Otherwise, I suppose that’s us. New Zealand win 1-0, so congratulations to an excellent and likeable team. However the combination of flat, slow pitches, along with the Kookaburra ball, made for a relatively dull series between two teams who should be anything but that – and that was a shame. Still, cricket is better than no cricket and we’ll be back extremely soon for the SA series. Thanks for your company and comments over the last fortnight or so – ta-ra!
Here’s Ali Martin’s report...
Finally, he thinks a lot has been learnt about the group. Ideally, that would’ve happened in the context of a 2-0 win, but it didn’t happen like that. On the plus side, the series in SA is for championship points and he thinks his team will be better for it.
As for the batting, Root says Pope showed great maturity to play within himself and manage situation, getting the team into a situation where England could dictate and he could play his natural game. He says that Sibley will have learnt a lot, and that Pope is adequate as a deputy keeper.
Wood and Anderson are both in South Africa getting overs in; both should be ready to go if selected. Bairstow is out there too, and Root needs to speak to Moeen and Ed Smith about his availability. He says he’s a fine player and will be back but doesn’t know if it’ll be for the next series.
On himself, Root says he’s felt close to proper form for a while and once he got set wasn’t going to give it away, so is pleased to make the most of a flat track.
Root tells Sky that it feels like England tried everything today but dropped a couple of chances. He says England are learning a lot and learnt from New Zealand, namechecking Wanger’s engine and perseverance. He says his team need to take more chances, but there was a vast improvement this week, and laughs that Denly is a bit sore.
Root thinks it was the right call not to play a spinner, and it was an opportunity to try something outside of the Test championship. He says Archer has found that Test cricket is hard and you can bowl well without getting rewards; he has a lot of learning to do but has to stay mentally and physically resilient. He’s a fast learner and will be better for this experience.
He praises Woakes and Curran, saying Woakes is better with the Kookaburra ball now, and Curran is always there to get stuck in.
Williamson accepts the trophy, and his team join him for photos. Like Wagner, he seems an absolutely superb bloke.
Kane Williamson is up next and praises a great fighting effort despite losing both tosses; I like his hoody, which is grey with orange detail. He says this surface was a tough one and didn’t break up as expected, but his players kept wanting the ball in their hand when nothing was happening. His team have good challenges coming up, and he praises Daryl Mitchell on debut along with Matt Henry, while hoping Trent Boult and Colin DeGrandhomme will be ready for Australia.
Er, Root’s back. He thinks the pitch might’ve deteriorated quicker without the rain and his team would’ve batted differently at the end of their innings. His team want to learn quickly - unlike those who don’t - and make big totals which put opponents under scoreboard pressure. The group have learnt a lot and he’s learnt a lot about them, he says, and is looking forward to South Africa. He thanks the fans who’ve supported his team, and he’s off again.
Neil Wagner is man of the series, and that’s richly deserved for top bloke and a developing top bowler.
Joe Root is man of the match and says he felt good following a tricky period at the start. Simon Doull tells him he felt the criticism of him was “unwarranted” - I really could not tell you why - and Root says he was working on some little technical things, trying to get movement back into his hands and a solid base. The pitch didn’t break up as he’d hoped - I’m sure his spinners would’ve taken advantage of that - and he says he’s proud of how his team came back and learnt the lessons of the first Test.
They’re shaking hands and such.
MATCH ABANDONED! THE SECOND TEST IS DRAWN, AND NEW ZEALAND WIN THE SERIES 1-0!
So there we go.
“I think he could,” says Benjamin Macintyre of Santner. “It does depend on many things we can’t predict though. If it’s stifling hot the week leading up to Boxing Day in Melbourne the groundsmen will not be able to stop it getting dry quickly. If it’s a fast bowler’s wicket though, I’m not sure any spinner would be able to hold an end down on days 1 and 2 - not just Santner.
This is, of course, all academic as Sodhi is going to make a surprise appearance and rip through everyone.”
This was the glory of Graeme Swann, who not only held down an end but found a way to get people out. The more I think about it, the more he was the key to that great England side.
You cannot see that Denly drop enough times, and they’ve just blessed us with it yet again. Sensational.
It’s stopped raining but is extremely wet. I can’t see anyone’s arsed to keep on with this, but we can hope.
On which point, I absolutely loved this.
Mark Wood is such a great interviewee. I mentioned him taking us through the final yesterday, because they played it at lunchtime, and I’m still enjoying it now I’m seeing it a second time. He’s just informed us that the dressing room “was literally flying”.
Back to Santner, Sydney might spin, but they’re not playing at Adelaide. And maybe he’ll get fourth-innings wickets if NZ bat first, but are we really saying he’s good enough to hold down an end on days 1 and 2? Hmmm.
And he’s back! “As a Kiwi, your retelling of England’s world cup tie-umph is giving me flashbacks,” he says.
Cricket was the winner. I deadpanned that.
“I think it’s harsh to suggest that NZ doesn’t have a quality spinner when they have Mitchell Santner,” says Benjamin Macintyre. “His Test stats don’t show the progress he has made this year and whilst he doesn’t necessarily rip through sides in the manner of legendary spinners such as Warne he is the perfect option when you need to quieten a batting pair hitting their strides and even get one or two of them to nick off. If the Australian summer sun starts to really dry up the surface I can see Santner doing some real damage in the upcoming Australia v NZ series.”
Fair enough. I’ve not seen that yet, and I’d expect Warner, Smith and ilk to go after him. But I’m often wrong.
Updated
We’re seeing pictures of umpires and captain chatting. It’s still raining, but England can still pull this off...
ENGLAND HAVE WON THE WORLD CUP!
I cannot believe what I’ve just seen!
According to Cricinfo, there’ll be a final decision made at the hour. We know what it’ll be, but that’s when it’ll be.
“If I were a betting man, I would say that the upcoming series against Australia has got the potential to be one of the best in recent times,” says Abhijato Sensarma. “With the exception of Raval, the Kiwi batting has never been in better form. If flat pitches are the order of the day, they’ll feel right at home. As for the Aussie bowling threat, they did seem to lose the plot at certain times on the field against Pakistan in the recently-concluded affair, but their great returns nonetheless speaks volumes about the threat they possess. This might be the first time New Zealand has a favourable chance of winning a series Down Under. I, for one, will be following with a keen eye.”
I’d love to see that, but I’m not sure. Taking 20 wickets in Australia, where medium pace gets whacked, if extremely difficult. New Zealand lack a quality spinner, and will be needing plenty from Ferguson and Wagner. It’s possible, but probably not likely.
...or, put another way, we’re almost done.
Inspection in five minutes...
Stokes has just played a glorious dive for six. What a player!
This World Cup final wasn’t bad yano. I think I’m about ten to tears.
“If Australians ridiculed Mike Brearley’s long jumpers,” says Ian Forth, “what are they to make of David Warner’s (image, over 48)? I mean a lesser man than me might say ‘What is he hiding in there?!’, but fortunately I’m much, much better than that.”
I don’t mind him wearing it, but not with trousers.
“I’ve worked in education for many years,” confesses Noel Sheppard, no relation of Dr from the Murder of Roger Ackroyd. “Mainly primary, with some secondary and a smattering of university thrown in. And for the last several years I’ve been teaching 11-year-olds, and every morning we would have a discussion of any news that caught their fancy. One morning Teddy came in, to tell us he’d just heard the Admiral in charge of the Danish Navy on the news. He was on to announce the completion of a lengthy program to barcode every vessel in the Danish sea-force. When asked why, he replied, ‘So we can Scandinavian.’ To this day, Teddy remains a source of some of my best jokes!”
My six-year-old’s friend told her the following:
What’s a cow’s favourite subject?
Moosic.
So she has come up with the following:
What’s a turkey’s favourite subject?
Geography.
What’s a pirate’s favourite subject?
Aaaaarrrrt.
And a niche one:
Why was Gru upset on Saturday?
Because he couldn’t find a minyan.
Thanks Tanya and greetings all. On Sky, they’re showing the Borg-McEnroe tiebreak World Cup final, which tells you all you need ta kna. Anyhow, we can chat, for as long as we can pretend this isn’t over – send me your thoughts to the addresses which will appear above when you hit the re-fresh.
Kim Thonger scrambles brains from a distance.
If Schrödinger took up cricket, and was stationed at deep square leg, and was under a skied hook, at the moment the ball landed in his hands, would it be Schrödinger’s Catch, but also would we not know whether it was held or dropped?
And, with that, I’ll hand over to my colleague Daniel Harris. Thanks for sticking with us, and thanks for all the emails, tweets, jokes and more over the series - it’s been a blast.
What riches! Another message, this time from Sebastian Bloomfield.
I’m enjoying The Guardian’s commentary all the way down in NZ. Do you think Jeet Raval should be replaced by Martin Guptill in the Australia series? Surely more opening experience would warrant a draft into the squad for Guppy, especially considering the Australian pitches. What are your thoughts on a Guptill/Latham opening combination? Kane Williamson may not have to open (as he is doing, essentially) anymore.
I learnt today, that the NZ selectors had already picked the squad for Australia before this series. In that case it would be quite a statement to drop Raval from the squad - though he’s in the middle of a rotten run. According to NZ stuff:
“Since Raval’s maiden, and sole, test century against Bangladesh in Hamilton in February, he has scored, in a limited mix of first-class and test matches - 3, 33, 4, 0, 7, 3, 14, 19, 5; 88 runs at an average of 9.78. That’s lessened his test average to a still respectable but not overwhelming 33.27.”
Guptill and Latham sounds interesting.
The Aussies have just named their squad btw: Tim Paine (c, wk), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner
Sky chat away in the studio, but we break briefly to look at the ground. Whoops, apocalypse, as they say. But an email to warm our cockles, from Hugh McCarroll:
As a local, my condolences regarding the weather.
Please, don’t apologise, I live in Manchester.
Do you remember a radio program called ‘Tales from the long room’ or something like that. I remember it was very very funny, and quite outrageous. Cricket generates much good material because of the unforgiving minutes you lot have to fill with words.
It rings a bell, and google is helpful - it was by the playwright Peter Tinniswood and concerned the cricket-loving Brigadier from Witney Scrotum and his Uncle Mort. And you’re right, cricket writers are very well acquainted with filling empty minutes with hot air...
There’s someone out there! AJ Hunter writes: As an American watching, why is this series not considered part of the ICC World Test Championship? Is it so each teams series count even? Or something else?
Hi AJ. Yes, there’s no conspiracy, it is just that the World Test Championship was designed after this series was already in the bank. Each team in the Championship will play six series between August 2019 and June 2021 (three home and three away). They all count - (excluding games against non WTC counties Ireland, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan) except this one!
Updated
This looks like a long rain delay, though the crowd haven’t left the ground yet. Do send me your thoughts, on this or that, on New Zealand’s chances in Australia, or England’s in South Africa.
Taylor reaches 100
75th over: New Zealand 241-2 ( Williamson 104, Taylor 105) Taylor sniffs the air and smells rain. Four, six, six, thanks very much, his 19th Test hundred, and just on cue, the groundstaff zip up their jackets and the rain starts to fall .
74th over: New Zealand 225-2 ( Williamson 104, Taylor 89) Denly whizzes through another over.
Williamson reaches his 100
73rd over: New Zealand 220-2 ( Williamson 103, Taylor 85) A barmy quick single, saved only by an off-target throw by Sam Curran, is followed by a sweep down on one knee as Williamson reaches his 21st Test hundred. He removes his helmet and the wind ruffles both hair and beard in celebration. He’s given a few chances, and ridden out the Ben Stokes storm, but classic Kane.
72nd over: New Zealand 213-2 ( Williamson 97, Taylor 85) Williamson drives Denly through the off-side to shuffle closer to three figures.
The heavens have indeed opened here in Auckland....and it looks like Hamilton won’t be far behind (according to the rain radar on the Met Service website) writes Andy Goulden. Will Captain Kane get his ton? You’d think they could forgo the sarnies for half an hour as the weather is closing in but I suppose that’s one reason we love the ever logic defying game of test cricket.
71st over: New Zealand 211-2 ( Williamson 96, Taylor 84) The umpires’ black slacks undulate in the breeze and the floodlights are on. Root thinks he might as well keep going and Taylor plays out a maiden. He and Williamson are second and fourth in the list of all-time leading New Zealand run-scorers.
We see Root giving his troops a pep talk before they all stroll back onto the pitch. The sky is grey, but not black.
The heavens have opened in Auckland about 70 miles away...
Lunch
70th over: New Zealand 211-2 ( Williamson 96, Taylor 84) Ben Stokes bowls the last over before lunch. Williamson considers the forecast and pulls him twice, quite beautifully to the square leg boundary. They all potter off for sandwiches and we catch a glimpse of the sky, which is darkening. A bumbling morning for England, with those two drops by Ollie Pope and meme creator Joe Denly. The game drifts towards its natural end. Time for a quick stretch, back soon.
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69th over: New Zealand 202-2 ( Williamson 88, Taylor 83) Time for some Joe Root. He brings the fielders forward, he urges them back with his long conductorial fingers. Sleeves buttoned down, he twirls; Taylor plays him with nuff respect, then a nudge down to square leg to reach 7000 Test runs, only the second New Zealander to get there. Then Root turns one into Taylor’s pads, big appeal turned down, but decides not to review.
68th over: New Zealand 201-2 ( Williamson 88, Taylor 82) Against the run of play, a little Christmas sparkle . Stokes fires one in short, Williamson misjudges as he swivels to pull and the ball pings into his helmet and sprays behind where Pope catches it. A half-hearted appeal from both Stokes and Pope and Root decides to go for the review. And why not? He’s not out - there’s no contact with the swooshing bat, and Lockie Ferguson brings out a new helmet. Taylor and Williamson continue to get their eye in for the battle ahead across the Tasman. New Zealand’s lead is 100.
67th over: New Zealand 197-2 ( Williamson 87, Taylor 80) Curran heads wide of the crease to send the ball in. Williamson eases a couple of runs and starts to think about lunch.
66th over: New Zealand 195-2 ( Williamson 85, Taylor 80) Ben Stokes, to bowl for your life? He digs six short balls into unresponsive soil, undaunted by the lack of reward. He laughs in the face of pancakes.
65th over: New Zealand 190-2 ( Williamson 84, Taylor 77) Nowt of note.
Speaking of Gatting, writes Tom from North London, watch this.
64th over: New Zealand 186-2 ( Williamson 80, Taylor 77) Denly. Two singles. Lots of school kids in maroon t-shirt and shorts frolic on the grass.
63rd over: New Zealand 184-2 ( Williamson 79, Taylor 76) The Christmas perfume ads have hit - though none as memorable as the one years ago for L’egoiste that involved lots of people opening and closing shutters loudly whilst shouting. It made quite an impression at a sensitive age. Not that I ever bought it. Curran skips through a maiden with a smile on his face and a lolly in his pocket.
62nd over: New Zealand 183-2 ( Williamson 79, Taylor 75) Denly whizzes through his over, as if he might fast-forward through the day so fast that it disappears.
61st over: New Zealand 179-2 ( Williamson 75, Taylor 75) Woakes strides actively to the crease. Williamson trots through for a single. Would it be too harsh to say the most interesting thing that is going to happen before lunch is the race to see who reaches their century first? Though when I say race, I mean it in its broadest possible sense.
Antnie writes from across the channel. I am following, avidly, I promise, in deepest France, though I’m having trouble picturing pink stains on bowlers trousers. I hope your hottie bottle is under control tonight.
No hot water bottle yet - that’s for the 1.40am shift. Perhaps Daniel has got his ready and waiting by the kettle right now.
60th over: New Zealand 178-2 ( Williamson 74, Taylor 75) And with a single to mid-on off Denly, that’s the 150 partnership between Williamson and Taylor, off 306 balls. They reach out, and shake hands.
Updated
59th over: New Zealand 176-2 ( Williamson 72, Taylor 75) A bearded Chris Woakes is rather discombobulating , he starts to look like all the other bearded warriors, a bit of Mark Wood, with a touch of Virat Kohli. Beards have definitely got better though. Compare Mike Gatting’s to the 2019 versions.
58th over: New Zealand 175-2 ( Williamson 72, Taylor 74) Denly is bowling with his shades on, as Root polishes the ball for him on the back of his trousers. Not much happens, but the odd brain cell starts to disengage.
57th over: New Zealand 172-2 ( Williamson 70, Taylor 73) And a maiden from Woakes, as the wind ruffles the players’ shirts. And some more appreciation for Steven Finn pops into my email box.
Good evening, Tanya, writes Peter Stoker.
Not much to cheer about in this series other than, perhaps, the emergence of Steve Finn as a splendidly genial and good-natured pundit on TMS (although I appreciate, of course, that you have to follow the Sky telly feed). Let’s hope the lad has a good few years left steaming in from the Pavilion End at Lord’s. But after hanging up the size 16s...
Updated
56th over: New Zealand 172-2 ( Williamson 70, Taylor 73) Denly again, Taylor and Williamson are untroubled, Taylor laying into a crisp cut for four off his last ball.
55th over: New Zealand 164-2 ( Williamson 68, Taylor 67) Time for a bit of Chris Woakes, who takes long, brisk strides back to his mark and unfurls a tidy over.
Surely if the DRS was applied to Schrödinger‘s Cat, writes Kim Thonger, we’d find out once and for all if the ruddy thing was dead or alive and put an end to the uncertainty?
54th over: New Zealand 163-2 ( Williamson 68, Taylor 66) Nice little bit of captaincy here, as Root throws the ball to Denly - let him try to make amends, or at least not mull over the drop isolated in the field. The wind is getting up, and rattling the trees surrounding the ground.
53rd over: New Zealand 161-2 ( Williamson 66, Taylor 66) Fortified by drinks, Archer rolls through another over. It’s free entry today by the way, so if you’ve got time on your hands in Hamilton, why not mosey down.
Joe Denly should never have gone to the Marnus Labuschagne catching school, snorts David Markham.
while Dave Harris wonders, “Do you think Mrs Denly’s going to be letting Joe hold their little’un (https://mobile.twitter.com/joed1986/status/1172466162761908225) uunsupervised when he gets home?
52nd over: New Zealand 157-2 ( Williamson 65, Taylor 63) Good old Stuart Broad runs yet another over into those tired old legs. Enthusiasm undimmed. Three not particularly memorable singles and that be drinks.
This seems a bit cruel, but here you go, to accompany your coffee/cocoa.
Feast your eyes... https://t.co/2Q7kQgVSK8
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) December 2, 2019
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51st over: New Zealand 155-2 ( Williamson 62, Taylor 61) A maiden from Archer. Trouble at the last ball when Taylor sends Williamson back and he only just makes his crease via a sprawled dive.
50th over: New Zealand 155-2 ( Williamson 62, Taylor 61) A maiden from Broad, as poor ostracised Denly trudges around the field unloved. Give him a hug someone.
49th over: New Zealand 154-2 ( Williamson 62, Taylor 61) Oh dear. Cover your eyes. Joe Denly has just dropped the sitter of all sitters. Archer bowls to Williamson, one of those balls where he doesn’t use his front arm, Williamson tips it straight into Denly’s hands at short midwicket, and I mean straight, Denly doesn’t move his feet an inch, and just waits for the ball to come into his hands, which it does, and then falls straight back out. Broad covers his mouth with his hands , Archer, who was already celebrating, puts head to his hand and then laughs.
48th over: New Zealand 151-2 ( Williamson 59, Taylor 61) There’s a scattering of bare-footed crowd on the banks either side of the sightscreen as this game meanders away. A steady over from Broad.
He might as well have got a duck ... all that hard work ruined https://t.co/pUiIbLWEDm
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) December 2, 2019
47th over: New Zealand 149-2 ( Williamson 59, Taylor 61) Archer again, nothing too steamy, but on the button. Just a couple from the over.
Geoff Wignall offers this up:
Knock, knock
Who’s there?
Schrödinger
And you expect me to.open the door?
46th over: New Zealand 147-2 ( Williamson 58, Taylor 60) A double-switch as Broad replaces Stokes. Nothing much to report except for Zak Crawley tripping over himself in the covers, like a British rom-com hero negociating unexpected ice.
Updated
45th over: New Zealand 143-2 ( Williamson 58, Taylor 56) So Root turns to Archer. They have a man to man at the top of the mark and Root shuffles the field. Taylor swivels and pulls a short one, 117kph, for a single, then Williamson ducks, like a leapfrogger.
I think if we’ve learned anything it’s that New Zealand are good enough to beat England, and that the groundskeepers should be more adventurous in preparing pitches for a result, writes Joe Harvey, wisely, This second test has been disappointing. As an England supporter, I worry that we haven’t learned much- we’re still trying to figure out if Root is cut out for Captaincy, and if the Bowling attack needs a more aggressive shuffle.
I don’t think our bowling hand is too bad: Broad, Archer, Curran, Woakes, Stokes - then throw in Anderson and Wood with Mahmood sculling around in a florescent tabard.
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Fifty for Taylor
44th over: New Zealand 143-2 ( Williamson 58, Taylor 56) And fifty for Taylor too, a more chunky, risky, effort but very entertaining. He jumps off the ground to swish a Stokes wide one over gully for four, then next ball sends him through the covers for successive boundaries. Taylor and Williamson stroll together, shoot the breeze, and touch gloves.
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Fifty for Williamson
43rd over: New Zealand 134-2 ( Williamson 58, Taylor 47) Beautiful from Kane Williamson, first a dreamy extra cover drive, then he drops the hands and kisses Curran down to third man for another four.
Some excellent silliness from @finnysteve on TMS just now @tjaldred. Offering himself over to @Cricket_Mann's hotel for dinner and a bedtime story. He's been quietly good on this tour: very much banter-free. Frankly, after Pope's unfortunate miss it's all we have.
— SAY NO TO A MASSIVE JOHNSON (@GuyHornsby) December 2, 2019
I like him too. And Ramprakash, they both add something new to the squad.
Updated
42nd over: New Zealand 124-2 ( Williamson 49, Taylor 46) Taylor decides to lay into Stokes with a swift-handed slap through backward point for four. Lots of muscle but no reward yet for Stokes.
41st over: New Zealand 115-2 ( Williamson 45, Taylor 40) Curran goes through the motions, all effort and sweaty hair. Williamson plays him poker-faced until stealing a couple down to long-off.
A cracking email from John Starbuck.
Good evening.
1) You’d think that a sport more obsessed with stats than perhaps any other (OK Baseball, but that’s just a sort of rounders) would place more trust in meteorological forecasts and start even earlier on the final day;
2) We seems to be selecting players for the next but one series at the moment and even later given the chance to select youngsters who need overseas experience;
3) Mince pies should, properly, be accompanied by glasses of Madeira now we’re in December. Boast: since the early 1980s I’ve been buying an extra bottle of Madeira each year to lay down for my retirement and, now it’s arrived, I’m very pleased to say it was all worthwhile. The problem is that word has got about and I now have to take a 40-year old bottle to every Yuletide family party. Note to the uninformed: Madeira in bottles is known to mature fabulously well for longer and varied treatment - in my case, several house removals, which isn’t the same as multiple trips across the Atlantic but it’ll do;
4) Here’s hoping you’ll sign off this series on a high.
Updated
40th over: New Zealand 113-2 ( Williamson 45, Taylor 40) A Stokes tester, he torments Williamson with variations of length and bounce.
@tjaldred Root's double hundred just prolonged the captaincy debate, much like Cook's higher scores when he was the big cheese.#rootout
— The Stellarossa (@TheStellaRossa) December 2, 2019
You could say that, or it just means he’ll be a more confident captain with some form behind him, and can grow into the job while other candidates develop/secure their place in the side.
39th over: New Zealand 113-2 ( Williamson 43, Taylor 40) Two contrasting boundaries for Taylor off Curran, a cover drive, all smooth hazelnut, then a Toxic Waste outside edge, down through third man.
Good evening Tanya
Good evening Damian Clarke.
My nephew also has a new joke book. His favourite so far?
Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock.
Who’s there?
Mr. Octopus.
Very Good.
37th over: New Zealand 103-2 ( Williamson 43, Taylor 32) A drop! Stokes shoves one short and Williamson gloves it down the leg-side only for a porridge-legged Ollie Pope to drop it . To rub salt into the wound, Williamson then pulls Stokes with pizazz for four and New Zealand go into the lead.
37th over: New Zealand 99-2 ( Williamson 39, Taylor 32) A smart shy at the stumps from Sam Curran could have had Taylor in trouble, but his foot was comfortably back over the crease. Curran completes a neat maiden.
William Hargreaves drops a line. What do you feel will be the outcome, how fair a reflection of two teams’ capabilities would this be, and how do you think this will influence two teams going forward, please?
Gosh. I think that deserves two sides of A4. But briefly: a draw, a fairly true reflection (of England abroad) and I think it will give NZ some confidence going into the Australian series and reveals England’s weaknesses to be where they knew they were anyway. Incisive spin, Spots 2 and 3 in the batting order, and the killer instinct with the ball out of English conditions.
36th over: New Zealand 99-2 ( Williamson 39, Taylor 32) I was wondering whether Archer might get the ball from the other end, but Root has plumped for Stokes who toyed with Taylor yesterday evening. Again he seems to get Taylor in two minds, with the odd ball behaving unexpectedly off the pitch. Taylor pulls, inconclusively.
35th over: New Zealand 98-2 ( Williamson 39, Taylor 31) Sam Curran is handed the ball and scampers in from the Barmy Army end where a half-cut rendition of Jerusalem assaults the ears.
And out the players come - for perhaps the last session of the series.
An early joke, for our more mature readers, care of James Debens.
Someone’s stolen the Trotters’ Reliant Robin van and sold it to the US.
“Delaware?”
No, but Rodney’s bloody livid.
Another James, Butler this time, thinks Mike Atherton has forgotten the lesson of the near past.
It feels a bit ironic to now be saying that Sibley is ‘a bit limited’. Personally I would have given away my most treasured cricketing possession (a signed copy of ‘Angus Fraser’s Tour Diaries’) during the Ashes if we could have found a ‘limited’ player who could have ground out 20 between lunch and tea in the face of Pat Cummins.
Mark Butcher fancies Moeen Ali to rejoin England for the South Africa tour. I do hope so. Then they move on to Jofra Archer - Atherton says he’s an absolute diamond, but has realised how difficult Test cricket is away from England and the Dukes ball. Says we need to dampen expectation a little, but he’s a wonderful player.
An interesting tale here:
Two men admit plotting to bribe professional cricket players - Manchester Evening News https://t.co/V0HFyx5hwQ
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) December 2, 2019
My son has a new joke book. This is his favourite.
Bill: I’m letting my pet pig sleep on my bed.
Jenny: What about the smell?
Bill: He’ll just have to get used to it.
In the Sky studio they’re having a selection chat for the South Africa series.
Mike Atherton think Dom Sibley might not be right, for now, and looks a bit limited. He suggests they might shove Denly up to open and thinks Ollie Pope looks the best English batsman since Joe Root.
Butcher would keep Sibley for the tour to South Africa and see what happens.
The England touring staff, according to Atherton, are both quite optimistic about Sibley and Crawley because of the way they are shaping up in practice.
It’s not raining by the way, looks quite nice actually.
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Preamble
So, here we are, two mince pies into December, with just one day left of the first tour of the new regime. Downpours are due, probably by lunch, so any hopes of England levelling the series, or New Zealand pulling another rabbit out of the hat, seem remote.
It’s all about the little presents left unobtrusively at the foot of the tree. In foil, England’s longest Test innings for four years. With raffia, Ollie Pope’s debut fifty and Tom Latham’s century. Gift-boxed, Joe Root’s double ton. And finally, busting out of a too-small envelope, Neil Wagner’s five wickets.
On Saturday New Zealand fly to Australia, where they need to hit the ground running. The first of the three Test series starts at Perth, before moving on to Melbourne on Boxing Day and Sydney at New Year. Their last Test win in Australia was in 2011 , but you have to travel back to the era of big hair and pixie boots to unearth their last series win, when Richard Hadless was in charge way back 1985-86.
England have a couple of warm-up games before the first Test against South Africa which starts at Centurion on Boxing day. Three more Tests, three ODIs and three T20s follow.
But we’ve still got today. Something to play for, even if it is Williamson and Taylor knocking themselves into form before the rain . Play is due to start at 10.30am NZST or 9.30pm GMT. See you soon!
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