The modern cathedral glistened in the sunshine to be admired by the New Zealand tourists and a fair crowd searching for a little sun trap. At last there was not a glimmer of scaffolding visible to mar the architecture. Yes, the Premier Inn, the haven for the modern man, looks to be up and running on the boundary’s edge at Worcester. Pull back the curtains and it was possible for guests to spot the batsmen struggling for runs in the morning against a variety of young Kiwi bowlers.
There was a pleasing urgency to the cricket even though this is not a first class-match. Instead it is a contest between approximately 14 men of New Zealand and about 15 of Worcestershire. The result does not really matter but there is a Test match on Thursday and the highest-rated New Zealand side to arrive on these shores (except that four of them have not made it yet) sense their chance not just because the Kiwis currently stand third in the ICC Test rankings, two places above England.
For the tourists there are no hang-ups, which is not necessarily the case with the home side. It is mildly inconvenient that captain Brendon McCullum, Kane Williamson, Tim Southee and Trent Boult are still in India, fulfilling their IPL commitments, but this is not the end of the world.
Such a scenario has happened before, whereupon New Zealand went on to win the first Test match against West Indies in the Caribbean 12 months ago. Their board recognizes they have no choice other than to work with their senior players in the IPL. So they do.
New Zealand have a relatively settled side but there are a few decisions still to be made. They must perm two opening batsmen from Tom Latham and Hamish Rutherford, the men in possession, and Martin Guptill, who had such a fruitful World Cup. This is by no means a clear cut decision. On Saturday Lathamand Rutherford, who was bowled by Moeen Ali’s first ball, both failed. Nor is the choice of third seamer behind Southee and Boult straightforward. The options all have merit. There is Neil Wagner, left-arm over and a tenacious competitor. Doug Bracewell, who reminds us how cricket is such a family affair in New Zealand – three of his uncles, his father and one of his cousins have played first-class cricket (and the fathers of Latham and Rutherford are Test cricketers).
Matt Henry is uncapped at Test level but such is the Kiwi confidence in him that he was catapulted into the World Cup final two months ago with no misgivings. Henry is probably the fastest of this trio.
There was not much to choose between them against Worcestershire. Wagner was the most economical and he managed to remove Moeen very early in proceedings. Moeen had requested to play when the ECB’s original plan was to allow him to rest before the Test. Here he gently clipped the ball to square-leg before leaving the field as if puzzled by how that could have happened.
Having dispatched Tom Fell for a duck, Henry managed to send the off and middle stumps of Alex Gidman cartwheeling towards the slip cordon. Meanwhile, Bracewell was grateful to Guptill for a spectacular slip catch to dismiss the adhesive Daryl Mitchell. Henry would be the boldest choice for the Test match and unlike many international sides New Zealand, under McCullum and their coach, Mike Hesson, are not averse to making the odd, bold decision.
Ross Whiteley kept the Worcestershire innings afloat and the tourists in the field. The lanky left-hander struck an increasingly forthright century, which at least allowed the tourists more practice. New Zealand’s stand-in skipper, BJ Watling, used eight bowlers.
Acclimatisation was proceeding smoothly enough in the chilly sunshine and the New Zealanders appear to be in a good place for the Test match provided the quartet arriving from India on Sunday and Monday can reacquaint themselves with a red ball by Thursday morning.
