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England v New Zealand: third Test, day two – live!


Lunch, New Zealand 325-8

115.5 overs: New Zealand 325-8 (Southee 33) A valuable partnership is finally brought to a close in a disciplined final over of the session from Leach, who is taken on by Mitchell fifth ball and very well caught in the deep by Stokes.

Which ends a lively old session, which England began well but saw two catches go down, and New Zealand were able to score with ease in the second hour. They’ve got a competitive total on the board already, but not one that should faze this England side. However, they did lose the run of themselves a bit in that session, and need to wrap up this innings sharpish after lunch.

Tanya Aldred will be with you for that, and I’ll be back later in the evening session. Thanks for your company and comments, only a fraction of which I’ve been able to publish. Catch you’se all later.

Wicket! Mitchell c Stokes b Leach 109

Leach gets his man! An excellent innings is brought to a close as Stokes sets a trap, Leach tosses one up, invites the batter to go over the top. He doesn’t quite get hold of it and Stokes takes a swirling catch at wide long-off. And that ends the session

Out! Stokes takes the catch as Mitchell goes for 109.
Out! Stokes takes the catch as Mitchell goes for 109. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters

115th over: New Zealand 324-7 (Mitchell 109 Southee 32) Is Stokes fit to bowl? I wonder whether the captain might want to introduce himself to the fray now. Overton’s not getting much joy here, with the field out as Southee cuts to Root at a kind-of fine third man/back stop position on the boundary. The pesky No 9 adds two more when he steps outside the line and hooks to the deep square leg boundary. This partnership is now 59.

114th over: New Zealand 320-7 (Mitchell 107 Southee 30) Leach has a strained shout for caught-behind, thinking Mitchell might have flicked off glove to keeper, but he’s turned down and Stokes declines a review. A miscued sweep then still brings Mitchell two behind the keeper, and he preserves the strike with a dabbed single behind backward point to round off the over.

112th over: New Zealand 317-7 (Mitchell 106 Southee 30) Overton’s radar is a bit awry here, and Mitchell confidently bunts a low full toss over the bowler’s head for four. A single follows. The short stuff continues and Southee clouts four more to the long-on boundary, where Stokes was slow to pick it up out of the backdrop of the crowd. And when Overton does go full, Southee square drives through point with style for four. This partnership could be pivotal.

“Really impressed with England’s choice to bowl short against the lower order here,” snarks Ed Rostron. “It was surely the last thing NZ would have expected given that England have tried it in every single game over the last two years without it ever working. Brilliant double bluff from England!” Yes, this is all a bit too reminiscent of the Before Times at the moment.

112th over: New Zealand 304-7 (Mitchell 101 Southee 22) Leach continues, Southee flicks a single and then Mitchell brings up another fine hundred with a straight six. Sure, he’s had some reprieves in this innings but he’s looked assured and classy throughout. A magnificent achievement.

Hundred for Daryl Mitchell

The imperious form of Mitchell is marked by a century for a third Test in a row with the most majestic lofted six off Jack Leach. Well played sir.

Daryl Mitchell gets his century, lovely stuff.
Daryl Mitchell gets his century, lovely stuff. Photograph: Matt West/Shutterstock

111th over: New Zealand 296-7 (Mitchell 95 Southee 21) Umpire Erasmus’s earholes get a rest from the ball-related GBH assailing them, as Broad is replaced by Jamie Overton at the Kirkstall Lane End. He has four men on the boundary, so I think we know what’s coming, but the first short’un of the over is deflected over the slips for four by Southee, who carves the next one to the boundary through extra-cover. He bashes down another single through midwicket to put Mitchell on strike, and he greets Broad with a really elegant controlled pull through midwicket for four, finding the gaps with precision.

That over didn’t go to plan at all for England, and New Zealand have grounds to feel chipper.

110th over: New Zealand 282-7 (Mitchell 90 Southee 12) Leach turns one into Mitchell’s pads, and it spins behind the keeper for a couple of leg-byes. There’s grip and turn out there. A single square on the leg takes Mitchell into the nineties, which gives him a new record for runs by a New Zealander in a series against England. An incredible achievement in a losing campaign.

109th over: New Zealand 279-7 (Mitchell 89 Southee 12) Mitchell is happy to give Southee the strike, scuttling through for a single off the second ball of Broad’s over. And there’s a reason for that – as Southee duly swivel-pulls venomously to the square-leg boundary for four. Two more follow with a kind-of uppercut to third man. There are few better disrupters among the world’s tail-end batters than Southee, as Broad’s suddenly started going short.

“This attempting to get the ball changed is a bit tiresome,” writes Nick Parish. “Any reason there couldn’t be a DRS-style approach to this – you get two or three unsuccessful attempts to get the ball changed per innings, and that’s it. That would soon stop the frivolous ones. Thanks for all the commentary – keep up the good work.”

107th over: New Zealand 270-7 (Mitchell 88 Southee 4) Mitchell pushes Leach into the onside for a single, then Southee loosenes his shoulders and hits down the ground, as is his wont – it’s a chance but it just eludes the diving Bairstow and goes for four. This game might start moving on apace now.

“I don’t know if this has been covered OBO yet – but what do you think about Michael Vaughan on TMS,” asks David Gillson. “It seems to me that as they are playing at Headingley , and TMS has been running lunchtime interviews and pieces about the racism at Yorkshire , then it seems highly inappropriate that MV should be on the BBC – as he’s apparently been charged by the ECB and it’s bringing the game into disrepute. I’m not a huge fan of punishing people by public opinion when an official verdict has not been reached – but I really think they should have left him out of this test (at least). I feel uncomfortable listening to him. And I’m a Yorkshireman”

This is a big issue to discuss between overs, but I do agree. Innocent until proven guilty is an important principle, of course, but we can’t pretend all this controversy never happened. Learning from it and changing is essential.

107th over: New Zealand 265-7 (Mitchell 87 Southee 0) Ball-critic Broad continues at the Kirkstall Lane End, and this time he gets the ball change he’s agitating for. So out comes the magic suitcase. The first ball with the replacement discomforts Bracewell considerably, swinging, seaming and bouncing into his glove. The second one completes the job, finding an edge to slip and another scalp for Broad, his third of the innings. Wicket-maiden.

Wicket! Bracewell c Crawley b Broad 13, NZ 265-7

Broad finally gets the replacement ball he’s been agitating for and gets Bracewell with his second ball with it, angling one in that moves away a tad, takes the edge and is snaffled at second slip by Crawley. There’s his birthday present.

Broad wicket
Stuart Broad takes the wicket of Bracewell for 13. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA
Marais Erasmus and Stuart Broad share a joke after the ball was replaced.
Marais Erasmus and Stuart Broad share a joke after the ball was replaced. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters

106th over: New Zealand 265-6 (Mitchell 87 Bracewell 13) Leach gets one to spit sharply out of the rough into and past Bracewell’s body, which Foakes takes well. There’s stuff to work with now has a more attacking field set for him on the legside. But Bracewell’s an assured player on the onside and sweeps in front of square along the ground for a single. A less adventurous field is set for Bracewell, who clobbers the fifth ball of the over high over the bowler’s head for four. But I’m liking the way Leach is being deployed here – good cricket all-round.

105th over: New Zealand 260-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 12) Bracewell swipes a shorter ball from Broad through midwicket for two, prompting the bowler to give the ball another disapproving stare. Stokes then proffers it to umpire Erasmus who once again turns down a replacement request. Are England getting too fixated with this?

104th over: New Zealand 257-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 10) “It feels like a bowling day,” chirps Mark Butcher in the commentary box, but England only have one wicket to show for it so far when they should have had three. Bracewell on-drives Leach’s first ball for a single, giving the left-arm spinner a go at the right-hander, which the career stats suggest he prefers. He goes over the wicket at Mitchell, seeking to find a bit of rough outside leg-stump. Nothing much happens yet mind.

“Time to pull this cricviz ‘broad is the unluckiest bowler’ tweet back out from 2019,” writes Elliott Carr-Barnsley:

Buttler’s drop of Campbell was the 96th dropped catch off Broad’s bowling in his career. Since the start of 2006 no other bowler has had as many catches dropped off his bowling. Anderson—with 83—is the next most. #WIvENG pic.twitter.com/1rB56n0cIG

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) February 1, 2019

103rd over: New Zealand 256-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 9) Broad v Mitchell is also an absorbing contest, probing accuracy versus discipline. Neither runs nor chances ensue in another maiden. And that’s drinks.

“I’m not surprised England are dropping catches in the slip cordon,” tuts Tim Lezard. “Did anyone else spot how many times the ball was dropped as the slips threw the ball to each other yesterday?”

102nd over: New Zealand 256-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 9) Leach is introduced to the attack, at about the same time as he was yesterday. Bracewell takes him on third ball, sweeping in front of square on the legside for four. He’s put in a bit more bother off the final ball of the over, which jags sharply into him. This could be a good little contest.

On comes Jack Leach.
On comes Jack Leach. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/Reuters

101st over: New Zealand 252-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 5) There’s talk of rain in Wakefield, but none a few miles further north, thankfully. Broad bowls a disciplined length at Mitchell, who has no option but to play out a maiden.

“The solecism ‘Notts Forest’ occurred earlier this year in the first episode of ‘Sherwood’ (BBC1), when Alun Armstrong’s character used it to refer to Trevor Francis, a couple of local lads knowing nothing about him,” adds John Starbuck. “There was a big row about this and the writer later apologised. Armstrong’s character was killed off (with an arrow) at the end of this episode and quite right too. Some things are beyond the Pale.” Yeah that was a jarring note in an otherwise compelling drama. But why was Armstrong’s character killed?

100th over: New Zealand 252-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 5) England could do with preventing Bracewell getting too set here – a wild swish and a miss outside off gives Potts some encouragement, though the batter is subsequently watchful. Potts continues to offer decent variety though, nipping in and swinging away in due course – he also prevents a certain four when sprawling on the deck to cut out a crisp straight drive. His third maiden of the morning.

99th over: New Zealand 252-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 5) Broad replaces Overton at the Kirkstall Lane, and as if responding to the introduction of the celebrappeal king, DRS cranks back into gear again. His spell starts with a leg-bye. Bracewell is off the mark with a lovely coaching-manual on-drive for four, before another drop – a perfect speared-in delivery at the left-hander that is fended to Bairstow at second slip but he can’t cling on. Did he go too late?

More from The Thoughts of Gary Naylor: “Regardless of performances on the field, the Man (or Woman) of the Match is whoever set the ticket pricing structure.” Yep, who knew that there are other ways to fill a cricket ground than pricing it solely in the interests of champagne-cork-on-the-outfield-popping dullards?

Jonny Bairstow drops Michael Bracewell.
Jonny Bairstow drops Michael Bracewell. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

98th over: New Zealand 246-6 (Mitchell 82 Bracewell 0) Nasser Hussain takes over on commentary, and immediately – and rightly – apologises for Atherton’s “Notts Forest” howler, and all is right with the world again. Potts tests Bracewell with one angled in just outside off that the left-hander leaves adroitly. Potts’s lengths are asking more questions than Overton’s shorter ones are at the moment. Given that, I’m not sure England need two out in the deep on the legside. Another good maiden though.

97th over: New Zealand 246-6 (Mitchell 82 Bracewell 0) Bracewell is on the front foot to a rare pitched-up ball from Overton but an elegant cover drive goes straight to mid-off. A bouncer, and no-ball, ensues. Broad wants another look at the ball, continuing a pernickety theme of this match, but the umpires see nowt wrong and Overton carries on with it, and keeps the new batter on his toes with some more speared-in short stuff from round the wicket. A leg-bye completes the over.

“I wonder if, in the umpires’ subconscious, they take into account the fact that a worthy appeal for LBW was not given yesterday?” ponders William Hargreaves. “Might make giving an LBW decision a little easier?” I wondered that too, given that it was the same bowler at the same end.

96th over: New Zealand 244-6 (Mitchell 82 Bracewell 0) DRS breaks down, England perk up, as Potts traps Blundell in front with one slightly slanted in. It could have been missing leg but in real time I think you’d give it. This match continues to generate talking-point dismissals, but this is how it used to work in the olden days, kids. Potts is round the wicket at the left-handed Bracewell, who plays out the over.

Wicket! Blundell lbw b Potts 55, NZ 243-6

The DRS system needs to be turned off and turned on again, prompting a brief delay to the start of Potts’s over. For the moment, we’re DRS-less. And wouldn’t you know it, Blundell is trapped in front with one similar to yesterday’s at Mitchell. The umpire’s finger goes up – and there’s nothing the batter can do about it. Potts has his deserved scalp at last.

Zak Crawley and Joe Root appeal successfully for the wicket of Tom Blundell.
Zak Crawley and Joe Root appeal successfully for the wicket of Tom Blundell. Photograph: Alex Davidson/Getty Images
Tom Blundell
Tom Blundell goes for 55. The breakthrough for England? Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

95th over: New Zealand 243-5 (Mitchell 82 Blundell 55) More good running from this pair, as Blundell nabs a quick dabbed single off Overton, who then strays down legside and a deflection off Mitchell’s pads speeds to the ropes for four leg-byes. Mike Atherton on Sky comms errs by describing Stuart Broad’s football team as “Notts Forest”. The pedantic subeditor in me just cannot let this sort of stuff go uncommented upon.

Tom Blundell sets off for a quick single.
Tom Blundell sets off for a quick single. Photograph: Ben Whitley/ProSports/Shutterstock

94th over: New Zealand 238-5 (Mitchell 82 Blundell 54) More disciplined line and length fare from Potts, and Mitchell is forced to be watchful. First maiden of the day.

“I’ve a nasty feeling that 300 will be a very good score,” reckons Gary Naylor. “England will go hard at the ball and the edges will carry. You can’t defy the batting gods indefinitely before they wreak their revenge.” Yes, though this is looks like a fine surface to bat on, there’s plenty on offer for bowlers, and indeed fielders.

93rd over: New Zealand 238-5 (Mitchell 82 Blundell 54) Overton continues to find pace and bounce, forcing Blundell to mistime a pull into his body, but when the bowler repeats the delivery Blundell gets right on top of it and pulls it square beyond a diving Bairstow for four. Bairstow has better luck when smartly stopping a repeat of the shot next ball.

92nd over: New Zealand 234-5 (Mitchell 82 Blundell 50) Potts begins from the rugby stand end. He maintains yesterday’s decent, tight and probing length but luck continues to elude him, as Mitchell is dropped, when Foakes dives across Root at first slip to try to snaffle the edge and parries it to the deck. That was Root’s to take all day long

“We all like a good laugh,” writes John Starbuck, “but does any other sport celebrate pratfalls as much as cricket does?” Basketloads of “gaffes and own goals” videos would suggest football has a good go too.

Mitchell is dropped off the bowling of Matthew Potts.
Mitchell is dropped off the bowling of Matthew Potts. Photograph: Rui Vieira/AP

91st over: New Zealand 232-5 (Mitchell 80 Blundell 50) Jamie Overton gets first use of the 10-overs old ball, from the Kirkstall Lane End. A tentative field with two slips but two men out deep is set for him. Mitchell clips him away for a single second ball to get NZ up and running for the day. Blundell is then squared up by one that spits brutally off the surface and hits him near the shoulder – that’s what Overton offers. A hurried single follows next ball. And Mitchell does likewise to keep things ticking over. The first boundary of the day – a squirt beyond second slip that speeds to the ropes – then brings up Blundell’s 50, another accomplished half-century.

Ben Stokes leads England out, Blundell and Mitchell follow them. Headingley looks gloriously packed.

A note of encouragement for NZ, and foreboding for England:

“Talking of strange dismissals,” writes 1980s sports guru Steve Pye: “I’ve always had a soft spot for Wayne Phillips and the 1985 Ashes incident. Probably helps that I’m English.”

Yeah I remember that – a massive moment. Australia had been digging in and recovering from the previous evening’s Richard Ellison-inspired collapse, then that freak dismissal prised it open again. An English win masterminded by players that swiftly faded from prominence at international level thereafter – Ellison and Tim Robinson.

Wayne Phillips
Wayne Phillips is caught by David Gower after the ball had bounced off Allan Lamb’s boot in the 1985 Ashes series. Photograph: Patrick Eagar/Getty Images

True to forecasts, it’s a bit cloudy in LS6 this morning. The ball is still pretty new. England will have chances.

It’s not often a spinner takes centre-stage on a first day at Headingley, but things happen around Jack Leach at this place, and – having bowled well with the hard ball – he then took the most talked-about wicket of the series. And here’s some pre-play reading about it from our Jonathan Liew:

Though those who’ve played the game at a more, er, rudimentary level know that these kinds of things do happen in this great game of ours:

Preamble

Who’d have thought, at the start of this series, that its two most unshiftable New Zealand batters would be Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell? But for the third Test in a row, here we are, the pair adding to their restorative partnerships at Lord’s and Trent Bridge with another one at Headingley that meant a day that looked set to be firmly England’s ended up even.

Of course, if England hadn’t been so curiously timid in opting against reviewing a denied stonewall lbw shout against Mitchell when on eight, I could be filling this preamble with more paeans to the Red-Ball Reset. We may yet get to do so later of course – this Test is beautifully poised and a couple of wickets in the first hour will put the hosts back in the ascendancy on a surface that looks a pleasure to bat on.

The weather, however, could get a little more Headingley-ish in the next couple of days, which might add a note of jeopardy and put a spring in the steps of bowlers. Whatever, you’ll want to keep following. It’s Leeds, where Stuff happens, as we have already seen with Henry Nicholls’ outlandish dismissal yesterday.

Bring it all on. Play starts at 11am BST.





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