Match report and analysis
It’s been a very decent day for England, with both Burns and Root completing centuries. But at the end of day three they remain 106 runs behind and victory for either side, and particularly for England, seems unlikely - especially if the rain forecast for Tuesday does indeed fall. If England intend to force a result they will have to score fast and free in the morning, and for their part New Zealand must take early wickets. Another session of England meandering along at two runs an over in largely untroubled style and the die will probably be cast. So, the next session could prove decisive; Daniel Harris and Rob Smyth will be here to take you through day four. Bye!
Rory Burns has a chat about his dismissal:
I thought I was just about there. It was one of those things. I thought I had enough in the tank and then it turned out that I didn’t quite. That’s disappointing, to miss out in that way. It might have been a really good one.
STUMPS: England 269-5
The rain is light, but even if they start removing the covers immediately they’re not going to get out in time to do any more actual cricket so play has officially been abandoned for the day.
99.4 overs: Rain stops play
They make it two-third of the way through Henry’s over before the players are called off, and the covers are brought on.
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99th over: England 267-5 (Root 114, Pope 2) A maiden from Wagner. Meanwhile in London, about 10 minutes ago something went boom and shook my windows. On Twitter people from Essex to Hertfordshire and all corners of London are reporting the same. What does that? I fear this may be the end of the world. Anyway, cricket. The groundstaff are poised with the covers, which isn’t a good sign.
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98th over: England 267-5 (Root 114, Pope 2) The players take drinks, and Ian Forth emails about avocados. “The semiotics of avocados continues to evolve: a symbol of millennial decadence in Australia, and now a metaphor for competitiveness in cricket,” he writes. “My supermarket shop briefing from my wife is disproportionately focused on avocado purchase strategies: a spectrum from dark to light enabling a rollout of ripeness throughout the week. I don’t remember seeing an avocado growing up in the West Midlands, but now here in Melbourne they’re everywhere. Plus, why are they smashed, when potatoes are mashed? And why avocad-os, but potat-oes? Finally, fruit or vegetable?” I can vaguely remember the era when the British knew them as avocado pears, and they were certainly fruity then.
97th over: England 266-5 (Root 113, Pope 2) England do insist on their risky running. Root this time hits to Williamson and sets off for a single. The Kiwi captain dives, collects and dispatches the ball in one movement, which is brilliantly athletic but makes taking reliable aim nigh on impossible, and he misses the stumps by a couple of feet.
96th over: England 265-5 (Root 112, Pope 2) A single off Southee.
95th over: England 264-5 (Root 111, Pope 2) Wagner welcomes Pope with another delivery that stays horribly low, and maybe this pitch does have a bit of devilry in it! As England made their way to tea in fairly serene style it started to look like a draw was by some margin the most likely outcome of this match, and statistically it still is, but maybe there’s victory here for someone after all.
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WICKET! Crawley c Watling b Wagner 1!
And that scampered single is the only run he’s going to get today! He nibbles a thin edge through to the keeper, and he’s on his way!
94th over: England 261-4 (Root 110, Crawley 1) Crawley gets off the mark with the sharpest of singles to mid-off. Williamson hoovers it up and slings it straight at the stumps, and poor Crawley has to dive to make his ground, which he just about does. In contrast to the Burns run-out, which nobody in the New Zealand team seemed to think actually was out, this time they all run around celebrating, and it isn’t.
93rd over: England 258-4 (Root 108, Crawley 0) Wagner bowls across Root, who helps a ball already heading wide to go a little wider, and gets four for his pains. That takes him to 99; the next ball is bottom-edged into the turf, bounces over the keeper and runs away. England’s captain takes the luck, punches the air, and hunkers down in search of more. A couple of balls later he sends one bouncing past backward point for a third boundary of the over.
92nd over: England 245-4 (Root 95, Crawley 0) Stokes had looked in excellent nick, but suddenly his innings is done, and Zak Crawley is in to face his first ball in Test cricket. He negotiates it safely enough.
WICKET! Stokes c Taylor b Southee 26 (England 245-4)
Stokes edges to first slip, where Ross Taylor takes an excellent low catch!
91st over: England 245-3 (Root 95, Stokes 26) Ooooof! Wagner’s delivery bounces low, goes well under Stokes’s bat and misses leg stump by a couple of inches at most. Root has scored one Test century this year; he has scored two or more every year since 2012, when he played only one match.
90th over: England 244-3 (Root 95, Stokes 25) Southee has a go with the new new ball. and Root takes another stride towards a ton, working the ball to the third man boundary.
89th over: England 239-3 (Root 91, Stokes 24) The new ball is swapped for a different new ball, the old new ball having already lost its shape. “We’ve got six rock-hard avocados on our kitchen table,” sniffs Mike Atherton. “I reckon they’d be more interesting to bowl with than a Kookaburra ball.” He then launches into a impassioned tirade about the disappointing quality of Kiwi avocados, and their inability ever to ripen. Root, who unlike a New Zealand avocado does seem to be approaching peak condition, moves into the 90s with a splendid cover drive.
88th over: England 235-3 (Root 87, Stokes 24) Henry bowls, and Stokes leans back to blatter the ball wide of mid-off for four. Stokes is looking pretty good, and has scored 60% of his runs through boundaries (pretty much the same as Burns; Root’s hovering at about 40%).
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87th over: England 231-3 (Root 87, Stokes 20) Wagner’s back, and he asks a few new questions. His first ball is a decent yorker, which Root jabs his bat down into. Then one straightens nicely, and Root again just about gets his bat in the way. The bowler then calls on the groundsman, who smacks the turf where Wagner’s foot has been landing with a large metal hammer for a while, before Wagner grabs the hammer himself and has a bash. That’ll sort it. Maiden.
86th over: England 231-3 (Root 87, Stokes 20) At 239, this is now Joe Root’s fifth-longest Test innings in terms of balls faced. The four still above it were all played at home, and only one of them in the last five years: at No1, the 406-ball 254 against Pakistan at Old Trafford in 2016. This, then, is his longest innings as captain.
85th over: England 230-3 (Root 86, Stokes 20) Great economy of effort from Stokes, who goes down on onee knee to push the ball wide of cover for four, just immaculate timing, and then slashes at the last, which flashes over backward point and away to the rope again.
84th over: England 222-3 (Root 86, Stokes 12) Henry’s got his head in his hands here, after Root bottom-edges an attempted cut down into his pads, and thence to safely. Could have gone anywhere, that. Another maiden.
83rd over: England 222-3 (Root 86, Stokes 12) A single for Root from the first ball of Southee’s over, and no hint of a scoring stroke from Stokes thereafter.
82nd over: England 221-3 (Root 85, Stokes 12) Since the Burns run-out, when the glaring sunshine caused all sorts of problems for Bruce Oxenford, the TV umpire, a thick blanket of grey cloud has settled in. Some rain is expected, though not until the evening. This is good news for New Zealand, though Matt Henry isn’t able to maximise it here (and also for Oxenford, obviously).
The players are back out and ready for more. This is a key session in this match now: New Zealand have taken the new ball, and if a few wickets follow they can power on towards victory. If England see off the new ball, then they can look to put together a morale-boosting total. England had five 400+ scores in 2017, but there has been just one since (and four two-digit totals) and they could really do with putting something properly decent together.
TEA: England 218-3
81st over: England 218-3 (Root 84, Stokes 10) Southee takes the fresh cherry, and immediately has it moving about in a slightly concerning manner. Stokes, though, is not overly concerned, and safely makes it through to tea. A good session for England, even though it contained an entirely unnecessary self-inflicted wound in the shape of Burns’ dismissal.
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80th over: England 215-3 (Root 84, Stokes 8) The one big surprise about Burns’ dismissal, other than the fact that he was dismissed obviously, and the image that has stuck with me, was the state of his hair when he took his helmet off. That man was seriously perspiring. I’ve never worn a cricket helmet, so I don’t know exactly what it’s like in there, and generally am not one for headgear (though I have worn a full bear suit, which is among my sweatiest experiences), but I’ve seen lots of cricketers take their helmets off and that seemed unusual.
One more over before tea, and it’ll be bowled with a new ball.
79th over: England 215-3 (Root 84, Stokes 7) Root hits a lovely cover drive, its only fault being that it goes straight to the fielder at cover. Another Mitchell maiden.
78th over: England 215-3 (Root 84, Stokes 7) Stokes gets his first boundary, pushing Wagner’s delivery with no great power back past the bowler, from where it trundles merrily down the ground.
77th over: England 209-3 (Root 84, Stokes 1) A Mitchell maiden, his third of nine overs bowled . (actually it was 11. My bad)
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76th over: England 209-3 (Root 84, Stokes 1) Wagner’s over starts with a Root boundary, and then a single which ends with the bails flying again, more visibly this time, but with the batsman narrowly but clearly home.
75th over: England 204-3 (Root 79, Stokes 1) A change of bails! Within minutes of that overly difficult run-out decision some replacement woodwork is brought out, these a natural shade of wood and thus easily distinguished from nearby white stuff.
74th over: England 203-3 (Root 79, Stokes 1) And there it is! A little nudge off the pads and Burns trots to the other end and completes his second Test century. And then England contrive to give his wicket away! Burns knocks the ball to midwicket and trots off for a gentle single, but at some point and for no obvious reason they decide to run a second, and by the barest of margins they fail to make it. That is some pretty deeply rubbish decision-making right there.
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WICKET! Burns run out for 101!
That is very close! Though New Zealand don’t exactly celebrate when it happens, it looks like the stumps are broken just before Burns’ bat crosses the line. But what of the bails? The problem is that they’re white, and so are Watling’s gloves, and the rest of his clothes, and the sun’s shining, and it’s just impossible to see on the replays. The TV umpire sounds, well, stumped. But eventually he gets the angle he needs, and he confirms that Burns has gone!
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73rd over: England 198-2 (Burns 99, Root 76) Mitchell bowls wide and a little short at Burns, who slashes it away past point for four. A single off the last takes him to 99, and the very verge of a ton.
72nd over: England 192-2 (Burns 94, Root 75) And then Root takes a single off Wagner. Look, I’d have loved to be a bit more fulsome in my description of these first few overs post-takeover, but I’ve been changing the furniture and adding my own email address and stuff, and my computer is behaving as if it too feels it ought to be unconscious at the moment. Anyway, that’s in the past now. Let’s move on.
71st over: England 191-2 (Burns 94, Root 74) Daryl Mitchell returns with a maiden.
Only three times since he became England's Test captain in 2017 has Joe Root faced more balls in an innings than he has done today (74* off 198). The most was the 234 he faced in his first innings in charge vs South Africa.
— Nick Friend (@NickFriend1) December 1, 2019
70th over: England 191-2 (Burns 94, Root 74) Good evening/morning/whatever everyone. Thanks Tanya. Insight, lol. As they took drinks Root had faced 191 deliveries and Burns 190; the longest innings of the match so far had been BJ Watling’s 192-ball 55. They’ve both overtaken him now, so that’s, well, something. A single for Burns from Wagner’s over, though he has a bit of a slash at one and is lucky to get nothing on it.
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69th over: England 190--2 (Burns 93, Root 74) Root sweeps, nicely, for four and then scampers over to the off side to duvet the spin. Then throws the bat, slightly alarmingly?!, at a wide one. And that’s me done, with Simon Burnton waiting in the wings full of insight and more to guide Burns and Root to their centuries. Thanks for all your emails, jokes and tweets, it’s been fun.
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68th over: England 186--2 (Burns 93, Root 70) They pause for drinks with Root losing a demi-semi life with an edge through where first slip might have been examining his nails, if only England had lost a few more wickets.
67th over: England 181--2 (Burns 93, Root 66) At last! Some succour for Santner. He gets one to rip out of the rough - it flies down for four leg byes but smelt of promise. And that’s the follow-on ticked off the to-do list.
Dan Taylor wants to quote “the great Carlton Kirby’s tweet from yesterday.”
Go for it.
So how come you sell Bakewell Fingers and Frangipane Crumble Slices for £1.50 a box of 6, but then charge £5.20 for a slightly lemony sponge?
Mr Kipling: “That’s Madeira Cake!”
66th over: England 176--2 (Burns 93, Root 64) Burns pulls out his pull shot once again - this might be the pick of his days - clunks Henry to the fence and enters the nineties. I’ll eat my slippers if he gets out before three figures.
65th over: England 168--2 (Burns 87, Root 63) Four singles off a Santner not-so-special.
Rich writes:
Loving the commentary! I too am at the game and was very curious to hear of these elaborate pies. If you could explore the provenance of these kiwi delicacies further, I’d be very grateful.
Listen Rich, if you can identify this pair, they might, or might not, be eating an elaborate pie. Or, they have found alternative sustenance.
@tjaldred TJ! TJ! Give us a wave! pic.twitter.com/Dm6Tvq8SJr
— Winston Aldworth (@WinstonAldworth) December 1, 2019
64th over: England 168--2 (Burns 87, Root 63) Matt Henry continues with the short and wide fishing tactics. It doesn’t work but it nearly brings a run-out as Burns takes a risky single to mid-on. Unfortunately for New Zealand Henry lumbers in front of the stumps and tries a cackhanded interception of the throw, making a complete dog’s breakfast of it. Tom Latham, waiting in perfect position behind the stumps, has his head in his hands. That was a ballsed-up chance.
63rd over: England 164--2 (Burns 85, Root 60) Oh, now, that was just gorge-ous from Joe Root. He strokes the ball through cover with such style and gentleness. Shot of the day!
62nd over: England 156--2 (Burns 85, Root 55) Ok, so Williamson thinks that Henry’s worth a punt. Why not? I think we’v reached the stage o f the game where NZ are waiting for England to make a mistake. Just a dab of a single from the over.
61st over: England 156--2 (Burns 85, Root 55) Just one from Santner’s over, Root gets down on his knee to sweep the ball down for a single.And I got a bit lost there in a post-midnight yawn.
60th over: England 156--2 (Burns 85, Root 55) Another top-class pull shot from Rory Burns. He swivels with panache and bingos the ball past square leg for four. Southee sighs.
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59th over: England 152--2 (Burns 81, Root 55) Santner turns again, tries flighting a little more, tries cranking it a little faster. To no avail Just one from the over. This is finger-tapping cricket. Can New Zealand restrict England enough that they get frustrated? Root passes his highest scores in a Test match in New Zealand.
Humphrey Hollins, an ex Kiwi, writes from Cairns:
Two men in a nudist camp lying on loungers.
“Have you read Marx?” said one. His companion replied, “Yes, it’s the wicker.”
58th over: England 150--2 (Burns 80, Root 54) Southee bowls wide of the crease, tries to tempt Burns, who resists. Southee, Southee, catchee monkee.
57th over: England 149--2 (Burns 80, Root 53) Three clomped off Santner’s over, who hasn’t threatened that much today. Who is going to be Williamson’s secret weapon? I imagine he’s missing de Grandhomme.
56th over: England 147--2 (Burns 80, Root 51) Southee has a very even approach to the wicket, regular steps, cocked wrists. He tries a wide one without success, he tries a slower ball, Burns ignores it.
Hey Tanya, writes Aaron.
Hi!
I moved out to NZ from the UK a couple my first ever cricket Test here at Seddon Park, having been drawn back in to a sport I loved when I was nine by the summer’s drama in the World Cup and Ashes.
Lovely laid back atmosphere here! Your brother’s elaborate pie has us intrigued - where did he find that?! We’ve only been able to find the bao and beer so far!
I’ve just re-read my words and I put my probably in the wrong place - it should have read “probably eating an elaborate pie.” Though he might be. He won’t be reading this (though I’ll text him), but someone else at the ground might be. Can you help Aaron anyone?
55th over: England 144--2 (Burns 78, Root 50) Burns sweeps Santner, the New Zealand fielders make appreciative noises. It was kind of risky, but it worked.
Donald Barrett writes; I am jealous.
I saw Shane Warne the musical in Sydney. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We actually saw it one day after flying back from LA where we had just attended Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Never say I don’t have eclectic tastes.
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54th over: England 143--2 (Burns 77, Root 50) Southee has the first over after lunch. The wind is coming over his right shoulder (thank you commentary) and he finds some swing. Root stretches to meet it, somewhat awkwardly.
An aside, Rory Burn’s moustache is visible through the grill from the other end of the pitch. I wonder if it might distract the bowler if he suddenly started to fixate on it.
The camera pans down the pitch, it looks a cracker. Root and Burns walk back out.
A lovely email from Will Webster, who needs some help from OBO-ers.
When not watching cricket I am an artist of sorts and wondered if you or your readers might have some insight on a fairly odd cricket related photograph.A while ago the mystery of google randomly presented me with a video to watch about NZ legend Richard Hadlee which included a clip where the great man scored a 100 against West Indies in 1979 ( I think). Upon reaching three figures the celebrating Hadlee was confronted by a small boy who had run into the middle with his camera. The batsman duly posed a bit awkwardly, the child knelt, took the picture and scampered off. I wonder if anyone has seen the photograph the boy took? Google doesn’t help any further, but maybe you have come across this, or similar images - it looks like nobody thought it unusual back in the day. I’m pretty sure being so close to the action is not a viewpoint many people, except players, have had, and so I’d be really curious to see what that snap looked like.Including a screen grab from the vid here. Keep up the good work. Winter wouldn’t be the same without disturbed sleep patterns from checking the midnight cricket.
@tjaldred here's the pic of that pic! pic.twitter.com/ZrZshqb70t
— willwebster (@willwebster) December 1, 2019
My brother texts from Hamilton to say Fat Freddy’s Drop are on the PA and everyone is mooching about the outfield in a laid-back surfer-dude way. The sun’s probably out and he’s got a flat white and some kind of elaborate pie too.
What can the northern hemisphere fight back with? A joke, that’s what. Cue Simon Lacey
Not bad, Brian Withington, but you have to go a long way to beat:
Two classics professors find themselves in a bar in downtown Mexico City. “What would you care to drink, old chap?” says one. “I’ve no idea, old boy, you decide,” says the other. “Well, would you decline a tequila?” “Oh certainly, old thing - tequila, tequila, tequilam, tequilae, tequilae, tequila...”
Lunch
53rd over: England 142--2 (Burns 76, Root 50) The umpire plucks off the bails and that is lunch. England’s session: no wickets, just steady, watchful accumulation, working through initial crankiness to find some moments of joy. I’m off to make a quick drink but I’ll leave you with Damian Clarke’s lunchtime joke.
On the subject of favourite jokes, may I tell you mine?
How does an elephant ask for a bun? Can I have a bun, please?
I realise that this is 90% a visual joke, but does that really matter?
52nd over: England 142--2 (Burns 76, Root 50) And with a tap towards square leg off Mitchell, that’s Joe Root’s fifty. He allows himself a bat wobble, but doesn’t take his helmet off. Still work to do. Well played captain, under heavy pressure.
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51st over: England 140--2 (Burns 76, Root 48) A Santner maiden. Lunch approaches.
50th over: England 140--2 (Burns 76, Root 48) Mitchell back into the attack and sends down a zinger on a good length, Root seems to turn it off his hip where it is caught behind the sticks. The umpire gives it out but Root REVIEWS immediately - a tell-tale sign. Sure enough, the third umpire’s slow-mo proves there has been no contact between bat and pad
JAmes Debens writes: “What are “Andy Flash shots”? Are they like “Eddie Hemmings shuffles”? Or “Chris broad strokes”? Halp!
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49th over: England 139--2 (Burns 76, Root 47) Frustration for Santner, it is a tidy over until he drifts onto the leg side with his last ball and Burns gets down on one knee and sweeps him down for four, like a man flicking a stray lump of coal back in the fire.
48th over: England 134--2 (Burns 72, Root 46) Burns and Root get the hee-bee-jeebies off their chest with a couple of quick singles off Henry, then Burns goes for a more expansive drive. The runs tick over.
Morning Tanya, writes Avitaj Mitra. Morning!
Joe Root is indeed looking good (and whisper it, but say it nonetheless).. he’s probably due a really big score.
Also, general observation. There’s something very pleasant about watching a game in NZ at the end of the day. Low-key and laid-back.
I agree. It’s just the most idyllic way to watch Test cricket, Lining up barefoot for your coffee, letting the kids run semi-wild on the grass...
47th over: England 128--2 (Burns 67, Root 45) New Zealand playing the waiting game here. Santner turns out another maiden. Root plays a rather impatient swing to his last ball. Can England keep their nerve?
Incidentally, why is Brian Blessed doing betting ads? (I once saw him as Old Deuteronomy in Cats and sat on his knee while getting his autograph. Innocent times)
45th over: England 126--2 (Burns 66, Root 44) A typically careful Santner over, and things have slowed down a bit here. Perhaps the batsmen feel lunch peering over their shoulders.
At last another musicals fan on the OBO. Thank you Timothy Muller! I too enjoyed Dear Evan Hansen very much (and welled up a few times). I’m not sure about the David Warner story, but I once had a conversation with Sir Tim Rice about writing a Basil D’Oliveira musical together (I’m an occasional composer). Sadly, he was too busy on Terms of Endearment at the time, and then was so shocked by the justifiably horrendous reception that got, that he basically retired. If anyone else feels like writing the book and the lyrics, (probably based on Peter Oborne’s biography), let me know.
Tim, shall we talk?
44th over: England 122--2 (Burns 64, Root 42) What a shot from Burns! He watches Henry run in with school boy purpose, and drives him with immaculate timing through mid-on for four. I see these two both making hundreds today.
43rd over: England 118--2 (Burns 60, Root 42) Oooh and ahhhs as Santner wheels in, long arm plucking the sun from the sky. Root plays out the maiden.
And I’m going to let Brian Withington tells us his joke, even though he first sent it in two days ago in relation to flip-flops and onomatopoeia.
Two friends at a fun fair get separated, but one spots the other down below from her vantage point at the top of the helter-skelter. Trying to attract attention she resorts to calling out ‘I’m on a mat up here’.
42nd over: England 118--2 (Burns 60, Root 42) Wagner does get his rest and Williamson flicks the ball to Matt Henry. He’s on the money straight away, a good length, enough to put Root and Burns off andy flash shots.
41st over: England 117--2 (Burns 59, Root 40) Burns and Root watch Santner carefully. I think they sense danger. Just a couple of singles, and the morning moves on still England haven’t lost a wicket.
40th over: England 115--2 (Burns 59, Root 40) Wagner storms in, his eighth over on the trot. Energy levels still high, but only one short ball. I think that’s a sign it’s time for a towel down.
Stephen Owens writes from Motueka “Hi Tanya, A NZer here. I see the 3rd day preamble begins “Hello fellow time-zones-surfers, and welcome to day three of the second and final Test against New Zealand.” Given that the Guardian is trying to ‘reach out’ [bloody horrible USA phrase that has become mainstream for other media] and enlarge coverage of NZ news, including, presumably, sports, maybe a more inclusive intro could have been used, say ‘...the final test between England and New Zealand.” I’m reaching out here Tanya. Come Brexit England needs all the friends it can get, including its formerly loyal dominions before Edward Heath shafted the Commonwealth by signing up for the EU. Just saying...
Stephen, you may have pre-empted an email from the sports editor pointing out just that. Let’s hope he’s asleep right now. Apologies, you’re quite right. The question is, should I go back and change it now for any late-comers or do I have to leave my reaching out to next time? Stick with us New Zealanders, the EU has given up.
39th over: England 113--2 (Burns 58, Root 39) Aha! Mitchell Santner gets a go - can he prove England wrong for not picking a spinner? He encourages one to turn out of the rough and discomfort Rory Burns, hitting him high on the pad. A maiden.
38th over: England 113--2 (Burns 58, Root 39) Root content to play second fiddle as Wagner continues to fire them in.
37th over: England 111--2 (Burns 58, Root 38) Burns lives dangerously off Daryl Mitchell. He pushes forwards and the ball zings dangerously between gullies. He looks anxiously over his shoulder. Then he flicks one, most charmingly, over mid-wicket for another boundary. New Zealand leaking more runs than they’d like here.
Thinking about your words Ian Forth. I know the Pakistan attack isn’t the best but he has beaten Bradman! Talking of which, if we can time travel, how about to Adelaide 1933? The drama!
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36th over: England 102--2 (Burns 50, Root 37) Burns turns Wagner off his legs for a single, and that’s his fifty! Eight fours, 158 minutes. and an impressive test of nerve after being dropped twice yesterday evening and tested by tight New Zealand bowling this morning. He’s both awkward and solid. And that’s drinks.
Ian Forth is not impressed by my suggestion of a new musical: “I don’t want to start a heated debate all over again, but I’m not sure David Warner scoring a heap of runs against an undercooked attack at home constitutes a narrative arc Spielberg will be considering. (Australia have, after all, won 12 out of 12 against Pakistan at home this century). He needs to walk from Cape York to Cape Town for charity or at least rescue a cat from a tree.”
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35th over: England 99-2 (Burns 48, Root 36) Michell, red soles trailing behind him, runs in. A slower ball, Burns is foxed and top-edges a pull... just short of square leg.
@tjaldred re: over 23. If we can travel back in time, being among Chickie's Disco and Gravy's pager dress in Antigua would be an experience. pic.twitter.com/ZgrdsD2JLw
— Elliot Carr-Barnsley (@Elliot_CB) November 30, 2019
Now that is a wonderful suggestion.
34th over: England 95-2 (Burns 46, Root 33) Wagner charges in, steam emerging from ears and nose, pistons moving legs and arm. Just one from over.
“A very good morning Tanya,” writes Brian Withington.
Morning Brian!
Pleased to read of Atherton’s reference to Joe Root looking good - would love to see him follow David Warner and go very big indeed today (and tomorrow). Meanwhile I’m patiently waiting for any excuse to resubmit my lonely linguistic joke about onomatopoeia ...
Oh go on Brian - send it to me again.
33rd over: England 94-2 (Burns 46, Root 33) Mitchell again. I love watching him bowl, you notice a different idiosyncrasy with every over - this time it is his spread fingers in his non-ball gripping hand. Root takes a good stride forward, sends his head over his knee, and plays an immaculate defensive shot. A maiden.
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32nd over: England 94-2 (Burns 46, Root 33) A maiden over for Wagner. Not without danger for Burns who is deceived by an off-cutter. Patience. Not long till drinks.
31st over: England 94-2 (Burns 46, Root 33) Williamson turns to Daryl Mitchell, who does a funny quick-step at the top of his run, before steaming in with his high-knee-ed approach. Root watches carefully for five balls then flicks him for an easy four.
I am pleased to say that in the next three months I will be watching an England Test match below Table Mountain at Newlands during the New Year Test, and then below Galle Fort in Sri Lanka in March, writes Neil Waterfield. I can think of two no finer grounds in the world, but will be happy to find others.
You lucky thing! Beautiful grounds in amazing surroundings.
30th over: England 89-2 (Burns 46, Root 29) Burns does sticks his bum out at the crease, he must have great quads. But enough of that - pow! - that’s quite a shot, with straight arms he swats Wagner to the boundary. Next one is short again, and Burns swivels pulls again behind square for another four. England rock’in on.
29th over: England 80-2 (Burns 38, Root 28) Burns is looking good here. He’s over the nerves and hitting crisply. He dispatches Southee with a whizz-crack to the boundary with a sharp pull.
Peter Salmon has his mind on David Warner.
Do you think Stuart Broad would have been looking at Warner’s innings yesterday and thinking, well, that would have taken me about four balls?
28th over: England 76-2 (Burns 34, Root 28) Root eyes up a short one from Wagner, swivels and pulls him for four. Lovely. And again, though with not quite as much power and just gets the single. Then a fine on-drive from Burns which is cut off just before the rope. Next ball he’s crunched in the chest by a short one. This Wagner, he makes thing happen. And that’s the fifty partnership between Root and Burns.
Chris Bull has listed his top grounds on the fantasy trip: Antigua - the recreation ground. Cape town. Dharamsala. Adelaide. Galle. Wellington. If its ever safe enough again Srinigar would be in there.
27th over: England 68-2 (Burns 31, Root 23) Southee again, no real threat, but tight. Burns gets four leg byes past a desperate Watling.
26th over: England 64-2 (Burns 31, Root 23) Aha! New Zealand turn to Wagner to see if he can extract some zing from this pitch. He shoves one in short with every effort of his visible being, the polar opposite of Jofra Archer - whose effort is seemingly effortless - and Burns ducks and it pings off his shoulder for a single. Root ducks the next
In answer to your question William, if I could magic myself to these places so that I didn’t have to worry about my carbon footprint: I’d go to Eden Gardens and Barbados (neither of which I’ve been to), then Sydney, where I could visit my brother, then one of the lovely small New Zealand grounds - happy to be advised - where I could meet my other brother and ....
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25th over: England 59-2 (Burns 29, Root 21) We get a close up of Root, eyes darting hither and thither from under his helmet. Southee bowls and Root looks uncomfortable, his feet static. Better next ball, full face of the bat. He nods.
24th over: England 57-2 (Burns 29, Root 19) Henry testing here with his line, but Burns and Root resist doing anything silly. Half an hour safely negociated.
23rd over: England 55-2 (Burns 28, Root 18) Just a couple from Southee’s over - this feels like a crucial first hour. Both these two have the ability to bat big, but are vulnerable early on.
William Hargreaves poses an interesting question
@tjaldred That ground looks magnificent. If you won a prize and were granted match watching holidays, no expenses spared, at six grounds, where would you visit?
— William Hargreaves (@billhargreaves) November 30, 2019
22nd over: England 54-2 (Burns 28, Root 17) Henry and Watling have an earnest chat. A few balls later, Root glove/pulls him, slightly uncomfortably down for four.
Thank you Johns Potter and Little for pointing out that England are batting not New Zealand...
Also, and apropros of nothing, I saw Dear Evan Hansen last night (if you love a good emotional roller-coaster with cracking songs, I recommend it). Surely The David Warner story has got to be a musical. Did anyone see Shane Warne the musical?
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21st over: England 49-2 (Burns 28, Root 13) The grass stripes either side of the wicket are very defined, all lime candy cane. Joe Root brings the England fifty up with a confident-looking pull off Southee.
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20th over: England 49-2 (Burns 28, Root 12) At the other end, we have Matt Henry, and Joe Root sends him scurrying for four, a back foot push through backward point. Burns then plays a slightly less confident looking shot, which squeezes through third man for another boundary We get a wide-lens view of the ground - it’s gorgeous, green and very pleasant. Trees, grassy knolls, picnics and a few half-hearted clouds.
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19th over: England 40-2 (Burns 24, Root 7) Southee bowls the first over of the day, just a single from it, a back foot push from Root. A discordant version of Jerusalem drifts across the ground.
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TMS tells me the players are out, but the TV is running rather behind ... this could be interesting...
We need to talk about David Warner. What a story - boy from the wrong sides of the tracks, proves the doubters wrong, falls dramatically from grace, then redemption.
Tonight I, like most right thinking people, am very much looking forward to Pakistan declaring with Babar Azam on 338*.
— daniel norcross (@norcrosscricket) November 30, 2019
Interesting. Atherton is backing Root to make runs today. He’s been watching him in the nets, and “he’s been hitting the ball beautifully.” He’s tougher, Athers adds, than his angelic features might suggest.
There’s a christmas tree in the Sky studio. The mood in there is moderately dark. Mark Butcher says Joe Root, “has to go out and make a big one.”
Out on the ground, Ian Ward and Mike Atherton are talking to Jos Buttler. Wardy admires Jos “beasting it” in the gym.
Athers asks how Joe Root is coping with the pressure,“You wouldn’t know any different,” says Buttler. “He manages himself very well. Cream always rises to the top, his batting form will come back, probably today.”
Preamble
Hello fellow time-zones-surfers, and welcome to day three of the second and final Test against New Zealand. They’re starting half an hour early today (9.30pm GMT, 10.30am NZST) in Hamilton, still making up for the grotty weather that truncated day one. New Zealand are whistling to the ground this morning, their bow ties perky, their trainers bouncy - two English wickets down with only 39 on the board.
All is not lost for England, but two of the newbies failed to endure a nasty final session of 21 overs yesterday evening. Unfortunate Dom Sibley, never the nimblest, was cuffed on the helmet and then on the box on the way to being bowled by a leg-stump half volley. Joe Denly prodded at a wobbler from Matt Henry and was well caught by BJ Watling behind the sticks.
The two men who will walk out this morning are Rory Burns, dropped twice yesterday, and Joe Root, suddenly under reams of news-print pressure over the captaincy. “We know we’ve got to go and bat 150 overs here to set up the game on day five,” Stuart Broad said. “Our opportunity is there...Here we’re not batting with a scoreboard of 500. They made 375. So, I think our pressure is reduced slightly and we just go and play.”
If you’re a batsman, you’d want to bat out there, wouldn’t you?” he added helpfully. “If you were good at batting, you’d fancy that.”
Let’s see hey Stuart.
In other news, poor Jack Leach is still in hospital with gastroenteritis, .
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