Key events
“Spoiled for choice here in North Carolina,” writes Chris Pockney. “Hopping back and forth between this match and the Gabba. Gladiator just came on the TV and as I made an early start on the Christmas port, Maximus uttered the immortal words ‘on my command unleash hell’ and Bumrah ran in to bowl. The simulation just trolling us!”
Tea
New Zealand lead by 204 runs and can enforce the follow on if they want to. It’s hard to see that happening. Matt Henry finishes with 4 for 48 and Mitchell Santner 3 for 7 – but the real star was Will O’Rourke, who flattened England’s celebrated middle order in a spell of nasty, ruthless but also intelligent fast bowling. O’Rourke’s figures of 8-2-33-3, though excellent, don’t convey just how good he was.
WICKET! England 143 all out (Potts c Phillips b Henry 1)
Tea’s up! Potts slices Henry high in the air on the off side, and Phillips runs back from point to take a beautifully judged catch.
35th over: England 143-9 (Potts 1, Bashir 1) The ball has turned for Santner, particularly the one that got Pope, but really this has been another end-of-term batting performance from England. Ben Stokes’ 43-ball stay is the longest of the innings; even Will O’Rourke survived 30 balls this morning.
With England nine down, the tea break will be delayed until the end of the innings. I don’t think anyone will be feeling any hunger pangs.
WICKET! England 141-9 (Carse ct and b Santner 1)
Bump ball my derriere: Carse’s bat scuffed the ground but he chipped the ball straight back to Santner! This is crazy: Mitch Santner has taken 3 for 5!
Carse gives a simple return catch to Santner, but nobody is sure whether it was a bump ball or not. The third umpire will reveal all any second now.
34th over: England 141-8 (Atkinson 1, Carse 0) England aren’t actually past the follow-on target yet, though I can’t see New Zealand enforcing it. England need to reach 148 to take it off the table.
“Recovered from the wisdom tooth pain, but my sleep pattern has been destroyed by so much great overnight cricket…” says Tom Bancroft. “Need to get a grip… Daytime life is falling apart.”
Tell me about it. I was talking to Yas Rana (host of the brilliant series of Wisden podcasts) about this the other day, trying to work out the best system. I’ve had no routine at all, just sleeping and waking and eating like an oaf. It’s been a slog.
WICKET! England 141-8 (Atkinson c Santner b Henry 4)
England are having a bit of a stinker I’m afraid. Atkinson chips Henry tamely to mid-on, where Santner staggers in to take a deceptively good low catch. Runs, wickets and now a catch: Santner’s selection could barely have gone any better.
33rd over: England 137-7 (Atkinson 1, Carse 0) Santner has a huge LBW appeal against Carse turned down on height. The umpire Ahsan Raza thought about that for quite a while but I think he made the right decision.
Before that Pune Test, Santner had taken 54 Test wickets at an average of 42, spread across nine years of red-ball anonymity. Since then – and yes I know it’s an extremely small sample size but it’s my sample size and I’ll do with as I please – he’s picked up 15 more at 11 apiece. Nobody saw that coming, not even Quasimodo.
WICKET! England 137-7 (Stokes LBW b Santner 27)
Another wicket for Mitchellitharan! Stokes launches into a lusty sweep, misses and is hit just below the knee roll. That’s plumb. He reviews just in case the technology has a funny turn; it doesn’t. Three reds and Stokes has gone.
32nd over: England 137-6 (Stokes 27, Atkinson 1) Three singles from Henry’s over, one of which leads to a precautionary referral against Stokes. He’s fine.
“Oh yes, we’re here all right,” says John Starbuck. “Keep going, despite the lack of witty repartee.”
I’m doing my best John!
31st over: England 134-6 (Stokes 25, Atkinson 0) New Zealand lead by 213 runs. That, I’m here to tell you, is a lot of runs.
WICKET! England 134-6 (Pope c Mitchell b Santner 24)
After 127.1 overs, it’s time for the first spin of the match (unless you count Matt Potts’ back-of-the-hand slower ball). Mitchell Santner, who took 13 wickets against India in Pune on his last Test appearance, is on for Southee.
Stokes makes a pretty unambiguous statement of intent by pinging a reverse sweep for four off the first ball. That also brings up an impressively assured fifty partnership from 74 balls.
A partnership, alas, that comes to an abrupt end four balls later when Pope is surprised by some extra bounce and jabs to slip. It was good bowling rather than a poor shot, although Pope’s wrists were on the stiff side. Whatever the reason, England are in doodoo country.
30th over: England 129-5 (Pope 24, Stokes 20) Stokes almost drags Henry onto the stumps, then takes one on the thigh after charging down the pitch. Henry saw him coming and rammed the ball in. A fine over ends with a shortish delivery that Stokes fences short of the slips and then through for a single.
29th over: England 128-5 (Pope 24, Stokes 19) Stokes plays a shot of absurd quality, lazily flicking a big Southee inswinger between midwicket and mid-on for four. He’s only on 19, and I’ll look a right plonker if he slogs one up in the air, but Stokes’ strokeplay hasn’t looked this clean in quite a while.
28th over: England 122-5 (Pope 23, Stokes 14) Henry replaces O’Rourke after a bat-jarring spell of 8-2-33-3. Stokes gives him the charge but doesn’t beat mid-off; then Pope flicks in the air but well short of mid-on.
There’s still loads for England to do but so far this has been a good, unruffled partnership.
Meanwhile, in Brisbane, Steve Smith is scrapping and Travis Head is counter-attacking towards the end of a compelling morning session. You can follow that with Angus Fontaine.
27th over: England 120-5 (Pope 22, Stokes 13) There’s been nothing frenetic about Pope’s start today. The only F-word being used is ‘four’, and he gets his fifth with a beautiful, relaxed straight drive off Southee. He has 22 from 37 balls, Stokes 13 from 22.
26th over: England 116-5 (Pope 18, Stokes 13) O’Rourke keeps going, into his eighth over, but maybe it’s one too many. Stokes drives and clips successive boundaries, two high-class strokes that take him into double figures.
Mind you, O’Rourke’s issue was line rather than pace, which is still up around 90mph. Later in the over Stokes pulls his hand off the bta in surprise when a length ball rears at him. Deliveries like that must make O’Rourke so unpleasant to face. And the rest. He looks so good.
25th over: England 108-5 (Pope 18, Stokes 5) Pope chased a really wide outswinger from Southee and clumps it to the cover boundary. He continues to look really good at No6 and, though I’m fairly sure he’ll return to No3 at the start of next summer, he has made it a bit more complicated with the quality of his batting and keeping in this series.
24th over: England 104-5 (Pope 14, Stokes 5) Thanks Tanya, hello everyone. How good is this? Will O’Rourke came into this match averaging around 50 in the series, even though he has bowled marvellously at times. He got his just deserts when he flattened England’s middle order in the space of eight balls, dismissing Bethell, Brook and Root.
It’s been a brutish spell of bowling from O’Rourke, whose rare combination of pace, height and awkward angles that evokes Steve Harmison in his 2004 pomp. Even now, in the seventh over of his spell, he is hitting 90mph. Stokes, who was dealt with emphatically by O’Rourke in the second Test, gets solidly in line and then fences an errant delivery down the leg side for four.
23rd over: England 100-5 (Pope 14, Stokes 1) Pope almost falls for the tempting sweetie from Southee, fat and juicy, but just misses getting bat on ball. And after that thrilling post-lunch hour, I am handing over to Rob Smyth who will guide you through the night. Thanks for all your messages – bye!
22nd over: England 99-5 (Pope 14, Stokes 0) Pope uppercuts, a vicious waft that flies up and just short of six. A fascinating over follows – a hot potato of a bouncer that leaves Pope wide-mouthed in almost-admiration. Then a riposte of an on drive before Pope is spatchcocked as leans back to cut and the ball falls fingernails short of Will Young at backward point.
“Morning Tanya.” Hello Brian Withington!
”I deliberately started my review of the day’s events from the preamble without checking any scores, and had fairly safely reached 70 odd for 2 when I pressed refresh at the beginning of that O’Rourke over …
”Not that we believe in jinxing in these parts, but I shan’t do that again in a hurry.”
21st over: England 90-5 (Pope 5, Stokes 0) Southee, arms like pistons, races in. He drifts onto the pads and Pope with relief sends him to the square leg boundary.
20th over: England 86-5 (Pope 1, Stokes 0) Four slips knit. O’Rourke to Stokes. A maiden.
“Hi Tanya,” Hello again Ian.
”I feel “sniffs” was a little harsh, though as it’s the middle of December and I live in north Manchester it’s technically accurate, I do have a cold.
Basically I was riffing on “commentators curse”, you actually got what you asked for, but in the minimal possible way. Isn’t cricket wonderful?”
I withdraw my sniffs – would a muses do? Sending a hello from the other side of town. And yes to wonderful. Also throwing in – as the last hour has shown – a sometimes totally unexpected.
19th over: England 86-5 (Pope 1, Stokes 0) O’Rourke got nine here against South Africa on Test debut. England get a brief breather from a Southee over which brings four legbyes.
WICKET! Root c Young b O’Rourke 32 (England 82-5)
O’Rourke! He swings one in which fires towards Root’s guts, he cuts but is suddenly cramped and can only give an easy catch to Young. England’s wall is crumbling.
18th over: England 82-5 (Pope 1) O’Rourke on a hat-trick…Pope darts at a legside ball and there’s a huge appeal but no go. Ooof, Pope sets off for a crazy single, which would have left Root scrambling if it had hit. And now O’Rourke gets the big one.
17th over: England 81-4 (Root 32, Pope 0) Root nonchalantly straight drives four off Henry as if all is calm, all is bright
16th over: England 77-4 (Root 28, Pope 0) They were just discussing on comms how O’Rourke was finding his line easier against the left handed Bethell when he succumbed. And the ball to Brook was perfection, a 93mph inswinger to a brand new batter.
WICKET! Brook b O’Rourke 0 (England 77-4)
First ball! O’ Rourke angles the ball in and Brook slices an edge onto his stumps. Looks back in total surprise to see bails on the grass.
WICKET! Bethell c Phillips b O’Rourke 12 (England 77-3)
Like a jumping jackrabbit! Bethell finally runs out of discipline, drives on the up and is snaffled by gully in mid-air.
15th over: England 73-2 (Bethell 8, Root 28) A maiden from the immaculate Henry to Root. Meanwhile in Brisbane, Australia have lost a couple of wickets and Labuschagne and Smith are rebuilding. Follow with Angus Fontaine here:
14th over: England 73-2 (Bethell 8, Root 28) O’Rourke’s line a little wayward to Root, who picks up a couple of early fours with a pull and a clip off the legs. He finishes with four wild byes to make it 13 from the over.
13th over: England 64-2 (Bethell 8, Root 20) Henry is on the prowl. Working on Root, who won’t let himself be subdued and steals a single.
12th over: England 59-2 (Bethell 8, Root 19) O’Rourke replaces Southee, and engineers something nasty, brutish and short which flies towards Bethell’s head, hitting high glove, forcing him to jerk his body backwards. A fierce maiden.
Afternoon session
11th over: England 59-2 (Bethell 8, Root 19) Henry continues after lunch. On comms, Katey Martin says that he has started bowling a lot fuller over the last couple of years. and indeed he largely does here. Beats Root with a shorter ball, then Root nudges a marginally straighter one down to the rope. Henry clasps his chin and mutters through suncreamed lips.
There’s a lovely documentary on Rachin Ravindara showing during the lunch break. Back at Seddon Park, the grassy banks mill with activity. I’m pushing through with salted nuts
Hello Philip Morton in Berkeley!
“This refugee from England thanks you and the Guardian for the OBO. I particularly appreciate the description of culinary adventures.
“It’s cold and wet here in California, but still daylight. If you can find someone who knows how to write, lives here, and can get a video feed you and Rob might actually not have to burn the midnight oil.”
A great idea in theory, but the downside is we wouldn’t get paid…
And here come the players.
“I’d hazard a guess that the whole of your street is glad the Barmy Army trumpeter isn’t with you on your sofa, but you and the Guardian team are all virtuosos on the obo(e). “
Very good Andrew Benton.
“Why do England persist with Crawley? Actually, I’d love to see Stokes opening the batting, he could really lead from the front there, set out his stall at the beginning of an innings, an in-you-face challenge to the bowlers.”
I think this team can afford the on-off expense of Crawley, that’s the ginger.
Ish Sodhi is walking and talking around Seddon Park. “You saw the ball still nipping around a bit, I think it was a leg break against Ben Duckett, and a fantastic catch by Henry, 33 years young. Crawley can take the game away from you so good to get him early. England already scoring 5 runs an over, I think New Zealand bowling those aggressive lengths gives them a chance of quick scoring.”
Time for me to grab a late-night snack and a coffee. Back soon.
Lunch – England 54-2 trail by 293 runs
10th over: England 54-2 (Bethell 7, Root 15) Bethell picks up four through the covers, handsomely, but is tied down by Southee for the remainder of the over and that’s lunch!
9th over: England 49-2 (Bethell 2, Root 15) Henry with his last over before lunch – time for just one more from Southee I think. That Crawley dismissal continues Henry’s freakish hold over him in this series:
8th over: England 45-2 (Bethell 2, Root 11) Root gently accumulates as little clouds like bites of candy floss watch in the cornflower sky.
An email drops entitled Crawley and 21. “Blaming you for that Tanya.” sniffs Ian
”Poor sod did what you asked and look where it lead.
Ah well, bit more wine and then bedtime here.”
He looked so good too…
7th over: England 41-2 (Bethell 1, Root 8) Henry passes shiny red ball past Root’s bat, with seam posing for applause. Next ball, Root turns one behind into the grassy expanse for four. A second four clipped through square leg. Easy does it.
