‘Just got to accept it’: Rare dismissal blunts Black Caps
Henry Nicholls misfortune in the Black Caps’ f i rst innings generated schadenfreude for England, distress for New Zealand and curiosity for neutrals in the sides’ dead-rubber third cricket test at Headingley.
Like a rollicking Mankad, a five-run helmet-hitting penalty in the field or walloping a seven via overthrows, his exit for 19 was rare as the visitors toted up 225 for five heading into the second day.
Runs proved scarcer than Gib board at times.
Nicholls unleashed a straight drive in the air from spinner Jack Leach. The shot looked safe as umpire Richard Kettleborough ducked.
Cue Daryl Mitchell’s villainous bat. The non-striker took evasive action but his willow had other ideas, such as middling the ball to an alert Alex Lees at mid-off.
Howzat? That’s out.
To paraphrase the Marylebone Cricket Club’s law 33.2.2.3: A batter will stride back to the pavilion in a state of perplexed fury if a fielder catches the ball after it has touched the wicket, an umpire, another fielder or the other batter.
Nicholls endured 99 balls across 137 minutes after arriving at 62 for three. He survived an lbw shout from Matthew Potts on four.
An inside edge simultaneously slammed into his pad to earn the “benefit of the doubt” from the decision review system. He would have been punished by the “benefit to the umpire” if a dismissal had originally been given.
Leach and debutant Jamie Overton added pressure as Nicholls struggled for timing, like the rest of the top order which had instigated his arrival.
Ironically, after struggling around the crease, he hit the meat of two bats via the same delivery.
Leach responded with a c’est la vie reaction following figures of two for 75 from 30 overs at stumps. “I didn’t know if that was allowed [as a dismissal]. I’ve never seen anything like it, but I’ll take any wicket I can. It’s unlucky for Nicholls and lucky for me.
“I don’t like those wickets really. Well, I like them because it says I’ve got two on the board, but I don’t like the dismissal. Still, I felt like I had bowled pretty well to Nicholls leading up to that.
“It’s a silly game isn’t it? That’s what it made me think.”
Black Caps batting coach Luke Ronchi offered a wry observation.
“Daryl managed to middle it, like he’s been doing all series.
“Unfortunately it created Henry’s demise, but what else can you do?
“You’ve just got to accept it as something you don’t see often, and keep ticking along.
“Most of us just gave him some space.” Mitchell told the Herald he apologised to his fellow Canterbury teammate, despite only acting in self defence.
“I might buy him a beer or send something to his room to say sorry for getting in the way. It’s one of those bizarre things, and hopefully we don’t see that again.
“He obviously hit the ball seriously well, but it was just a reaction thing. Maybe his bats are too good.”
Mystery surrounded the make-up of the New Zealand attack to start the day when off-spinner Michael Bracewell was preferred to left-arm orthodox Ajaz Patel.
That news means Bracewell is now classified as a specialist like Uncle John. Whoever was chosen looks set to deliver plenty of overs.
Presumably something other than Bracewell’s maiden test figures of three for 122 from 25.2 overs swayed the thinking to pick him for his second outing over the third man in test history to take a 10 wickets in an innings last December at Mumbai? One factor might be Patel’s record at Headingley, albeit from a minute sample size. He played one match for Yorkshire against Kent at Headingley in 2019 and took two for 231 from 35 overs.