Right, time for bed. Thanks for staying the course - roll on the Test series!
Updated
England win the series 3-2
Well how about that! The second best Super Over of 2019 - but what a way to finish both a game that had looked damp tissue-paper two hours ago, and a series between two sides that are so tricky to divide. A tasty hors d’oeuvre to cheer up a moribund UK November.
Man of the match: Jonny Bairstow
And @ECB_cricket keep on giving @BLACKCAPS !! @scottbstyris @CoachHesson @Mitch_Savage
— Dean Jones AM (@ProfDeano) November 10, 2019
What is it with you guys and Super overs? 🤷♂️
Updated
England beat New Zealand in the Super Over by nine runs!
New Zealand 8-1 : (Guptill 1, de Grandhomme 0 ) Seifert only manages two off Jordan’s yorker, then a wide, then Seifert throws the bat and just beats two desperate chasing fielder by a finger-tip - four, then a dot ball, a wicket. And the game dribbles away off the last two balls. Great bowling by Jordan.
WICKET! Seifert c Morgan b Jordan 6
A fabulous catch by Eoin Morgan, running 20 yards, and pulling the catch back over his shoulder. Two balls left, two sixes win it, a six and four and we get another super over.
Updated
Looks like it is going to be Chris Jordan bowling for England.
England's Super Over
England 17-0: (Bairstow 8, Morgan 9) Is that enough? Two sixes over the short boundary over Southee’s head - one to each batmen. But not full madness.
Benjamin Macintyre is back: “I told you so!”
You did!
“Where’s my twitter battle?”
Taxi ? Take me to the ground
— Jofra Archer (@JofraArcher) November 10, 2019
Super Overs!!!
This time, there is no boundary count if scores are equal after one over each. It’s not quite a packed Lord’s, but a third-full Eden Park is eager for a sandwich called revenge. It’s going to be Southee to bowl to Bairstow and Morgan.
10.6 overs: Jordan smacks a great fat four and knock me down that’s the Super Over!
Updated
10.5 overs: Two runs by Jordan. Six to win, four for a super over!!!
Updated
10.4 overs: Jordan swipes Neesham for six over Boult’s head.
Updated
WICKET! T Curran c de Grandhomme b Neesham 12
With only three off the first two balls, Curran has to go for it, but bottom-ends the ball to third man. 13 needed off 3 balls.
10th over: England 131-6 (T Curran 12, Billings 8) Billings turns Southee’s first ball for four, then a wide, a handful of singles before Billings escapes from a one-handed mis-hit high into the air. Super over. Sixteen to win off 6 balls, Neesham to bowl it.
9th over: England 121-6 (T Curran 10, Billings 2) Boult has a moment and asks for possibly the worst lbw review this side of black and white movies . Tom Curran swipes across the line for six, and fluffs a couple of rampy-flicky things. Then a cartoon-time run-out as Billings slips, drops his bat and Boult drops the ball. 26 to win off 12 balls.
8th over: England 111-6 (T Curran 2, Billings 2) An eventful over, two wickets and ten runs including a blowsy six by Gregory. England are ahead by one run at the same stage. Three overs left.
WICKET! Gregory c Southee b Santner 6
A two ball wonder from Gregory. Hope he gets another chance after this tour. A flick to cover.
WICKET! Curran st Seifert b Santner 24
A huge wide that Curran charges at, then somehow snakes his body back in one move but is a sneeze short of getting his bat down in time.
7th over: England 97-3 (S Curran 23, Bairstow 45) Neesham arrowed for six over midwicket, then guided at full-stretch, down on his knees by Bairstow, who somehow comes back for the second. NZ v relieved to see the end of him.
WICKET! Bairstow c Seifert b Neesham 47
Bairstow tries to guide the ball behind but top-edges to Seifert. Good news for NZ as Bairstow had that glint in his eye.
6th over: England 90-3 (S Curran 23, Bairstow 38) Jonny Bairstow eyes up Sodhi, seasons generously, and brushes with oil. Three plump sixes, two straight back over his head, one wilder. A wide for quick breather then he attempts to remove Sodhi’s hand with a fierce drive that Sodhi has the misfortune to intercept.
Updated
5th over: England 68-3 (S Curran 22, Bairstow 18) Sam Curran gets stuck into Kuggeleijn, polishing 20 off four balls with a couple of fours, a couple of sixes, with the eezy-breezy polish he brings to all his cricket. Six overs left.
4th over: England 49-3 (S Curran 2, Bairstow 18) Bairstow swats a bloated six off Santner, nine from the over.
Updated
3rd over: England 39-3 (Bairstow 11) Morgan, bat high in the air as he watched the bowler’s approach, was in the same belligerent mood as on Friday. A towering six that kisses the dipping sun, then a four and another six before he too falls. All on Bairstow now?
WICKET! Morgan c Kuggeleijn b Boult 17
Morgan charges into an attempted yorker from Boult but just lofts it to Kuggeleijn at mid-off just in front of the rope.
2nd over: England 22-2 (Morgan 1, Bairstow 11) Super bowling from Southee, and a lovely couple of shots from Bairstow who is playing artist this over, muscular finesse.
Updated
WICKET! Vince c Kuggeleijn b Southee 1
Just a gentle catch to mid-off from the first ball of Southee’s over.
1st over: England 9-1 (Vince 1, Bairstow 1) It’s Boult, bowling full in his tightly-fitting black trews. Dot, one, one then Banton picks him up off his toes and whallops him back over his head for six. Then the wait, and the wicket - the ball seemed to hit both pads.
WICKET! Banton lbw Boult 7
Is it? Isn’t it? Banton given out straight away by the on-field umpire but England review and it takes forever. In the end it is umpire’s call so Banton trudges off.
The floodlights are on, but we look good to go for the second innings. It’s all big and busty and beautiful, if a little like eating a full box of Milk Tray in one sitting. Just refuelling on a coffee as England come out.
End of New Zealand innings
11th over: New Zealand 146-5 (Neesham 1) Nine off the last over, two wickets, bish, bash, boof- it’s a cracking total but I reckon England can get it.
Updated
WICKET! Taylor run-out 2
Taylor run-out going for the second to the last ball of the innings
Updated
Wicket! Seifert b T Curran 39
Yorker-tastic from Tom Curran, a spit of in-swing and stumps a go-go.
10th over: New Zealand 136-3 (Neesham 0, Selfert 16) Oh, that’s a beauty: a ramp shot down on one knee, Seifert deposits the ball into the stand behind him. Next ball he unveils the ugliest swipe you ever did see over long-on for six, and then a cover- drive dart for four more. The first three balls of Sam Curran’s over were dot balls, but that’s ancient history in T11.
Updated
Munro c Vince b S Curran 46
Inevitably a big hit, a pull safely into the hands of James Vince at deep midwicket.
9th over: New Zealand 119-2 (Munro 38, Selfert 16) Jordan, right arm covered in . a blue sleeve, charges in. Only one boundary off the over, albeit a huge six. Just two overs left, as a strong breeze ruffles the players’ trousers.
8th over: New Zealand 110-2 (Munro 38, Selfert 15) Seifert pulls a six high and into the hands of a man in the crowd. Six again, down on one knee baby, into the crowd once more where an unlucky dad floors one, with his son next to him. That’s Rashid bowled out.
Updated
7th over: New Zealand 95-2 (Munro 35, de Grandhomme 2) Great bowling by Mahmood - he and Rashid have put the breaks on after the opening gush. Jonny Bairstow is on the mike for the second match in a row - what’s he done to deserve that?
WICKET! de Grandhomme c Vince b Mahmood
A catch for James Vince, down by his toes, after his shocker in the field a couple of matches ago. A quick ball, too quick for de Grandhomme, is miscued high.
6th over: New Zealand 88-1 (Munro 35, de Grandhomme 2) Just five singles and a wicket from Adil Rashid in the best over of the innings by far. Just five overs left.
WIcket! Guptill c Banton b Rashid 50
Another huge swipe falls into Banton’s hands just in front of the boundary at deep midwicket.
5th over: New Zealand 83-0 (Munro 32, Guptill 50) The pigeon-chested Mahmood takes his turn in the stocks. Munro top-edges a four over Sam Billings’ head, then Guptill moves to his fifty off 19 balls with a single. A relatively parsimonious over is spoilt when Munro swings the last delivery for yet another six.
4th over: New Zealand 70-0 (Munro 21, Guptill 48) So now we get Rashid, who appeals for a stumping first ball - not out. Then Guptill slaps his red-soled shoe down the pitch and slams a six over long off , then he toe-ends the next for another six, this time straight. They scamper a few more.
Updated
3rd over: New Zealand 55-0 (Munro 19, Guptill 36) Eoin Morgan digs into his bag and pulls out experience. He waves for Chris Jordan, whose first ball is whacked over mid-off for six by Munro. A fuller one is turned square by Guptill with a rounding of the wrists for four, then a huge slapping pull for six. He finds his line with the last two balls. At this rate, NZ will get 150 from their 11
2nd over: New Zealand 37-0 (Munro 12, Guptill 25) This is how you do it Sam... ah. Guptill slogs, with no attempt at artistry, two sixes and a four. A consolation dot ball for Tom Curran at the end. Twenty from the over.
1st over: New Zealand 17-0 (Munro 12, Guptill 5) There are three overs in the re-shaped power play, and Sam Curran is bowling the first of them. Guptill has a wasted swing first ball, but has a good swipe to the second over midwicket to the boundary. Munro leans back and tips a fat, slower ball square for four, then a six over the short straight boundary. Easy pickings.
“Good morning from India,” writes Abhijato Sensarma. “When I woke up at around eight in the morning, I was disappointed because I realised a lot of the match might have already taken place; after checking the OBO, I was disappointed to see the prospect that none of it might take place. Now, the game does seem to be on track for a resumption. It will have just enough overs in it to make the encounter, ahem, still cricket. This series has turned out to be one of the best in the history of the format and deserves nothing less than an epic send-off today. Best of luck to all the players involved; hoping for a classic finish!”
Thanks Abhijato. The players are just standing for a moment’s silence to remember all those who died in the World Wars and other conflicts.
Play will start in five minutes, four bowlers will bowl two overs each, one will bowl three, there’s rain floating about... if there’s anyone still out there, this could be fun!
Covers are off!!!
Weather permitting, a 4pm (3am GMT) start, 11 overs a side.
Updated
While we wait, a great read by Ali Martin on Ian Smith and his magic commentary spell at the World Cup Final. “I think about that day at Lord’s quite a lot. It doesn’t dominate my life but it will never leave me. You could commentate on sport your whole life and never get a moment like that. My voice will be there for ever, I guess. It’s an honour … I just hope I got it right.”
Updated
Not sure when these southern hemisphere games start anymore. Aus v Pakistan - day and/or night games. NZ v England day and/or night games....and one I believe was a ‘twilight’ game starting at 6 PM local time....which was either 7 AM GMT the day after or 5 PM yesterday, the ICC schedulers need to to sort it out ! writes Simon R. This ground has good drainage so we’ll start soon. Pass the coffee..or whisky.
I agree, it is a bit of a brain-blanker. Philip, the poor guy in charge of the Guardian’s OBO rota, grinds his teeth to stumps trying to work out times for the Southern hemisphere games. I’m going to put the kettle on now, TMS has moved temporarily to the World Service where they’re talking about the air pollution in Delhi which affected the Bangladesh v India match last week and saw Bangladesh players being sick on the pitch. “There were some murmurs about moving it out, but by then it was far too late. The ground was full, it was like the warning you get on cigarette packs, you read them but you ignore them,” says the Indian correspondent (apologies I didn’t catch his name.)
Just a quick reminder that although the game is shrinking all the time, they won’t call it off till the tick has tocked past the latest start time 4:47pm (3.47GMT).
Updated
Seventh Horcrux writes: Hello Tanya. Is it worth staying up waiting for the cricket to start? There’s a certain footy game scheduled for later today, and this delay is testing my already frail nerves?”
Well...they’ve resorted to replays on Sky. On TMS, a gloomy Aggers has been looking at the satellite pictures so ....I guess it depends if you think you might need tiredness to dull the pain tomorrow afternoon. Red or blue?
View from the press box 👀
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) November 10, 2019
Rain still hanging around here at @edenparknz currently #NZvsENG #cricketnation pic.twitter.com/GxZWZ8ApdK
It’s still raining by the way and grey and miserable.
David Gaskell writes: “John Starbuck is always a welcome correspondent, almost part of the OBO team. What I need to know, of the hundred novels, has he read “ Moby Dick” ?
Now, I’m hoping that wasn’t some kind of rude dig that I didn’t get... I think you two went to school together, no?
Ah, here’s John. “I I feel at a slight advantage because I did read a lot of them for A levels and degree, which just goes to show that the canon can change pretty quickly: no Ulysses or Moby-Dick, let alone War and Peace? I do feel that, like the first BBC2 programme, it’s slanted more towards ‘women’s novels’ but we are probably overdue a correction.”
Yes, I think you’re right, a definite feminine slant but, yes too, about time! I’m surprised Our Mutual Friend makes the cut, though studying it for A level is often enough to ruin a book.
John, John! Are you still there? if this was the list, it isn’t quite 100 best novels but “100 English language titles that have shaped their (the judges) world”. I’ve read a respectable-ish 34 of the 100 - but very much boosted by the August section . Loving the fact Ballet Shoes and Forever were on the list - essential reading for any school girl in the 1980s. No cricket there that I can see unless The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye is flanneled foolery?
Benjamin Macintyre has an idea “So, the first series between these two sides since a certain ODI last summer with the series tied at 2-2. According to my highly scientific calculations this can only mean one outcome. Scores tied with the only way to separate the two sides a Jimmy Neesham v Jofra Archer twitter battle. May the best man win.”
Genuis! Perhaps KSI v Logan Paul* should have thought of that before they settled on a boxing match.
*admission, I had never heard of these people until a few hours ago.
Oh dear, the brollies are up and there is a further delay, though it is frou-frou, not torrents.
While we wait, here are the teams:
England
1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Tom Banton, 3 James Vince, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Sam Billings (wk), 6 Lewis Gregory, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Tom Curran, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Saqib Mahmood.
New Zealand
1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Colin de Grandhomme, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee (capt), 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Scott Kuggeleijn.
Alex Webster is very much over the tie-thing “I play cricket in Southland and I get “it was a tie” pretty much every Saturday (and most Thursdays). As we were driving back from a victorious trip to Tapanui (two and a half hour local derby) I heard a few shouts about them winning a Super Over to take the series. I suggested they might want to make sure they score enough boundaries this time. This is now my stock response - seems to go down well.”
England win the toss and will bowl
“Hopefully we’ll get on top of the weather and know what we’ll be chasing,” says Morgan.
England bring back Vince, Rashid and Mahmood; Malan, Pat Brown and Parkinson are out. Harsh.
Right that’s it, I’m going to quickly attack the chocolate digestives.
Updated
Oh John Starbuck, what would we do without you?
“Good morning, as I suppose one should say, though it feels like the middle of the night. Still, what with MOTD finishing late, and having watched the BBC2 100 best novels programme (I worked out I’d read 27 of the 100, but I expect plenty of OBO readers have read more) I felt up to tacking the final match of this series, especially as it’s now tied, though how long I last will depend on how much of the remaining Glenmorangie I can imbibe. Still, today is Sunday so I’m due another lie-in and let the world go hang. Up to now it’s been the Radio 3 weird krautrock-style soundtracks ( very 1970s) and I’m now going over to TMS for a bit of weather-related chat to support the OBO profundities. Over to you ....”
Oooh, 100 best novels - that’s a challenge. Is it this list?
The clock starts ticking at 2:40pm (1.40GMT) when we begin losing overs, with the latest start time 4:47pm (3.47GMT) - though, dear god, let’s hope not.
Some BlackCap data to chew over:
GOOD YEAR! We are looking for our 8th T20I win in 2019 today at @edenparknz 👌🏽 A W will equal our record for the most in a single calendar year - eight wins in 2016 🏏 #StatChat @OptaJim #NZvENG #cricketnation pic.twitter.com/F37sW21Iga
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) November 9, 2019
Updated
So the latest is that there will be a toss at 2.10 NZ time ( 1.10am GMT) with play due to start, weather permitting, at 2.30pm ( 1.30am GMT).
Updated
My brother Sam has delivered a Whatsapp from Auckland on the family cricket chat. He’s sitting in the damp stands and has sent me a photo of the tie he was given outside the ground...
😂 my nephew being forced to pose in free tie being given out at Eden Park. pic.twitter.com/HHi2SuB7AV
— tanya aldred (@tjaldred) November 10, 2019
Updated
Ok, so Ian Ward has a jacket on but the rain seems to have stayed away. He, David Lloyd and Nasser chew the fat on Tom Banton, Matt Parkinson “he’s got the wood on New Zealand” and Dawid Malan. We see the ground - hmmm, nobody there yet. Ah, it’s been raining all morning apparently and the forecast is set squiffy. But do stick with me. Send me emails, go on.
Preamble
Good morning everyone, the sleepy-eyed and the bushy-tailed. We travel today to Auckland for the final IT20 of the series where, conveniently enough, a series-decider is waiting for us, the scoreline currently: England 2. New Zealand 2.
Only a week ago they were playing a rugby-league triple-header at Eden Park and England will be hoping for a better result than Great Britain managed - they do however have the buffer of a record-highest score in their victory at Napier to keep them jolly.
There are more short boundaries today at Eden Park, though this time in the diagonal over fine-leg. Dawid Malan, centurion in the last game, will be licking his lips - assuming he plays. Anyway, over to Eden Park to see if the weather gods are being kind.
Updated
