Key events
Gareth Wilson, even after a fine morning for England, is worried.
I have the fear – that England’s batters will make the pitch look more 100-7 than 317-0. Are the 1990s back?
Lunch
108th over: New Zealand 418-7 (Blundell 18, Smith 4) We’re not going to have any spin before the break. There’s a change of ball midway through the over, and the Sky cameras focus on what England’s fielders have been getting up to stay entertained. Joe Root does a cartwheel; Harry Brook decides to hold Jacob Bethell in his arms – romance ain’t dead. The end of the over brings lunch, and I’ll give England that session. New Zealand have gone from 317-0 to 418-7.
107th over: New Zealand 416-7 (Blundell 17, Smith 3) Stokes is going to bowl through to lunch, tailing the ball into Blundell. Dot, dot, dot; block, block, block.
106th over: New Zealand 416-7 (Blundell 17, Smith 3) Just been browsing through Statsguru. Among those with 250 Test wickets, only Jacques Kallis has more Test runs than Stokes. Kallis, so freakishly good, made 45 tons. Stokes has 14.
It’s been a morning of maidens – Tongue delivers another.
105th over: New Zealand 416-7 (Blundell 17, Smith 3) Stokes is on one, refusing to give up the ball. He’s into his seventh over of this spell, one that’s produced three wickets. Though he’s showing signs that it’s time for a break, sending the ball down the leg-side.
104th over: New Zealand 415-7 (Blundell 17, Smith 2) Tongue is back to wheel away as England continue to stick to a tight line. The quicks have done a fine job this morning.
103rd over: New Zealand 415-7 (Blundell 17, Smith 2) Stokes, by the way, now has 250 Test wickets. Dinesh Karthik and Mark Butcher, on comms, reckon there was some of the ball on Santner’s wristband.
102nd over: New Zealand 413-7 (Blundell 17, Smith 0) Atkinson keeps things quiet with six dots.
WICKET! Santner c Bethell b Stokes 4 (New Zealand 413-7)
Santer edges Stokes with enough control, the ball flying low past the cordon for four. Stokes sends a fierce bumper down to leave Santner in an almighty tangle – the ball lobs up into the air for a simple grab and England think they have their man! Santner reviews immediately, claiming it’s off his forearm. But, upon review, it’s adjudged that it’s struck the wristband off the glove. Up goes the finger!
Well, they’ve just shown a reply on the TV from a side angle – and it looks like Santner’s been dealt with harshly there. It’s off the forearm guard, that’s for sure. Nonetheless, England have their seventh.
101st over: New Zealand 413-7 (Blundell 17, Smith 0)
100th over: New Zealand 409-6 (Blundell 17, Santner 0) Blundell finds some respite from The Squeeze, piercing Atkinson through point for four. And it becomes a big over for New Zealand, with Blundell finding the third-man rope before driving through the covers.
99th over: New Zealand 395-6 (Blundell 3, Santner 0) Stokes thunders in from around the wicket to Mitch Santner, whose one Test century came against England back in 2019. The England captain collects another maiden.
98th over: New Zealand 395-6 (Blundell 3, Santner 0) The runs have completely dried up here … though Blundell clips to the leg-side for a couple off Atkinson. Up it flashes on the TV: New Zealand are 4-2 from the last 30 balls.
WICKET! O’Rourke c Gay b Stokes 19 (New Zealand 393-6)
O’Rourke finally loses his patience. Stokes sends in five dots, then lands it on a good length: O’Rourke forgets his forward defence and swings across the line – the ball lobs up into the air and into the hands of Emilio Gay at point.
97th over: New Zealand 393-6 (Blundell 1, Santner 0)
96th over: New Zealand 393-5 (Blundell 1, O’Rourke 19) Gus Atkinson is on from the other end, sending down six dots. And with that: drinks. I’m not entirely sure which side will be happier with that first hour.
95th over: New Zealand 393-5 (Blundell 1, O’Rourke 19) Stokes has got some serious rhythm with the ball – he’s been more of a bowler than a batter for some time now. A beaut fizzes past O’Rourke’s outside edge.
WICKET! Mitchell c Smith b Stokes 11 (New Zealand 392-5)
Stokes thinks he’s found Mitchell’s outside edge, with Smith holding on behind the stumps. The captain is convinced, going upstairs … and there’s a spike on UltraEdge! England have got the batter before the nightwatcher. Stokes is pumped.
94th over: New Zealand 392-4 (Mitchell 11, O’Rourke 19) Dinesh Karthik, in the comms box, highlights an issue with Smith’s footwork: he shifted to the leg-side first before making the leap to his right for that drop.
93rd over: New Zealand 391-4 (Mitchell 10, O’Rourke 19) Ben Stokes brings himself on … and O’Rourke’s fun continues. He swishes the bat outside off and finds four behind point. And then a drop! O’Rourke edges, Jamie Smith dives to his right, the ball deflects off his glove and Joe Root can’t hold on at first slip. The former England captain was best placed to take it, but you can understand why Smith leapt.
92nd over: New Zealand 386-4 (Mitchell 9, O’Rourke 15) O’Rourke is doing a good job of annoying England here – he edges Tongue through the gap in the cordon, collecting another boundary. And he’s got a decent defence on him, too.
91st over: New Zealand 382-4 (Mitchell 9, O’Rourke 11) Archer decides to enter bumper mode against O’Rourke, who fends away for a single. Mitchell gets one zipping past his helmet, too.
90th over: New Zealand 381-4 (Mitchell 9, O’Rourke 10) Tongue tries to sneak through Mitchell with a yorker, but the forward defence looks pretty solid at the moment.
89th over: New Zealand 381-4 (Mitchell 9, O’Rourke 10) O’Rourke’s got a new Test-best! He hangs the bat outside off against Archer, not sure whether to play or leave – but the ball ends up running to third for a boundary. And then a lovely punch through point for four more! He’s just 90 away from that first ton.
Phil Sawyer writes in:
You’ve made the mistake of mentioning Lancashire *hops onto soapbox*. That Lancashire team indeed looks mightily impressive. And yet Lancashire somehow contrive to be stone last in the table. It’s not just the short form, the malaise is across all of the formats and has been for a while now. If anyone thinks supporting the England team is a challenge at the moment, get yourself along to a Lancashire match and see how the experts in being much less than the sum of their parts manage it.
88th over: New Zealand 372-4 (Mitchell 8, O’Rourke 2) Tongue gets a look at O’Rourke … who digs out a yorker for a couple. Tidily played by a man with a Test-best of five not out. There’s a mix-up between the two batters that nearly ends O’Rourke’s stay before Tongue sends one whizzing past the outside edge.
87th over: New Zealand 370-4 (Mitchell 8, O’Rourke 0) Archer’s looking sharp, starting the over with an 87mph inswinger. Though he follows that up with a loose, wide one. The England quick sends down a couple of bumpers and has his first maiden of the innings.
86th over: New Zealand 370-4 (Mitchell 8, O’Rourke 0) It’s Josh Tongue to have a go from the other end … and he immediately looks the part. Mitchell decides late to leave the ball – an inside-edge travels for four. There’s a leg slip in position, with Tongue – like Archer – tailing the ball into the right-hander.
85th over: New Zealand 363-4 (Mitchell 1, O’Rourke 0) Daryl Mitchell is on strike, with Will O’Rourke – the nightwatcher – at the other end. Archer gets some decent shape into the right-hander before Mitchell squeezes the ball into the offside for a single. Archer has three balls against O’Rourke after bowling a no-ball … but the New Zealand quick survives.
OK, let’s play. It’ll be Archer to continue the over he began last night with a wicket.
If you’re at Trent Bridge today please drop me a line – would be good to hear how those in the crowd are managing with the heat.
Our very own Will Unwin has told me to check out Lancashire’s squad for their Blast game against Leicestershire tonight: Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Luke Wood and Jimmy Anderson in the mix. Stick that one on.
Just looking over some stats from yesterday, courtesy of Cricinfo: Conway and Latham’s partnership was the first 300-plus effort by a touring side since Amla and Kallis at the Oval 14 years ago.
I’ve heard Amla’s actually still batting in south London:
If I’m not at my best on the OBO today, please remember this:
All you need to read from day one.
Oh, and some news too:
Preamble
I’m sweating and I’m in an air-conditioned office. So yeah, I feel for England, who must return to the field this morning at Trent Bridge, where temperatures could end up hitting the mid-30s. Rank.
The positive news for Ben Stokes’ side? They’ve ended that monstrous opening stand and have got through the top four. Good thing Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell don’t have a history of gigantic stands against them … right? We get going at 11am BST.
