Under-fire Vince shows pedigree
If JAMES VINCE was not quite drinking in the lastchance saloon yesterday when he walked out here after another early England wicket, then at the very least he must have been raising a glass to his lips.
The selection of Vince for this tour was not welcomed with enthusiasm by many after an underwhelming Ashes when he was full of style but all too short on substance.
And when he became the odd man out in Auckland as it became clear Ben Stokes would only be able to play as a batsman, it did look as though he might be quietly eased out of the picture ahead of the summer Tests at home.
Even when England’s capitulation at Eden Park led to a rethink ahead of this second Test, it was assumed Liam Livingstone had a better chance of making his debut than a recall for Vince.
Yet the modern England believe in continuity and it was remembered by Joe Root and Trevor Bayliss that Plan A here was for Vince to play in both Tests so they could know once and for all whether he had what it takes.
They do not yet have the full answer but he did enough on the third day of this final Test to earn another go when England play Pakistan in two home Tests next month.
There was huge pressure on Vince here when he arrived at the fall of Alastair Cook, with England just 53 ahead after New Zealand had added an enterprising 86 to their overnight 192 for six.
Another cameo, with a couple of dreamy drives and a soft dismissal, would have left his Test future in jeopardy but he battled through a tough start to within reach of his first Test century.
Being Vince, he aimed one flashy drive too many at Trent Boult and was well caught in the slips by Ross Taylor on 73. But by then he had taken England to what should be a commanding position.
If he can look forward to at least two more Tests to prove his worth, then so can Mark Stoneman, his partner in a second-wicket stand of 123.
In Stoneman’s case, the jury remains firmly out. He came into this Test with four international half-centuries but no score of 60 and while he at least reached that score here, he rode his luck.
He was actually given out on 35 by Bruce Oxenford to what many in the ground believed was a clear edge but he knew the ball from Neil Wagner had hit his shoulder and reviewed. Technology agreed.
If that was good use of the Decision Review System, then Stoneman was downright fortunate to be dropped twice, when on 48 and then 57, before he played one loose shot too often outside off-stump and was caught by BJ Watling.
‘They’re still developing in their Test careers but I was pleased with the way they did not back off,’ said England batting coach Graham Thorpe.
‘We must continue to look at the good James does in terms of stroke-play and continue working on the mental side of his game and his ability to rotate the strike.’
Admittedly, there have only been two matches but with just 23 runs in four innings at 5.75, it is statistically the worst of Cook’s 45 Test series. Earlier, Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson had taken two each of the last four wickets to fall, with Tim Southee holding them up with a punchy 50, as they claimed all 10 between them, just as Southee and Boult had done for New Zealand.
By then, Root and Dawid Malan had extended England’s lead to 231.