Key events
Time for me to stretch my legs – back shortly.
No news yet on Stokes, who pulled up half way through an over mid-morning. Presumably he is now being forced to sit down with a cold compress and a cup of tea.
WICKET! Mitchell c Woakes b Carse 84 (New Zealand 254 all out lead by 103)
Mitchell drives – but this time straight to long off. New Zealand start to walk off, but all is paused while the umpires check for a non-existent no-ball. Finally given the go-ahead, they stroll off for lunch.
A smashing innings from Mitchell, excellent defence from O’Rourke and Carse finishes with 6-42 and ten in the match. He leads England off, ball in hand.
74th over: New Zealand 254-9 (Mitchell 84, O’Rourke 5) Green, green grass, blue, blue skies and O’Rourke declines another single. Even the Barmy Army have gone quiet. David Gower asks someone to explain “ice-ice baby”
73rd over: New Zealand 252-9 (Mitchell 83, O’Rourke 5) A maiden from Carse, who replaces Bashir.
”I’ll take John Wailes’ shout out (approx half an hour ago) in the spirit I believe was intended,” mulls
Brad Mcmillan
”I can think of little more tediously exciting than the prospect of an England test match resolution on Sunday morning happening before the end of a gloriously turgid Saturday night snooker semi-final, and simultaneously watching both live while tipsy after a rare night in the pub.
”I might think differently in 24hrs time, but that’s for future me to worry about!”
Tedious excitement. One for the ECB marketing gurus.
72nd over: New Zealand 252-9 (Mitchell 83, O’Rourke 5) The last over before lunch isn’t the last over before lunch as I think we’re taking the extra half hour. The field comes in after three balls and Mitchell says thanks very much and rolls his wrists for four. Four more follows through square leg.
At 43, this is now the second biggest stand of the innings in just over 10 overs, behind only Williamson and Mitchell’s 69.
71st over: New Zealand 244-9 (Mitchell 75, O’Rourke 5) Mitchell breaks the spell with a hop and a skip and a SIX flayed straight and high. A possible first boundary in Test cricket by O’Rourke (in his eighth Test) is hauled back from the rope, so he has to contend with a first three – which brings him to his highest Test score!
70th over: New Zealand 233-9 (Mitchell 67, O’Rourke 2) A bird’s-eye camera shows a beautiful set of striped pitches surrounding the cut strip. Woakes goes again, screams past the outside edge of O’Rourke’s bat.
69th over: New Zealand 232-9 (Mitchell 66, O’Rourke 2) O’Rourke, long stubborn legs, Bashir long lanky legs. A single.
68th over: New Zealand 231-9 (Mitchell 65, O’Rourke 2) A maiden from Woakes, as O’Rourke, who has made a virtue of never playing a shot, dutifully blocks. He has been in two or three Test partnerships of 30-odd where he has just left it to his partner to score.
“They’re line dancing and singing country songs between racks in the Mosconi Cup in Florida,” says Simon McMahon. “And that’s just the players. Maybe somebody should tell Mark Allen and Barry Hawkins?”
67th over: New Zealand 231-9 (Mitchell 65, O’Rourke 2) Bashir with the first over of spin today. Under instruction from the umpires, he pulls a plaster off his bowling thumb – no plasters allowed on the bowling fingers, which, I’m afraid, is news to me. Bashir got a bit of tap yesterday after collecting wickets for fun in the first innings. A semi-chance at slip, but Brook can’t get a hand to it. Mitchell ends the over with a sharp reverse-sweep for four. And we go on – the lead 80 and inching towards irritating.
66th over: New Zealand 225-9 (Mitchell 60, O’Rourke 1) Atkinson tiptoes in at speed. Mitchell lands a handsome blow through point, where it flies away for four.
“Can I just say Happy Birthday to my fellow Sagittarian Andy, celebrating his silver wedding anniversary with longsuffering Sian. Apparently they’re in Timaru which is only 160 kms from Christchurch.” Consider it done, Finbar Anslow. Happy Birthday Andy!
65th over: New Zealand 220-9 (Mitchell 50, O’Rourke 1)
Mitchell glances at that full list of O’Rourke Test innings – 0*, 0*, 0*, 2, 0, 2*, 0*, 0*, 0*, 0, 1*, 2*, 0 – and innovates with a flicky salt throw over his left shoulder for four.
64th over: New Zealand 215-9 (Mitchell 50, O’Rourke 1) Rourke’s highest Test score is 2. Time for Mitchell to get cracking.
Fifty for Daryl Mitchell!
63rd over: New Zealand 215-9 (Mitchell 50, O’Rourke 0) Time for Chris Woakes, who raises his beautiful eyebrows and races in, slightly barrel chested. Mitchell eases to his 13th Test fifty, from 132 balls. Reliable glue.
“Shout out to anyone flicking between the most horrendous game of snooker since 1984 and the Test match,” writes John Wailes. “Saturday night for the ages.” It does sound like Mark Allen and Barry Hawkins is a bit of a slog – and not in a T20 way.
62nd over: New Zealand 210-9 (Mitchell 47, O’Rourke 0) A no-ball and a wide nudge New Zealand’s lead up to 60. Will Mitchell go big now?
“Nay, Tanya, Nay and thrice Nay! A dog is The Hundred. Continually demanding our attention, constantly on guard for threats and an irritation when all you want is an August afternoon watching Lancashire make 127 all out and Somerset reply with 225-1.” Gary Naylor, I will never be able to read your County Cricket Talking Points in the same way.
WICKET! Southee c Root b Atkinson (New Zealand 209-9)
Southee clears the decks for take-off once more, but this time the ball flies to Joe Root at deep midwicket, who accepts with both hands as he flops to earth.
61st over: New Zealand 209-8 (Mitchell 47, Southee 12)
Ade Couper has his pencil hovering over the England card. “Was mulling over the England batting order- is there a case for Stokes batting at 3, then have Pope keep wicket & bat at 6 or 7? Stokes on his day is more than equal to batting at 1st down, while Pope can have a similar role to, say, Moeen or Alec Stewart, ie being a reliable middle/late order batter?” My bones say no.
Mitchell knocks an easy single and Carse dives to stop, ends up pancake flat on his stomach.
60th over: New Zealand 207-8 (Mitchell 48, Southee 12) Southee, on his farewell tour, has a huge slog at Atkinson. Misses. Then gets a toe end which is well stopped by a diving Pope. Finally gets bat on ball and gives Atkinson a taste of his own medicine by swinging with style and clocking SIX. And another one! Legs wide apart, bang over deep square, and just over Joe Root. He does have previous…
“I’m proud to say I have a cat sat either side of me. Eros and Hera,” taps Alistair Connor. “ They show no interest in the rugby I’m watching : catching up on Ireland-Aus. I no longer feel the visceral hatred a true Kiwi is supposed to feel for any Australian sports team (possibly because I have a daughter in Melbourne), and this crew are very entertaining.”
They take DRINKS.
59th over: New Zealand 194-8 (Mitchell 45, Southee 0) Carse continues. In the background hands reach into cool bags. And why not. The lead, incidentally, is 43
Hello Guy Hornsby! “Saturday night and where else would we be but watching Test cricket, Tanya? Rock, and indeed, roll. I’m still pleasantly surprised by how England went overnight last time, and while they’re odds-on to win this, it feels they’re letting too many easy runs so far this session. [This was sent about 20 mins ago – Ed]
(P.s. we have a new cat, Ziggy, in our house and I can confirm that this 6-month old ball of black furry greatness is much more T20 than Test, but he’s only young!) Gorgeous.
These are my feline companions:
Stokes stops bowling mid-over!
58th over: New Zealand 193-8 (Mitchell 45, Southee 0) Not a good sign. Stokes stops bowling after three balls and hands the job to Atkinson. He doesn’t go off the field but this will be a big worry for England. Atkinson promptly scones Southee on the grill.
WICKET! Henry lbw Carse 1 (New Zealand 192-8)
ON. THE. MONEY. Full and fast. Henry doesn’t bother reviewing. Carse has his first Test five fer and England are suddenly on the charge.
57th over: New Zealand 192-8 (Mitchell 44, Southee 0) Five wickets for Carse, to match four in the first innings. What a few months he’s had – a betting ban followed by international honours and a speedy adjustment to the demands of Test cricket.
WICKET! Smith lbw Carse 21 (New Zealand 190-7)
Smith reviews but more in hope than expectation. It crashes into his knee roll and would have hit the top of leg stump.
56th over: New Zealand 190-6 (Smith 21, Mitchell 43) Stokes huffs and puffs. A lovely looking shot from Smith, a push through the covers – brings three. With half an hour gone, New Zealand are looking remarkably untroubled.
55th over: New Zealand 184-6 (Smith 17, Mitchell 41) Carse, shirt untucked as always, sprays in a few more bouncers and Smith ducks happily beneath. All good energy for Brendan McCullum thinking Ashes bound a year on.
54th over: New Zealand 182-6 (Smith 15, Mitchell 41) Stokes continues. Throws in a no ball. And another as a tricksy bounces forces Smith to duck. New Zealand have resisted for 20 doughty minutes. Mitchell, who averages 72 against England, continues his thorn-like progress.
53rd over: New Zealand 176-6 (Smith 12, Mitchell 40)
“Morning / Evening Tanya. New Zealand and England are always worth watching, but it will take something special for the Black Caps to turn this around. So, your friend has kittens you say? Are they watching, or busy making you biscuits for lunch? We got two kittens back in the summer, after 15 years as dog owners. Sisters who we named Margo and Olive. They are magnificent creatures. Cats are the animal world equivalent of Test cricket I reckon. They know they’re the best, and pity anyone who doesn’t agree. If I could watch Test cricket with a cat by my side for eternity, I’d be a happy man.”
The kittens are adorable (Paris and Stella) but I must disagree Simon McMahon. The dog is the pet equivalent of Test cricket .
52nd over: New Zealand 172-6 (Smith 11, Mitchell 37) While the cat on the carpet in front of me plays with a carrot attached to a fishing rod, Stokes charges in. The sky is blue, the hills are bonny, the ground is full. Another four slips through the cordon.
51st over: New Zealand 166-6 (Smith 10, Mitchell 32) The dangerous Brydon Carse bounds in like a hungry panther. Smith pings him for two consecutive fours, one guided cleverly between slip and gully.
50th over: New Zealand 157-6 (Smith 2, Mitchell 32) Stokes starts with a loosener as the Barmy Army riff through a full-throated Jerusalem. Stokes’ hair is Compton Brylcreem with touch of mullet. A couple of singles gets the Kiwis up and running.
David Gower is ringing the starting bell and Ben Stokes has the ball. Here we go.
Chris Woakes is taking David Gower through the Kane Williamson plan. “Ideally you get him out early, that’s when he’s most vulnerable. I think about fourth/fifth stump that’s where everyone’s susceptible. Then its all a about using the crease. It is nice when an over comes together like that.”
Mmmmm. 25 degrees with a nice breeze, and an oatmeal pitch.
Bon soir Alistair Connor in Lyon: “It’s very decent of the Guardian to OBO overnight Tests. My routine is to follow until midnight, then go to bed and in the morning, try to scroll back without learning the score so I can maintain the suspense while I catch up. Gummy half-closed eyes are an advantage. I could probably get a free-to-air NZ TV feed, but then I ‘d have to stay up all night.
“This series has huge potential. Our lot go one down, no doubt, but the sides are well-matched.”
It’s definitely a tasty side-dish to the run-up to Christmas.
“A nice flat pristine surface,” says Jeremy Coney, looking neat and trim. “For a day four surface, it looks pretty good and if you can get yourself in, runs are available.
The Wisden editor rubs it in:
Play is due to start at 10pm GMT. While you’re waiting, read about Harry Brook having jam on his toast.
Preamble
Hello! In this tail-chasing Test cricketing winter, where Sri Lanka chased New Zealand who chased India who chased Australia, England (chased down in turn by Pakistan) now close their jaws on the frisky Kiwi tail. With a lead of just four, and only four wickets in hand, New Zealand will struggle to keep the crowds, lolling deliciously at the gorgeous Hagley Oval, entertained after lunch, let alone into day five.
England utilised day three to the full – Harry Brook blissing out with yet another score of 150 plus, Ben Stokes with a restrained 80 and some plentiful biffing by Carse and Atkinson. Henry finished with four wickets, Smith with three. New Zealand, who dropped eight catches as England rocked and rolled towards 500, faltered early in their second innings. Williamson orchestrated a steady-as-she-goes recovery, but Chris Woakes outwitted him – Williamson and new man Blundell caught in successive balls. Three wickets too for the unstoppable Carse.
I’m in my friend’s lovely house in Marlow, being entertained by their kittens. Wherever you are, do drop me a line.
