The Citizen (KZN)

Black Caps pair to the rescue

POSITIVES: CAPTAINS TO HOME IN ON LESSONS LEARNED

- Wellington

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and his England counterpar­t Joe Root both took positives from the two-Test series that ended yesterday, with the hosts securing a 1-0 victory after rain washed out most of the final day’s play in Hamilton.

The second Test ended in a draw after Williamson (104) and Ross Taylor (105) thwarted England’s attack with an unbroken 213-run partnershi­p to help their side seal a fifth successive series win at home.

The hosts won the first game at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui by an innings and 65 runs but England held the upper hand for significan­t periods in the second Test and Root was pleased with the way his side had reacted.

“We have been talking about scoring big runs in the first innings so for us to come back from last week and learn the lessons and put in a performanc­e like that was pleasing,” Root said. “We are a side that wants to learn and learn quickly.”

Root’s return to form with a superbly crafted 226 in Hamilton after a poor 2019 proved the catalyst for his side’s improved batting on a pitch that proved difficult to score from but also offered the bowlers little assistance.

He also got significan­t support from opener Rory Burns, who scored 101, and 21-year-old Ollie Pope (75) as England scored 476, their first score over 400 in a Test in more than a year.

“We want to become resilient in these conditions and make sure that we can back up performanc­es like this and become a much harder side to beat and then go on and win games when it gets flat or it gets hard,” Root added.

Williamson was also pleased with his side’s resilience after they went into the match without injured new ball bowler Trent Boult and all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme.

Pace bowler Matt Henry and debutant all-rounder Daryl Mitchell slotted into the team seamlessly with the 28-year-old

Mitchell scoring 73 in his only innings.

Neil Wagner also toiled away on two unresponsi­ve pitches and was rewarded with five-wicket hauls in successive innings, 13 wickets at 19.84 each, and a well-deserved Man-of-the-Series award –

 ?? Picture: AFP ?? SAVIOURS. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson (left) and Ross Taylor scored centuries as the second Test against England ended in a draw in Hamilton yesterday.
Picture: AFP SAVIOURS. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson (left) and Ross Taylor scored centuries as the second Test against England ended in a draw in Hamilton yesterday.

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