Ali Martin's match report
And news of Warner’s heroics in Adelaide …
Right, that’s it from me. Time for some shuteye. Be sure to stick around for Ali Martin’s report from Hamilton and all the reaction, plus join us again tomorrow/today for more hot OBO action. Buy from me, cheerio!
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Stumps: England 39-2
New Zealand’s day, undoubtably. Saving the game is the priority for England at the moment, never mind trying to win it. Much work to do for the captain and his team.
18th over: England 39-2 (Burns 24, Root 6) The final over of the day then, in all likelihood. Wagner charges in again. Burns is comfortable so the bowler switches to round the wicket. But Burns is able to flick away for a single, leaving his captain to face the last couple of deliveries. Root leaves and … flicks just wide of leg gully for a single! Cripes!
17th over: England 37-2 (Burns 23, Root 5) Daryl Mitchell, after his batting heroics earlier, gets the chance to turn his arm over. He struggles to make Burns play at first, swinging the ball away from the left hander, then gets bunted down the ground for a single.
16th over: England 36-2 (Burns 22, Root 5) Neil Wagner comes into the attack for the first time today. Cue the predictable short-pitched barrage. It’s calmly negotiated by Root, though.
15th over: England 35-2 (Burns 21, Root 5) Root, who has been on the defensive since arriving at the crease, is quick to pounce as Southee strays too full, clipping with consummate timing for four. This pair have maybe four more overs to get through.
14th over: England 30-2 (Burns 20, Root 1) Root stands firm in the face of another accurate, testing over from Henry, who has sent down an excellent spell. Another maiden.
13th over: England 30-2 (Burns 20, Root 1) Southee into the seventh over of his spell … and Burns is dropped again! He flicks in the air to midwicket where Raval dives but can’t cling on. The ball was travelling and it would’ve been a superb catch but … you’ve seen them taken. Another reprieve for Burns. Root gets off the mark from his 10th delivery, a single pushed through the covers.
12th over: England 28-2 (Burns 19, Root 0) Into the final 30 minutes of the day then. Root just about sees out a maiden from Henry.
11th over: England 28-2 (Burns 19, Root 0) Burns is a whisker away from inside-edging onto his own stumps, and instead picks up four more.
10th over: England 24-2 (Burns 15, Root 0) Henry gets the wicket he should’ve had last over. This is beginning to feel very much like New Zealand’s day. And New Zealand’s Test. And New Zealand’s series.
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WICKET! Denly c Watling b Henry 4 (England 24-2)
A cracking ball from Henry, an equally good take from Watling. England’s No 3 was just straightened up a touch as the ball wobbled away outside off and caught the edge of his defensive prod. The New Zealand wicketkeeper did superbly to scoop the ball low to his right.
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9th over: England 20-1 (Burns 11, Denly 4) Southee continues and Burns again shows his good side, driving on the walk through the covers. Risky perhaps, but it’s the sort of shot that gets you forking over cash at the turnstiles.
8th over: England 20-1 (Burns 11, Denly 4) Burns, RAF moustache to the fore, unfurls one of those trademark ramrod-straight drives for four back past Henry. He really does look a Test opener for years to come. As to his partner, that remains a more open question. And as I type that, Burns wafts outside off, the edge flies through to first slip and Taylor puts down a dolly.
7th over: England 15-1 (Burns 6, Denly 4) Hawkeye shows the ball was careering into leg stump. The young opener’s balance was all over the shop there – perhaps he was a little shaken by the blows he’d taken earlier in his innings, if we were looking to be charitable? Denly flicks his first ball away for four through midwicket.
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WICKET! Sibley lbw b Southee 4 (England 11-1)
Southee gets one to lift up a touch off a length, the ball pinging into Sibley’s … box … area. Young Dominic has reaped the benefit of modern protective wear a couple of times already this innings. But there’s nothing that can protect him from this! He misses a straight one, Southee raps him on the pad and Dharmasena’s finger goes up. Might have been sliding down but he opted not to review. It’ll be interesting to see the Hawkeye.
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6th over: England 11-0 (Burns 6, Sibley 4) Burns punches Henry down the ground for a couple and it has to be said that the England openers have made a very confident, unflustered start (other than the blow Sibley took in the third).
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5th over: England 8-0 (Burns 4, Sibley 3) Southee continues and keeps Burns honest. The threat of rain seems to have dissipated and the ground is now bathed in sunlight and shadow (Oh Danny Boy etc). A few clouds are lingering but I’d be surprised if we get any interruptions now.
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4th over: England 7-0 (Burns 4, Sibley 2) Sibley pinks up a single off Henry’s second over.
“John, as a public service to ageing test cricket observers, would you mind publishing the details of where to order the rock-hard six pack from?” requests Ian Forth.
Of course, simply turn on any number of TV channels at 4am in the morning and you’ll find a selection of magical gadgets and gizmos which, through mild twisting or vibrating, will, for 10 regular payments of 39.95, will enable you to develop that Adonis-like physique while you wear a rictus grin and sweat not a jot. There’s no confusion, Tina. Just good science.
3rd over: England 6-0 (Burns 4, Sibley 1) Southee is bang on the money here, probing away at the newcomer Sibley. Then – blimey – he ducks straight into a shorter ball which slams into the badge on his helmet. That was a heavy blow, the ball pinging off to point. The England physio comes out to take a look and go through a few checks. It’s a fairly lengthy delay but he’s OK to continue. Burns, who called his dazed partner through for a leg bye, ends the over with a glorious cover drive for four to get off the mark.
2nd over: England 1-0 (Burns 0, Sibley 1) Matt Henry at the other end. Ten dots to start the innings then Sibley nudges to leg to get the England total off the mark.
1st over: England 0-0 (Burns 0, Sibley 0) Southee starts things off with the ball for New Zealand, who will really fancy getting stuck into the England top order over the next hour or so. Burns, after nearly getting himself into a tangle off the first, sees out a maiden.
Out come Burns and Sibley for England. They have about an hour and 20 minutes to get through this evening. Meanwhile, after a little 4am teleshopping channel hopping here in the freezing, misty UK, I’m ready to get a rock-hard six pack, a bed that will enable me to sleep the best sleep ever and a steam-powered mop thing that I can also use to clean the bathroom taps.
End of innings: New Zealand 375 all out
Not the sort of total that guarantees a positive result for the hosts but a very useful one nevertheless. England are going to have to go very big here to stand a chance of victory and they’re going to have to do it at a reasonable lick.
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WICKET! Wagner c Sibley b Curran 0 (New Zealand 375 all out)
And that’s that. Wagner goes first ball, flicking Curran’s low full toss straight to Sibley at midwicket.
129th over: New Zealand 375-9 (Wagner 0, Henry 5) A wicket maiden for Archer, which will feel pretty good after being blasted for a couple of sixes.
“In answer to Ali’s question (over 118), I’m pretty sure Matt Henry and Henry Nicholls have played together,” writes Ian Forth. “It’s harder to find an English example - although Steve James will have played together with James Maher for Glamorgan (not admittedly in England). Ashley Giles and Giles Clarke no doubt sat on the same committees together.”
WICKET! Santner c Woakes b Archer 23 (New Zealand 375-9)
Santner has an almighty swing at another Archer bouncer but swishes at fresh air on this occasion. He connects with his next effort … but picks out Woakes at square leg.
128th over: New Zealand 375-8 (Santner 23, Henry 5) Woakes … full … punched gloriously down the ground by Henry for four. Super shot that. And it’s followed by five dots.
127th over: New Zealand 371-8 (Santner 23, Henry 1) Six! Archer bangs one in short, looking for the extra bounce that Broad and Woakes have found, but Santner helps it on its way and over the rope down at backward square leg. And six more! A carbon copy, this time glancing off the forehead of a steward who was looking in the wrong direction. There’s a moment of worry but he’s all smiles afterwards, which is a relief.
126th over: New Zealand 359-8 (Santner 11, Henry 1) Matt Henry, who has a Test half century to his name, gets off the mark with a push into leg.
WICKET! Southee c Pope b Woakes 18 (New Zealand 357-8)
Woakes digs one in short, Southee offers the handle, Pope takes a comfortable pouch.
125th over: New Zealand 357-7 (Santner 10, Southee 18) Archer (25-7-58-0) replaces Broad. Southee calls Santner through for a quick single … Woakes’s shy at the stumps would’ve run him out with a direct hit. Santner, though, survives to prod the next ball through the gap in the slip cordon and away for a boundary that brings up 350. Four more byes come from the next, a steepling bouncer leaving Pope with no chance.
124th over: New Zealand 348-7 (Santner 6, Southee 17) Southee rocks back and flat bats Woakes straight down the ground for four, then guides through the covers for a single. He’s looking to get on with things. Santner, meanwhile, is happy enough to block out.
123rd over: New Zealand 343-7 (Santner 6, Southee 12) Broad has Southee scratching and scuffling untidily but can’t winkle the No 9 out. He scampers to the non-striker’s end, then there’s a huge appeal as Santner is struck on the pad. There was an equally huge inside edge – not out.
Meanwhile over in Adelaide, you can follow Australia’s run feast with – oof! – Geoff Lemon and Rob Smyth here:
122nd over: New Zealand 342-7 (Santner 6, Southee 11) Woakes almost has Santner back in the hutch but a top edge drops safe. England might fancy wrapping this up pretty quickly now but Southee has other ideas, cutting very fine for four then launching over mid on for a couple more.
121st over: New Zealand 334-7 (Santner 5, Southee 4) So a very fine debut innings comes to an end. Tim Southee is the new batsman and gets off the mark with a little edge to third man. Broad has admirable figures of 27-7-72-4.
WICKET! Mitchell c Archer b Broad 73 (New Zealand 330-7)
England seem to have succeeded in their latest petition to get the ball changed but it’s soon behaving in the same way as its predecessor, whistling away to the boundary off Mitchell’s bat. Another lovely cover drive from the debutant.
Broad digs in the next, though, and he has his man. This time Mitchell can’t get on top of his pull shot and sends a catch straight down the throat of Archer at deep backward square.
120th over: New Zealand 326-6 (Santner 5, Mitchell 69) Woakes – who looks to have been hitting the weights since the summer, he’s built like the proverbial brick outhouse – struggles to worry Santner, who adds two more to the total.
Weather watch: it has clouded over a fair bit but the clouds don’t look particularly threatening. Fingers crossed.
119th over: New Zealand 324-6 (Santner 3, Mitchell 69) Broad and Woakes are both bowling extremely full here, perhaps looking for reverse swing. It has resulted in the occasional ugly full bunger but has occasionally also discomfited the batsmen. Broad gives up just a couple of singles on this occasion.
118th over: New Zealand 322-6 (Santner 2, Mitchell 68) Because New Zealand have been scoring so slowly (in the main), England, despite being in the field for the best part of two days, are still in this if they can bag a couple of quick wickets here. Woakes instead strays onto Mitchell’s pads and gets neatly tucked away to cow corner for four.
Anyone?
@AWSStats @bbctms How often have we had a batting pair whose surnames combined make up the full name of one of them? Shouldn't take long...
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) November 30, 2019
117th over: New Zealand 317-6 (Santner 2, Mitchell 62) Broad has one ball left of this pre-tea over … and with it Santner gets off the mark with a couple pushed into the on side.
TEA: New Zealand 315-6
So England head off for tea with a spring in their collective step. It was a hugely challenging session for them but that wicket could keep them in the game. Can they capitalise?
WICKET! Watling c Burns b Broad 63 (New Zealand 315-6)
Watling clips a full ball from Broad away for a single – had he missed that only his front pad would’ve prevented middle stump being ripped from its moorings. Mitchell pulls in slightly more unconvincing fashion than usual to again get England pulses jumping again … and then Broad makes the breakthrough. A ferocious rising delivery finds the splice of Watling’s bat and the ball pops up to Burns in the slips.
116th over: New Zealand 313-5 (Watling 54, Mitchell 62) Joe Root brings himself on for a quick twirl before the break, hoping against hope for a moment of magic or madness. No sign of either here though, just a trio of singles.
115th over: New Zealand 310-5 (Watling 52, Mitchell 61) This pair have been together for 51 overs now, a really impressive recovery from 191 for five. Tea is on the horizon, so Mitchell keeps his powder dry even though Broad sends down a couple of fairly juicy full tosses. Another maiden.
114th over: New Zealand 310-5 (Watling 52, Mitchell 61) And, typically, after pointing out the increasing run rate, a maiden from Curran.
113th over: New Zealand 310-5 (Watling 52, Mitchell 61) Runs are beginning to flow a little easier now. Broad bangs one in short but it sits up at just above hip height and Mitchell helps it on its way to fine leg for four. There were 24 runs scored in the first hour after lunch – there have been 38 in the 45 minutes since. Not exactly a deluge but a significant uptick as the bowlers have tired.
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112th over: New Zealand 304-5 (Watling 52, Mitchell 55) Watling drives beautifully straight down the ground … too straight. Straight into the stumps at the bowler’s end, in fact. Four dots … then Watling goes to his 50 with by crashing a wide half volley from Curran through the covers for four.
111th over: New Zealand 300-5 (Watling 48, Mitchell 55) I should have mentioned this an over or two ago but Mitchell moving to his fifty also brought up the 100 partnership. Consider yourself informed. Stuart Broad returns to the fray. Mitchell, happy to take on the shorter ball, pulls hard for two to bring up the New Zealand 300.
110th over: New Zealand 298-5 (Watling 48, Mitchell 53) Sam Curran returns to the attack; Watling responds with a sweetly-timed off-drive for four. This pair are looking rock-solid at the moment, and they have all day in truth.
BJ Watling has now been out once in his last 20 hours at the crease in Tests. In that time (2nd Test v SL, in Aug, and in this series), he's faced 868 balls (144.4 overs), and scored 354 for 1. #timetotryreleasingthecrocodile #NZvENG
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) November 30, 2019
109th over: New Zealand 294-5 (Watling 44, Mitchell 53) Shot! Mitchell drives through the covers sumptuously as Stokes puts one in the slot. He nears a debut half-century … and he gets there in fine style, crunching a pull down to cow corner for four more.
108th over: New Zealand 286-5 (Watling 44, Mitchell 45) A short leg and a leg slip for Watling as Archer continues his search for a breakthrough. BJ carefully watches the first couple with an almost professorial intensity then flicks through midwicket as Archer overpitches. He does well to ride out a lifting delivery from the last too.
107th over: New Zealand 282-5 (Watling 40, Mitchell 45) Stokes continues. There were fears he would be out for the South Africa series with his knee injury but instead he’s charging in again. It’s hard to know how much to read into that – such is Stokes appetite for the contest that you feel he’d be all-too-ready for a six-over spell on a broken ankle. This time around he sends down a maiden at Mitchell.
106th over: New Zealand 282-5 (Watling 40, Mitchell 45) The forecast earlier was for a bit of rain this afternoon but the weather in Hamilton remains bright and sunny (with a bit of cloud about) as Mitchell thunks Archer back down the ground for four. The batsman has a big airy pull at the next but connects only with the Waikato air, but – BOOM – he makes contact with the same shot a ball or two later, Curran making a fine diving stop on the boundary. He wasn’t far off making the catch, actually.
105th over: New Zealand 273-5 (Watling 40, Mitchell 40) Hello and good evening/morning/whenever it is where you are. Whenever and wherever you have been during this series, there has been a good chance that BJ Watling will have been batting while you go about your business. Utterly untroubled and unruffled he’s looked today, though here Stokes tempts him a little into a big off-drive that he inside-edges back down the track.
104th over: New Zealand 272-5 (Watling 40, Mitchell 39) Archer tries going round the wicket to Watling, who – you’re not going to believe it – keeps him out. When Archer, quickening up now, goes back over the wicket, Watling cuts for two, and reaches 40 off his 157th ball. “The pitch is placid,” says Mike Atherton. And that’s drinks, with NZ ominously well set. In an effort to make something happen, I’m off to bed and John Ashdown is here to entertain you. Thanks for reading.
103rd over: New Zealand 269-5 (Watling 38, Mitchell 38) Stokes keeps Watling quiet – though the greater challenge might be to provoke him into making a noise.
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102nd over: New Zealand 268-5 (Watling 38, Mitchell 37) Archer has a shout for LBW against Mitchell, who still seems a candidate for it, but it’s too high. A maiden leaves Archer with figures of 22-7-46-0. Looking at them, you might think he was a medium-pacer, which is what he has often been in this innings.
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101st over: New Zealand 268-5 (Watling 38, Mitchell 37) Barrage time again, and Daryl Mitchell takes on Stokes. One swivel yields only a single, but the next races away for four. Even if he gets out in a minute, Mitchell can call his Test debut a success.
And here’s Brian Withington. “Some very gritty cricket in progress, so I’m rising to David Hindle’s dangled bait. Joe Root may be experiencing a lean run with the bat and some technical challenges but I suspect he is still England’s best batsman for the long term. Good luck finding a replacement, I say.
“In passing, I’m tempted to reflect that the hounding into premature retirement of Alistair Cook has really worked wonders for the fortunes of the England team.” Hounding? By whom?
100th over: New Zealand 260-5 (Watling 35, Mitchell 32) Archer replaces Woakes and draws an inside edge from Watling, but it heads harmlessly into the pad. Off the past ten overs, there have been just 14 runs.
99th over: New Zealand 259-5 (Watling 35, Mitchell 31) Ben Stokes, England’s resident glutton for punishment, is back for more. His natural angle in brings a single and a two before he finds his line.
98th over: New Zealand 256-5 (Watling 33, Mitchell 30) Woakes is trying one variation per over, and this time it’s a slow yorker. Watling keeps it out with a phlematic prod. In his last four Test innings he has a personal tally of 420-2, with stays at the crease of 239 minutes, 306 minutes, 667 minutes and now 180 minutes, which makes a grand total of 1432. Or eight minutes short of 24 hours. The mind boggles.
97th over: New Zealand 255-5 (Watling 33, Mitchell 29) Curran to Watling. Dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, dot. “It’s a stalemate,” says Ian Smith.
96th over: New Zealand 255-5 (Watling 33, Mitchell 29) Another maiden from Woakes, who slips in a slower ball to keep us awake.
95th over: New Zealand 255-5 (Watling 33, Mitchell 29) Well, they are trying the barrage, but they’re getting Curran to deliver it. While he did take a wicket with a bouncer this morning, it’s asking a lot of a diminutive medium-pacer. “Hint of desperation,” says a commentator who may be Mark Richardson. Mitchell, seeing three men back for the hook, helps himself to a single; for Watling, the three men come in to save the single in the midwicket zone.
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94th over: New Zealand 254-5 (Watling 33, Mitchell 28) Woakes bowls a bouncer to Watling which is so sparky and steep that you wonder if England shouldn’t try a barrage from Archer.
93rd over: New Zealand 253-5 (Watling 33, Mitchell 27) Runs! Five of them! Mitchell flicks Curran for a single, then Watling cuts for four. That sends his strike rate for the innings rocketing to 28.
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92nd over: New Zealand 248-5 (Watling 29, Mitchell 26) Another over from Woakes, another maiden.
91st over: New Zealand 248-5 (Watling 29, Mitchell 26) Curran bowls a maiden to Mitchell, who nearly perishes, not through anything the bowler does, but by falling over as he decides against a run. Flat on his stomach, poking his bat back over the line, he loses his dignity but not his wicket.
An interesting take on Joe Root has landed in my inbox. “Root’s batting decline was already beginning before he got the captaincy,” says David Hindle. “It was a small drop off, but nevertheless it was there. Why will taking the captaincy away automatically correct the list of technical problems with his batting? Why will it stop his persistent nicking off to nothing balls? Why will it stop him falling over his front leg in embarrassing style to perfectly straight ones? It won’t.
“He’s no batting saviour. He never will be one. It’s time to do more than drop him as captain. It’s time to look for someone else entirely.”
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90th over: New Zealand 248-5 (Watling 29, Mitchell 26) Woakes beats Watling, too comprehensively to catch the edge. And that is lunch, with New Zealand owning the last hour and honours even over the morning as a whole. We’ve had 35.2 overs and NZ have made 75-2. Most of the bowlers have been good, but England’s collective energy, so strong at first, has gone flat. With rain around, the draw must be the favourite and that suits NZ just fine. See you in half an hour.
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89th over: New Zealand 248-5 (Watling 29, Mitchell 26) While we’re on the subject of slo-mo, Rory Burns pulls off a half-stop in the gully which, when slowed down, turns into a ballet. It brings a song to mind – any Boz Scaggs fans in the house?
The angels lay their clouds across his sky
They line up for him every night
Some have wings and others sing
The rest do lazy ballets in the air
88th over: New Zealand 247-5 (Watling 28, Mitchell 26) Woakes continues, conceding a couple of singles. More importantly, here’s John from Turton, replying to Ben Bernards (77th over). “To be fair, it was a reference to the rugby community. On the way to the ground this morning, there was a guy on the AM sports channel going on about Wayne Barnes’s mistake in the World Cup final 12 years ago! The cricket followers do have a much better sense of proportion.” This is like an argument in a very nice pub, filmed in slow motion.
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87th over: New Zealand 245-5 (Watling 27, Mitchell 25) Archer is off too, replaced by Curran, who beats Mitchell outside off. There was a noise, and an appeal, but the noise was the thud of bat on pitch.
86th over: New Zealand 243-5 (Watling 26, Mitchell 24) Root takes Broad off, quite rightly, and brings on Woakes. He starts with an ellipsis – dot, dot, dot –before going one, one, dot. It’s all a bit too tidy from England. Root may be regretting not having Saqib Mahmood among his five seamers.
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85th over: New Zealand 241-5 (Watling 25, Mitchell 23) The fifty partnership comes up, bathetically, with a leg bye off Archer. It’s taken 21 overs, not that that will bother Watling, who was probably born imperturbable. It’s a maiden for Archer, but there’s no threat.
84th over: New Zealand 240-5 (Watling 25, Mitchell 23) Broad’s finding some movement but it’s modest and into the pads, where most batsmen are comfortable.
83rd over: New Zealand 237-5 (Watling 24, Mitchell 21) Mitchell keeps on flirting with LBW, jabbing and flicking at straight balls, but it’s working for him. Jofra has found a few extra Ks, up to 138 now.
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82nd over: New Zealand 234-5 (Watling 24, Mitchell 18) Well, Broad isn’t the third seamer yet: he stays on, and Woakes will have to wait. “This is the moment in the game,” says David Lloyd. “This is it.” And he suspects that England are not raising their intensity – though Broad, as if hearing him, has an LBW appeal against Mitchell with a nice late inswinger. That would be very reviewable, if England weren’t out of reviews. But HawkEye agrees with umpire Dharmasena that it was going over, just.
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81st over: New Zealand 232-5 (Watling 23, Mitchell 17) Root takes the new ball and hands it to Jofra Archer, with a suspicion that it’ll be Woakes at the other end. Archer’s second ball swings in after passing the stumps, wrong-footing Pope and going for a bye. There’s some bite and bounce, but, as yet, no pace: the first four balls are only 130-132 kph.
80th over: New Zealand 230-5 (Watling 22, Mitchell 17) I don’t believe it! After 17 successive dots, Watling tucks Broad for a triumphant two. And then cover-drives him for four. Broad, who bowled well this morning, is looking a bit third-seamer-ish now.
79th over: New Zealand 224-5 (Watling 16, Mitchell 17) Stokes bowls what is surely his last over. He’s limping back to his mark, yet still running in and bowling faster than Broad. His itch to be involved is ridiculous.
78th over: New Zealand 224-5 (Watling 16, Mitchell 17) Denly’s little outing is over as Broad returns. Yet another maiden, the 20th of the innings.
77th over: New Zealand 224-5 (Watling 16, Mitchell 17) Stokes looks in proper pain now, though it doesn’t stop him appealing for caught behind against Mitchell. Pope and Root are very interested but they don’t have any reviews left.
Here’s Ben Bernards, picking up on John from Turton (71st over). “What’s with this geezer? We’ve had a lot of English migrate to NZ in the last 10-15 years, but not sure we’ve reached an overall national status of ‘whingers’ just yet...” At last, a diplomatic incident.
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76th over: New Zealand 223-5 (Watling 15, Mitchell 17) Milking time for Denly. Root is filling space before the new ball but there’s a case for getting Archer on now, so he’s firing on all cylinders when he has something shiny in his hand.
75th over: New Zealand 219-5 (Watling 14, Mitchell 14) Watling flicks Stokes for two, but then misses one that straightens outside off. Watching Watling today, you’d never guess he’d just made a double hundred.
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74th over: New Zealand 217-5 (Watling 12, Mitchell 14) Denly gives his first ball oodles of air and Mitchell is equal to it, biding his time before playing a cover drive. A couple of balls later, Mitchell is dancing down the track and hitting a straight six, which a TV graphic clocks at 110 metres.
73rd over: New Zealand 209-5 (Watling 12, Mitchell 6) Stokes is game for a second over, angling it in as he always has. Even with a dicky knee, he can bowl a bouncer that vaults over the keeper for two byes. That’s another maiden. Anyone feeling sleepy?
72nd over: New Zealand 207-5 (Watling 12, Mitchell 6) Stung by all that criticism, Joe Root has suddenly become Mr Funky Bowling Changes. He replaces Curran with Joe Denly’s leg-breaks, which didn’t feature at all in the last Test. Root is rewarded with a very handy over – five dots and a single to Watling. And that’s drinks, with the morning belonging firmly to England.
71st over: New Zealand 206-5 (Watling 11, Mitchell 6) Off goes Woakes, and on comes... Stokes! So much for Ian Ward’s story at the start of the day (20:48). He runs in as normal, although there are one or two grimaces and gyrations as he walks back. Mitchell, perhaps wary of Stokes’ s reputation, plays out another maiden.
Here’s John from Turton. “I know this subject’s been aired before but has anyone explained the one-minute delay? I suspect the Radio NZ Sport commentator is less than a cover drive’s distance from me but he’s had time to send a smoke signal by the time it catches up. Also, why doesn’t Sky Go work in the Land of the Long White Whinge?”
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70th over: New Zealand 206-5 (Watling 11, Mitchell 6) Curran follows the review with a long hop, which Watling clubs through backward point. That’s the first boundary today off Curran, whose spell now stands at 5-2-8-1.
Review! For LBW – Curran to Watling
A medium-sized appeal, not given, no big deal – but they’ve reviewed, which seems odd. “Looks like a deflection off the bat,” says the TV ump. And it is, so not out.
69th over: New Zealand 202-5 (Watling 7, Mitchell 6) A maiden from Woakes to Mitchell, who is now starting on off stump. We’ve had 15 runs in the past ten overs, and nine of them came in that little flurry of four balls from Woakes.
68th over: New Zealand 202-5 (Watling 7, Mitchell 6) Mitchell is falling over to the off side, which should make him a candidate for LBW b Curran. And the TV cameras have spotted his mum filming him on her phone, which could make him a candidate for collapsing with sheer embarrassment.
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67th over: New Zealand 201-5 (Watling 7, Mitchell 5) Off his ninth ball, Mitchell finally connects with one of his big square-of-the-wicket strokes, flicking a short ball from Woakes for a handsome first four. Watling adds insult to injury with a poky little push-edge for four, and that’s the 200 up. “New Zealand’s best over of the morning,” says Ian Smith. “Rolling in the deep,” adds Adele, on the PA.
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66th over: New Zealand 192-5 (Watling 3, Mitchell 0) Another maiden as Curran pitches it up, searching for swing, and Watling’s drives go to the men in the ring.
Here’s John Starbuck. “if England restrict NZ to 250 or so they’ll feel they’ve done a good job. The poverty of current expectations?” I wouldn’t quit say that. It’s true that if Jimmy Anderson was here, you’d have expected the score to be 170 for seven last night. But 250 all out would be fine, wouldn’t it?
65th over: New Zealand 192-5 (Watling 3, Mitchell 0) Woakes keeps it tight to Watling and then jags a short one past the outside edge of Mitchell, who is being given an early introduction to the difference between Tests and T20.
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64th over: New Zealand 191-5 (Watling 2, Mitchell 0) Out comes Daryl Mitchell, for the first time in Test cricket, though he has the comforts of his home ground. He stands well outside his crease, which surely means you stick a short leg in to keep him pegged down. Root doesn’t. Curran tries another bouncer and Mitchell misses it by a mile with a hook that’s more of a flail. A wicket maiden for Curran, who so often makes something happen.
Wicket! Nicholls c Broad b Curran 16 (NZ 191-5)
Curran, who deserved a wicket five minutes ago, has one now as Nicholls gets under his bouncer and gives Broad a simple catch at fine leg. England are back in business.
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63rd over: New Zealand 191-4 (Nicholls 16, Watling 2) Time for another change, as Woakes replaces Archer. Woakes’s line and length are as tidy as his hair, and more so than his new-found beard.
“Evening Tim.” Evening, Guy Hornsby. “I’m embarrassed to say I thought play began at 10pm, so my gallows-ready humour had been slightly deflated by seeing Tom Latham’s already out.” First-world problems, eh. “I can’t even get my despondency in properly. Is there anything more English, staying in on a Friday night?”
62nd over: New Zealand 191-4 (Nicholls 16, Watling 2) Time for a change: Broad gives way to Sam Curran, who is 12 years younger, a foot shorter and much the same speed. He immediately draws a nick from Watling – and it falls tantalisingly short of Ollie Pope, who had to change direction where perhaps an experienced keeper would have been in the right place.
61st over: New Zealand 188-4 (Nicholls 14, Watling 1) Archer moves over the wicket to the left-handed Nicholls, who is hit on the thigh as he tries to whip to leg. Another maiden. Archer may be averaging 146 with the ball in this short series but he is only going at 2.48 per over.
60th over: New Zealand 188-4 (Nicholls 14, Watling 1) After defending a series of full, straight deliveries from Broad, Nicholls pulls the last ball of the over to deep backward square for a single. England are one quick wicket from being in a very good position.
59th over: New Zealand 187-4 (Nicholls 13, Watling 1) A lovely yorker from Archer is kept out by Watling. A maiden. England have started well this morning, with accuracy and intensity.
58th over: New Zealand 187-4 (Nicholls 13, Watling 1) Broad, the wise old don of the attack in the absence of Anderson, bowls another accurate over. He has excellent figures of 16-5-38-2.
57th over: New Zealand 186-4 (Nicholls 13, Watling 0) Nicholls flicks Archer breezily through square leg for four. Archer’s request for a field change is rejected by Root, and the pair have a long chat at the end of the over. Their relationship is worth keeping an eye on.
56th over: New Zealand 182-4 (Nicholls 9, Watling 0) BJ Watling is the new batsman.
WICKET! New Zealand 182-4 (Latham b Broad 105)
A rare, almost shocking mistake from Tom Latham gives England an early wicket. He offered no stroke to Broad, bowling around the wicket, and heard the grim sound of his off stump being pegged back. Latham played with such expert judgement that it’s hard to believe he left a straight one. It did jag back a touch, but not enough to absolve Latham.
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55th over: New Zealand 178-3 (Latham 101, Nicholls 9) Jofra Archer completes the over he started yesterday afternoon. His first ball is a sharp, 88mph bouncer that Latham avoids. Another bouncer hits Latham on the shoulder and flies away for a leg bye. But the final delivery of the over is a bit too straight, which allows Nicholls to jump across and flick it fine for four.
Some unsurprising news from Hamilton: Ben Stokes will not be able to bowl today, according to Sky Sports’ Ian Ward. It means England are down to their last four seamers.
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Barney Ronay on Joe Root
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Ali Martin’s first-day report
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Preamble
Evening everyone, morning everyone else, and welcome to the second day of the second Test. The first day was ... frustrating. Just over half the overs were lost to rain, and after gambling by putting New Zealand in, Joe Root had only three wickets to show for it. Tom Latham, with a compact unbeaten hundred, and Ross Taylor, with a hot-and-cold fifty, calmly assembled the partnership that won the day.
Root and Chris Silverwood had picked an XI with an eye on pub-quiz immortality – five seamers, no spinner, no regular keeper – but the performance was better than the cast list. Jofra Archer, who took no wickets, bowled as well as Chris Woakes, who took two, and would have got rid of Latham soon after lunch had Ben Stokes not dropped another expensive catch.
Today, Root will need to combine Archer’s fire with the wiles of Woakes and Stuart Broad, while hoping that there’s some swing for Sam Curran and that Stokes’s knee injury doesn’t accelerate his drift towards being a specialist batsman. All the New Zealanders have to do is serve up more of the same, and Latham’s last few Test hundreds have all gone past 150. It could be dull, but it’s unlikely to be as bad as David Warner v Pakistan.
Play starts half an hour early for the rest of the match, to claw back some of the lost overs, so I’ll see you at 9.30pm UK time, 10.30am in NZ. The forecast is clear for the first half of the day, dodgy thereafter.
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