Reaction and comment from day one
Ali Martin's day one report
Otherwise, that, I’m afraid, is us. Thanks all for your company and comments – check back here or on the site for our report and accoutrements, then join us again tomorrow at 10am BST! Love.
Some other news lines from the cricket world today:
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This has been such a fun series, and that’s another excellent day of it. England’s attack was superb in the first two sessions, then New Zealand came back well in the evening – not because the bowling was poor, but because Mitchell and Blundell are fine batters in nick. Tomorrow should be a lot of fun.
90th over: New Zealand 225-5 (Mitchell 78 Blundell 45) Stokes gives Leach a short leg and a leg slip, then Mitchell turns to midwicket for the one which raises the century partnership – the third of the series for these. In goes a silly mid off, then Blundell gloves one that bounces just wide of slip, giving soft hands a new, and probably sorer meaning. A bunt to cover then adds two to the total, and a forward defensive later it’s stumps. Very well batted mates.
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89th over: New Zealand 222-5 (Mitchell 77, Blundell 43) A final roll of the dice from Stokes: Potts returns at the Kirkstall Lane, for his 20th over. Again, though, Mitchell lines him up nicely ... but as I type that, he stomps down to drive and half-bats towards short midwicket, only for the ball to drop in front of Pope! A single follows, taking the partnership to 99, and Leach will now see us to stumps.
88th over: New Zealand 221-5 (Mitchell 76, Blundell 43) Leach returns having got a wicket with the ball still hard this morning; I wonder if Stokes knacked himself in practice yesterday. Either way, it’s another maiden, the insertion of Bairstow at silly point failing to coax the error, and I wonder when the last time was that a spinner bowled 30 overs on day one at Headingley. So far, Leach has 29.
87th over: New Zealand 221-5 (Mitchell 76, Blundell 43) Overton is cramping as Broad runs in – he’ll sleep like a metaphorical baby tonight, having, presumably, slept like a real baby last night – barely, before waking up crying. mitchell takes one to square leg, then Blundell does likewise to fine before easing two away through point. These two are so good together, and have – so far – navigated a potentially nasty period with skill and composure.
86th over: New Zealand 217-5 (Mitchell 73, Blundell 42) Potts triers a fuller length to Mitchell, and Nasser approves. But there’s not much going on here and a single to leg is all the over has to say for itself.
85th over: New Zealand 216-5 (Mitchell 72, Blundell 42) Mitchell punches to mid off and takes a single to Stokes, who shies and misses – but even if he’d hit, his man was hame. It’s the only run from the over, and this has been an excellent fightback from these two; whatever happens tomorrow, their team should be in the game.
84th over: New Zealand 215-5 (Mitchell 71, Blundell 42) I know why Stokes saved his quicks for the new ball, but it means they’re bowling at two set batters; especially odd given Athers told us just a few minutes ago that the captain was bowling flat-out yesterday in training. Perhaps we’ll see him for one or two before the close, but in the meantime a typically wholehearted over from Potts yields a maiden – but one which causes Blundell few alarms.
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83rd over: New Zealand 215-5 (Mitchell 71, Blundell 42) Broad replaces Overton and his loosener hits Mitchell on the kneeroll; there’s a an appeal but no review when it’s rejected. I think he was on eight when England opted not to send Potts’ refused inquiry upstairs, but he rubs that in further by taking two to mid on, and two singles follow.
82nd over: New Zealand 211-5 (Mitchell 68, Blundell 41) It’s Potts from the other end – Overton is at Broad’s – and Blundell sees out five dots comfortably enough, refusing a single with Mitchell halfway down the track. Good job too, because the final ball has him up on his tippytoes to guide four through backward point; what a pairing this is.
“Your recent correspondence on childhood cricket rules (over 71) reminded me of the extensive list of local laws that my brothers and I played to,” emails George Browne. “We grew up on a farm, where the cricket area was in a sort of courtyard formed by barns/stables on the leg side and straight, while the off-side of the courtyard was the farmhouse itself. Among the rules were:
- WFT (Window Full Toss) - any ball leaving the bat and making contact with a window without previously striking another surface (ground or wall) was Out. Given that the kitchen window was about 10 yards form the bat at around short extra, with another at point, it really taught you to keep your shots down when driving or cutting. There were also windows at mid-on, off, midwicket and square leg.
- RFT (Roof Full Toss) - hitting the ball onto a roof was Out
-OTR (Over the roof) - striking a ball over any of the roofs square of the wicket was out, unless it was a straight hit over the Big Barn roof, in which case you were deemed to have hit a six, but had to go and fetch the ball.
The stumps were chalked on a wall and there was an area of wall that, should a nicked ball hit it, was deemed ‘automatic keeper and first slip’. The pitch was 16 yards long, the bowlers’ run up about 5, and we used taped tennis balls. With two seam-bowling brothers hooping it about, I learned that leaving the ball was key to batting for more than about three deliveries!”
Autowicky! I’d forgotten about that, what a great law.
81st over: New Zealand 207-5 (Mitchell 68, Blundell 37) Overton starts well, full of length, then strays down leg before a waist-high full toss completely eludes Mitchell’s gaze, nearly pings Foakes, and hustles away for four byes.
“Regarding Matt Dony (59th over), verbally distracting an opponent is a yellow and indirect free kick to the other team!” chides Matthew Stephenson.
Only if you get caught, though I must also say that Matt’s email came with the subject “ungentlemanly conduct”. How on earth is that still a thing?
80th over: New Zealand 203-5 (Mitchell 68, Blundell 37) Leach rattles through a seventh maiden, ending a marathon spell, and England take the new ball; interestingly and, I’d say, cleverly, Stokes allows Overton to stay on and take it.
“Sound advice on crocodile wrestling,” says John Starbuck, “to which one might add: Climb a tree and call for help. This won’t however work against a Komodo dragon or indeed a python or big cat. There must be specialist trainers in self-defence against various creatures (plus, of course, people armed with fresh fruit).”
Climbing a tree is only partially useful – I believe that if you can’t get help, the croc will wait until you’re too tired to stay up there. Tangentially, a mate of my brother-in-law keeps snakes that wander about his yard. He kept finding one of them stretched out next to him on the bed so took it to the vet, where he was advised that he might get rid, given it was measuring him up for potential consumption.
79th over: New Zealand 203-5 (Mitchell 68, Blundell 37) Mitchell eases a brace to third man, ducks a bouncer, and top-edges a bouncer on the pull; the ball sails fie of fine leg for four.
78th over: New Zealand 197-5 (Mitchell 62, Blundell 37) Leach is in for what will surely be his penultimate over of a surprisingly bus day. His first ball yields a single to cover, for Mitchell, after which five dots. The partnership is now 76.
77th over: New Zealand 196-5 (Mitchell 61, Blundell 37) Mitchell taps Overton to leg for one.
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REVIEW! NOT OUT!
There was a sound, but not when the ball passed the bat, and indeed there was no edge.
77th over: New Zealand 195-5 (Mitchell 61, Blundell 36) I said earlier that Overton missed his calling as a crocodile wrestler but forgot to say that, should one ever find onself in a wrestling match with a crocodile, when it tries to roll one, do not under any circumstances try and roll the other way, for this will result in broken bones. Go with the roll, then hope Overton – or Peter Willey – is in the vicinity. If not, similarly, do not try and hold its mouth open for this will not be possible, but do try and hold it shut, and should there be a chase, run zig zag. Anyway, two singles, we learn that DRS is back, then Mitchell misses a leg-side glance and there’s an appeal for lbw! It’s rejected, and England review!
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76th over: New Zealand 193-5 (Mitchell 59, Blundell 36) New Zealand will as cognisant as England that they new rambutan is imminent, and when Leach drops short, Blundell zetzes him through cover for four. His final ball, though, is more testing and Blundell tries to glance it around the corner; Foakes takes it well down leg side and there’s a loud shout, but when the umpire says no, no possibility of DRS to check should England have wanted to. I don’t think there was bat involved, but.
75th over: New Zealand 189-5 (Mitchell 59, Blundell 32) Overton begins with an inswinger full of length; Mitchell edges into his pads. Two singles follow, Overton diving to save runs when his fifth delivery is hammered back down the ground by Mitchell.
“Perhaps tests should be held in sunny north-east Scotland,” emails Mike Rodgers, “it’s 25 degrees and sunny here yet again. Our local club, MCC (Methlick Cricket Club) would, I’m sure, allow its ground (Laird’s) to be used.”
We go again...
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“Not sure if you listen to Bob Mortimer and Andy Dawson’s surreal, football-adjacent podcast, Athletico Mince,” says Simon Harding, “in which Steve McLaren’s hair island is an oft mentioned topic.”
It’s a Jim Robinson/Alan Dale and that’s that.
The rain has stopped and play shall resume at 5.35pm BST
Emails Simon Burnton, one of our team at Headingley.
“Funny you mention your powers of Neighbours recall,” says Darrien Bold, “as driving down a winding Cornwall road earlier my wife pointed out a bloke who looked like Lou Carpenter and I was straight in there with ‘Tom Oliver?’”
Oh well played – though in this case, I’d probably have gone with “Ian Branfoot”.
The main covers is on the square, but otherwise it’s just tarpaulin on its immediate neighbours. It’s still mizzling, but hopefully we’ll get more cricket presently.
Talking of Jim Robinson, how many soap characters have a haircut named after them? What people now call a “hair island” is, at least among people I know, referred to as a “Jim Robinson”.
“Yes, it was the Bungle Bungles,” returns James Debens. “She used to go with Bob Dylan (pictured here, right) and they lived off witchetty grubs and painted portraits of one another. Here’s Helen’s oil on canvas of Uncle Bobby.”
I remember this episode, Mrs Mangel as a Cluedo character – genius.
Rain stopped play
It doesn’t look – gulp – “set in” – but given the hour, they’ll do well to get back on today.
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74th over: New Zealand 187-5 (Mitchell 58, Blundell 31) England are just waiting for the new blob now, and Blundell plays out a maiden from Leach, then the players go off for rain.
73rd over: New Zealand 187-5 (Mitchell 58, Blundell 31) Mitchell cracks Overton’s first ball hard to the man at midwicket, as we learn that DRS is still down – the little minx etc etc. Three further dots follow, Mitchell making decent connection with he third but picking out the fielder. No matter, he twizzles the next ball to fine leg for four then wears the one after on the pad; there’s a shout, but it was above the kneeroll.
73rd over: New Zealand 183-5 (Mitchell 54, Blundell 31) Overton returns, but before he can bowl a ball, the umpires call for drinks because DRS is down.
72nd over: New Zealand 183-5 (Mitchell 54, Blundell 31) Mitchell turns Leach to wide long on and they amble a single, the only run from the over.
“Didn’t Helen Daniels off Neighbours used to go and paint in the Bongo Bongos?” wonders James Debens. “Is that a euphemism then? ... And is bongo bongo is the old bunga bunga? I remember Frank D’Arcy was this Pan-like figure enticing elderly ladies to the depths of the bush.”
Helen went to the Bungle Bungles, I believe. I can remember Neighbours episodes and actors from 35 years ago, not a clue what I had for tea last night.
71st over: New Zealand 182-5 (Mitchell 53, Blundell 31) Blundell defends the final ball of the over.
REVIEW! NOT OUT!
There was no edge, or at least no spike on the line.
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WICKET! Blundell c Foakes b Root 31 (New Zealand 182-5)
Root flings down an arm-ball, Blundell appears to edge behind, and that’s gone!
71st over: New Zealand 182-5 (Mitchell 53, Blundell 31) “Oh no!” says Root as sends one outside off, the field set for straight bowling, and Blundell clatters him for four through cover.
“They were always grub-hunters in my day,” reports Tom Levesley on daisy cutters. “Which leads me down a path of childhood cricket rules – did anyone else do peg leg to solve an argument about lbw or caught behind? You face the next ball holding the bat upside down and using the handle to play the ball. Survive that and you’re not out. Beats the review system any day.”
Yup and agree, though our rules were hit it you’ve got to run one, miss it you’ve got to run two.
70th over: New Zealand 178-5 (Mitchell 53, Blundell 27) Mitchell bangs one to cover, then skips down and takes it on the pad. There’s a big appeal, a long chinwag, and no review, before Overton barrels after a drive to cover and slides to turn four into three. So Mitchell compensates by blocking, then coming down and, knowing there’s a long on in place to protect against his favourite shot, he gets outside the ball to tickle Leach for six over long off instead, raising his fifty in the process. He’s batted beautifully this series.
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69th over: New Zealand 168-5 (Mitchell 46, Blundell 24) Blundell cuts Root to deep point for three and three singles follow as we see the light reducing and wind kicking up. I’d not be surprised if we saw the rain mentioned on telly earlier, though it’s currently six or so minutes late.
“I’ve been reading the OBO since Day 1,” brags Ant Pease. “It remains the only forum in which I ever see bongo referred to almost exclusively as bongo. Are you taken to one side at OBO school and dissuaded from saying — for example — grot?”
You’ve got to laugh, there’s one thing for which we’ve got house style and it’s that.
68th over: New Zealand 162-5 (Mitchell 44, Blundell 20) England are waaay behind the over-rate; might that be why we’re seeing spin from baith ends? There’s got to be a reason, because this isn’t threatening the batters at all, three singles added to the total from this latest Leach over.
67th over: New Zealand 159-5 (Mitchell 43, Blundell 18) Root replaces Broad – maybe he’s changing ends – and Blundell strokes him to point for two, then guides one to extra. Again, and as Psychic TV once sung, this is drifting
66th over: New Zealand 156-5 (Mitchell 43, Blundell 15) It’s very hard to reconcile New Zealand’s running in this series with New Zealand, and when Blundell nudges into the on side, a run that’s never there is made nonetheless, because the shy misses. Mitchell does miss a sweep, taking ball on pad and inspiring a strangulated appeal, quickly dismissed, but there’s no more scoring in the over.
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65th over: New Zealand 154-5 (Mitchell 42, Blundell 14) I dunno, there’s a fair chance Stokes knows more about cricket than I do, but it feels like England have wasted their shy at the new man. But Blundell doesn’t spot Broad’s inswinger, edging into his own thigh – he donkey bites himself – but he reads the next ball which does likewise, presenting the full face and watching the ball hit it as it races away to the long off fence. So England go to the umpire again, this time it won’t pass through the ring, and when the change is signalled for, Broad punches air with both fists. There’s something not unamusing about a brief case being opened when you can’t see the contents, but this appears to contain neither bongo nor Marsellus Wallace’s soul, and two dots follow.
64th over: New Zealand 150-5 (Mitchell 42, Blundell 10) Nothing doing despite Stokes’ animation, so chances are they’ll have to wait until the new ball now. Meantime, Leach is still trundling in and aiming darts; I wish he had the confidence to toss a few more up, and as I type that, Mitchell stomps down, eases onto one knee, and clobbers four through square leg.
63rd over: New Zealand 146-5 (Mitchell 38, Blundell 10) Yup, Broad is back and begins with the loosest of looseners, way outside off. But he gets away with it, sending down a maiden after which Stokes and Bairstow try getting the ball changed.
“This is from Boycott’s book On Cricket,” says Marcus Abdullahi. “The other side of Botham’s nature had become clear in Trinidad during the first Test, when he was larking about around the swimming-pool at the team’s hotel. He decided it was very amusing to go around pulling down people’s shorts, but as the afternoon wore on his antics took on a violent undertone. Eventually Peter Willey, who is a very tough customer from the North-east, had had enough, so he threw some of Botham’s gear into the pool. ‘Hey, that’s mine,’ snapped Botham. ‘I know,’ said Willey; ‘what are you going to do about it?’ Guessing that Willey meant business, Botham avoided a head-on confrontation. That represented one of the few occasions when he dodged trouble.”
I was talking about Botham just last night, telling my wife – after we’d watched Sanya Richard Ross as per the below – that if he gets into any kind of argument, about anything, he eventually gives it a “And how many Test wickets did you get?”
Check out this SNEAK PEEK from this Sunday’s all-new Atlanta! #RHOA pic.twitter.com/tMUtun8AGI
— The Peach Report® (@ThePeachReport) June 14, 2022
62nd over: New Zealand 146-5 (Mitchell 38, Blundell 10) Broad is stretching, so I wonder if Stokes isn’t quite ready to bowl again; now I’ve said that, he’ll probably plough through 63 overs unchanged between now and the close. But in the meantime, Leach is milked for four as the crowd, nicely oiled, make a racket. I wonder what Brian Close would make of the lad with the trumpet.
61st over: New Zealand 142-5 (Mitchell 35, Blundell 9) Blundell twizzles a single to square leg, then Blundell pokes two to third man and bunts one to mid off.
“Defensive block in the vague direction of one of their weaker fielders,” says Jeremy Boyce, “coupled with ‘Two there...’”
60th over: New Zealand 138-5 (Mitchell 32, Blundell 8) Four dots from Leach, as we hear the phrase “point of difference” for the infinitieth time today; the third of them yields an appeal when it appears to strike Mitchell’s tootsies, but I’m pretty sure it was bat first (because Nasser just said it was). He then reverses two more, and this is drifting a little – I’m not sure why England aren’t going harder at the new man.
59th over: New Zealand 136-5 (Mitchell 30, Blundell 8) No, Root continues, and Mitchell knucks his third delivery via reverse, but directly to Leach at backward point. His fifth, though, is pressed to leg and the batters run through for a single.
“I never strayed from defence too often,” admits Matt Dony, “but if I was playing further up the pitch and facing my own defenders waiting for a pass, saying ‘Close him’ to my marker was surprisingly often effective. Freed myself up, and bought space for the inevitable poor first touch.”
58th over: New Zealand 135-5 (Mitchell 29, Blundell 8) Blundell is into this right away, and rightly so – he’s in nick and despite the five down, this is a decent track. He flicks two to square leg, the only runs off the over, and we learn that rain is 42 minutes away.
57th over: New Zealand 133-5 (Mitchell 29, Blundell 6) Root continues – I’m a little surprised at that with a new batter in – and his first ball is easily despatched for four to midwicket by Blundell. A single follows, then two twos to Mitchell, and that might be thank you Joe.
“I quite liked ‘ankle smasher’ myself, says Jeremy Boyce of daisy cutters, “but actually ‘fast ball bowled on municipal pitch’ might also apply – although this might also be true of the one that blacks your eye. But what about the one that hits you on the inner thigh? What are the different expressions for this And has anyone else had the same joy as I have, playing social cricket and being passed an already sweaty box by the outgoing batsman as you go out to bat, because we’ve only got 2 for the whole team. Unless you have a personal one.”
Inside thigh is a donkey bite, or was when we went through a phase of grabbing each other’s in school. And yes, I have indeed shared a box.
56th over: New Zealand 124-5 (Mitchell 25, Blundell 1) Blundell has batted well in the series and I’m not sure he’ll let Leach bowl in the way of those above him; he’s got four balls to survive from the over that began before tea, and he strokes the third of them for a single to point.
“The best sledges are always pre-performance sledges,” says Robert Wilson. “You walk in to bat in borrowed kit and baseball boots against a relatively tasty quick. You scratch your mark, stretch and take guard under the judgemental gaze of some chubby and malicious baldy standing at a contemptuously close cover who loudly bellows ‘Easy does it, Bill/Jim/Mo, on the stumps please, this hopeless tw*t can’t protect hisself’ to gales of disobliging laughter. Naturally that first ball up ALWAYS zipped past your ears in a roguish manner. Those first thirty seconds or so were always when the real poets of sledging did their finest work.”
Tea-time email: “Just two words to add to the Royal Rumble discussion: Brian and Close,” reminds Geoff Wignall.
Yes, fair enough – one of those you know could give you a pasting just by looking at his face, even when he was into his 80s. I remember reading that when he was first picked by England he was in the middle of some kind of army punishment – he’s one of those hard blokes who’s as good at enduring pain as dispensing it.
And that is tea! England are bang in charge; New Zealand are fighting to keep head above broon. see you presently for what promises to be yet another brilliant session.
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WICKET! Nicholls c Lees b Leach 19 (New Zealand 123-5)
HAVE - A - LOOK! Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you realise you’ve seen nowt! Nicholls comes down, drives hard, straight at Mitchell ... who tries to move his bat out the road but instead middles a drive directly to mid on! I’ve never seen anything like that, and I guess yiu’ve got to congratulate Ben Stokes for keeping Leach going and offering the big shot in the over before tea. But really, what a carry-on!
What on earth!? 😅🙈
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 23, 2022
Scorecard/clips: https://t.co/AIVHwaRwQv
🏴 #ENGvNZ 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/yb41LrnDr9
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55th over: New Zealand 123-4 (Nicholls 19, Mitchell 25) Yup, that was Pottz’s last over, with Root down to try a twiddle before tea – have a go saying that after a day session on the Western Terrace. Anyway, Nicholls takes one to mid on, then Mitchell sweeps two, and there’ll be time for one more over before tea.
As soon as I hit launch I remembered it was Gooch out handled ball, and here’s Martin Crookall putting me in my place: “Not Mike Atherton with the Handled the Ball but Mike Vaughan. And before that, Graham Gooch at Old Trafford, in the Test when Shane Warne bowled THAT ball, facing Mervyn Hughes and sweeping the ball away with hisforearm before it fell on his wicket, which I only bring up so I can point out that I was there to actually see that one...”
54th over: New Zealand 120-4 (Nicholls 18, Mitchell 23) Credit to Stokes for keeping Leach going – there’s little more inspirational than knowing people believe in you – the two most important words are “well done” said the greatest HR man of all-time, Alex Ferguson, and letting someone do their thing is a tacit way of doing exactly that. Anyhow, the captain is rewarded with another tight over, Nicholls pushing to long on for the only run from it.
53rd over: New Zealand 119-4 (Nicholls 17, Mitchell 23) This is the fourth over of Potts’ spell; I wonder if it might be his last, as it’s pretty hot in Leeds and he flings every ounce of himself into every delivery. England would love another wicket here – they’re in charge, but break this partnership and they’re thinking all out 250 at worst. They’ve to make do with another maide.
“Re the all-time England Cricket Royal Rumble,” offers Ewan Glenton, “I’d back Peter Willey against most comers; I’m sure I remember something about him being the only one Ian Botham was scared of, and in some dressing room horseplay ‘Willey soon overpowered the beefy all-rounder’ is a sentence that stuck in my mind decades ago.”
Yes, that’s certainly his reputation – it’s great, and terrifying, when the ones who don’t look nails are. Jockeys, for example.
Superbly argued nomination for jockeys as the hardest-arse athletes: https://t.co/zoS7qsQ0oQ pic.twitter.com/arPPwdjQLW
— Daniel Harris (@DanielHarris) August 21, 2016
52nd over: New Zealand 119-4 (Nicholls 17, Mitchell 23) Leach continues and deceives Nicholls with a quicker one, part of his fifth maiden of the day.
“I always preferred worm-burner myself,” says Andrew Benzeval on daisy-cutter synonyms, “subterranean and therefore even worse than the pea roller.”
And a far more evocative image.
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51st over: New Zealand 119-4 (Nicholls 17, Mitchell 23) Potts has the look of a straight-down-the-line cop in a US TV series, the bloke who never solves the case but is there when someone else does, then goes to the celebration and has a Coke. Anyhow, Nicholls turns an inswinger to square leg where Overton misfields, and they take a single – the only run from the over.
“Shouting ‘MINE’ after skying one while jogging down to non-striker’s end, watching a nervy fielder get underneath it,” offers Alex McGillivray.
I love that one. Tangentially, as a kid I was once handed a going-over after top-edging one, then elbowing it into the pitch before the fielder could collect his dolly. I think it was after someone, Atherton I think, was given out for swiping the ball away from his stumps with his hand.
50th over: New Zealand 118-4 (Nicholls 16, Mitchell 23) If I’m brutal, I’m surprised it’s taken this long, and right as Sanga says Leach’s figures are better than they should be, Mitchel twinkles down and larrups him back over his barnet and into the stand. He responds with five dots, though, and I wonder whether Stokes will keep him on hoping for a miscue now the batters’ policy has changed, or give one of his quicks – himself perhaps – a run before tea.
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49th over: New Zealand 112-4 (Nicholls 17, Mitchell 16) Look at Henry Nicholls! He drives Potts’ first ball straight back past him for four, his first boundary! That’ll make him feel a lot better, and after seeing away four dots he hauls a pull from outside off towards the midwicket fence; good work from Lees turns four into two.
“I occasionally got to fill in for my brother,” says Jamie Overton John Sims, “who played with a team that regularly used the wonderful ground at Harwood House north of Leeds. I always tried to bat at 12 or lower, based on the terror induced by a broad Yorkshire accent from behind the stumps or in the slip cordon suggesting, ‘I wouldn’t bother taking your guard, mate. We’ve no idea where it’s landing either.’ They would then proceed to dive for cover as the first ball was bowled, and often I would be too in the confusion of the daisy-cutter finally trundling into my undefended middle stump.”
Daisy cutter is a great term, I’ve not had that in years. Pea roller is another, what else have we got?
48th over: New Zealand 106-4 (Nicholls 17, Mitchell 10) Mitchell turns Leach around the corner to the rope at deep backward square, then reverses him through backward point for four more. Nevertheless, I wonder if this innings might represent a breakthrough for Leach who, so far in his Test career, has been largely unable to hold down an end in first inningseseseses. I doubt he’s got many more chances, so he needs to make that so.
“The opponents of my son’s U11 team would shout out ‘nervous batsman’ when they realised this was the case,” emails James Orwell, “thus exacerbating the condition considerably....”
Lovely stuff. I used to do similar on the football pitch – when the ball went to a defender who ddn’t want it, I’d be right there with the “Look at him, he doesn’t want it!”
47th over: New Zealand 98-4 (Nicholls 10, Mitchell 9) Potts gets his first go downhill from the Kirkstall Lane and after Mitchell takes a single, a full one nails Mitchell low on the pad! The bowler likes it a lot, but his captain looks to his keeper and between them they reckon it’s going down. I can see why because it’s slanting in, but impact looked pretty dead to my useless eyes. Goodness me, it is! Middle and leg, two-thirds of the way up where the mezuzah would be, and poor old Pottsy/Potty/Potts has been robbed of a Test wicket!
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46th over: New Zealand 97-4 (Nicholls 10, Mitchell 8) Nicholls tries another sweep and gets naewhere – he’s be the world’s worst curler – then nudges a single into the on side. Leech finds a better delivery next, appealing when Mitchell presents the pad, but an edge preceded contact and he gets down t’other end when Stokes misfields at mid on. Talking of which, this used to be a favourite of a mate of mine, calling “misfield” right before the ball was picked up; I also like a shouted “thank you firstname” to a bowler who’s taken some tap. Any more for any more?
45th over: New Zealand 95-4 (Nicholls 9, Mitchell 7) Overton begins his 11th over as a Test cricketer with two bumpers; Nicholls evades them easily enough, so after a step-up in pace which is played back towards him, he tries things from around; Nicholls pulls past the dive of Stokes at square leg for one
44th over: New Zealand 94-4 (Nicholls 8, Mitchell 7) Nicholls bunts Leach to long on for a single – he’s motoring now! – and it’s the only run from the over. Thinking again about Overton Minor, I think I’d back him in an England squad Royal Rumble; I think he’d do well in an all-time one, too.
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43rd over: New Zealand 93-4 (Nicholls 7, Mitchell 7) Jamie Overton might’ve missed his calling as a crocodile wrestler, but he’s a pretty nifty bowler too – he’s done well today. I don’t think I even mentioned him when discussing the ludicrousness of England’s pace options the other day – I reckon he could take Alan Igglesden – but as I type that, he offers Mitchell a pull, no it’s not ten-to-two, and is duly annihilated through square leg. So Overton tries a fuller one at which the batter drives, the ball swinging away just past the outside edge.
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42nd over: New Zealand 89-4 (Nicholls 7, Mitchell 3) Nicholls attempts consecutive sweeps and Leach attempts consecutive appeals; both fail. So Nicholls presses forward, then goes back and leaves, ball missing stump by the width of a hair on the bowler’s head. Maiden.
Thanks and areas, Tim; afternoon everyone. I shall get my thesaurus out and find alternative verbs. Cajole; soothe.
Drinks: England still on top
41st over: New Zealand 89-4 (Nicholls 7, Mitchell 3) Even Nicholls is getting fed up with Nicholls’s slow scoring. He has a flap at a lifter from Overton and is lucky not to get a nick. That is drinks with England still in charge.
“Afternoon Tim, and loving the stuff as usual,” says Mark Slater. Thanks! “Possibly the only thing a 3 Test series has over a 5 Test one is that there are no dead rubbers; you can lose two and win the last and only be one Test down, and there is that preying on the mind of the team in the lead. I still prefer the set of 5, and think that last year’s NZ would have been worth it.” Any year’s NZ would be worth it in my book: these teams are so well matched. Nos. 7 and 8 in the world!
Time for me to hand over to the talented Daniel Harris, who will, as he would say, coax you though the rest of the day. Thanks for your company and correspondence on matters both serious and trivial.
40th over: New Zealand 88-4 (Nicholls 6, Mitchell 3) Another maiden from Leach, to Mitchell for a change. This partnership has yielded five runs from 33 balls.
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39th over: New Zealand 88-4 (Nicholls 6, Mitchell 3) Another tight over from Overton, who can be expensive but hasn’t been here. He has 8-1-20-1.
“Enjoying the OBO as ever,” says Calum Fordham, “from a beach just north of Naples with a fine view of an Aragonese castle. Conditions here this morning were overcast, hot and humid with a spot of rain, not optimal for swimming and sunbathing but perfect for English seam bowlers. Sun’s just come out so looking foward to an enjoyable afternoon of beachlife and cricket. I’d bring in Moeen and Mahmood for Leach and Overton for a bit of diversity and higher quality cricketers.” Mahmood might well be here if he was fit. England did pick him in the winter, alongside Overton (C) and ahead of Overton (J), just as they went with Moeen last summer ahead of Leach.
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38th over: New Zealand 87-4 (Nicholls 6, Mitchell 2) A maiden from Leach to Nicholls, who may have a big score in him – it’s just that it will take him until October.
“Broad,” says Tom Bowtell, “has kept up his record of doing better without Anderson. He now has 90 wickets @ 25.16 when unjimmied against a jimmied record of 458 @ 28.37.” He does love to lead the attack.
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37th over: New Zealand 87-4 (Nicholls 6, Mitchell 2) Two singles off Overton too. His twin, Craig, joins him on the field as Potts trots into the dressing-room. Another nice moment for their parents, who are there today.
36th over: New Zealand 85-4 (Nicholls 5, Mitchell 1) After making no changes at lunch, Stokes now makes two at once. Potts gives way to Leach, who doesn’t strike instantly this time. A solid over goes for two singles.
35th over: New Zealand 83-4 (Nicholls 4, Mitchell 0) Overton deserved that. He now has the two things his first spell didn’t quite produce: a wicket and a maiden.
England have seen off two of the four opposing players who look as if they have a big score in them. And here comes the third – Daryl Mitchell, NZ’s batter of the series.
Wicket! Conway b Overton 26 (NZ 83-4)
Jamie Overton strikes! And it’s another great bowling change from Stokes. Conway drives, loosely, and Overton’s inswing finds the inside edge for a booming played-on. A great moment for Overton (J), taking his first England wicket and drawing applause from Overton (C) on the balcony.
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34th over: New Zealand 83-3 (Conway 26, Nicholls 4) Potts tries again with that full inswinger to Nicholls, who jabs down on it with half a bat. Later in the over he plays a better shot, a forward defensive, but still flirts with danger as the ball drops close to his stumps.
Meanwhile Stokes has a moan about the state of the ball, puzzling the pundits as this one is offering plenty of movement. England’s over rate, so poor in this otherwise thrilling series, would be better if they didn’t make so many attempts to get the ball changed.
33rd over: New Zealand 83-3 (Conway 26, Nicholls 4) Broad lands a blow on Conway, glancing him on the glove with a lifter that goes on to thud into his arm. Conway, undaunted, responds with a handsome straight drive for four. This is such a good duel.
32nd over: New Zealand 79-3 (Conway 22, Nicholls 4) A maiden from Potts to Nicholls, who has now taken 27 balls to make four runs.
31st over: New Zealand 79-3 (Conway 22, Nicholls 4) Broad goes fuller, searching for swing, and Conway cashes in with a clip for four and a square drive for four more. When the camera zooms in on him, his face is a picture of intensity. There’s no such thing as a dead rubber, is there?
30th over: New Zealand 71-3 (Conway 14, Nicholls 4) Potts produces a full-length inswinger and thinks he’s got Nicholls plumb in front. It’s not given, so England review, and it’s still not given because there could be an element of inside edge. Stokes looks politely incredulous.
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29th over: New Zealand 70-3 (Conway 13, Nicholls 4) Broad, too, has to bowl while digesting his lunch. He does well, managing a maiden, so his figures in this spell are 4-3-2-1 – very Anderson.
“When Steve Davies came out at Surrey over 10 years ago,” says Simon Fuller, “everyone said fine and moved on. I don’t recall any negativity at all.” Me neither, but I suppose the question is how many players haven’t felt able to follow suit.
28th over: New Zealand 69-3 (Conway 13, Nicholls 4) If you were a seamer, would you be happy to bowl just before lunch and then just after? Potts isn’t complaining but he’s not on the money either. He resumes with a freebie on the pads which Nicholls clips away for a comfy three.
The players are out there and Matty Potts is going to continue. Meanwhile, according to a report in the Mail, Yorkshire CCC will have a special guest on Saturday: Azeem Rafiq.
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As I sent that last post, in came this email from Rosanna Lynch. “It’s right that men’s cricket is not out,” she feels, “but it’s one of the ways in which the women’s game has led the way. Katherine Brunt and Nat Sciver were amazing talking about being openly gay and their different experiences on the No Balls podcast recently.”
“Interesting point about being out gay, or not out, in the 27th over,” says Alisdair Gould. “Jeremy Boyce writes about this and Justin Fashanu. I think cricket has been shutting up shop for decades when other sports have embraced openly gay players. That is partly down to individuals but also the establishment of the sport. So glad it was mentioned. Thank you for keeping us up to date with play while we are (erm) working.”
“Ref over 27,” adds Peter Wyatt. “Surely that should be male cricket is not yet out. The women’s game overcame that hurdle some time ago.” Very true.
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Lunch: England on top
27th over: New Zealand 65-3 (Conway 12, Nicholls 1) Broad can still smell blood, but Conway is good enough to keep him out. And that’s lunch, with the two lefties living to see another session but England well on top. The morning has belonged to Broad, Leach and Stokes, who may feel it was a good toss to lose. Broad has two for 20, and needs only two more for 550 in Tests.
“Diversity, 7th over,” says Jeremy Boyce. “Yer man is right, Viv Anderson was from a generation that had a very different experience. At least he survived it. Let’s look at Dalian Atkinson (taken away from us by the Telford Fuzz) and Justin Fashanu, taken away from us by having the misfortune to be both black AND gay at that time. Interesting that although ‘out’ is a fundamental expression in cricket, mostly cricket is not yet ‘out’. A sense of perspective always helps.”
26th over: New Zealand 65-3 (Conway 12, Nicholls 1) A maiden from Potts to Nicholls. The commentators feel Potts isn’t great against left-handers, but he’s showing a new string to his bow here – the ability not to make things happen.
Here’s Richard Woods, picking up the thread from the 20th over. “I suppose you could call the BBC commentary an OBO,” he says, “in the same way as you might call Mark Lathwell or Aftab Habib Test cricketers.” Ha, thanks.
25th over: New Zealand 65-3 (Conway 12, Nicholls 1) Broad is running in hard now with steam coming off his bandana. He goes full and has Conway dropped behind off an inside edge, though to be fair it’s only a quarter-chance as Foakes changes direction, dives and tips it round the post. “He did very well to get a glove on it,” says Kumar Sangakkara, speaking on behalf of the Amalgamated Union of Wicketkeepers.
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24th over: New Zealand 63-3 (Conway 11, Nicholls 0) So England have two left-handers to bowl at, which will be fine by Broad. Potts keeps the pressure on, bowling a maiden to Henry Nicholls and beating him outside off with an Overton-style wild one – short, wide and swinging.
“Pleased to see Leach troubling the batsmen at Headingley,” says Hugh Stokes. “Have never thought of it as a spinner’s ground. If I’m not mistaken, it was one of Shane Warne’s least favourite English Test venues and – others may correct me – can’t think of many spinners cleaning up there, although I do recall Phil Edmonds’ five-for in 1975 against the Aussies – I was there.” One of the great debuts.
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23rd over: New Zealand 62-3 (Conway 11, Nicholls 0) So Stokes does it again, taking Leach off just before lunch, when Joe Root would have been thinking about bringing him on.
“Afternoon Tim, hope you’re enjoying your morning session so far,” says David Horn. I am, thanks. “It’s interesting (to me),” he goes on, “how some bowlers thrive under different management set-ups. More so, perhaps, than batters who operate more in their own bubble. Overton, J - who you described as providing an examination, may well prove to be a case in point. Previous set-ups might have valued other attributes more highly - but I suspect that Stokes / McCullum will welcome a bowler who provides an examination, even if their own wickets column doesn’t directly benefit. (And yes, I’m still bitter about Steven Finn, obviously. SR of 51. Fifty One!)”
Wicket!! Williamson c Foakes b Broad 31 (NZ 62-3)
Another magic bowling change! Stokes brings back Broad, who beats one edge of Williamson’s bat, then kisses the other. Big moment.
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22nd over: New Zealand 62-2 (Williamson 31, Conway 11) Potts concedes his first run of this spell as Williamson gets a tickle to fine leg. Do you get the feeling he’s planning a hundred?
“The thing is,” says Matt Dony, “guessing Wordle on the first try would be a good story, but ultimately unfulfilling as an experience. No skill involved. Anyone could do it. Sort of like surviving a Broad referral. Or beating Manchester United.” Ouch.
21st over: New Zealand 61-2 (Williamson 30, Conway 11) Leach continues and there’s a single to Williamson followed by a string of dots to Conway, who gets frustrated and tries a reverse sweep that almost bobbles up into the arms of Broad at backward point.
20th over: New Zealand 60-2 (Williamson 29, Conway 11) Stokes gives Overton a breather and a pat on the back. His Test career figures, 5-0-17-0, could easily be 5-0-15-2. Potts returns with a maiden and some authoritative field-setting. Not content with having too many Test seamers when they’re all fit, England have discovered two more this month.
“Hey Tim,” says Rory Davies, “in the spirit of ‘teach a man to fish and he’ll have fish for life’, Heyden should go to the BBC Cricket page, then click on the LIVE match link. From there the TMS Overseas link is available (at the bottom of the photo, but above the over by over commentary).” You mean they do an OBO too?
19th over: New Zealand 60-2 (Williamson 29, Conway 11) Leach deceives Williamson, who gives him the charge, gets beaten in the flight, and ends up toe-ending a straight slog. It clears mid-off and brings a jammy four. Leach then blots his copybook by dropping short and giving Williamson a late cut for four more, but this is encouraging from Leach. Maybe he’s not a bad first-innings bowler after all – he just needed to feel the warmth of the crowd behind him.
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18th over: New Zealand 52-2 (Williamson 21, Conway 11) Williamson brings up the NZ fifty in style, with an on-drive for four off Overton.
Here’s John Starbuck. “The key words for determining the state of, and changes to, the pitch’s humidity, speed, swerve etc. are ‘incremental improvement’,” he reckons. “If you make some measurements with instruments checking general humidity, for instance, you should be able to work out the effects of e.g. windspeed. It well be that infra-red spectrum analysis is worth a try, to start. Expert meteorologists will be able to suggest how to finesse this. The more data you can discover, the better the analysis becomes, though keeping an open mind is also key.” In other words, it is rocket science.
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17th over: New Zealand 46-2 (Williamson 16, Conway 10) Conway, relieved not to be facing Overton, dances down the track to loft Leach for four.
“Overseas link,” says Richard Woods, “working perfectly in China.”
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16th over: New Zealand 41-2 (Williamson 16, Conway 5) Overton beats Conway outside off, with his near-yorker, then raps him in the midriff with the one that comes back in. He’s bowling almost as well on debut as Potts did at Lord’s, though the wickets column refuses to show it.
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15th over: New Zealand 40-2 (Williamson 16, Conway 4) Leach bowls his first bad ball, a long hop outside off, but gets away with it as Williamson can’t find a gap with his cut. Maybe he’s still out of form after all.
“We’ve found Gary’s Wordle starting word,” says The Stellarossa on Twitter. “Hokum!” Ha. Mine is either stare or atone, and the other day I typed in stare – only to find the right answer was atone.
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14th over: New Zealand 40-2 (Williamson 16, Conway 4) Conway, facing Overton for the first time, leaves on length and gets away with it but only just as Overton’s natural shape brings the ball back in to the left-hander. Overton has neither a wicket nor a maiden yet in his three-over Test career, but he’s providing an examination.
“Hi Tim,” says Heyden Jones, “loving the commentary. In the past the TMS link has been shown, mailing from France, would love to listen also. TTFN.” I suspect the hive mind can help.
13th over: New Zealand 39-2 (Williamson 15, Conway 4) Devon Conway announces himself with a cover-drive for four, though Leach has a good retort, a quicker ball that brings a squirt past gully.
The wicket was a triumph for two players who will always be associated with Headingley. Ben Stokes brought his spinner on 55 minutes before most captains would have done, and Jack Leach, whose every touch of the ball has been cheered, used that morale-boost to go straight on the attack.
Drinks: England's morning so far
The wicket brings drinks, with England winning the day so far, though it still looks good for batting – sun out, ball coming on nicely.
Wicket! Young lbw b Leach 20 (NZ 35-2)
Ben Stokes gives Jack Leach an early go and it pays off instantly! His first ball is a slow left-armer’s classic, pitching on middle drifting in, straightening, smacking the pad and bringing the raised finger. Young, whose bat got stuck behind his leg, reviews in hope rather than expectation, and Aleem Dar sends him on his way.
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12th over: New Zealand 35-1 (Young 20, Williamson 15) Overton continues and Young pulls again, for three. As well as switching from short to full, Overton seems to alternate between 87mph and 83, as if he’s trying to be Mark Wood and Jimmy Anderson at the same time.
“With all the data these days,” says Gary Naylor, “I’m continually surprised that there’s no proper metrics to evaluate the pace of a pitch or the atmospherics that produce swing or its close cousin, wobble. Lots on outcomes; not much on inputs. That said, most data is hokum anyway.” Ha. If it was really hokum, why would you care about what it covers?
11th over: New Zealand 30-1 (Young 16, Williamson 13) Young, facing Broad, suddenly tries a pull. The ball isn’t short enough and he gets a bottom edge which might be the end of him if it hadn’t struck the back of his leg. Broad smiles knowingly and follows up with a ball that is there for the pull. Young plays it better and picks up a single to deep square.
10th over: New Zealand 28-1 (Young 15, Williamson 13) Jamie Overton’s first ball in international cricket is an interesting one: short, fast and swinging away – the ball Steve Harmison was trying to bowl when he endangered second slip. A similar delivery brings four as Young plays a cut, but he’s straining to reach it and could easily have got a nick (which might have gone for six over third man). Overton keeps swinging through the whole over, mixing the short stuff with a full length. Watching him is not going to be dull.
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9th over: New Zealand 24-1 (Young 11, Williamson 13) Williamson plays the shot of the day so far, easing Broad past mid-off. Is he creeping into form? We can but hope. Here comes Jamie Overton to test him with some fast stuff.
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8th over: New Zealand 19-1 (Young 10, Williamson 9) Just a single off Pott’s over, which rather passed me by as I was too busy writing the below. The social and cultural stuff takes longer to write about than mere nicks and fours.
7th over: New Zealand 18-1 (Young 9, Williamson 9) As Broad continues, there’s another clip from Young (for three) and a near run-out from Williamson, who would be gone if Potts’sshy at the non-striker’s stumps had hit.
“Might I suggest, in the mildest and most amiable way possible,” says Bob Wilson, “that Eoin Morgan’s team did not at all lead the way on diversity in selection. The 80’s selectors did an infinitely better job and scribes under 45 risk dissing some great players if they don’t acknowledge that. Bright-burning candles like Devon Malcolm, Mark Butcher and Gladdy Small. Not to mention my own fave, Phil DeFreitas, who once projectile-vomited in his run-up and then bowled the delivery anyway (and he looked lovely in a dress). The current fall-off in representation has an uncomfortably racist underbelly but it’s principally about class, about free-to-air television and state schools’ sporting resources.
“Last year, sportswriters were doing the same puffery about the diversity of the England football team. I couldn’t help but think about how irritated that must have made Viv Anderson feel. That was a generation of players who did blaze a trail (and often got their toes pretty scorched in consequence). But given football’s decent representation rate, that ahistorical sloppiness is merely ignoring or undervaluing individual grace and moral courage. When you neglect previous POC achievement in English cricket, it is to ignore the vertiginously horrible fact that we’ve gone backwards.
I usually try to be funny but I can’t think of any jokes for this one.”
No diss intended to anyone – including the white men in the present XI. And you’re right, I didn’t mean to suggest that Morgan invented multiculturalism, just that he’s been good at maintaining it. He made a point of mentioning it when England won the World Cup. As a scribe over 45, I was in the press box when Malcolm and Daffy and Gladys and Chris Lewis were all there or thereabouts. Butcher, who came along a bit later, may end up the most significant figure of them all, as an outstanding commentator.
6th over: New Zealand 14-1 (Young 8, Williamson 6) An excellent over from Potts, with only moral victories to show for it. He beats Williamson’s outside edge, then draws an inside edge that dribbles away for a single.
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5th over: New Zealand 13-1 (Young 8, Williamson 5) Undaunted by that near-miss, Williamson glances Broad again and gets a single. As Broad goes full, looking for more swing, Young has an easy clip for two.
“England not on trial today,” says Andrew Benton, “but have they got the fight to get another victory? That would mark a change from the old if so. And am I the only reader who now finds one day and T20 games totally pants? I couldn’t have given a fart in a friary for the Netherlands series.” For a series of mismatches, with many players missing on both sides, it was actually a lot of fun. Jos Buttler bringing his regal form from the IPL, Eoin Morgan struggling to buy a run, Scott Edwards showing his class three times in a row, some rapid evolution in the England attack... I’ve seen worse. And the resurgence of the Test side has come from being more like the white-ball squad, hasn’t it?
4th over: New Zealand 10-1 (Young 6, Williamson 4) Potts drops short and Young cuts for four with the greatest of ease. “Such a fast outfield, Headingley,” says Nasser Hussain. After that, it’s all dots with one fine take from Ben Foakes, his second of the morning.
“‘Eadingley, eh?” says Jeremy Boyce. “My mum’s parents worked at the Lounge Cinema and lived round the corner, my parents were married at the church next to the ground (St Mark’s?), there was a Test match on (1953, Aussies?) and the first question my dad asked as they sat back in the taxi was to the driver, ‘What’s the latest score?’. I’m not sure my mum ever forgave him. Any road oop, it’s good to have proper crikkit back where it belongs.”
3rd over: New Zealand 6-1 (Young 2, Williamson 4) England do have a cunning plan for Kane Williamson: get him strangled down the leg side. And it very nearly works first ball! Stokes posts a leg slip, Broad goes straighter than usual, Williamson takes the bait, and the ball flies between Ben Foakes and that leg slip, Ollie Pope. Thereafter Broad reverts to type, bowling fifth-stump, and Williamson watches the ball go by until the end of the over, when Broad produces a beauty, angled in, swinging away and missing the edge. Good contest!
2nd over: New Zealand 2-1 (Young 2, Williamson 0) In the absence of Jimmy Anderson, Matthew Potts gets a promotion. On debut, at Lord’s, he kept making things happening in his first over, but this time it’s only a clip for two from Will Young to get NZ off the mark.
A replay shows that Joe Root, on taking the catch, charged off to embrace Jack Leach. “Did Leach have a cunning plan?” wonders one of the commentators. If so, it was quite a familiar one: bowl in the channel and wait for the nick.
1st over: New Zealand 0-1 (Young 0, Williamson 0) And here comes a very out-of-form NZ captain. For once, England are making Test cricket look easy.
Wicket! Latham c Root b Broad 0 (NZ 0-1)
First blood to Broad! After leaving a few, Latham send a classic nick into the hands of first slip. Are you David Warner in disguise?
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The anthems have been sung and the ball is in the hands of a man in a bandana: Stuart Broad.
England are not on trial today, for once, but Headingley is. Yorkshire CCC has had a shocker, as Sky has just shown with a quick guide to the racism scandal. “Cricket needs better leadership,” says Mike Atherton. “From both Yorkshire and the ECB.” Amen to that.
Yorkshire’s love of cricket is not in doubt. But it’s a shame that England, with Jofra Archer injured and Moeen Ali still theoretically unavailable, are putting out a less than multicultural XI. On this front, as on a few others, Eoin Morgan’s white-ball team lead the way.
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“With the Ashes only 13 months away,” says Pete Salmon, “surely it’s time to start tinkering with the team so the best possible XI runs out in July 2023?” Ha. They did overdo the tinkering last year, but some of the objections to tinkering are based on a fallacy – that there’s a clear first XI that we can all agree on.
“What’s the weather looking like?” asks Tintenfische on Twitter. “Whole days play?” Yes – cloudy with sunny spells, according to the Met Office. But there’s rain around for the other four days, with tomorrow looking particularly dicey.
England team: as advertised
Jimmy Anderson drops out with a niggly ankle, though he might have been rested anyway. And the Overton window opens – for Jamie, making his England debut, rather than his twin brother Craig, who arrived in the world three minutes earlier and on the Test scene three years earlier. As bowlers, they are far from identical: Craig is line and length, Jamie fire and brimstone. Craig has just given Jamie his first Test cap, becoming the first twin brother to carry out that happy duty, and also probably the first guy to do it for someone who has just felled him with a bouncer.
England 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Alex Lees, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wkt), 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Matthew Potts, 11 Jack Leach.
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NZ team: Wagner gets a game at last
Williamson returns, NZ bat deep, and there’s an overdue recall for Neil Wagner, their unsung hero.
New Zealand 1 Tom Latham, 2 Will Young, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Daryl Mitchell, 7 Tom Blundell (wkt), 8 Michael Bracewell, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Trent Boult.
Toss: NZ win and bat
Kane Williamson is back and he’s got one thing right already, possibly two. He wins the toss and likes the look of the pitch, which has already been described by one commentator as “a featherbed”.
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Preamble: time to buckle up again
Morning everyone and welcome to another day of international cricket. If it’s Thursday, it must be a Test match. About 19 hours after one England XI sealed a one-day series in the Netherlands, another will take the field at Headingley to see if they too can pull off a clean sweep. Or should that be a clean reverse sweep, now that the Test team have become as buccaneering as their white-ball brethren.
It’s time to buckle up again and enjoy the ride. Ben Stokes says England will go even harder this time, a plan that may involve rewriting the laws of physics. New Zealand, who won the World Test Championship only a year ago, are due a win, and they did make 550 after being put in to bat. But England have our old friend Mo Mentum on their side, as well as a new-manager bounce from Brendon McCullum, the super-enabler whose fingerprints can still be found on New Zealand’s spirited style of play.
This game is at Headingley, where it’s easy to picture either set of seamers having a ball – or getting a pasting if the sun comes out. The fastest of them will be Jamie Overton, making his Test debut at the expense of his twin Craig. There is, as ever, no shortage of sub-plots, so do keep this window open. Play starts at 11am UK time, 10pm in New Zealand, and I’ll be back 25 minutes before that with news of the toss.
