Ali Martin's day three report
And Australia are putting Pakistan to the sword …
Updated
A wonderful innings from BJ Watling - batting all day to take New Zealand from an unpromising yesterday to a happy today and a handy lead. Mike Atherton is talking:
“Watling’s a real scrapper, you can almost bank on him to produce in a scrappy situation. It was an excellent hundred on a pretty flat pitch. A vey odd day from England. The first half of the day, England had their chance: they didn’t bowl Archer at the start, and then to not bowl him with the second new ball after lunch was strange, and then for Ben Stokes to only bowl four overs before tea when you’re looking for something to happen - he’s one of those players who does that. I thought England looked a bit flat and lethargic.”
That’s a fair enough summary - England frayed round the edges, Joe Root didn’t ring the bowling changes like he did yesterday, while New Zealand through Watling, with support from De Grandhomme and Santner, battled towards a strong position. That’s it from me, thanks for all your emails and Santa stories, good night!
Stumps - New Zealand have a lead of 41
141st over: New Zealand 394-6 (Santner 31, Watling 119) Stokes bowls the last over of the day. He throws in a short ball that spits off the pitch and Santner struggles to defend with high hands. Then another, which Santner swats leg-side, nearly hitting his stumps with his flailing bat, but a harmless bouncer finishes off the evening’s play. Leach and Stokes shake hands with Watling and the batsmen walk happily off the field, pocketing a lead of 41.
140th over: New Zealand 393-6 (Santner 31, Watling 118) Broad hauls his tired old body in for one last over. The crowd lounge on the grassy banks. Santer and Watling prod. Denly fumbles in the field and can’t face looking at Broad. One over left.
139th over: New Zealand 390-6 (Santner 30, Watling 116) Dot, Dot, Dot, Dot, Dot Dot-that-just-falls-to-the-right-of-Ollie-Pope-under-the-helmet, from Stokes
138th over: New Zealand 390-6 (Santner 30, Watling 116) We’re all getting weary now. Joe Root risks life and limb by throwing the ball to Stuart Broad. Joe Denly then risks the hairdryer by letting the ball through his fingers at cover. Broad reacts with remarkable equanimity and cheers up furtherwhen he beats Watling with an absolute cracker that swings away.
137th over: New Zealand 388-6 (Santner 30, Watling 114) Santner shuffles here, Santer shuffles there, but manages to survive Archer’s over. Just, I think, the four overs to go in the day.
Updated
136th over: New Zealand 388-6 (Santner 30, Watling 114) Another Leach maiden, but, more importantly, good news on the Villa Park Santa.
Greetings from New York. While the parachuting Santa at Villa Park in over 113 that Rob Buckley saw did lose a leg, he did survive and married the RAF nurse that helped with his rehab and had they had children. Also he took part in rowing across the Atlantic, got his pilots license and got back into scuba diving so he has definitely lived a full life after that day!
Thanks Rory! That’s wonderful news.
Updated
135th over: New Zealand 388-6 (Santner 30, Watling 114) A smart delivery that from Archer, the knuckle ball according to commentary, but Watling lives to fight another over. He was, remember, dropped on 31.
REVIEW!
Watling is given out lbw to a ball from Archer that swings in towards his stumps. He immediately reviews and sure enough, got an inside edge. Review overturned.
134th over: New Zealand 386-6 (Santner 29, Watling 113) Leach wheels in again uncomplainingly. Santner forces three, and the overs tick on.
Phil writes: So is Jofra Archer still God’s gift to English/world cricket?
Ooh Phil, that’s harsh. He’s only in his first year of international cricket, he’s allowed the odd off game. The interesting thing will be, does he learn from it. I reckon he will.
133rd over: New Zealand 383-6 (Santner 26, Watling 113) Archer forces Santner into an awkward pancake style scythe short of gully, but then Watling back-foot punches him to the boundary for four. Archer’s gold chain has slipped on top of his collar, he puts his hand on his hips and sighs.
Eight overs left.
132nd over: New Zealand 378-6 (Santner 25, Watling 109) Something there for Leach to hold on to at last. He lands one in the footprints and it rips out, beats Satner, and Buttler too. Then Watling sends him scurrying away to the boundary.
131st over: New Zealand 371-6 (Santner 25, Watling 105) Archer mixes things up with a slower ball, but things just not working for him today. I think I’d retire him gently to pasture after this over.
130th over: New Zealand 370-6 (Santner 24, Watling 105) Watling plays out a Leach maiden as the barmy army stands and hits peak voice, sorry Mount Maunganui.
Another email from a light sleeper.
Hi Tanya, James here in wet, windy and cold Dublin. Winter is here in earnest.
Quick question. What are the chances we get a world cricket test league? Something run during the year involving all the test countries. 9 games per year. And also, should Root and Stokes bowl more, I always wonder why Stokes is not used sooner.
Hi James, hope you’ve got a hot water bottle keeping you company. I think they’ll give the World Test Championship a good go first - though of course these Tests don’t, confusingly, count towards it.
129th over: New Zealand 370-6 (Santner 24, Watling 105) Jofra’s just not got found his zing today. Another over passes harmlessly by. The Santner-Watling partnership reaches 54.
128th over: New Zealand 370-6 (Santner 24, Watling 105) Watling cover drives Leach with far more style than a man who has been at the crease for over 250 deliveries should be doing.
Tim writes from Lombok. Hi Tim!
Referencing Santa sporting calamities. Basin Reserve, Pakistan touring, late nineties, and at tea Santa comes out on the ground with a sack of lollies for the great Kiwi tradition of the lolly scramble. All’s well at the start, as a small number of kids start to follow him. And then the pack grows and Santa gets nervous. He quickens his stride as more kids join the pack and then starts to run, in full regalia, and trips over in his oversized gummies at which point the hyenas pounce and feast on his sack of lollies. One of the funniest things I’ve ever seen at a cricket ground.
Tim - can you find this on youtube anywhere? I need to see it!
127th over: New Zealand 366-6 (Santner 24, Watling 101) And so we have Archer, for what will probably be his final spell with 45 minutes left of play. He ambles in in his usual way, hitting about 81/82 mph. He varies the length a bit, mostly the shorter side of full, and that’s a maiden.
126th over: New Zealand 366-6 (Santner 24, Watling 101) Another Leach over that retains control, but doesn’t really threaten.
JEA Wallace adds some bah to our humbugs: Please tell Mike Strange that in this New Yorker’s opinion the numbers on the shirts are the work of the devil; as is music blaring between overs, sponsor’s names on the pitch, and anyone who plays a bloody trumpet at a cricket match...
I like the numbers but I’m with you with the trumpet - apart from the St George’s brass band at Port Elizabeth. That’s wonderful.
Updated
Watling makes his eighth Test hundred!
125th over: New Zealand 364-6 (Santner 23, Watling 100) Watling turns Curran through the covers for four, a couple of singles later and he’s done it! Well played, 251 balls of application with the odd stylish flouish on top. A game-changing innings for New Zealand. It’s the first century at this new Test ground, and his eighth in all. He pulls off his helmet, raises his bat and gets a hug from Santner, and a standing ovation from the crowd. And that’s drinks!
Updated
124h over: New Zealand 355-6 (Santner 20, Watling 94) Root ringing the changes, he steps back, Leach steps up. Just one from the over.
New Zealand take a first-innings lead
123rd over: New Zealand 354-6 (Santner 20, Watling 93) And so Sam Curran gets a chance to find the spark as Ben Stokes is retired after a typically full-on spell. In he skips, Watling nicely leg-glances him down to the boundary, then with another single New Zealand slide into a first-innings lead. Well batted Black Caps - much tenacity and skill.
122nd over: New Zealand 349-6 (Santner 20, Watling 88) Root whizzes through another over without incident. News from the dressing-room, Burns won’t field again today but will be fit to bat tomorrow.
121st over: New Zealand 344-6 (Santner 17, Watling 86) Ben Stokes has a really distinctive swing to his arms as he marches back to his mark, the arms cross the body rather than swinging from side to side. On the radio, Mark Ramprakash is wondering where the energy is coming from, in a team of introverts ( I paraphrase) other than Stokes.
Ian Forth has a bee in his bonnet about Ian Smith’s tea pronouncements.
Ian Smith, expert analyst, has concluded England’s problem is ‘not bowling straight’. You could forgive the proverbial man from Mars being confused. Perhaps that guy with the swingometer will announce at the end of the election that the losing party ‘failed to get enough votes’. After a century of books on Scott’s expedition to the South Pole, by the way, one book I read concluded he’d underestimated how cold it was going to be. The Antarctic, of all places!
Poor old Captain Scott, not to mention the rest of his team, what a way to go -freezing/starving to death because he’d underestimated the weather.
120th over: New Zealand 344-6 (Santner 17, Watling 86) Root brings himself on. Santer has a gander for a few balls, then crunches him back over his head for six. Time for a touch of Jofra?
119th over: New Zealand 337-6 (Santner 10, Watling 86) Stokes sends down five dot balls, but Watling launches into a shorter one and biffs the ball through backward point for four, despite a valiant dive by sub fielder (for Burns) Zak Crawley.
This from Australia!
Brilliant bowling by 16-year-old Naseem Shah to get his first Test wicket 🙌 #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/jlEo5aMicw
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 23, 2019
118th over: New Zealand 333-6 (Santner 10, Watling 82) A looser over from Leach. First Archer uncharacteristically lets a ball through his fingers at extra cover and the batsmen go through for two, then Santner, specs visible through his helmet grill, eyes up a shorter ball from his fellow glasses-wearer, goes onto the back foot and crashes him through the covers for four.
117th over: New Zealand 325-6 (Santner 3, Watling 81) Stokes tosses the ball from hand to hand and charges in, in that rather hobbling way he has. Short ball follows, short ball. And that’s a maiden.
Brian Withington is still awake! “In the spirit of full disclosure I did switch to the latest revealing episode of The Good Place before the tea interval. And from that I have learnt from the moral philosopher Chidi that ‘There is no “answer”’. And that the answer is Eleanor. Not sure if that helps Joe Root with the next session, but it’s given me the strength to cling on a little longer.
Eleanor? Hmmm, I’m trying desperately to think of an amusing cricketing reference, but the cogs aren’t turning smoothly at this ungodly hour.
116th over: New Zealand 325-6 (Santner 3, Watling 81) Santner gets some lighr relief by playing out a maiden from Leach.
115th over: New Zealand 325-6 (Santner 3, Watling 81) Santner is being tormented here by Stokes, ducking into and away from a variety of snorters, until he turns away, takes his eye off the ball and is crunched in the ribs. Ouch.
An email: My name is Mike Strange and I am following the match on the Guardian website. I live in Raleigh North Carolina. Just a small point. I noticed that the players have numbers on their shirts like footballers. I cannot understand what purpose these numbers can have. Can you enlighten me?
Hi Mike, the numbers are there to aid identification, mostly at the ground where from the long boundaries players can be hard to distinguish. The confusion is that the numbers don’t match the batting order (which would have been my rather dull preferred option), so you have to have a scorecard which tells you who is wearing which number. The players chose their own numbers, eg Joe Root - 66 (Root 66). Hope that helps.
114th over: New Zealand 323-6 (Santner 2, Watling 81) Tim Southee manspreads in the New Zealand dressing room as Leach floats up and pings in.
113th over: New Zealand 321-6 (Santner 1, Watling 80) Stokes is fired up and Santner is hit by a bouncer and dancing all over the place. He hasn’t settled in yet.
Rob Buckley writes with a horrifying tale:
Just wanted to say that I hope the Santa / helicopter event goes better than the Santa parachuting into Villa Park I witnessed a few (lot) of years back.
I think he got a blown off course by the wind and hit the roof of the Trinity Rd stand. Villa were 2-0 down at the time and there were hopes the game might be called off. It wasn’t. After a lengthy delay, the teams re-started and Villa eventually beat Arsenal 3-2.
I think the Santa parachutist survived, but with life-changing injuries. Terrible to see. Hopefully the helicopter’s been checked out before it takes off with Santa a-board.
Oh, that’s awful, that poor Santa. Much love to him from OBO towers. Must have been traumatising to watch too.
Updated
112th over: New Zealand 320-6 (Santner 1, Watling 79) Leach’s first ball beats batsman and wicketkeeper, spinning out of the rough and down for a couple of byes. Interesting. Santner immediately seems fazed and plays a couple of ugly swipes.
Updated
111th over: New Zealand 317-6 (Santner 1, Watling 79) That came from nowhere! De Grandhomme’s concentration obviously not quite switched on post-tea and a really super leaping one-handed grab from Sibley, who is well over six foot tall. The deficit is 35.
Updated
WICKET! de Grandhomme c Sibley b Stokes 65
Stokes’ very first ball after tea! A loosener from Stokes, which de Grandhomme sent flying to gully where Sibley took a diving catch to his right just a newspaper’s width from the ground.
The players potter on for the final session, and while we’re here a big shout out to my niece and nephew in Auckland who were off to the Sirens and Sounds festival in Auckland today, where Father Christmas was due to land in a helicopter whilst throwing lollies out of his coat pocket and my nephew was last year chased by a police dog. Perhaps Santa might deliver the England dressing-room something - gumption? - as an early Christmas present on his way home?
110th over: New Zealand 316-5 (De Grandhomme 65, Watling 79) Leach rolls out an over and that’s tea! Well played New Zealand - 92 runs in the session, they’re now just 37 behind England. Time for a regroup, a rubdown and a rethink. On the radio Ian Smith has penciled in England’s two errors: not bowling straight and split fields. The only England bowler to have taken an over today is Joe Root. I’m off to replenish my mug, see you back here in ten!
Updated
109th over: New Zealand 315-5 (De Grandhomme 64, Watling 79) Curran is cross with himself after losing his line, Watling sends him down to the fine-leg boundary and they plod on. And a gruesome update on Rory Burns - he is having his thumb glued back together but should be ok to bat.
108th over: New Zealand 311-5 (De Grandhomme 64, Watling 75) Well bowled Stuart Broad, he draws de Grandhomme into a play and miss - another maiden - can New Zealand resist having a pop in the ten minutes or so before tea?
Morning Tanya, writes Simon.
Morning Simon!
The lethargy and body language are awful.Is Joe too nice to be Captain ? Nasser, Vaughny...and even Cooky would be igniting some fires (or kicking bottoms) among their bowlers and fielders !
Did Cook kick ass? I can’t imagine it but perhaps you’re right. Root is a fairly un demonstrative man - I guess it depends if his nurturing streak makes up for it. It must be nearly impossible for a mild-mannered man to lose his shit at a group of pros in a convincing way. Anyway, you’re right, the body language says - blaghghg.
107th over: New Zealand 311-5 (De Grandhomme 64, Watling 75) Curran must be Root’s best chance of a breakthrough. His scamper and unpredictability seem to play on the mind of the batsmen, especially big guys like these two who must fancy smashing the wee chap out of the ground.
Archer has riled Brian Withington too. In reply to the dicing Danny Doyle’s delicious diatribe, at this point in proceedings I’d be thrilled if Archer could manage just the intimidation bit.
It’s not an ideal pitch for him admittedly, but he did look lost when the short ball didn’t work.
106th over: New Zealand 309-5 (De Grandhomme 66, Watling 73) A couple of runs, Broad isn’t at his speediest this afternoon. A sense of drift seems to have fallen on England’s fielders.
105th over: New Zealand 307-5 (De Grandhomme 63, Watling 72) Root shuffles the pack again, and pulls out the man with the golden arm, Sam Curran. He zips his very first ball across de Grandhomme who has a slightly wild go and sends the ball flying to Rory Burns at gully who can’t grab it with his right hand and actually cuts his hand with the force of the shot and walks off the field. Things just not dropping for England this afternoon.
104th over: New Zealand 304-5 (De Grandhomme 62, Watling 70) Watling moves into the lead in his cat and mouse battling battle with de Grandhomme. Broad drifts into a wide half volley and Watling twists the face and sends the ball skimming across the grass. He also knocks Dom Sibley at cover off his feet with the force of a cut.
Updated
103rd over: New Zealand 300-5 (De Grandhomme 62, Watling 66) Something between a ripple and a roar of applause loops round the ground as Watling sends Leach to the fine leg boundary to knock up the 100 partnership between these two and then goes through for a single to bring up the 300.
Danny Doyle dices with OBO opprobrium:
At the risk of being hounded out of the OBO, is Archer in danger of becoming a show pony? Seems his primary goal is to intimidate, what focus os there on hitting top of off? Or getting the batsmen play and miss?
Updated
102nd over: New Zealand 294-5 (De Grandhomme 61, Watling 61) And Archer does get his rest as Root turns to his old pro, Stuart Broad. On the telly they note that the wind has changed, and Broad is now bowling into it - nevertheless he immediately gives Root the control he wanted. A maiden.
England sitting in tight here. Bowling dry and waiting for rising sea levels, diminishing air quality and the inevitable decline of mankind to work their magic.
— George Dobell (@GeorgeDobell1) November 22, 2019
101st over: New Zealand 294-5 (De Grandhomme 61, Watling 61) Leach offers up a full toss which Watling sweeps on one knee. Another three runs trickle by and I’m starting to regret how long I left my teabag to stew.
An email! You know who from.
“This is so grim from an England perspective that I’m seriously thinking of switching to the latest episode of The Good Place, writes Brian Withington. “ Quite appropriate really - [spoiler alert] you think you’re in heaven and it turns out to be hell after all.”
100th over: New Zealand 290-5 (De Grandhomme 59, Watling 59) Archer again, but he looks weary. His first ball is wide and Watling clips him through cover for four. He gets one to rear up and surprise Watling later in the over. And that’s the hundredth over bowled.
99th over: New Zealand 286-5 (De Grandhomme 59, Watling 55) Joe Root jogs onto the pitch at the start of the over, he must have taken a tactical toilet break. We are shown an amusing side-on shot of him chatting to Chris Silverwood, who has broadened from runner bean to potato in recent years. A couple off Leach’s over.
98th over: New Zealand 284-5 (De Grandhomme 57, Watling 53) Good morning/afternoon/witching hour! Well, New Zealand are doing rather well here, I must admit to be expecting to potter downstairs to take over from Niall and find England’s openers out in the middle again. Anyway, Archer has the ball and he doesn’t look the happiest. He pings a few short ones and de Grandhomme plays a great little periscope glide down to the third man boundary.
97th over: New Zealand 281-5 (De Grandhomme 56, Watling 53) Somewhat inevitably, De Grandhomme overtakes his partner despite facing less than half the number of balls. He does so by crashing a short Leach ball through point. That’s drinks, and time for me to hand over to Tanya Aldred, who will see through to stumps.
96th over: New Zealand 276-5 (Watling 53, De Grandhomme 51) REVIEW! Archer finally finds a delivery that zips across Watling and clatters his pads - but did it cut back too far? Root waits, and waits, and then reviews. It’s heading between middle and leg, but a fraction too high! England lose their second review of the day.
Colin De Grandhomme gets his half-century!
The crowd think he’s done it first-ball, but it goes down as five (!) wides from Archer. No matter, he pulls a short one away, and that’s an excellent half-century.
95th over: New Zealand 268-5 (Watling 53, De Grandhomme 49) Stokes cuts off an attempted sweep from Watling, but New Zealand still run two off Leach, who really doesn’t look like making the breakthrough.
Updated
94th over: New Zealand 265-5 (Watling 51, De Grandhomme 48) It’s all very quiet in the England ranks. Hands on hips, eyes on the ground. A hefty CdG sweep earns a single. The Bay Oval is practically silent, save for the thud, thud, thud of Archer’s deliveries, which are actually starting to pick up speed. It’s a strange atmosphere.
Updated
93rd over: New Zealand 264-5 (Watling 51, De Grandhomme 47) This is intriguingly poised; you can’t really argue that England have any kind of edge any more, but a couple of quick wickets would change that. No luck for Leach here, a couple of singles as the ball refuses to turn.
There has been plenty of clamour for Archer to be used more today, but maybe Root knows something we don’t. He doesn’t look quite right, and that was a morale-sapping over. Jack Leach will take up the fight from the other end. Quite the contrast in styles.
Updated
92nd over: New Zealand 262-5 (Watling 50, De Grandhomme 46) It’s Jofra time, with England’s lead about to slip to less than a hundred. Can he conjure something from a pitch that’s refusing to come to life? Not really. CdG fends him off, then steers a bouncer effortlessly for six! Archer isn’t happy, and rejigs his field - only for De Grandhomme to drive his next four four.
91st over: New Zealand 252-5 (Watling 50, De Grandhomme 37) Another sweetly timed drive, this time off Broad. He can grind it out with the best of them, but he’s doing well as the aggressor alongside Watling, who got a little bogged down next to Nicholls.
90th over: New Zealand 245-5 (Watling 50, De Grandhomme 30) Curran continues in search of De Grandhomme’s inside edge, but it’s not quite happening. Jack Leach and Mitch Santner signing bats beyond the outfield. This session hasn’t caught fire yet.
Updated
BJ Watling gets his half-century!
A tuck into the on-side, gets the job done. Fine work from the 34-year-old, not always pretty and not quick, but exactly what New Zealand needed.
89th over: New Zealand 243-5 (Watling 49, De Grandhomme 29) CdG is certainly being more expansive than Watling - and he’s lucky that a wild top-edge drops a few feet short of the fielder. Watling on strike, and he waits patiently before snaffling a single. That half-century inching ever closer, like a glacier.
88th over: New Zealand 240-5 (Watling 48, De Grandhomme 28) Curran learns from his last over and keeps his lines tight against CdG - then finds that inside edge again! It’s a fine line - that’s an inch from being driven through the covers, and an inch from crashing into the stumps.
87th over: New Zealand 240-5 (Watling 48, De Grandhomme 27) There’s some movement for Broad, a snorter that shapes away and has Watling swinging at thin air! CdG with another punchy late drive, a little square, and it’s retrieved at the boundary.
86th over: New Zealand 236-5 (Watling 47, De Grandhomme 24) Another Curran ball cuts back in, but Watling leans back and nudges it away. He’s creeping towards a very hard-earned 50. In search of swing, Curran goes full, and De Grandhomme crunches an excellent cover drive. Next ball, same result, and England’s frustration deepens.
85th over: New Zealand 227-5 (Watling 46, De Grandhomme 16) It’s Stuart Broad from the other end, rather than Archer. He’s 0-21 from 15 runs, but can he find a wicket? He tempts Watling into an edgy single, while CdG, feet firmly planted, isn’t interested. Broad’s pace creeping up, and one from the over.
84th over: New Zealand 226-5 (Watling 45, De Grandhomme 16) England take the new ball! And it’s Sam Curran who will kick off the afternoon, as he did this morning. He gets movement straight away, CdG edging into his pads. He repeats the trick, de Grandhomme looking a little twitchy.
Updated
We're back
The players will be heading out any minute now. Potentially a big old session coming up ...
Updated
Sky are showing an excellent interview with Mark Wood, reliving the Cricket World Cup final. He says he was so nervous, he put on far too much kit, then sprinted to the middle in an effort to warm up. There are some nice insights from inside the home dressing room - Jason Roy throwing trail mix, Jos Buttler punching the wall in frustration.
On the winning moment: “When we won, running on the field ... it’s like when you’re a kid, at the top of a hill, and you just run, faster than your legs can go.” It’s well worth a watch.
“Spotted a classic bi-plane flyover just now - that rascal Lord Gower cocking an aristocratic snook at the low energy Sky coverage? Proper (turgid) test cricket,” Brian Withington wrote, just before those two overs. “What do I know?” he added, but I’d say the original email stands.
Updated
That session belonged to the purists, and to New Zealand, who have chipped 75 runs off their deficit for the loss of just one wicket. They’ve been helped by England’s lethargy in the field, and some curious tactics as Joe Root pondered whether to stick or twist. But with the new ball surely coming after lunch, it should liven up. More soon.
Don’t forget to join Geoff Lemon for live coverage of Australia v Pakistan:
New Zealand 224-5 at lunch, trailing by 129 runs
83rd over: New Zealand 224-5 (Watling 45, De Grandhomme 14) Forgive my ignorance, but what was the point of racing through overs to get the new ball before lunch, and then not using it? Watling sweeps a couple more off Root, and that’s lunch.
Updated
82nd over: New Zealand 222-5 (Watling 43, De Grandhomme 14) Ten minutes until lunch, and Leach continues, finding no spin and causing no concern for the men at the crease. Watling is edging towards 50, in a quickfire 130 balls.
81st over: New Zealand 221-5 (Watling 42, De Grandhomme 14) Root will carry on, and the new ball goes into the umpire’s pocket, where it’ll stay until the afternoon, I’ll wager. His first delivery catches De Grandhomme napping, but the rest are handled with minimal fuss.
Updated
80th over: New Zealand 219-5 (Watling 41, De Grandhomme 13) Leach with a maiden that won’t trouble the highlight reel. Broad is back on the field - and here comes the new ball, with lunch a few minutes away!
79th over: New Zealand 219-5 (Watling 41, De Grandhomme 13) Penultimate over before the new ball, which Root whips through in under two minutes. His haste costs him on the final delivery, which strays wide and is punished by CdG. Broad is off the field, with Zak Crawley on as a sub fielder. Not entirely sure why.
78th over: New Zealand 213-5 (Watling 40, De Grandhomme 8) De Grandhomme will wait all day for the kind of short, wide gift Leach dishes out mid-over here. He cuts it away dismissively for four,
77th over: New Zealand 208-5 (Watling 40, De Grandhomme 3) A maiden from Root, with Watling defending smartly. He may have only added 30 runs all morning, but it could prove a crucial knock.
76th over: New Zealand 208-5 (Watling 40, De Grandhomme 3) Five overs until the new ball. Might we see it before lunch? New Zealand milk six runs from this Leach over, as thoughts in the crowd turn to refreshments.
75th over: New Zealand 202-5 (Watling 38, De Grandhomme 1) Colin de Grandhomme thinks we’ve seen enough excitement, thanks very much, and waits 14 balls to clock up his first run, off a Root delivery he digs out from under his pads.
74th over: New Zealand 202-5 (Watling 37, De Grandhomme 0) Leach continues at a cost of only one run, the wily Watling pouncing on a shorter one.
73rd over: New Zealand 201-5 (Watling 36, De Grandhomme 0) A maiden from Root, England zipping through the overs in order to get the new ball in play ASAP after lunch.
72nd over: New Zealand 201-5 (Watling 36, De Grandhomme 0) A tidy over from Leach, spoiled by a drifting delivery that Watling sweeps to the rope. Safe to say things are livening up a little.
Updated
71st over: New Zealand 197-5 (Watling 32, De Grandhomme 0) It’s the Big Man to the crease next, and he sees out the over. More happened in those last two overs than in the rest of the session combined.
Updated
WICKET! Nicholls lbw Root 41
Captaincy 101 here from Root, doing the job himself just as the terrors were starting to spread through the England field. A sliding, straight ball finds that inside edge, and this time Nicholls walks!
Dropped catch! Joe Root has seen enough, and will have a bowl himself. Watling edges second ball to Stokes at slip - and he drops an absolute dolly! But his blushes may be spared ...
Updated
70th over: New Zealand 192-4 (Nicholls 41, Watling 27) Leach looks to have made the breakthrough, beating Nicholls’ inside edge - and the finger goes up! Nicholls reviews - this will be close - it’s just outside the line of off-stump. What a review that is! England denied.
A run-out chance follows immediately after, but Archer misfields and Nicholls scurries back. If Leach was unlucky, that was a little careless.
69th over: New Zealand 186-4 (Nicholls 36, Watling 26) Watling getting some joy from Stokes, clattering a wider ball through the covers for four. England are sinking into the mire, so who else to call on but Jack Leach ...
Updated
68th over: New Zealand 181-4 (Nicholls 36, Watling 22) Archer with a bouncer that loops roughly one mile over Watling’s head, and way beyond Buttler too. Another four byes, followed by a no ball. England are making this easy; Nicholls and Watling aren’t having to do much to keep the scoreboard moving.
67th over: New Zealand 176-4 (Nicholls 36, Watling 22) Stokes to resume, and he serves up an overstep and a no-ball. Fifteen extras in this innings, and 13 of them byes. Nicholls, who I should mention came through concussion protocols last night, finds the gap and punches through the offside for four. New Zealand are halfway to England’s total ...
Updated
66th over: New Zealand 170-4 (Nicholls 32, Watling 21) Sky are chatting about Free Solo, the white-knuckle documentary on mountain climbing. But is it more exciting than this? You decide. Archer can’t tempt Nicholls here. The batsman has looked really composed, considering the absolute wallop he took late yesterday. A maiden, and drinks.
Updated
“Reasons to like watching cricket in NZ? They’re playing Ladyhawke at the ground!” cheers Kevin Wilson. I’ve also heard the Doobie Brothers and - not so good - Ed Sheeran. This pitch is a bit of a Sheeran, so far today at least.
Updated
65th over: New Zealand 170-4 (Nicholls 32, Watling 21) Will these two start opening up a little, with the bowlers toiling? Nicholls does have a nibble at a short, wide offering from Stokes, but that’s about it.
64th over: New Zealand 169-4 (Nicholls 31, Watling 21) Archer changes tack, with the bouncers not really working (see below). This over is fuller, angled in, but a slower ball slips beyond Buttler and trundles away for four byes. That sums it up for England; all a little lethargic.
Archer continues to pepper New Zealand with short stuff – 56% of his deliveries have been shorter than 8m from the stumps, but the Black Caps are playing him, managing to leave 38% of his short balls and not edging any of them. #NZvEng pic.twitter.com/x4qVpSmGQJ
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) November 22, 2019
63rd over: New Zealand 162-4 (Nicholls 30, Watling 19) Ben Stokes comes in for Broad, with England in need of a little inspiration. He does at least offer a little more sauce, mixing up length and speed, but it’s seen off for another maiden.
Broad ends his first spell this morning with 5-4-1-0.
— David Charlesworth (@charlie_4444) November 22, 2019
Follows Root's instruction of 'bowling dry' to a tee.
But never came close to making a breakthrough#NZvENG
62nd over: New Zealand 162-4 (Nicholls 30, Watling 19) ‘Maiden Without Menace’ sounds like a decent Judas Priest album. Anyway, Archer to Watling, the bowler hitting 86mph but leaking a boundary, as a defensive shot squirms away behind the wicket.
An appeal, as a fuller one clips Nicholls’ pads, but there seemed to be an edge. Root reviews. That looks hopeful. Third umpire Paul Wilson initially throws it out quicksmart, then takes a little more time to make sure. Bottom line, it hit the bat, he’s not out, and England have one review left.
61st over: New Zealand 157-4 (Nicholls 30, Watling 14) Was keeping Archer under wraps for the first half-hour a mistake? It feels like we’ve slipped into an attritional funk very early on here. Another maiden largely without menace from Broad.
60th over: New Zealand 157-4 (Nicholls 30, Watling 14) Archer comes in, which is interesting. Looks like Root may have abandoned the waiting game. The short, nasty stuff is promptly delivered, although not quite fast or tricky enough to trouble Watling, who profits from a Sibley misfield.
“England’s reserve plan must be to take two or three wickets in this session, then be batting again by tea,” reckons John Starbuck. “The rest can be left to happenstance, but they do need to take this match, for self-respect as well as kudos. If they fail? = changes.”
59th over: New Zealand 155-4 (Nicholls 30, Watling 12) Broad continues, but isn’t getting much joy from this pitch, which is looking a little flat so far. Sky’s JofraCam shows our man going through some stretches. Last time, he was yawning, so that’s an improvement.
58th over: New Zealand 155-4 (Nicholls 30, Watling 12) Curran the Kane Slayer drifts off line, and Watling flicks one artfully off his pads. Nicholls follows suit and they run two. Looking settled now, although Watling prods at an outswinger as Curran mixes things up.
57th over: New Zealand 151-4 (Nicholls 27, Watling 11) From the commentary box, a list of things that are good about being in New Zealand on a Saturday morning. Sunshine, sea breeze, laid-back vibes. Thanks, we get the picture. Watling breaks the barren run with a scrappy cut that yields one run.
56th over: New Zealand 150-4 (Nicholls 27, Watling 10) The next three in the pavilion: Santner, De Grandhomme, Southee. Plenty of beef in the middle order for England to gnaw through. Curran fires in a bouncer, but Nicholls is unfazed. Three maidens on the bounce ...
55th over: New Zealand 150-4 (Nicholls 27, Watling 10) Not to say this is lacking intensity, but Ian Smith has been waxing lyrical about the speed of the Bay Oval bag-checking process. Broad at least gives Watling something to think about, finding a better line that angles in sharply. Another maiden, although there are maidens and maidens, and this was the former.
54th over: New Zealand 150-4 (Nicholls 27, Watling 10) Curran with a full, sliding ball that clips Nicholls on the pads. It’s sliding down, and only Buttler offers any kind of appeal. Curran, the breeze at his back, is bowling 20kph quicker than Broad as Archer waits in the wings. Maiden.
53rd over: New Zealand 150-4 (Nicholls 27, Watling 10) Bumble correctly predicts that it’s Broad, rather than Archer, to be handed the cherry next. Coming round the wicket to Nicholls, he strays down leg for a bye. 150 up for the hosts, and offers nothing to tempt Watling outside his off stump.
52nd over: New Zealand 149-4 (Nicholls 27, Watling 10) Curran kicks things off, with the Barmy Army offering a sleepy chorus of Jerusalem from one of the grass banks. BJ Watling flicks off his pads, past square-leg for a settling four.
Here we go!
The teams are out right on cue at a sun-kissed Bay Oval.
Tim Southee speaks! “We’ve got a couple of guys at the crease who know how to scrap. We knew this pitch would get tougher to bat on as the Test went on. It’s a big day for us.”
From 7,000 miles to 700 yards (I’m guessing), here’s Graeme Simpson:
“Kia ora from just over the hill, inland from the Mount. I’d go over but am stuck with domestic duties. In spite of the outcome at the World Cup (and the deja vu ending of the T20 series), there seems to be genuine mutual respect between these two squads. Bring on day three!”
“Following the progress of this game from a very wet Medellin,” writes the intrepid Will West. “Still Friday afternoon here, so just caught up with yesterday’s match report, followed by a scroll through the OBO. Great to see plucky Sam Curran among the wickets, and a particular treat to see Kim Thonger’s famous hound Dakkers! A real ambassador for the game. More of both today please...”
Medellin is 7,474 miles from Tauranga, and 5,253 miles from London. Will, you may be our most far-flung reader. Welcome!
Updated
“The first new ball is really crucial,” says Sam Curran. “We need to get rid of Nicholls and De Grandhomme. If it doesn’t swing, I can come around the wicket, try to trap them in the crease.” He’s also talking up his hopes of cementing a Test place.
I remember visiting the Oval for the last day of the county season in 2015, seeing the Currans in action, and thinking they would surely both play for England soon enough. That one rattles around all alone in my “accurate sporting predictions” file.
Peter Gibbs writes: “I had noted the welcome relief, like that of a collective settling into one’s favourite armchair, that poured out on OBO as things got underway two nights ago.
“You were back, transporting us away from this misery to another hemisphere, to a time where matches were measured in days, openers were compared to Gower immediately before departing via outside off. and England collapses were of metronomic persistence.
“But now with Willamson in the shed I have this “no idea what is going to happen” uneasy feeling - like there’s a glitch in the matrix. Most unsettling.”
ICYMI, here’s Ali Martin’s wrap of the day two action:
Preamble
Hello and welcome, wherever you are. England have the edge here after two days of play, with Kane Williamson gone for 51 and New Zealand resuming on 144-4, still some 200 runs behind. All that remains is for the tourists to tidy up the tail, then glide into an imperious lead before sunset.
Of course, this being The England Cricket Team, nothing could ever be so straightforward. The pendulum has already swung plenty in an evenly-matched affair. A textbook batting collapse surrendered England’s advantage on day two, only for Sam Curran to snatch it back with that precious Williamson wicket.
The year’s great sporting rivalry is sure to throw up some more twists and turns yet, and it could easily be the hosts who end up on top at the end of another absorbing day. Whatever happens in this bucolic corner of the planet, which feels like a parallel universe to this Greater London-based nighttime OBOer, it should be a pleasure to watch.
Play starts at 11am local, 10pm GMT.
