Heart and graft firing up England charge for victory
Hard work and plenty of skill Has stokes & co dreaming of wHitewasH
eNgLaND are in the ‘box seat’ and within touching distance of a 3-0 whitewash over New Zealand thanks to an evening of hard graft and honest toil.
There was nothing particularly sexy or thrilling about the way they reduced the Kiwis to 168-5 and a lead of 137 in their second innings.
And there was a fair bit of good fortune involved in the dismissal of Devon Conway to Joe Root, who was only bowling because the dark grey skies had forced Ben Stokes to take off his quicker bowlers.
But either side of that wicket for Root it was the tireless work of Matt Potts and Jamie Overton that should really be applauded for taking three wickets between them, including the huge scalp of Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson for 48.
With New Zealand settling in for the long haul, Overton brought the evening session alive by getting rid of Tom Latham with the first ball after tea, and hitting Conway on the helmet from the second.
From 125-1 the Kiwis lost 4-36 thanks to sustained pressure from England’s bowlers, who just had to keep doing the basics well on a pitch that is still good for batting.
As ever Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell still stand in their way, but England are hoping not for long.
“I think that last session put us right in the box seat,” said Overton (right).
“Coming out after tea it was about just trying to enjoy ourselves and put the New Zealand guys under pressure, and that’s what we did.
“We’re in a great position and hopefully we can get the two early wickets.
“We feel like we’re in a good place. If we can get
those two early, then we’re in a great position to win the game.”
This was a big effort from England’s bowlers, who were feeling the strain thanks to the speed of their boundary thumping batsmen.
Jonny Bairstow finished on 162 from 157 balls and the cause was aided by Stuart Broad’s quick-fire 42.
That might have earned England a 30-run lead on the first innings, but they did it in 50 overs fewer than the Kiwis, which is excellent news for speeding up the game, but it does mean that their bowlers hardly get time to rest before getting back out and going again.
At least this way they are still in the game rather than being blown away for a low score in double quick time, which had been a regular feature of their cricket recently.
In fact, England’s recovery from 55-6 to 360 all out was officially the greatest of
its kind, beating Australia’s shift from 51-6 to 284 all out in 1895. England’s all-action assault on the Kiwi bowlers during this series with the bat has been both captivating to watch and brutal in its execution.
It is also a very obvious tactic that lands a blow every time the ball whistles to the boundary.
But it isn’t quite as easy to replicate with the ball, and yet England still found a way to make their approach tell in the field thanks to the efforts of Overton and Potts, ably supported by Bairstow behind the stumps. With Ben Foakes unable to take the field due to a stiff back that did not respond well enough to treatment, Bairstow was a ready and willing replacement with his gloves a permanent fixture in his kitbag.
England are reasonably confident Foakes will be fit to play against India on Friday.
But were he not to recover in time, Bairstow would keep the job with Harry Brook slotting into the middle order.