Draw feelslikea win
Sodhi stands firm as NZ grab rare series victory
Guts, courage and patience.
All three, and then some, were on show as the Black Caps’ lowerorder conjured up a brave rearguard to ensure their side recorded a drought-breaking test series win against England yesterday.
Needing to bat the final day at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval to secure a draw and a 1-0 series win, New Zealand got through to stumps on 256-8 from 124.4 overs.
When stumps were drawn shortly after 6pm, New Zealand had their first test series win against their old rivals since 1999, and just their fourth in history.
Opener Tom Latham’s patient 83 earlier in the day shouldn’t be forgotten, but it was Ish Sodhi, Colin de Grandhomme and Neil Wagner who did the dirty work after the top-order failed.
They rebuffed England’s desperate assault, restricting the tourists to just two wickets through the final 56.3 overs.
Sure, de Grandhomme wouldn’t have wanted to look coach Mike Hesson in the eye after he inexplicably pulled a short delivery to fine leg, but he and Sodhi batted 26.1 overs for their crucial 57-run seventh-wicket stand.
That wasn’t bad considering they survived a pre-tea barrage, before going into the final session with their team 191-6, with a freshly taken new ball, and 39 scheduled overs ahead of them.
There was no shortage of irony to Sodhi’s unbeaten 56 from 168 balls, considering he initially missed out on a spot in the team to injured leg-spinner Todd Astle due to the latter’s ability with the bat.
They were aided by the fact England seamers Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson couldn’t generate significant swing with the new ball for the first time in the test.
But theirs and Wagner’s resolve shouldn’t be downplayed as they ensured their team’s innings and 49-run win in Auckland didn’t go to waste.
There was still work to do after de Grandhomme biffed his wicket away, and Wagner obliged by facing 103 deliveries for his seven runs. He and Sodhi batted 31.2 overs.
Digging in and sealing the series looked most unlikely when Broad dismissed Jeet Raval and Kane Williamson with the opening two deliveries of the day.
Adding to New Zealand’s woes, Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls joined them back in the hut inside the first hour as they sagged to 91-4 in pursuit of 382.
Most of New Zealand’s batsmen only had themselves to blame for giving the tourists a sniff.
Williamson’s golden duck was the obvious exception.
The Black Caps captain, having joined Latham in the middle after Raval meekly chipped a half-volley to mid-wicket from Broad’s opening delivery of the day, nicked a fine delivery which climbed steeply off the surface and kissed the outside edge on the way through to keeper Jonny Bairstow.
Taylor then gifted debutant spinner Jack Leach his maiden test wicket, when he paddled a delivery straight to Alistair Cook at short backward square, moments after he was moved there.
Nicholls nicked out after pushing hard at an Anderson delivery, and Raval’s and Latham’s hard graft on Monday evening, when they fought their way to stumps at 42-0, was well and truly forgotten.
To think how much more dire it would have been had James Vince not put Latham down in the slips on day four when he had just 23 runs to his name. It was one of four chances spilled by the tourists.
With BJ Watling already gone after guiding a Mark Wood delivery straight to Anderson at leg slip, Latham’s dismissal exposed New Zealand’s tail with the new ball looming.
But stand up they did, ensuring the Black Caps finished their home summer by achieving their primary objective.