England staring down the barrel
Kiwi middle-order pair show Stokes and his batsmen how it’s done
From the all-action, helter-skelter of day one to an attritional battle at Lord’s yesterday that left the new England in danger of suffering just as badly as the old one.
By the close of the second day of the first Test under new management, New Zealand had moved slowly but efficiently to a potentially decisive lead of 227 and England were still searching for the answers to questions that had befuddled Joe root and Chris Silverwood.
Not least among them was how on earth they could reduce New Zealand to 45 for seven on the first morning and then move to 59 without loss in reply to their 132 all out, but still be staring down the barrel after just two days.
Certainly, if New Zealand move to the victory that should be theirs — weather permitting — today or tomorrow, England will only be able to blame themselves for the self-destructive tendencies that will take some banishing by Ben Stokes and Brendon mcCullum.
For now England will be telling themselves all is not yet lost, the Lord’s pitch is flat and the ball has, for the most part, stopped swinging. They really should, with so much time remaining, have a decent chance of chasing anything towards 300.
But would anyone who has followed England during this dismal run of just one win in 17 Tests, and who watched them implode so spectacularly on Thursday, really expect them to snatch this Test from New Zealand’s grasp?
And England could yet be chasing much more than 300 unless they can quickly part the fifth wicket pair today who put together the first substantial and surely decisive partnership of the Test.
Both Daryl mitchell and Tom Blundell would probably struggle to get in England’s team on natural ability but both are indicative of a World Championship-winning New Zealand team who make the very most of what they have got.
They came together with the Kiwis 56 for four, England very much in the game and wickets tumbling with such regularity that those at Lord’s were speculating on the chances of a two-day finish to this first Test of the summer.
But after coming through the initial examination of an attack again led impressively by debutant matthew Potts, they ground England down and exposed the limitations of a line-up missing so many injured bowlers of extra pace.
England did not bowl poorly, with the big two of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad still posing questions and Potts claiming the big wicket of Kane Williamson for the second time in the match.
But, with matt Parkinson perhaps showing why England have been so reluctant to hand him a debut before Jack Leach’s concussion, there was little of the point of difference needed on what has, essentially, been a flat pitch from the start.
Not that it looked that way on the second morning. England began, on 116 for seven, 16 behind and needing Ben Foakes to marshal the tail and give England the advantage that looked assured when Zak Crawley and Alex Lees got them off to such a good start.
Not a bit of it. Broad has long been a shadow of the batsman who made 169 in a Test here against Pakistan 12 years ago and he was quickly bowled by Tim Southee trying to slog his way to the ascendancy.
That left Foakes having to lead the way but a wicketkeeper batsman with so much more natural talent than his New Zealand counterpart Blundell again disappointed with the bat and was out meekly to Southee.
Anderson and Parkinson, England’s first concussion Test substitute, hung around for three overs but when Trent Boult took Parkinson’s edge England had been dismissed for 141, a lead of just nine, and desperately needed another New Zealand collapse. It looked like it might happen when Will Young fell to Anderson and Potts claimed Williamson for the second time after bowling just seven balls at him. When the Durham man, looking a real find in this game, claimed Tom Latham and then Broad dismissed Devon Conway cheaply again, England were back on top but it was to be the end of their success for the day.
mitchell, son of former All Blacks rugby coach John and destroyer of England in last year’s Twenty20 World Cup semi-final, is only playing here because of injury to Henry Nicholls. But how he took his chance.
There was the occasional rush of blood and verbal joust with Anderson, but mitchell grew increasingly assured to finish unbeaten on 97.
Alongside him is Blundell, the successor in this New Zealand side to BJ Watling and now 10 short of a century himself.
Their partnership stands at 180 and New Zealand, with 236 for four, are well placed to repeat the victory over England at Edgbaston last year that preceded their World Championship final win over India.
Parkinson, bowling with the lack of pace that has always placed a question mark alongside him at the highest level, finished wicketless after 14 overs on an admittedly tough emergency debut at a ground that has rarely suited leg-spin.
It would be premature to judge the Lancastrian on this, but for now he has much to do to prove he should succeed Leach long-term in this England side.
It is one of many posers for Stokes and mcCullum that this Test match has shown no signs of solving yet.