Wagner hapless, England merciless
The margin of defeat is destined to be broad.
The Black Caps capitulated to England in the first test of the two-match series in Mt Maunganui yesterday, falling to 63-5 in their second innings when needing 394 for victory.
After losing the toss, England have produced a tactical and executed masterclass of how to play day-night cricket with a pink ball.
Today they will wrap up their 10th win in 11 tests under captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, while the Black Caps will have gone seven tests without a victory.
New Zealand crumbled again when batting under lights on day three.
Devon Conway (2) surprisingly played an awfully loose and erroneous across-theline stroke to have his stumps castled by Stuart Broad in the fourth over.
In his next over, the 36-yearold got another ball to deviate in marginally and defeat Kane Williamson’s defensive push to again send the bails flying for a duck.
Opener Tom Latham (15) lasted just four balls after being dropped at second slip by Zak Crawley as Broad moved the ball in the opposite direction to his first two wickets to bowl the lefthander. Henry Nicholls (7) edged Ollie Robinson to first slip and Broad got his fourth by bowling first-innings century-maker Tom Blundell for one.
The hosts were assigned a victory target of 394 – an objective they’ve never yet achieved in their 93-year test history.
England resumed their second innings yesterday afternoon on 79-2, leading by 98 runs.
They rapidly ensured New Zealand would need to mount one of their biggest fourth-innings pursuits of victory by taking to Neil Wagner in the first session.
Wagner conceded what’s believed to be the most expensive nine-over spell in test history as
Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Harry Brook feasted on a diet of unhealthy short-pitched balls which carried very little spice.
That Wagner was left on by skipper Tim Southee and encouraged to maintain the high-risk approach was eyebrow-raising.
Southee, then Scott Kuggeleijn, then Blair Tickner, were disciplined and occasionally demanding at the other end and there should have been no desire to gift the hosts the opportunity to do exactly what they wanted – to score rapidly and ensure NZ would have to start their second innings under lights.
Wagner did quickly remove the nightwatch batter Broad and enticed Ollie Pope into a mistake, and had he got Brook – Conway couldn’t take a forward-diving catch on the backward square boundary with the young batting tyro on 31, in an over which cost 18 – the tactic may have just qualified as at least worthy of some risk.
But he conceded 88 runs in nine overs in his first spell.
By the time he was replaced at the bowling crease, England’s lead was more than 200 and they were merrily on their way to another position of dominance before Root fell to the reverse shot for the second time in the test, in the final over of the hectic first session which produced 158 runs and four wickets in 25.1 overs.
Big moment
With the prolific Conway already back in the hutch, the home side needed a long stay and a big score from a player close to becoming the country’s highest run-scorer in test history.
But Williamson lasted just five deliveries and left without adding to his 7645 runs in the format and England were away laughing.
Best with the bat
No one made more than 57 as England scored at 5.06 runs per over, but Brook again made bat
ting look rollickingly good fun in getting to 54 from 41 balls, with seven fours and two sixes.
Best with the ball
Broad was unplayable for New Zealand’s top order.
For NZ, Tickner may have settled his debutant nerves from day one as he was far more consistent in England’s second turn at bat and meritoriously picked up all three of his wickets by beating batters trying to defend.
Big picture
New Zealand will face a Herculean task recovering for the second test starting at the Basin Reserve on Friday.