylor reckons Friday’s D/L shenanigans were daft.
8th over: England 36-2 (Root 1, Morgan 1)
Root gets off the mark with a single square on the offside, and Morgan does likewise with a similar push past backward point. But Wheeler’s bowling really well here, now finding a probing length, and that’s all the batsmen can get from this over. 400 looks a tall order now.
Atherton’s description of Roy’s dismissal has alarmed Tim Lezard, stringently policing the trend of turning nouns into verbs. “Athers just said Southee ‘gated’ Roy. Is this a new example of nouns being subverted into verbs? If this is now becoming acceptable, can I suggest Southee ‘hutched’ Roy?” The makers of Scrabble are hurriedly rewriting the rules as I type.
7th over: England 34-2 (Root 0, Morgan 0)
Southee bowls Roy through the gate, and momentum is with New Zealand suddenly. The bowler’s tail is up and he greets Morgan with an awkward bouncer. It’s a wicket maiden and suddenly the game done changed.
Some thoughts on Duckworth-Lewis: “Of course the principle of D-L is fine,” says Nick Derdre, “but when it changes 54 from 37 to 34 from 13 - or 1.46 runs per ball to 2.62 - that’s a massive disadvantage to the batting side and advantage to the bowling side, as both sides acknowleged. So maybe some tweaking is in order. And while we’re about it, why couldn’t they simply play the last 6.1 overs? do they have to make sure the game is over two hours before the last tube, or what? There must be some rigid rule in place which distorted the end of the match when it would have been fairer to stick to the full 50 overs.” While Andy Taylor adds some Commons Sense with this: “I think what is more inexplicable than the workings of the DL method is why, with floodlights, play didn’t continue until 9.45, and the full 50 overs, rather than cutting it short. It seems to me that those ‘inside cricket’ are focusing on the DL to avoid answering this.”
Wicket! Roy b Southee 9, England 34-2
And another! Southee deceives Roy with an inswinger that takes the top of middle stump.
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6th over: England 34-1 (Roy 9)
As Athers and Botham discuss the bowler-hobbling nature of modern ODI cricket, Wheeler at least finds some leeway when a short sharp bouncer at Hales rightly goes unpunished – he gets a warning but no more – but Hales responds by pulling his next ball in front of square for four. McCullum posts a man out at deep square leg and he saves four next ball, from which another Hales pull yields only one. A push for one follows from Roy. But Wheeler’s bowled well so far and he gets his reward with the final ball of the over, snaring Hales – who’d looked in good touch – with a cutter slanted across him that is edged to Southee.
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Wicket! Hales c Southee b Wheeler 23, England 34-1
A debut wicket for Wheeler! Hales edges one slanted across him to Southee at second slip.
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5th over: England 28-0 (Roy 8, Hales 18)
Some fine batting from Hales: he cracks Southee for four through backward point and then clips him through the legside for two before taking a well-run single to mid-off. Southee concedes a wide before making Roy play all round his comeback ball, which zips through to the keeper.
Mea culpa, on Ben Wheeler. My intelligence was faulty, Ben Bernards’s is superior:
Think you’ll find this is his debut, not 9th ODI? He’s only been playing first class cricket a season and was brought on tour as a “nets bowler” rather than actual squad member, but bowled superbly against Somerset in first tour match before Boult, Southee etc. arrived from IPL and was kept on as a result. Now here he is .
4th over: England 20-0 (Roy 8, Hales 11)
Ooh that was close! Wheeler beats Roy with a devilish slanted inswinger that is the mythical ‘coat of paint’ away from hitting off-stump. Roy adds a single before Hales milks four more by merely turning it behind him to the long leg boundary. There’s something there for the bowlers but the boundary is also already proving easy to find for the batsmen.
On the smut and coarseness of modern life…
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3rd over: England 14-0 (Roy 7, Hales 6)
Roy glances Southee down to fine leg for a single, before Hales gets off the mark with a sumptuous textbook cover drive for four. The ‘four’ music on the PA system for that one is Billie Jean – how we must marvel at the complete thematic randomness of these choices. Both batsmen are timing the ball nicely and Hales flicks the last ball of the over off his pads for two.
2nd over: England 7-0 (Roy 6, Hales 0)
Boult’s replacement, the left-armer Ben Wheeler, opens at the other end in his ninth ODI. His first ball is what we might call a loosener, swinging off the radar down the legside and is called a wide, but it’s certainly swinging. Hales plays and misses rather inelegantly at one slanted across him. Wheeler also finds some bounce, forcing Hales to duck out of a well-targeted short one, and Hales can’t work him away at all. No scoring shots at all from a fine over.
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1st over: England 6-0 (Roy 6, Hales 0)
Southee has the ball first up, McCullum has three slips in place (a Proper Field) and beats Roy with an excellent nibbling outswinger with his opening delivery. There’s certainly movement off the seam and through the air there. Roy’s off the mark third ball with a crouching square cut for two, and builds on that with a beautifully timed flick square on the leg side that zips to the boundary for four. Six from the over. “Par for the course, that,” says Ian Botham in the commentary box.
Out they come. Accompanied, as ever, by Jerusalem, something I quite liked when it was first introduced but feels a bit overblown now. It’s properly cloudy at the Rose Bowl, so this will be a test of England’s still-callow opening pair.
England’s bowling attack looks, if anything, strengthened by its injury absences – Wood and Willey have much to offer – while the loss of Boult is a major blow for New Zealand.
Talking points: Morgan groused a little on Friday about the late D/L calculation that helped leave England beached, but Lord Selve reckons we should merely embrace the marvels of science:
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England win the toss and bat
Morgan wants to “get out there and apply ourselves early” after a slightly chaotic coin call accompanied by ribald chuckling from Mike Atherton.
Team news: Trent Boult is out injured! Ben Wheeler comes in, as does Matt Henry for Nathan McCullum. England, of course, are also without Chris Jordan and Liam Plunkett from their team at The Oval.
So they look like this:
England: Roy, Hales, Root, Morgan, Stokes, Buttler, Billings, Rashid, Willey, Wood, Finn.
New Zealand: Guptill, McCullum, Williamson, Taylor, Elliott, Ronchi, Santner, Wheeler, Henry, Southee, McCleneghan.
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Morning everyone. England-New Zealand series have not, historically, massively captured the public imagination or always lived long in the memory, but knock me down with a feather or smack me clean over extra cover for six - if we’re not having a truly memorable tour here. An Anglo-Kiwi cricketing summer of love if you will. We’ve had two Test matches and two one-day internationals so far, and each one of them has been a belter. England have embraced the idea that modern cricket should be played assertively and entertainingly so swiftly that you wonder what took them so long if it was this easy, while New Zealand have played as you’d expect them to under Brendon McCullum’s transformative leadership. It’s all deliciously set up for today’s encounter, somewhere in a field in Hampshire.
Of course, those of us who like to see bowlers strut their stuff have been a bit short-changed, Trent Boult aside. If it helps them any, it looks overcast, as they prepare to toss.
Tom will be here soon enough. While you wait, here is Paul Farbrace on why he is proud of England’s positivity before third New Zealand ODI.
During the handshakes that followed England’s thrilling but ultimately failed run chase at The Oval on Friday night, Paul Farbrace, their interim head coach whose detractors are yet to be identified, and New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum, the much-praised evangelist of aggressive cricket, shared a word.
“It’s going to be a great series,” the tourists’ captain told his rival, after New Zealand held their nerve for a 13-run rain-affected win that means the two teams go into Sunday’s third one-day international in Southampton all square. “I hope so,” replied Farbrace, who said he was as proud of his side’s attempted pursuit of 399 as he was their record‑breaking 408 for nine at Edgbaston on Tuesday.
