Kiwi Test is slipping away from England
ANOTHER series was slipping through England’s fingers at Headingley last night as New Zealand strode aggressively towards a position where they can dictate terms over the last two days of this second Test.
Just as England l ost in Barbados after a notable victory in Grenada and had to share their series against West Indies, they again face squandering an advantage they gained at Lord’s.
Yet, if New Zealand can build on their lead of 338 today with their remaining four wickets and then take 20 wickets for the second time in successive Tests, it will be no less than Brendon McCullum’s cavaliers deserve.
It would be an injustice if they ended up with nothing to show for their efforts and their first defeat in seven Test series.
New Zealand were relentless with both ball and bat, taking control of a match they had no r i ght to dominate, when England reached 177 without loss in reply to 350.
No fewer than 435 runs were scored yesterday, 338 of them by New Zealand after they had bowled England out for exactly the same amount as they managed, only the eighth time in Test history scores have been level after the first innings.
BJ Watling was not fit enough to keep wicket in this Test, but in good enough shape to bat, a decision vindicated with an unbeaten century.
The Kiwis again rattled along at close to five an over and left England searching in vain for a way to stop them.
Ian Bell, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali all f ell to Tim Southee, England losing six wickets for 31 runs in all.
Stuart Broad showed signs of emerging from his batting wilderness to earn parity for England when it seemed they would again concede a lead at 267 for eight.
He joined Mark Wood to add 51 for the ninth wicket and then 32 in company with last man Jimmy Anderson.
England have had l i ttle trouble taking early Kiwi wickets and did so again when Broad removed Tom Latham and Kane Williamson with just 23 on the board.
New Zealand switched to one-day mode to hit themselves out of trouble with a stand of 99 from just 87 balls from Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor.
It was a partnership that drove Broad and Anderson to distraction and the mood of England’s record-breaker was not helped when he was officially warned by umpire S Ravi for running on the pitch.
Wood again looked a valuable addition to the England attack when he removed both Guptill and Taylor before adding the prime wicket of McCullum.
By the time Anderson snared Luke Ronchi, New Zealand had ensured England would have to surpass their best-ever run chase to win here and bowling coach Ottis Gibson was bemoaning a l ack of control among his troops.
‘We can’t hide from the fact we haven’t been as good with the ball as we could have been,’ said Gibson. ‘We’re going at four and a half to five runs an over and the one- day series hasn’t even started yet!’
New Zealand have vowed to play this way and fortune now looks certain to favour the brave.