ENGLAND SLUMP AGAIN
To lose in India and Australia could be regarded as misfortune but to now lose in New Zealand looks more than just carelessness from England. Their Test travel sickness is becoming acute.
England’s failure to bat out the last day of the first Test here leaves them with no margin for error in the last match of their longest modern winter tour.
They just have to win in Christchurch to arrest their worst away run since the war.
The statistics are damning. England are without a win in 12 away Tests and have lost ten of them, five innings defeats coming in their last eight games.
Joe Root made all the right noises after England had failed to pull off a second great escape in Auckland in successive tours, but he must know there will be serious questions if this two-Test series is not squared.
‘It was a massive task coming back from a first innings that was bitterly disappointing but the character the guys showed was a step forward and we need to be better in Christchurch,’ said the England captain.
‘It’s important we do some soul searching and get things right.’
Root told his players to display some pride ahead of the last day and was satisfied with their commitment, adding: ‘I asked the guys at the start to show everyone how much it meant to them to play for England and we got that from the guys.
‘It’s not for lack of trying. We’ve got to continue with our work ethic and look to improve, and the first opportunity to do that is the second Test.
‘When we get an opportunity, a couple of guys (must) really stand up.’
England were much better in their second innings at Eden Park — they could hardly be any worse — before being bowled out for 320 with less than 19 overs left to hold out, but too many batsmen were complicit in their own demise again.
It says something about England’s lack of application that they should lose a wicket in the last over before a break in three successive sessions, starting with the captain’s latest failure to turn a half-century into three figures on the fourth evening.
It may be harsh to single out Ben Stokes when he batted so well for his slowest half-century in Tests, but his 66 off 188 balls was ended by a brainless piece of cricket all too common in England’s Test batting.
Neil Wagner had been undertaking one of his trademark long spells full of short-pitched, aggressive bowling when he rattled Stokes and tempted him into a terrible shot that saw him hole out to point three balls before the dinner break.
At that stage, with England at 300 for six, Stokes and Chris Woakes had batted throughout the middle session and England really did look like replicating their nail-biting draw here in 2013 when they ended up nine wickets down.
Alas, it was not to be and once Stokes had gone the end was nigh for England, the wholehearted Wagner ending with three victims in an excellent New Zealand display.
Worryingly, Stokes had to take painkilling tablets for soreness in his back towards the end of his innings and there will be another ‘will he play, won’t he play’ debate ahead of the second Test in his home city.
It is a crucial question for England because even though their talisman is good enough to play as a specialist batsman, he brings so much more to the team and creates a perfect balance when he is fit to bowl.
To dwell on England’s shortcomings would be to deny New Zealand proper praise, for this was arguably their best all-round display under the leadership of Kane Williamson.
Trent Boult and Tim Southee were magnificent in bowling England out for 58 on the first day, while the captain was superb with the bat and in the field.
The unheralded Henry Nicholls showed England how to play the swinging ball, then Wagner came to the party on the last day.
It was all played out — Australia please note — in a fantastic spirit even when Wagner was charging in and doing his best to give Stokes the evil eye.
There really is much to admire in New Zealand’s cricket.