Santner seizes the moment
After the most memorable day of his test cricket career, Mitchell Santner has a royal chance to add a dollop of icing in a spin bowler’s dream scenario.
The left-armer, now officially an allrounder after powering to his maiden test century against England yesterday, will be front and centre as New Zealand look to convert an utterly dominant fourth day into victory in the first test at Mt Maunganui.
As New Zealand Cricket fling the gates open for free entry at Bay Oval today, England will resume on a very shaky 55-3 in their second innings, still trailing by 207 after the Black Caps racked up 615-9 declared.
Santner struck three times before stumps, and enough happened in a dramatic final halfhour to shorten New Zealand’s odds of heading to Hamilton 1-0
Mitchell Santner, left, celebrates one of his three wickets yesterday after his century, right, helped put New Zealand in control of the first test.
up and stretch their streak to seven test series without defeat.
Not renowned as a wickettaker (best test figures: 3-60), Santner was picked in what appeared a stock role ahead of legspinner Todd Astle in a test expected to be dominated by the pacemen.
Instead on a drying, cracking surface which played some tricks late on day four, Santner fast became New Zealand’s trump card with turn and bounce.
Pace had dominated so much at home that New Zealand’s last 101 test wickets were taken by the seamers. Santner broke that remarkable sequence when he lured England debutant Dom Sibley to edge a wide one he needn’t have played.
It got even better as he began to look near unplayable, enticing Rory Burns into a top-edged sweep in the lengthening shadows before nightwatchman Jack Leach fell to a diving Tom Latham at bat-pad to complete a miserable day for the tourists.
Santner smiled about a welcome change of role, having been used to build pressure and rest the seamers on greentops.
‘‘It’s day five so you think it should spin, not as much to the right-handers unless you throw it wide. There’s footies [footmarks] and cracks starting to open up, so it’s probably not going to be easy [to bat] but when that ball gets a bit softer it’s going to be harder for us,’’ he said.
Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme both got deliveries to leap menacingly in a puff of dust, while Santner had Sibley (by BJ Watling) and Burns (by Tim Southee) dropped before they departed.
Watling could be forgiven his juggle after plundering his first test double-century, 205, alongside Santner’s 126 as the pair added a record 261 for the seventh
wicket and left England captain Joe Root almost bereft of options.
No prizes for guessing it was the best day of Santner’s career. ‘‘It’s probably up there. Last night it wasn’t easy and even this morning the way England bowled there were six maidens to start the day. I don’t think they were that far off but we played the long game . . . it’s nice to get a lead and hopefully spin a bit of a web.’’
New Zealand started day four with a lead of 41 and ground England’s demoralised bowlers into the Mt Maunganui soil.
There was minimal urgency from Watling and Santner early on but the method was clear: bat as long as possible and, ideally, just once in the match.
Watling cruised past his previous best of 142 not out, and Brendon McCullum’s New Zealand
record by a wicketkeeper of 185 against Bangladesh at Hamilton in 2010.
In an incredible feat of concentration and durability, Watling batted a combined 976 minutes (16 hours, 16 minutes) between test dismissals after his 105 not out against Sri Lanka in Colombo in August.
Santner eventually opened his shoulders, the scratch golf handicapper unleashing some booming drives as he hit five sixes before holing out to long on. His previous best from 18 tests was 73, against Bangladesh at Wellington in 2017.