New Zealand v England: 2nd Test, Day 4 - England Waiting on the Weather and Jack Leach

 

New Zealand v England: 2^nd Test, Day 4

England Waiting on the Weather and Jack Leach

April 2^nd 2018

Given that England lost two almost full days to the weather in the 1^st Test (and still could not save it) it seems churlish to begrudge New Zealand a few overs lost to bad light. However, it is, of course different when it is you own team that is being unlucky. The major difference was that even with the equivalent of five sessions lost, England’s chances of saving the Test were small while, in the current Test, bad light could ruin a fabulous finish, with all four results possible at the start of the day.

First thing to say is that Joe Root has set an eminently fair declaration that gives both sides a chance. The nightmare scenario is that New Zealand finish 8 or 9 wickets down and just short of the target when the light closes in (remember The Oval 2013, when a ridiculously ambitious Australian declaration almost let England in for a shock win as the light failed). It is a big chase, but England’s best chance of forcing a win might just be for New Zealand to go for the target. Nominally, the required run-rate is only about 3.5, although forcing batting has not been easy for either side. New Zealand have made a decent start and may just be thinking that if they can get to Lunch without too much damage, they can re-assess and think about making a push for victory.

The key to an England win is undoubtedly going to be Jack Leach. If Joe Root is brave enough to give him properly attacking fields, there is turn available and, if the batsmen play a few shots, he could get among the wickets. The other factor is time. With bad light looking certain to curtail play well before the 98 overs are done, England will need Leach to bowl his overs swiftly enough to get enough in to take ten wickets. Ideally, Leach will attack at one end, with Anderson, Broad and Wood rotating at the other. The other thing that Root can try is to pair Leach with Malan or with himself for a couple of spells and try to buy a wicket or two. This will be a major test of Root's tactical acumen and willingness to learn.

England would have liked to declare earlier and with a bigger lead but, despite runs all down the order, no one could force the pace for long – the fastest scoring was in the brief cameos of Broad and Wood – and no one could get close to Vince’s 76, which may just have saved his Test career. The New Zealand attack closed the match down, bowled no more overs than they absolutely had to and their support bowlers spoilt the party by taking the six wickets to fall in the day, stopping the possibility if the opening bowlers on either side beating the mark of taking the first twenty-three wickets of the match, set in 1902 and 1912.

Whichever way the series ends today, it has been played in the right spirit: had, but fair and with both sides respecting the other. Hopefully cricket and not the weather, will be the winner on the final day of the series and of the tour. Back in England (and the Caribbean), the First Class season has started. For several of the side, early season runs on their return may be critical to their hopes of lining-up against Pakistan at the end of May.

New Zealand v England: 2nd Test, Day 3 - This is not an April Fool: England may win!

 

New Zealand v England: 2^nd Test, Day 3

This is not an April Fool: England may win!

April 1^st 2018

When England were 94-5 on the first afternoon, you would not have got very good odds on a New Zealand win. The dark forecasts of some fans that England would be whitewashed 2-0 looked all too likely to be fulfilled. It is Joe Root though who, today, will be shouting “April Fool”, having fooled most of the cricketing world into believing that his side would struggle to beat anyone right now. Suddenly and unexpectedly, England are right on top and, with two days to play – albeit two days that will be curtailed due to bad light – will hope to set New Zealand around 400 to win in four and a half sessions.

If you had added that this position would be set up by Stoneman and Vince, you would have been condemned for trying an obvious April Fool. Let us not be fooled though. Stoneman and Vince respect tradition and have not suddenly become Compton and Edrich: Stoneman pushes his highest Test score ever upwards – 52, 53, 56 and now, 60! At this rate he should score his maiden Test century in around his 40^th Test. If you look at Stoneman’s scores in this series – 11, 55, 35 & 60 – you would feel forced to say that he has been a success, averaging 40, but he continues to suffer from vertigo when in. If you consider reaching 15 as getting a start, he has done it in 13 of his 18 Test innings, but still averages only 30.2. Vince is just as bad. He has now played 13 Tests and averages under 25. He has reached 15 in his last eight innings, but passed 25 just twice. And his dismissals are almost identical ever time, prodding outside off. Partnership of 123, grinding England into a position of near impregnability and then both getting out within a few runs of each other.

It is fortunate that two other players who are short of runs in recent Tests took up the baton. There is a lot of chatter about Joe Root’s inability it covert 50s into 100s in Tests – a century here would set up a declaration and make a point. And, after a superb run, Dawid Malan’s run fountain has started to dry up. Since the start of the winter Tests, Joe Root has fallen in single figures just twice and made 6x50, but never got close to a century and has just one century in his last 13 Tests, as against 11x50. It is hard to criticise someone who has passed 50 twelve times in thirteen Tests, but such are the standards that Root has set, that people do wonder if the captaincy has just taken a little edge off his game. Dawid Malan was one of the great successes of the Ashes with 1x100 and 3x50 but, his last 5 innings have been 5, 2, 23, 0 & (now) 19*: another low score and the shine will be coming right off that Ashes success. Malan’s average is under 31 after twelve Tests and he knows that it has to increase, and rapidly, to cement his place.

That England are in this position is down to some excellent bowling from Stuart Broad. Bowling a fuller length and making batsmen play has made him look exponentially more threatening and a 6-for and his best figures for almost two years have been the reward. The opening bowlers on either side now have the first 23 wickets of the match. Never have the two pairs of opening bowlers bettered this number and, should Boult or Southee manage the next wicket to fall, the match will set a new record in Tests, beating the mark last set in 1912.

What England would like is to press on in the first session and stretch the lead from its current 231 to around 350. An hour in the afternoon at most, then, to a declaration. Ideally, they would like Root and Malan to set a foundation for Stokes and Bairstow to come in with a licence to enjoy themselves. Of course, in this topsy-turvy series of collapses and tail-end heroics, who knows what the reality will be like?