Brave new England barge into box seat
Stokes’ gunslingers go on the attack again in quest for thrilling win
WHAT a helterskelter ride this second test has become. What a prospect there is in store today as the team Brendon McCullum first transformed go toe to toe with the one that has so quickly and thrillingly adopted his all- action entertaining philosophy.
another dizzying day at trent Bridge ended with 12 wickets falling and with England, who conceded 553 after putting New Zealand into bat, in the box seat to pull off a sensational win as they chase a first series victory in 18 months.
to do that they will have to quickly take the three remaining New Zealand wickets and then chase a target that should — on what is still a true pitch, on an outfield that looks made of glass and with their opponents a bowler down — be well within their reach.
at the end of the fourth day New Zealand were 238 ahead but had all but taken the declaration out of the equation by throwing away wickets in the final session seemingly in an attempt to out-muscle England’s born-again gunslingers.
that could come back to haunt them if England stay true to the positive intent that has coursed through them since Rob Key encouraged supporters to buckle up and enjoy the ride when he paired coach McCullum with an equally enterprising captain in Ben Stokes.
Daryl Mitchell has been exceptional both at Lord’s and in the first innings here but he finds himself carrying New Zealand’s hopes with just the tail for company after being culpable in the run-outs of Will Young and tim Southee that helped give England such hope.
Only if Mitchell successfully marshals a tail that includes Kyle Jamieson, who will bat but is ‘unlikely’ to bowl because of a back injury, and gets New Zealand’s lead up towards 300 will his side again feel comfortable after dominating the first two days.
there should have only been one winner once Mitchell had scored 190 after twice being dropped and New Zealand had reached the third highest score of any side after an England captain had asked them to bat.
Yet so brilliant have England been with bat and then with ball and in the field second time round that the tables are close to being turned and the new regime could be truly launched today with one of the great test triumphs.
England came out with all guns blazing again yesterday as Ben Foakes raced to his first home half-century and Joe Root played what must be one of the most audacious and brilliant shots in test history on his way to his 176.
Switch hits and reverse scoops have become common place in white-ball cricket since Kevin Pietersen changed to a left-handed stance and launched New Zealand’s Scott Styris into the Durham stands in a one- day international in 2008.
But surely there has never in test cricket been anything like Root’s reverse scoop off tim Southee that cleared the boundary as England tried to rush towards first innings parity. It was a breathtaking piece of cricket.
When Jimmy anderson became the last wicket to fall attempting to charge debutant spinner Michael Bracewell England had made 539 and trailed by 14 with five-and-ahalf sessions to conjure up a result. Yet, with both sides so determined to attack and England insisting they would chase anything set for them in their quest under McCullum to promote test cricket, all outcomes seemed possible.
and they still do so after New Zealand wasted the chance to test England’s resolve by setting them something far in advance of the 273 in 75 overs that the old regime of Root and Chris Silverwood so dismally refused to chase at Lord’s last year.
What a difference a year makes. Now the Dukes ball finally started to offer seam movement to England and anderson responded by bowling stand-in captain tom Latham with the fifth ball of the innings to claim a remarkable 650th test wicket.
When Young and Devon Conway added 100 for the second wicket it looked as though it would come down to how seriously New Zealand would pursue a serieslevelling lev victory. Yet Conway played pla the first of a rash of poor shots sho to give Jack Leach a wicket — Stokes deserves credit here for keeping ke the left- arm spinner on after he had conceded 47 off 9.3 9 overs — and New Zealand carried c on pressing the self-destruct button.
Immediately after tea henry Nicholls cut Matthew Potts straight to point and then Young and a Mitchell were guilty of ball-watching b before Ollie Pope and an Stokes executed the sharp running run out of Young.
tom to Blundell pulled Stuart Broad straight str to Stokes and then Bracewell Bra tried to smash New Zealand into the ascendancy with 25 off 17 balls before he recklessly holed out to Broad off Potts. When Mitchell sold Southee up the river and ran out such a dangerous hitter New Zealand were in trouble and England had a spring in their step.
thanks to Root England chased 277 to win a low scoring first test at Lord’s last week. Now, with New Zealand 224 for seven and 238 ahead, another classic finish could await those who will take up Nottinghamshire’s offer of free admission today.
Whatever happens it should not be dull. Frankly, it feels as if it will never be dull under this England management.