“Indescribable” is Mark Butcher’s verdict on Sky on the day’s play, though he has a decent stab at it, including the words “absolutely barking”. Kumar Sangakkara adds praise for Overton’s and Bairstow’s composure and judgment as well as their attacking intent. The absence of a decent spin option might be a significant note of difference between the sides at the moment.
To think a couple of hours ago I was composing a summary in my head joylessly cautioning about the limits of McCullum/Stokes’s Vibes Cricket. But they’re right and I’m wrong, and that’s why they’re earning the big cricketing bucks. This team have redefined the art of digging their way out of a hole here, and it’s been joyous to observe.
That’s us done, as Sky plays us out, fittingly, with Ace of Spades. Thanks for your company, comments, metaphors and reminiscences. Have a good night. Bye
Updated
Jonny Bairstow, the man of the moment/month speaks! And he’s in engaging form off the field too. “Being a Yorkshire lad, scoring a Test hundred at home it’s pretty special. Every Test hundred is emotional, and it’s the kind of guy I am – I wear my heart on my sleeve. I love representing this team and am really excited about the journey we’re embarking on in this group. To have the confidence Jamie had to come out and play the way he did was exceptional.
“I’m pleased with how my game’s at – we’ve played a lot of cricket this year already and I think it’s also just a more relaxed me at the crease, not necessarily as tense, back to Young Jonny just watching the ball and seeing the ball. Sometimes a lot of rubbish is spoken about a lot of different things and sometimes it gets in your mind and you’ve got to just listen to the people that matter to you. The way Brendon has been it’s just ‘go and impose yourself on the game’.”
He adds that he and Stokes greeted each other in the middle with “fancy doing another Trent Bridge?” “It was the first thing me and Ben said, sometimes it’s a simple game that you complicate, we’re trying to strip that complicated nature back. It’s a buy-in from everyone to the head coach to the guys making their debuts – to play in a way we’re capable of doing and a way of Test cricket that is different potentially from the norm.
Of Overton he adds, “I’d not actually played with him before, but It thought the way he played and the way he went about counterattacking was huge, and the power he generated was quite breathtaking at times. He’s fearless, absolutely fearless.”
Stumps, England 264-6
49th over: England 264-6 (Bairstow 130, JOverton 89) The final over of the day is bowled by one of its stars, Trent Boult. And he starts it with a gorgeous inswinger that zips past Bairstow’s edge. He’s still making this ball talk, 50 overs in. And YJB is watchful, before concluding the day with a tucked single on the legside. That’s stumps, and the end of an exhilarating day’s entertainment. Bairstow salutes a happy crowd, who rise to both he and Overton. As well they should.
“Hi from Norway Tom.” Hi Brendan Large. “If Baz ball catches on, do we need to make Test cricket 3 innings each to fill all 5 days?”
Updated
48th over: England 263-6 (Bairstow 129, JOverton 89) Southee continues, and Overton pushes another single. The crowd want the debutant on strike now, and Bairstow obliges with a hurried single. Southee though, to his credit, offers him nothing for the rest of the over.
“Interesting days play,” writes Graham Read, “new era seems to be for once correct. Shameless request for a shout out to Krakow Cricket Club, we’re hosting LSE CC tomorrow. Nice to have traveling teams post pandemic.” Plug duly given – what a fine place to play and watch cricket too.
47th over: England 261-6 (Bairstow 128, JOverton 88) Boult tries to stem the flow with a couple of slower balls, which Bairstow can play out but not score from. But then a regulation line and length ball outside off is again chopped beyond the slips for four to bring up a truly astonishing 200 partnership. And another pull for four down to fine leg adds to the merriment. Boult is actually bowling pretty well here but the mood and momentum are the opposite of where they were three hours or so ago.
“It was heartwarming last night seeing Mr Overton senior on BBC highlights,” writes Dan, at home with Covid. “If Jamie is a jacket spud then I think his dad is surely the full roast dinner.”
46th over: England 252-6 (Bairstow 120, JOverton 88) Some halfwits lobbing cardboard cup trays onto the outfield delay the start of Southee’s over, but it doesn’t knock Overton out of his stride. An easy single starts the over, which is the cue for Bairstow to take on Southee, who’s not been at his best this summer, and hoy him over mid-on for four. It’s easy to forget that England aren’t, on paper, really ahead of the game yet and trail by 77.
On a more serious note, our recent reports into the state of Yorkshire cricket have prompted some correspondence:
45th over: England 247-6 (Bairstow 116, JOverton 86) Overton dabs Boult on the offside for a single, bringing YJB back to the strike early in the over. He takes a languid two square on the off. And that’s the scoring for this over, as Bairstow gets another strop on with people moving behind the bowler’s arm.
“212 - 6 was going some for the JPL,” reminisces Jeremy Boyce, “they used to reckon four an over would win you the match. how times, and overs limits have changed. what the Kiwis need now is a Bob Langford spell ( At Yeovil on 27 July Langford bowled his full complement of eight overs without conceding so much as a single. It is a feat that has not been repeated in the 44 years of List A cricket that has followed and, realistically, is a bowling record every bit as impregnable as Jim Laker’s 19-90) to strangle one end while the others get their breath back. who’s that going to be then ?”
44th over: England 244-6 (Bairstow 114, JOverton 86) Jamie Overton’s made only one first-class century in his career but continues his progress towards a second with a firm drive for one, then Bairstow pulls the returning Southee to the square leg boundary for another four before crunching another delicious cover drive to the opposite boundary. There’s a mounting air of delirium in the crowd – it’ll be lively on the Otley Road tonight.
Another hundred for Jonny Bairstow!
43rd over: England 235-6 (Bairstow 106, JOverton 85) Boult is back at the Kirkstall Lane End, and NZ need his earlier menace right now, but Bairstow’s seeing it like a football and he straight away beats a diving mid-off with a crisp cover drive for four to bring up his 10th Test hundred, and second in a row. What a lot of critics he’s defied this calendar year - another splendid knock. A chop beyond the slips then brings four more before Boult comes back at him with an away-nipper that beats him all ends up. Three leg-byes down to fine leg complete an expensive over.
Meanwhile, though this game is rattling along like an ODI, in an actual one Australia beat Sri Lanka earlier, a consolation win in. a series won 3-2 by the hosts.
Updated
42nd over: England 225-6 (Bairstow 98, JOverton 85) Bairstow’s in as good red-ball form as he’s ever been in and he punches Mitchell down the ground for an exquisitely timed four. Another single takes him to 98. And it gives Overton the chance to thump Mitchell over his head for four. There was an air of KP to that. This is all huge fun. A huge anticipatory roar goes up as Bairstow prepares to take strike again.
“I loved Tanya’s description of Jamie Overton as being a human jacket potato,” writes Tom van der Gucht. “It’s my favourite piece of cricketing metaphor / simile since Gary Naylor once described Tim Martin as strolling in to bowl like a country parson.” Yes, both are good, up there with - if I may change topic - Boy George describing Paul Young as looking like a Cornish pasty in Smash Hits in the 80s.
41st over: England 216-6 (Bairstow 93, JOverton 81) Overton, who’s batted a lot better than he’s bowled today, tucks Southee away for a single on the legside. Bairstow follows suit. A well-run two follows from Overton. Dare I talk of these two both reaching hundreds this evening.
It sounds as if many, many pints have been sunk on the Western Terrace since I was with you this morning, including – according to my mate Tim in the crowd – a police chase of someone dressed as Boris Johnson, a vigour they haven’t always shown with the real PM.
40th over: England 212-6 (Bairstow 92, JOverton 78) Thanks Tanya. Managed to get the shopping done, though didn’t have time to nip round the Duke’s ball factory round the corner to give those pesky cherries the once-over myself. Anyway, Mitchell continues - and he’s finding plenty of movement and swing but it’s of the more obvious kind and hasn’t greatly troubled this set pair yet. There’s very much a meandering middle-overs in the middle overs of an old-school ODI vibe to this. Bairstow plays a nice cover drive for two. Talking of which, this would’ve been a tasty John Player League score - 212 off 40.
39th over: England 210-6 (Bairstow 90, JOverton 78) I don’t know about Leeds, but it is murky in Manchester. Southee returns some control, leaking just a run off his over. I’m going to hand back now to Tom Davies - after a totally bonkers session and a half. Thanks for all the messages, have a good night!
Edmund King takes the intellectual approach: “It’s becoming rapidly clear now that Bazball is one of those revolutionary developments that will utterly change the game of test cricket in short order. The old rules no longer hold and bold solutions are clearly called for. New Zealand must draw on the nation’s strong rugby union heritage and look to improvise some sort of rush defence to stop the English attack. I’m undecided, though, if this would consist of fielders rushing towards the batter or alternatively all scattering straight to the edge of the boundary rope as soon as the ball is bowled.”
38th over: England 209-6 (Bairstow 88, JOverton 78) Boult wants a bowl but the umpires say he hasn’t had enough time back on the field after going off for a rub-down. So Williamson plumps for Daryl Mitchell, who appeals for an lbw with the double arm stretch. His frugal first five balls are spoiled when Overton gets a thick outside edge to the rope.
Jack Leach - five wicket hero.
37th over: England 204-6 (Bairstow 88, JOverton 74) A 67mph Wagner slower ball flummoxes Overton, but the next he clubs for six, very much like the Incredible Hulk , the next he drives down the ground for four, the next through the covers for four more. On the balcony Pope and Stokes laugh out loud.
Kim Thonger asks“When (not if) Jamie gets past a hundred, can he please be referred to solely forevermore in these hallowed columns as Over A Ton Overton, like some latter day Dandy or Beano comic character?”
36th over: England 190-6 (Bairstow 88, JOverton 60) Bairstow drops to one knee and slogs poor Bracewell for four, while Overton hacks another trio.
An email flies in, this time from Pete Salmon:“The idea of the golden ticket being the Achilles heel can’t help but remind me of the glorious Jack Handey line: “If you think a weakness can be turned into a strength, I hate to tell you this, but that’s another weakness.”
Fifty for Jamie Overton!
35th over: England 182-6 (Bairstow 83, JOverton 57) A slower ball nearly does it for Bairstow, he chops and the ball just flies over Williamson at mid off. Wagner tries a short one and Oveton pulls him through midwicket for fifty on his Test debut! Very nicely done. Stokes leads the applause on the England balcony. Another bouncer hits Overton and while they check for concussion, they take DRINKS. One last ball to finish the over and it is edged for another four.
Updated
34th over: England 171-6 (Bairstow 80, JOverton 49) What an afternoon for Jamie Overton! Effortless runs from a giant jacket potato of a man: an extra cover drive then a dainty cut through third man, which is stopped a feather from the rope, to take him to the brink of a debut fifty.
@tjaldred At the risk of flogging a very dead horse, Overton is batting like Broad should. Of course, now I've said that he'll probably be out
— Angus Johnston (@sussexangus) June 24, 2022
33rd over: England 162-6 (Bairstow 79, JOverton 42) Bairstow flays Wagner over long-on for four. Williamson looking around for an answer here.
32nd over: England 157-6 (Bairstow 73, JOverton 43) Overton tonks his first six in Test cricket, away it sails, over long on, bringing up the hundred partnership, off 121 balls. He and Bairstow - purveyor of a glorious pull earlier in Bracewell’s over - grin.
Gower, of course!
@tjaldred Gower's dreamy cover drive was also often his downfall, at least in popular myth.
— Badger #WeAreUkraine 💙🇺🇦 (@spinybadger) June 24, 2022
In tennis, Brad Gilbert claims to have beaten Boris Becker (IIRC) by deliberately feeding his strong forehand to the point that Becker was overhitting it and starting to miss.
Updated
31st over: England 143-6 (Bairstow 66, JOverton 34) Williamson plumps for a double change and it is Wagner’s time to thud in. Bairstow hacks through point for a boundary and we move on.
30th over: England 131-6 (Bairstow 61, JOverton 34) Time for spin. Overton pulls out an efficient sweep and dispatches Bracewell’s first ball for four. Bairstow’s attempt is somewhat less successful.
“ I kind of agree with Geoff Savage’s take on the England ‘tactics’ (over 22). “ taps Dean Kinsella. “I’m fairly sure Kent were doing something similar a couple of seasons ago. Plus, they do it in tennis fairly successfully - lash into the first serve, then a more conservative approach with the second.”
“Also,” he adds, “its probably time for all the Bairstow doubters (haters) to tuck into the unpalatable pie of humility!”
Updated
29th over: England 131-6 (Bairstow 60, JOverton 29) Bairstow sails England pass the follow-on with a down-town drive for the ages.
28th over: England 125-6 (Bairstow 54, JOverton 29) Boult tests Overton, who gives in and has a fumble but misses. I’m just trying to think of a sporting equivalent to Crawley, someone whose golden ticket (his drive) is also his achilles heel
“Hello Tanya,” Matthew Doherty.
“Typical of England to pick a man for his bowling and then
has to perform a rescue act with the bat!” Aye, but he’s not bad with the bat is her?
Fifty for Bairstow!
27th over: England 124-6 (Bairstow 53, JOverton 29) Two consecutive fours from YJB brings him another fifty, and blimey it’s good. He looks to the sky and raises his bat to the Headingley faithful, who roar. A beautifully paced knock, at more than a run a ball.
Updated
26th over: England 115-6 (Bairstow 44, JOverton 29) An excellent maiden from Boult, one a whisker away from Overton’s outside edge. Mark Butcher has a split screen up, where he unfavourably compares Zak Crawley’s technique with Jamie Overton’s. That’s got to hurt.
25 th over: England 115-6 (Bairstow 44, JOverton 29) Southee beats Jamie Overton’s outside edge, a welcome victory after Overton thick edges him down to deep third man.
@tjaldred https://t.co/ebhsIoNSvu
— Oliver B (@Oliksto2) June 24, 2022
24th over: England 107-6 (Bairstow 43, JOverton 22) Overton brings up the fifty partnership with a juicy off drive off Boult for four. England are back in the car, but no-one has checked the battery. Time for a ball change, a decisiom that that riles Stuart Broad who is spotted shaking his head in the dressing room.
“ Loving the T20 OBO,”writes Charles Sheldrick, “but a bit worried we won’t bat all our overs. When does the Test Match start?”
23rd over: England 101-6 (Bairstow 43, JOverton 16) Bairstow has either incredible judgement or incredible luck, leaving a ball from Southee which whispers into off stump’s ear as it passes. Also hits a screamer through the covers for four.
Some Crawley stattage: since his double century, he has played 31 innings in Test cricket and been out in single figures 19 times.
Updated
22nd over: England 93-6 (Bairstow 35, JOverton 16) A couple of quiet overs to start the evening session. Bairstow squeezes a single. This, says Andy Zaltzman, is only the second time in a home Test since 1909 that England’s top four have been out in single figures.
Talking of which, Geoff Savage is looking for the positives.
“Given the new era of positivity and buzziness, I like to think that this isn’t like the England collapses of the before times, where the top order folded because that was all they could do, but rather it’s another piece of front-foot-super-confident-attack strategy from the Ben-Baz axis, whereby England swing wildly in the first innings and, if it doesn’t come off, back themselves to follow on with proper batting for two and a half days, running up a massive total against a bowling attack who have been suckered into thinking they are playing a bunch of gung-ho clowns, then skittling the Kiwis before lunch on Monday. Showing that whilst this England team may/may not have changed, my absurd optimism remains the same as it ever was. “
Not out!
A lot of swing, but no zing.
Another reluctant REVIEW from Williamson -
Overton lbw...
Evening session
21st over: England 92-6 (Bairstow 33, JOverton 16) Southee resumes and Bairstow is watchful. CricViz says afternoon Boult was good.
Outstanding from Trent Boult. He's been full, swung the ball considerably, and attacked the stumps - his Expected Average for this spell, according to the balls he'd bowled, is just 9.4. No opening spell in England since records began in 2006 has been more threatening. #ENGvNZ
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) June 24, 2022
Tea. The cure-all.
Re the petulant fielders from earlier: Chris Brereton: “how about having a miserable teenager in a catching position right under the batsman’s nose = fielding at surly midwicket or surly point!”
and Jeremy Boyce: “I’ll see your “silly-stupid-old-fart...” and raise you a bored teenager trying to argue with his parents “what’s the point ?”
Tea
20th over: England 91-6 (Bairstow 33, JOverton 16) Bairstow survives a yorker from Wagner, and that is tea. Numbers from the session: 95 runs, eight wickets and 21.4 overs. Chapeau Trent Boult, whose 3-43 doesn’t truly reflect his skill. Time to quickly put the kettle on - back in five.
Updated
19th over: England 86-6 (Bairstow 30, JOverton 15) Just three singles off Southee as England’s thoughts turn to tea. I suggest a cup of builders all round - nothing to get the boyz blood sugar going.
“I have a feeling that doom-mongers saying England still can’t bat will be lambasted for not complaining when we were winning the first two tests. But there’s a stark difference between throwing the bat on the fifth day of a test you otherwise cannot win, and consistently playing stupid shots against a great quick bowling unit with their collective dander up.”
“The problem with risky shots is that they are risky. We have to have a plan B. The solution of *really believing* your ill-advised slog will pay off only works in cartoons…”
The thing is, Stokes has lived and breathed and succeeded in cartoons. And once you’ve done that, it must be hard to forget.
18th over: England 83-6 (Bairstow 28, JOverton 14) Wagner drops a tricky caught and bowled as Bairstow drives and Wagner can only snatch at thin air.
17th over: England 79-6 (Bairstow 26, JOverton 13) Just a leg bye from the over, when Overton nearly runs into Southee who is still appealing for an lbw.
An enigmatic Jonathan McKinley muses“Well, Stokesy did promise that it would be entertaining. Which is one word for it.”
NOT OUT!
Nowhere near.
Updated
REVIEW! caught behind...
Given out on the field but JOverton calls for the review
16th over: England 76-6 (Bairstow 26, JOverton 13) Nine from Wagner’s over as Overton, with great poise for a big guy, pings the ball to the cover boundary, while Jonny rustles and hustles.
15th over: England 69-6 (Bairstow 24, JOverton 6) YJB scraps Boult through backward square leg for four
14th over: England 63-6 (Bairstow 19, JOverton 5) On the balcony Ben Stokes chews his finger nails. Is he mulling over his dismissal or is going for broke non negotiable the Ben n Baz way? We have to pause because the prawn sandwiches are mooching about in the hospitality boxes. Overton escapes an lbw shout from Wagner.
Writes Colum Fordham: “I do understand the problem of workmen making a noise like fine tuning formula one cars. Living in a narrow lane in the old part of Naples often used as a film set, a peaceful evening in April was upset by the sound of a Lamborghini revving its engine time and again for a film, driving one resident living two doors away to near despair. Looks like Trent Boult’s engine is properly revved up.”
Updated
13th over: England 62-6 (Bairstow 18, JOverton 5) Overton off the mark with a flinch off his eyebrows off Boult, before making everyone feel a bit better with a carefree drive for four.
“5 day Test cricket is an anachronism -its death is imminent,” writes Ed Picton, a man who knows how to stir the pot
12th over: England 55-6 ( Bairstow 16, JOverton 0 ) Stokes greets Neil Wagner’s first over of the series with a swipe and miss, but gifts his second with a wicket that he won’t want to watch on television. Foakes is done by an inswinger and England are down to newbie Jamie Overton. He did a fair bit of tail-end salvaging for Somerset...
REVIEW!
Not out on the field, but Wagner fancies it. Williamson doesn’t look keen but calls for the review anyway..
WICKET! Foakes lbw Wagner 0 (England 55-6)
Wagner, I can safely say, is pumped. Foakes thought height might save him. He was wrong.
Updated
REVIEW!
Foakes is given lbw....but he fancies a review
Stokes c Williamson b Wagner 18 (England 55-5)
Williamson’s smile isn’t so enigmatic now. Stokes charges and manages only to tip the ball to Williamson who catches the ball on his haunches at mid-off.
Updated
11th over: England 55-4 ( Bairstow 16, Stokes 18) Kane Williamson smiles enigmatically, as Bairstow pulls the last ball before drinks and gets a lucky bottom edge for four. Boult’s over had also seen two consecutive fours from Stokes, one a risky step and cut, the other a more delicate step and square drive. Operation thwack-it is in operation.
Updated
10th over: England 42-4 ( Bairstow 12, Stokes 9) The ginger ninjas going full throttle again. Stokes has a pop at Southee and the the ball flies over long off for six, before Bairstow escapes with a edge over the slips for four more.
Updated
9th over: England 31-4 ( Bairstow 8, Stokes 2) Is Bairstow on the charge? I think he might be. The last two balls of Boult’s over are driven, through the covers and mid-off with the unwavering conviction of muscular Christianity.
“This is quite a reply by Boult” types Duncan Bonnett. “When was the last time the first three wickets of an innings were all bowled? And I suppose, when all by the same bowler? I can’t recall it happening since batters were allowed a whole tree trunk minus the leaves to protect their stumps!”
I can never remember these things without looking them up - where’s Rob when you need him? - but did England not succumb in similar fashion during the Ashes?
8th over: England 23-4 ( Bairstow 0, Stokes 2) Root squared up by that lip-smacker from Southee and shakes his head as he walks off, done by a beauty. Captain Stokes calling, and immediately picks up a couple through the covers.
Updated
WICKET! Root c Blundell b Southee 5 (England 21-4)
Southee has no interest in being the other man. He fires in a full length bullet which Root has to play at and Blundell does the rest.
Updated
7th over: England 17-3 ( Root 1, Bairstow 0) Um. This was written in the stars right? Yorkshire needs, Yorkshire responds. A huge round of applause for YJB as Crawley slinks off to polyfilla the gap between bat and pad. Feel for the guy - who’d be in a performance job? Root and Bairstow prepare to dig in.
WICKET! Crawley b Boult 6 (England 17-3)
Boult roars with laughter as he knocks down the third set of English stumps in half an hour. This time it is Crawley, who can’t resist the drive any longer, misses and is slam-dunked by an inswinger. He pulls off his helmet and marches dismally off.
Updated
6th over: England 17-2 ( Crawley 6, Root 1) England go for a crazy run, that would have seen Root run out for 0, but Williamson can’t hit from cover. Just keeping Headingley on its toes. A run a piece with a couple of clips off the pads.
“I’ll see you mid-pff and raise you silly-stupid-old fart-fossilised-parents mid-on,” says Robert Lewis.
5th over: England 14-2 ( Crawley 4, Root 0) A wicket maiden from a man with the bit between his teeth.
WICKET! Pope b Boult 4 (England 14-2)
Swing time! Another ball of utter gorgeousness by Boult as Pope loses his off stump, the ball passing through the gap between bat and pad as he pushes forward then stumbles forwards as the stumps rattle.
Updated
4th over: England 14-1 ( Crawley 4, Pope 5) Crawley plays out a maiden from Southee. No sign of the devil-may-care waft so far. Defensive prod.
Thank you to Si Williams for this observation. And Peter Such made his debut in the ball of the century Test? I’d forgotten that!
@tjaldred maybe Atherton said home Tests? Several England spinners have taken more recent first innings five-fers, but perhaps only away from home? Moeen, Bess, Root, Swann...
— Si Williams (@Si_Williams) June 24, 2022
3rd over: England 14-1 ( Crawley 4, Pope 5) Lovely from Pope, who tickles a straighter one from Boult off his pads for four.
“I love the concept of the fielder at mid-pff (the Southee wicket) being some listless teenager with hands in their pockets. Are there other typo-generated insouciant fielding positions out there? All I can think of is Bah Pad.”
Very good! I’d like to pretend that was on purpose..
2nd over: England 8-1 ( Crawley 4, Pope 0) Now what can Southee do? Crawley drives him, a leading edge, but it reaches the boundary. Some away swing, but Crawley can safely leave a couple. Feels like the better end to be at right now.
1st over: England 4-1 ( Crawley 0, Pope 0) Ooof - Leees cuts ill-advisedly and is droppped at first slip by Mitchell who leaps but the ball burst through his hands. He is only reprieved for two balls though, until Boult produces a beauty. Sensational first over.
WICKET! Lees b Boult 4 (England 4-1)
The perfect ball from Boult (who’d just seen Lees dropped at slip) - swinging late, moving fast, and deceiving Lees who plops forward defensively only to find his stumps rattling.
Updated
I think Atherton says that Leach is the first England spinner to take five wickets in the first innings of a Test since Jim Laker, but I can’t be entirely sure as some workmen are doing something incredibly loud - tuning formula one cars? - just outside my house.
More Vic love:
@tjaldred Absolutely with you on the added listening pleasure of Victor being back in the @bbctms box. He's always been one of my favourite summarisers.
— Paul Gilham 💙 (@Paul_Gilham) June 24, 2022
117.3 overs: New Zealand 329 all out (Boult 0 not out) Short and sweet! Ten balls after lunch and it’s all over for New Zealand. Leach is surrounded by grinning back-slapping teammates, given the confidence to bowl ,and field to tempt, by his old Headingly mucker Ben Stokes. Three five-fers in the ledger now : Galle, Pallekele and Leeds.
WICKET! Wagner c Bairstow b Leach 4 (New Zealand 329 all out)
Wagner goes pow but Bairstow chases it, this way, that way, until finally taking a brilliant running catch in front of the Western Terrace. He turns to the crowd and roars. That’s five for Leach for the first time in a Test in England!
Updated
WICKET! Southee c Stokes b Leach 33 (New Zealand 329-9)
A fourth for Leach! Southee has a one-handed swipe and manages only to send the ball skyward to mid-pff where a clearly thrilled Stokes takes and rolls the ball along the ground in celebration.
Updated
117th over: New Zealand 329-8 (Southee 33, Wagner 4) Three soapy-fingered slips await the unlucky Matthew Potts on a sunny Headingley afternoon - though there’s a some (ominous?) billowing cloud overhead. He beats Wagner’s outside edge, who back-foot drives him down the ground the very next ball for four. One all.
Afternoon session
116th over: New Zealand 325-8 (Southee 33, Wagner 0)Jack Leach polishes off his truncated wicket-taking pre-lunch over, and we see Neil Wagner with the bat for the first time in the series.
Updated
Just spooning a little bit of lovin to Vic Marks on TMS, lovely to have the old boy back.
“Good afternoon Tanya.”
“I think England’s problem has been they’ve not bowled nearly badly enough. In my experience, if you can’t bowl well, then wickets are more likely to fall accidentally to full tosses and slow long hops than to monotonous average short pitched nonsense. Get the absolute filth out and fling it about literally is my advice.”
Thank you Kim Thonger! England have definitely followed this directive in the past.
Thanks Tom! Bravo to Daryll Mitchell for yet another bit of magic. A couple of quick wickets after lunch and game on!
After 10 days this series:
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) June 23, 2022
New Zealand batters whose surname ends in -ell (3): 810 runs at an average of 90 in 12 innings
New Zealand batters whose surname doesn't end in -ell (11): 604 runs at an average of 17.8 in 39 innings
Lunch, New Zealand 325-8
115.5 overs: New Zealand 325-8 (Southee 33) A valuable partnership is finally brought to a close in a disciplined final over of the session from Leach, who is taken on by Mitchell fifth ball and very well caught in the deep by Stokes.
Which ends a lively old session, which England began well but saw two catches go down, and New Zealand were able to score with ease in the second hour. They’ve got a competitive total on the board already, but not one that should faze this England side. However, they did lose the run of themselves a bit in that session, and need to wrap up this innings sharpish after lunch.
Tanya Aldred will be with you for that, and I’ll be back later in the evening session. Thanks for your company and comments, only a fraction of which I’ve been able to publish. Catch you’se all later.
Wicket! Mitchell c Stokes b Leach 109
Leach gets his man! An excellent innings is brought to a close as Stokes sets a trap, Leach tosses one up, invites the batter to go over the top. He doesn’t quite get hold of it and Stokes takes a swirling catch at wide long-off. And that ends the session
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115th over: New Zealand 324-7 (Mitchell 109 Southee 32) Is Stokes fit to bowl? I wonder whether the captain might want to introduce himself to the fray now. Overton’s not getting much joy here, with the field out as Southee cuts to Root at a kind-of fine third man/back stop position on the boundary. The pesky No 9 adds two more when he steps outside the line and hooks to the deep square leg boundary. This partnership is now 59.
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114th over: New Zealand 320-7 (Mitchell 107 Southee 30) Leach has a strained shout for caught-behind, thinking Mitchell might have flicked off glove to keeper, but he’s turned down and Stokes declines a review. A miscued sweep then still brings Mitchell two behind the keeper, and he preserves the strike with a dabbed single behind backward point to round off the over.
112th over: New Zealand 317-7 (Mitchell 106 Southee 30) Overton’s radar is a bit awry here, and Mitchell confidently bunts a low full toss over the bowler’s head for four. A single follows. The short stuff continues and Southee clouts four more to the long-on boundary, where Stokes was slow to pick it up out of the backdrop of the crowd. And when Overton does go full, Southee square drives through point with style for four. This partnership could be pivotal.
“Really impressed with England’s choice to bowl short against the lower order here,” snarks Ed Rostron. “It was surely the last thing NZ would have expected given that England have tried it in every single game over the last two years without it ever working. Brilliant double bluff from England!” Yes, this is all a bit too reminiscent of the Before Times at the moment.
112th over: New Zealand 304-7 (Mitchell 101 Southee 22) Leach continues, Southee flicks a single and then Mitchell brings up another fine hundred with a straight six. Sure, he’s had some reprieves in this innings but he’s looked assured and classy throughout. A magnificent achievement.
Hundred for Daryl Mitchell
The imperious form of Mitchell is marked by a century for a third Test in a row with the most majestic lofted six off Jack Leach. Well played sir.
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111th over: New Zealand 296-7 (Mitchell 95 Southee 21) Umpire Erasmus’s earholes get a rest from the ball-related GBH assailing them, as Broad is replaced by Jamie Overton at the Kirkstall Lane End. He has four men on the boundary, so I think we know what’s coming, but the first short’un of the over is deflected over the slips for four by Southee, who carves the next one to the boundary through extra-cover. He bashes down another single through midwicket to put Mitchell on strike, and he greets Broad with a really elegant controlled pull through midwicket for four, finding the gaps with precision.
That over didn’t go to plan at all for England, and New Zealand have grounds to feel chipper.
110th over: New Zealand 282-7 (Mitchell 90 Southee 12) Leach turns one into Mitchell’s pads, and it spins behind the keeper for a couple of leg-byes. There’s grip and turn out there. A single square on the leg takes Mitchell into the nineties, which gives him a new record for runs by a New Zealander in a series against England. An incredible achievement in a losing campaign.
109th over: New Zealand 279-7 (Mitchell 89 Southee 12) Mitchell is happy to give Southee the strike, scuttling through for a single off the second ball of Broad’s over. And there’s a reason for that – as Southee duly swivel-pulls venomously to the square-leg boundary for four. Two more follow with a kind-of uppercut to third man. There are few better disrupters among the world’s tail-end batters than Southee, as Broad’s suddenly started going short.
“This attempting to get the ball changed is a bit tiresome,” writes Nick Parish. “Any reason there couldn’t be a DRS-style approach to this – you get two or three unsuccessful attempts to get the ball changed per innings, and that’s it. That would soon stop the frivolous ones. Thanks for all the commentary – keep up the good work.”
107th over: New Zealand 270-7 (Mitchell 88 Southee 4) Mitchell pushes Leach into the onside for a single, then Southee loosenes his shoulders and hits down the ground, as is his wont – it’s a chance but it just eludes the diving Bairstow and goes for four. This game might start moving on apace now.
“I don’t know if this has been covered OBO yet - but what do you think about Michael Vaughan on TMS,” asks David Gillson. “It seems to me that as they are playing at Headingley , and TMS has been running lunchtime interviews and pieces about the racism at Yorkshire , then it seems highly inappropriate that MV should be on the BBC - as he’s apparently been charged by the ECB and it’s bringing the game into disrepute. I’m not a huge fan of punishing people by public opinion when an official verdict has not been reached - but I really think they should have left him out of this test (at least). I feel uncomfortable listening to him. And I’m a Yorkshireman”
This is a big issue to discuss between overs, but I do agree. Innocent until proven guilty is an important principle, of course, but we can’t pretend all this controversy never happened. Learning from it and changing is essential.
107th over: New Zealand 265-7 (Mitchell 87 Southee 0) Ball-critic Broad continues at the Kirkstall Lane End, and this time he gets the ball change he’s agitating for. So out comes the magic suitcase. The first ball with the replacement discomforts Bracewell considerably, swinging, seaming and bouncing into his glove. The second one completes the job, finding an edge to slip and another scalp for Broad, his third of the innings. Wicket-maiden.
Wicket! Bracewell c Crawley b Broad 13, NZ 265-7
Broad finally gets the replacement ball he’s been agitating for and gets Bracewell with his second ball with it, angling one in that moves away a tad, takes the edge and is snaffled at second slip by Crawley. There’s his birthday present.
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106th over: New Zealand 265-6 (Mitchell 87 Bracewell 13) Leach gets one to spit sharply out of the rough into and past Bracewell’s body, which Foakes takes well. There’s stuff to work with now has a more attacking field set for him on the legside. But Bracewell’s an assured player on the onside and sweeps in front of square along the ground for a single. A less adventurous field is set for Bracewell, who clobbers the fifth ball of the over high over the bowler’s head for four. But I’m liking the way Leach is being deployed here – good cricket all-round.
105th over: New Zealand 260-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 12) Bracewell swipes a shorter ball from Broad through midwicket for two, prompting the bowler to give the ball another disapproving stare. Stokes then proffers it to umpire Erasmus who once again turns down a replacement request. Are England getting too fixated with this?
104th over: New Zealand 257-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 10) “It feels like a bowling day,” chirps Mark Butcher in the commentary box, but England only have one wicket to show for it so far when they should have had three. Bracewell on-drives Leach’s first ball for a single, giving the left-arm spinner a go at the right-hander, which the career stats suggest he prefers. He goes over the wicket at Mitchell, seeking to find a bit of rough outside leg-stump. Nothing much happens yet mind.
“Time to pull this cricviz ‘broad is the unluckiest bowler’ tweet back out from 2019,” writes Elliott Carr-Barnsley:
Buttler's drop of Campbell was the 96th dropped catch off Broad's bowling in his career. Since the start of 2006 no other bowler has had as many catches dropped off his bowling. Anderson—with 83—is the next most. #WIvENG pic.twitter.com/1rB56n0cIG
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) February 1, 2019
103rd over: New Zealand 256-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 9) Broad v Mitchell is also an absorbing contest, probing accuracy versus discipline. Neither runs nor chances ensue in another maiden. And that’s drinks.
“I’m not surprised England are dropping catches in the slip cordon,” tuts Tim Lezard. “Did anyone else spot how many times the ball was dropped as the slips threw the ball to each other yesterday?”
102nd over: New Zealand 256-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 9) Leach is introduced to the attack, at about the same time as he was yesterday. Bracewell takes him on third ball, sweeping in front of square on the legside for four. He’s put in a bit more bother off the final ball of the over, which jags sharply into him. This could be a good little contest.
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101st over: New Zealand 252-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 5) There’s talk of rain in Wakefield, but none a few miles further north, thankfully. Broad bowls a disciplined length at Mitchell, who has no option but to play out a maiden.
“The solecism ‘Notts Forest’ occurred earlier this year in the first episode of ‘Sherwood’ (BBC1), when Alun Armstrong’s character used it to refer to Trevor Francis, a couple of local lads knowing nothing about him,” adds John Starbuck. “There was a big row about this and the writer later apologised. Armstrong’s character was killed off (with an arrow) at the end of this episode and quite right too. Some things are beyond the Pale.” Yeah that was a jarring note in an otherwise compelling drama. But why was Armstrong’s character killed?
100th over: New Zealand 252-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 5) England could do with preventing Bracewell getting too set here – a wild swish and a miss outside off gives Potts some encouragement, though the batter is subsequently watchful. Potts continues to offer decent variety though, nipping in and swinging away in due course – he also prevents a certain four when sprawling on the deck to cut out a crisp straight drive. His third maiden of the morning.
99th over: New Zealand 252-6 (Mitchell 83 Bracewell 5) Broad replaces Overton at the Kirkstall Lane, and as if responding to the introduction of the celebrappeal king, DRS cranks back into gear again. His spell starts with a leg-bye. Bracewell is off the mark with a lovely coaching-manual on-drive for four, before another drop – a perfect speared-in delivery at the left-hander that is fended to Bairstow at second slip but he can’t cling on. Did he go too late?
More from The Thoughts of Gary Naylor: “Regardless of performances on the field, the Man (or Woman) of the Match is whoever set the ticket pricing structure.” Yep, who knew that there are other ways to fill a cricket ground than pricing it solely in the interests of champagne-cork-on-the-outfield-popping dullards?
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98th over: New Zealand 246-6 (Mitchell 82 Bracewell 0) Nasser Hussain takes over on commentary, and immediately – and rightly – apologises for Atherton’s “Notts Forest” howler, and all is right with the world again. Potts tests Bracewell with one angled in just outside off that the left-hander leaves adroitly. Potts’s lengths are asking more questions than Overton’s shorter ones are at the moment. Given that, I’m not sure England need two out in the deep on the legside. Another good maiden though.
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97th over: New Zealand 246-6 (Mitchell 82 Bracewell 0) Bracewell is on the front foot to a rare pitched-up ball from Overton but an elegant cover drive goes straight to mid-off. A bouncer, and no-ball, ensues. Broad wants another look at the ball, continuing a pernickety theme of this match, but the umpires see nowt wrong and Overton carries on with it, and keeps the new batter on his toes with some more speared-in short stuff from round the wicket. A leg-bye completes the over.
“I wonder if, in the umpires’ subconscious, they take into account the fact that a worthy appeal for LBW was not given yesterday?” ponders William Hargreaves. “Might make giving an LBW decision a little easier?” I wondered that too, given that it was the same bowler at the same end.
96th over: New Zealand 244-6 (Mitchell 82 Bracewell 0) DRS breaks down, England perk up, as Potts traps Blundell in front with one slightly slanted in. It could have been missing leg but in real time I think you’d give it. This match continues to generate talking-point dismissals, but this is how it used to work in the olden days, kids. Potts is round the wicket at the left-handed Bracewell, who plays out the over.
Wicket! Blundell lbw b Potts 55, NZ 243-6
The DRS system needs to be turned off and turned on again, prompting a brief delay to the start of Potts’s over. For the moment, we’re DRS-less. And wouldn’t you know it, Blundell is trapped in front with one similar to yesterday’s at Mitchell. The umpire’s finger goes up – and there’s nothing the batter can do about it. Potts has his deserved scalp at last.
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95th over: New Zealand 243-5 (Mitchell 82 Blundell 55) More good running from this pair, as Blundell nabs a quick dabbed single off Overton, who then strays down legside and a deflection off Mitchell’s pads speeds to the ropes for four leg-byes. Mike Atherton on Sky comms errs by describing Stuart Broad’s football team as “Notts Forest”. The pedantic subeditor in me just cannot let this sort of stuff go uncommented upon.
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94th over: New Zealand 238-5 (Mitchell 82 Blundell 54) More disciplined line and length fare from Potts, and Mitchell is forced to be watchful. First maiden of the day.
“I’ve a nasty feeling that 300 will be a very good score,” reckons Gary Naylor. “England will go hard at the ball and the edges will carry. You can’t defy the batting gods indefinitely before they wreak their revenge.” Yes, though this is looks like a fine surface to bat on, there’s plenty on offer for bowlers, and indeed fielders.
93rd over: New Zealand 238-5 (Mitchell 82 Blundell 54) Overton continues to find pace and bounce, forcing Blundell to mistime a pull into his body, but when the bowler repeats the delivery Blundell gets right on top of it and pulls it square beyond a diving Bairstow for four. Bairstow has better luck when smartly stopping a repeat of the shot next ball.
92nd over: New Zealand 234-5 (Mitchell 82 Blundell 50) Potts begins from the rugby stand end. He maintains yesterday’s decent, tight and probing length but luck continues to elude him, as Mitchell is dropped, when Foakes dives across Root at first slip to try to snaffle the edge and parries it to the deck. That was Root’s to take all day long
“We all like a good laugh,” writes John Starbuck, “but does any other sport celebrate pratfalls as much as cricket does?” Basketloads of “gaffes and own goals” videos would suggest football has a good go too.
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91st over: New Zealand 232-5 (Mitchell 80 Blundell 50) Jamie Overton gets first use of the 10-overs old ball, from the Kirkstall Lane End. A tentative field with two slips but two men out deep is set for him. Mitchell clips him away for a single second ball to get NZ up and running for the day. Blundell is then squared up by one that spits brutally off the surface and hits him near the shoulder – that’s what Overton offers. A hurried single follows next ball. And Mitchell does likewise to keep things ticking over. The first boundary of the day – a squirt beyond second slip that speeds to the ropes - then brings up Blundell’s 50, another accomplished half-century.
Ben Stokes leads England out, Blundell and Mitchell follow them. Headingley looks gloriously packed.
A note of encouragement for NZ, and foreboding for England:
Bad news for England is that Michael Bracewell is in next https://t.co/Y0xjvHSfjz
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) June 24, 2022
Here you are for yer overseas TMS link – thanks to Raiza Ballim for the prompt.
“Talking of strange dismissals,” writes 1980s sports guru Steve Pye: “I’ve always had a soft spot for Wayne Phillips and the 1985 Ashes incident. Probably helps that I’m English.”
Yeah I remember that – a massive moment. Australia had been digging in and recovering from the previous evening’s Richard Ellison-inspired collapse, then that freak dismissal prised it open again. An English win masterminded by players that swiftly faded from prominence at international level thereafter – Ellison and Tim Robinson.
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True to forecasts, it’s a bit cloudy in LS6 this morning. The ball is still pretty new. England will have chances.
It’s not often a spinner takes centre-stage on a first day at Headingley, but things happen around Jack Leach at this place, and – having bowled well with the hard ball – he then took the most talked-about wicket of the series. And here’s some pre-play reading about it from our Jonathan Liew:
Though those who’ve played the game at a more, er, rudimentary level know that these kinds of things do happen in this great game of ours:
I've seen that happen somewhere before... pic.twitter.com/n6KSIjCsVz
— That’s so Village (@ThatsSoVillage) June 23, 2022
Preamble
Who’d have thought, at the start of this series, that its two most unshiftable New Zealand batters would be Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell? But for the third Test in a row, here we are, the pair adding to their restorative partnerships at Lord’s and Trent Bridge with another one at Headingley that meant a day that looked set to be firmly England’s ended up even.
Of course, if England hadn’t been so curiously timid in opting against reviewing a denied stonewall lbw shout against Mitchell when on eight, I could be filling this preamble with more paeans to the Red-Ball Reset. We may yet get to do so later of course – this Test is beautifully poised and a couple of wickets in the first hour will put the hosts back in the ascendancy on a surface that looks a pleasure to bat on.
The weather, however, could get a little more Headingley-ish in the next couple of days, which might add a note of jeopardy and put a spring in the steps of bowlers. Whatever, you’ll want to keep following. It’s Leeds, where Stuff happens, as we have already seen with Henry Nicholls’ outlandish dismissal yesterday.
Bring it all on. Play starts at 11am BST.
