Lunch – New Zealand 348 (Williamson 93, Phillips 58*, Carse 4-64, Bashir 4-69) and 254 (Mitchell 84, Carse 6-42) lead England 499 (Brook 171, Stokes 80, Pope 77, Henry 4-84) by 103 runs
Whereas it lasted, it was a stand that had distant echoes of one other exceptional tenth-wicket stand towards England at Christchurch – Nathan Astle’s well-known 222 onslaught alongside Chris Cairns in 2002 – whereas the retiring Tim Southee, who cracked two crowd-pleasing sixes in his 12-run look at No.10 – will probably recall his personal last-wicket resistance on debut at Napier in 2008.
On each events, England recovered their poise to safe snug wins, and given the brilliant skies and brown, true floor, it’ll nonetheless take one thing exceptional for New Zealand to show this one round now. Nonetheless, the frustration was plain, not least for England’s captain Ben Stokes, who suffered a worrying niggle whereas bowling his fifth over of the morning.
New Zealand’s hopes had been slender as they resumed with a four-run lead and simply 4 wickets left standing, however not less than they had been greeted by cloudless skies and a 49-over ball: two elements that persuaded Stokes to show to an instantaneous short-ball ploy, hoping to lure an error or two with staggered slips and males within the deep for the pull.
The ploy did not ship the meant penalties, notably for Stokes himself, who shouldered the burden with the primary over of the day however pulled up in discomfort halfway by means of his fifth. He instantly handed the remainder of the over to Gus Atkinson, regardless that he stayed on the sphere by means of to the lunch break.
By the point of that setback, nevertheless, New Zealand’s comparatively serene progress had already been interrupted in Carse’s personal fourth over. Nathan Smith had regarded regular for his 21 runs, getting solidly into line to the brief balls whereas selecting off back-to-back boundaries when Carse strayed fuller in his opening over. Nonetheless, he had no reply for the primary ball of the day that actually misbehaved, because it stored a contact low and decked again into his shin at sharp tempo, to attract a leg-sided lbw verdict.
4 balls later, Carse had his second of the morning, and his fifth of the innings, to depart New Zealand deep within the mire at 192 for 8, a lead at that stage of simply 41. Matt Henry was additionally performed in by the fuller size, this time by a quick, inswinging supply that thumped him in entrance of center and leg. He took his go away with no considered a overview.
Tim Southee, in his remaining Take a look at collection, arrived to a tumultuous ovation, and an expectant one too, for there wasn’t a lot doubt about how he’d be enjoying this explicit scenario. With 93 Take a look at sixes to his identify, and a most of 5 innings through which to submit his century, he got here out swinging and duly related twice in three balls with two lusty blows over the leg-side off Atkinson. The identical bowler, nevertheless, had smacked him on the helmet together with his second ball, and introduced the enjoyable to an finish together with his eleventh, as Joe Root at broad long-on held onto a nice tumbling take.
With simply the No.11 Will O’Rourke for firm, Mitchell bought away with a scuffed drive to long-off that Carse did not sight in time, then – having nudged Chris Woakes off his pads to achieve his half-century from 132 balls – he determined it was time to alter up his tempo.
He unfurled a well-timed lap for 4 by means of nice leg in Woakes’ subsequent over, then a stable minimize by means of level off Atkinson, and when Shoaib Bashir entered the assault, Mitchell unfurled a well-timed reverse-sweep by means of deep third then drilled him over the long-off ropes with a trademark launch down the bottom.
With a earlier Take a look at-best of two, O’Rourke was avoided the strike as a lot as potential, though he surpassed that rating in a single blow, as he drove Bashir for 3 to the sting of the duvet boundary. Two extra boundaries in Woakes’ subsequent over lifted the result in three figures, however Carse returned to complete the job he had began. Together with his century in sight, Mitchell climbed right into a drive down the bottom, however picked out Woakes at long-off.
Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket
