Key events
23rd over: New Zealand 84-3 (Ravindra 41, Mitchell 15) Stokes shows his side how it is done once again, six relentlessly accurate and Ravindra examining balls from the Stuey B End. A maiden.
22nd over: New Zealand 84-3 (Ravindra 41, Mitchell 15) Bashir gets into his groove in his third, finding some loop and drift. Just a couple of singles off it. We’ve still got an hour to go on day three. It feels like there’s a big one round the corner.
21st over: New Zealand 82-3 (Ravindra 40, Mitchell 14) A boisterous cheer at Trent Bridge as Ben Stokes is announced over the tannoy (It’s a brand name!) Ravindra crunches a drive that is well stopped by Emilio Gay at point. Gay has pulled off a few such stops, he looks a decent fielder in that position. Oh no! Josh Tongue swoops in the deep the prevent Mitchell and Ravindra picking up three for a squirted inside edge… but he completely misses the ball and it goes for four! The next ball is worked down to Tongue too and even Stokes gives him a sarcastic clap as he gathers the ball cleanly. It’s a bit of fun. New Zealand lead by 166 and this partnership has moved into the thirties. That’s less fun for England.
20th over: New Zealand 74-3 (Ravindra 37, Mitchell 9) Bashir does indeed tighten up, landing it on a tea towel outside off and Daryl Mitchell can’t get him off the square. Six dots, your friend and mine – a maiden.
19th over: New Zealand 74-3 (Ravindra 37, Mitchell 9) Atkinson finishes his spell with 1-25 off his eight overs. I think Ben Stokes is imminent and we’ll get an almighty cheer from the home fans. Bashir to come first, can he find his line and length and…
APPLY SOME PRESSURE!
18th over: New Zealand 71-3 (Ravindra 36, Mitchell 7) Gah. Bashir starts poorly, immediately releasing the pressure created by Atkinson’s miserly and probing maiden. He’s too full to Mitchell and swept easily for three first ball. A full bunger is a gift to Ravindra and he collects two into the deep on the leg side. Seven off the over in total and Stokes won’t like that one bit.
“Some wonderful England bowling” writes Colum Fordham. “After Archer’s devastating spell, I was mightily impressed by Tongue’s wicketless (but nearly wicket-full) over bowled at breakneck speed. I’m sure his five balls to Nicholls helped set up Atkinson’s wicket ball. If England can dismiss the Kiwis cheaply, dare we dream…?”
It’s all bubbling up nicely in the Trent Bridge Le Creuset (La-di-dah)
17th over: New Zealand 64-3 (Ravindra 32, Mitchell 4) A fantastic over from Gus Atkinson who beats Ravindra outside off stump and then pegs him back and back on the crease with unerring accuracy. A maiden from Gus and here comes Shoaib Bashir. This could be a key period in this Test match, I’m sure New Zealand will look to get after him. The lead is 148 runs.
16th over: New Zealand 64-3 (Ravindra 32, Mitchell 4) Ravindra clips a full ball from Tongue round the corner for four and then unfurls a thunderous cut shot to a short ball that skims violently to the square boundary!
15th over: New Zealand 55-3 (Ravindra 23, Mitchell 4) Daryl ‘Moose’ Mitchell arrives in the middle and tries to counteract Atkinson by taking a few steps down the wicket. I don’t think we’ll see Jamie Smith up to the stumps any time soon, especially to Josh Tongue who is whanging them down at 90mph from t’other end.
Mitchell is off the mark with a late glide past point for four. Close! A short ball hits Mitchell on the elbow and is pouched at leg slip but England know there is no bat on it and keep their powder dry on the review front.
WICKET! Henry Nicholls c Brook b Atkinson 16 (New Zealand 51-3)
Brook moves for this one and takes it safely! It is almost a mirror image of the Tongue chance in the last over but this time Brook goes for it and plucks the catch. Atkinson has the wicket of Nicholls rather than Tongue but England won’t mind, they needed that breakthrough!
14th over: New Zealand 51-2 (Nicholls 16, Ravindra 23) DROP! Tongue finds the edge of Nicholls’ bat and Harry Brook doesn’t go for it at first slip! Brook seemed to think he had a second slip next to him but there was only a yawning gap and the ball flew away without an attempt being made to grab it. D’oh!
13th over: New Zealand 44-2 (Nicholls 11, Ravindra 23) Atkinson stitches together a maiden and Ben Stokes looks to be warming up…
12th over: New Zealand 44-2 (Nicholls 11, Ravindra 23) Tongue finds Ravindra’s edge with an 87mph brute but the stylish southpaw manages to get it wide of the cordon. New Zealand have recovered a bit since the Archer scintillation, they lead by 120 runs.
11th over: New Zealand 36-2 (Nicholls 9, Ravindra 17) Ravindra continues in sparkling touch, driving Atkinson down the ground and holding the pose. Yes please. Atkinson is not happy with the ball, the ringythingies are brought out and the umpires’s grant a change. Beaten! Atkinson nips one past the outside edge, still plenty in this surface with a new ball in hand.
10th over: New Zealand 32-2 (Nicholls 9, Ravindra 13) Tongue thunders in and is at a decent pace early in his spell, up at 86 plus mph in old money. He has Nicholls hopping on the crease after Ravindra clips elegantly for a single at the start of the over.
9th over: New Zealand 31-2 (Nicholls 9, Ravindra 12) Nicholls collects two with a compact drive into the off side. Archer might have one left in his spell, he has 2-12 from his five over opening burst.
8th over: New Zealand 29-2 (Nicholls 7, Ravindra 12) Tongue replaces Atkinson, the Notts bowler could be a real handful on this crumbling home ground surface. Shot! Ravindra comes forward and drives elegantly down the ground for four. What were you worried about?
7th over: New Zealand 24-2 (Nicholls 6, Ravindra 8) Eeeeesht! What a ball from Jofra Archer! His bouncer is so lethal because there is no change in his action whatsoever, Henry Nicholls does amazingly well not to get an edge or his gloves on it as it whistles past his face, showing off a very impressive reverse limbo technique in order to evade it.
6th over: New Zealand 23-2 (Nicholls 5, Ravindra 8) Rachin Ravindra drives Atkinson through the covers and Trent Bridge lets out a purr of acknowledgement. He then clips neatly for two and glides Atkinson for a couple more into the off side. He looks in good nick, but then again when doesn’t he?
5th over: New Zealand 12-2 (Nicholls 2, Ravindra 0) It really was a beauty from Archer, lift and late movement, Conway forced into poking at it whilst he was backing away to square leg, the clonk on the lid no doubt still playing on his mind.
WICKET! Devon Conway c Root b Archer 5 (New Zealand 12-2)
Snorter! Archer strikes again with a serious delivery that Conway can only fence to Joe Root at first slip! Archer wheels away in celebration and mobbed by his teammates and gets a misplaced high five-ing digit in his eye for good measure.
There’s a circa six minute delay after Archer sends down an electric short ball that climbs and keeps climbing on Conway, the batter does well to keep his gloves out of the way but the ball does smash into the side of his grille. The physio comes out and after a good few minutes it seems he has passed the concussion tests and is given the all clear to continue.
Do you think they ask who the current UK prime minister is? Quite a tricky question actually.
4th over: New Zealand 8-1 (Conway 3, Nicholls 1) Atkinson strays onto Conway’s pads and is whipped away for a single. Nicholls leans on a full ball to get off the mark.
Full confession, I partook of a circa six minute shandy at the tea-break with a Guardian employee who has reserved the right to remain anonymous but is here as a punter at Trent Bridge. You can have a guess* but I’ll never tell, protect your sources (co-drinkers) at all times.
*No it wasn’t Monbiot. Absolute badger though I’m sure he is…
3rd over: New Zealand 6-1 (Conway 2, Nicholls 0) Archer has his dander up, he spears in a decent yorker but Conway is equal to it, digging it out late. A single to cover brings Nicholls on strike, Archer lets him off the hook a little with two balls that slant away down the leg side.
2nd over: New Zealand 5-1 (Conway 1, Nicholls 0) Atkinson is on the money with his first over too, I wonder if Ben Stokes has given a Thomas Tuchel style change of innings talk to get the blood pumping into his side? This elongated final session of day three really is crucial. There’s movement off the seam from Atkinson, Conway is watchful and then off the mark with a drop and run into the off side.
Just looking at the Archer/Latham wicket on the replay – Archer hares off giving it the full ‘Celebrappeal’ so certain was he that it was stone dead. Very apt from the Stuart Broad End here at Trent Bridge.
1st over: New Zealand 4-1 (Conway 0, Nicholls 0) The Trent Bridge crowd give Jofra Archer a huge ovation, they know that England need wickets with the new ball to get back into this game. Henry Nicholls joins Devon Conway, Gus Atkinson is going to share the new orb.
WICKET! Tom Latham lbw b Archer 4 (New Zealand 4-1)
Jofra Archer does the business in the first over! He gets the new ball to jag off the seam, Latham edges sketchily for four down through the slip and next ball he is pinned plumb lbw! Archer is in no doubt as he appeals and the umpire raises his finger without much of a delay. Latham doesn’t review and walks off, England have an early strike!
Here come the players after tea, England need some quick wickets…
Time for a brew, the last session will be long and crucial to the outcome of this match. Back soon!
England all out for 354 – trail by 84 runs on first innings
Gone! Josh Tongue c Santner b Foulkes 2
Oh that is a tame way to finish for Josh Tongue as he spoons a half hearted pull and gives catching practice to square leg. England are all out and tea is taken early. The heavy roller is called for and New Zealand, after starting the day staring down the barrel of England’s batting card, skip off with a very healthy first innings lead in their back pocket.
88th over: England 354-9 (Tongue 2, Bashir 0) O’Rourke whistles through a wicket maiden, Shoaib Bashir arrives as Engkand’s last hope with the bat…
WICKET! Gus Atkinson c Mitchell b O’Rourke 23 (England 254-9)
Atkinson is hit on the glove by a nasty O’Rourke delivery and it could well be in his head the following ball as he plays a flat footed poke, the edge is taken and pouched comfortably by Daryl Mitchell.
87th over: England 354-8 (Atkinson 23, Tongue 2) Tongue wafts at Foulkes and connects only with humid Nottinghamshire air. He gets wood on the next ball, guiding to point for a single. A leg bye keeps the scoreboard ticking, England trail by 84 runs.
86th over: England 352-8 (Atkinson 23, Tongue 1) Two singles to the score as Atkinson and Tongue poke O’Rourke behind square on the off side. Zak Foulkes is coming on for a bowl with the new Dukes. What a 24 hours he’s having by the way. He could torment England in the fourth innings too.
85th over: England 350-8 (Atkinson 22, Tongue 0) Josh Tongue joins Atkinson in the middle, England still trail by 88 runs. The match has swung back to New Zealand in the last couple of hours, that all important tricksy third innings coming up but a lead of 70 odd looks to be very handy on a pitch that is definitely starting break up.
WICKET! Jofra Archer c Mitchell b Smith 15 (England 350-8)
Smith gets some steepling bounce and gets rid of Archer with a snorter! Archer stands and stares at the spot on the wicket where the ball spat up at him, taking the shoulder of the bat and flying at a nice height to slip.
84th over: England 348-7 (Atkinson 22, Archer 13) Remember Joe Denly dropped one of the all time dollies agaisnt New Zealand in 2019? You do. Well Ben Sears has just put down a similarly simple sitter as Gus Atkinson plinks O’Rourke straight to him at midwicket and somehow… somehow the ball ends up on the turf. The crowd groan loudly as they see the replay on the big screen.
We’ve all been there. Haven’t we? You definitely have.
James Wallace
83rd over: England 348-7 (Atkinson 22, Archer 13) Thanks Tim and hello everyone. It’s cloudy and muggy here at Trent Bridge, ‘mafting’ you might say. The clouds have rolled over and the pitch is beginning to misbehave just a little, like a fractious toddler after a curtailed afternoon nap. Sears starts again after the drinks break, Gus Atkinson negotiates five balls and then glides a single past point to keep strike for the next.
New Zealand’s lead is still 90 runs. Handy.
Real drinks! NZ still on top
82nd over: England 347-7 (Atkinson 21, Archer 13) Back comes O’Rourke to share the new ball. He almost gets Jofra with a caught-and-bowled, but drops a tough chance and looks as if he has cut his finger. There’s blood on his shirt as the players stop for drinks. Sorry to have gone too soon with drinks – I was deceived by a change of channel from Sky, which led to a flurry of ads.
Time for me to hand over to Jim Wallace, who will bring some much-needed spark. Thanks for your company and top-class correspondence on everything from leg-cutters to serendipitous typos.
Drinks: NZ still on top
… but England are hanging in there.
81st over: England 345-7 (Atkinson 21, Archer 11) Latham takes the new ball right away and hands it to his star man, Nathan Smith. It can hardly do more than the old ball, and Archer has no trouble pushing into the covers for a two and a single. This partnership has added a measured 23 off 50 balls.
Latham burns his last review
80th over: England 342-7 (Atkinson 21, Archer 8) Sears sends a fullish ball into Atkinson’s pads, bringing a half-hearted appeal – and a brainless review. Even someone who can’t spot a leg-cutter can tell that this is proceeding in a straight line towards fine leg. And Tom Latham, who has handled his makeshift attack so well, is now all out of reviews. Atkinson celebrates with a flash for four. England trail by only 96!
79th over: England 338-7 (Atkinson 17, Archer 8) Archer tries to get after Santner, but his lusty drive brings only a single to deep mid-off. The TV director homes in on a gaggle of spectators who have come in Lederhosen.
78th over: England 336-7 (Atkinson 16, Archer 7) Sears finds some reverse swing, tailing it in, forcing Archer to make a late adjustment. Say what you like about England’s batting today, at least they’ve lasted long enough to see some reverse.
Meanwhile Mike Davies Daniels is back for another spell. “The reason I say it’s a cutter,” he writes, “is for those deliveries [Foulkes is] holding the seam at 90 degrees to the fingers and, with his action, dragging the fingers down the off-side of the ball, which is different from his inswinging, stock ball.
“I watched him bowling for Warks when he had a spell there and he’s capable of moving the ball but seemed to have a little difficulty keeping a consistent line and length. He’s undeniably dangerous on a wicket like this.”
77th over: England 335-7 (Atkinson 16, Archer 6) Tom Latham turns to spin for the first time today. Mitch Santner was taken to the cleaners yesterday by Duckett and Bethell (7-0-55-0) , but this over, nice and slow, is treated with due respect as each batter takes a single.
76th over: England 333-7 (Atkinson 14, Archer 5) On an afternoon that is merely hot rather than a scorcher, Jofra is warming to the task. He follows a comfy tuck for a single with a commanding cut for four.
“Hats off to Mike Davies!” says Rowan Sweeney. “Absolutely called it to perfection two overs ago!” That’s a contribution in the great Guardian tradition: observant, big-hearted, and slightly misprinted, as it was Mike Daniels.
75th over: England 327-7 (Atkinson 14, Archer 0) Foulkes, for once, fails to cut his cutter or seam his out-seamer. It goes on across Atkinson, who plays the thinnest of leg glances for four, well detected by Rod Tucker.
74th over: England 323-7 (Atkinson 10, Archer 0) Sears tries to york Atkinson, one tall man aiming at the other’s Achilles heel. Atkinson digs it out and collects a single to reach double figures. That leaves Jofra to cope with four balls, which he does, not very comfortably.
England still trail by 115, and New Zealand are now firm favourites to win the series. Even CricViz puts them ahead, by 40 per cent to 32. On TimViz, it’s about 55-25.
73rd over: England 322-7 (Atkinson 9, Archer 0) “And just like that!” says Mike Daniels, clearly convinced that that was a leg-cutter.
“It’s almost a cutter,” says Mike Atherton.
“Scrambled seam,” says Woakes.
Whatever you call it, it’s working a treat. Foulkes, who is here only as a concession sub, now has 2-30 from 13 overs.
WICKET!!! Brook b Foulkes 58 (England 322-7)
That’s it! The big one. Foulkes angles the ball in, Brook plays down what should be the right line, but the ball moves away and clips the top of off. It’s not the biggest mover he’s produced, but it’s just enough. “A lovely delivery,” says Chris Woakes.
72nd over: England 320-6 (Brook 56, Atkinson 9) Atkinson sees off another over from Sears: no runs, no wickets, no alarms. The game may be taking a siesta.
“We’ve been here before many times,” says Guy Hornsby, “but this session is not just crucial for this England team but could tilt attitudes further towards the England management’s exit. We may have started the day aiming for 500+ but we’re struggling to reach a hundred less, depending on an incredible but mercurial batter and the tail. Skittled out for 350-odd by a persistent NZ attack, will the knives be (even further) out? Or do we need to chill and wait for the next two days to play out?”
71st over: England 319-6 (Brook 55, Atkinson 9) It’s still Foulkes, and he’s still finding movement. Atkinson, like Stokes earlier, finally gets the memo and replies to Brook’s customary single with one of his own, allowing Brook to take another.
“Foulkes isn’t ‘seaming it’,” says Mike Daniels, “he’s bowling genuine leg cutters. If he can pitch it up a bit more, as he did to Stokes, he’s in business.” Yes, the length was very good too. Stokes went at it hard and missed by a mile.
70th over: England 316-6 (Brook 53, Atkinson 8) Ben Sears takes over from Nathan Smith. Brook flicks another single, Atkinson collects some more dots. He’s stuck around for 29 balls already, doing his job. As O’Rourke rejoins the fray, we see footage of the main excitement at lunchtime: the groundstaff laying some new turf over the hole that opened up in the middle of Sears’ run-up.
69th over: England 315-6 (Brook 52, Atkinson 8) Zak Foulkes continues, still digesting his lunch and no doubt savouring the scalp of Ben Stokes. Brook is beaten outside off by the first ball, takes a comfy single from the second, and then watches Atkinson survive the rest. Will O’Rourke is off the field, but the cameras have found him and he looks as if he’s about to return.
A classy email comes in over lunch. “I am constantly writing typos,” says Jeremy Yapp, “so I don’t judge and please forgive the pedantry.” Of course – I don’t have a leg to stand on myself… “But your typo at the end of over 63 hits the spot and sums up both my love and my despair regarding Harry Brook. His fluency really is, sounded out phonetically, his fkuency.”
Lunch! It’s NZ’s morning, but Brook survives
68th over: England 314-6 (Brook 51, Atkinson 8) Atkinson, facing Smith, plays his first ambitious shot, a well-timed clip for four.
England still trail by 124 and the New Zealanders go off for lunch delighted with their morning’s work. Led by Nathan Smith, they’ve taken four for 91, and as a bonus they’ve seen a dry pitch becoming thoroughly devious.
Cracks have opened, too in England’s batting, with neither Joe Root nor Jacob Bethell adding a run this morning, and Jamie Smith and Ben Stokes still at sixes and sevens. But Harry Brook is still there and where there’s Brook, there’s hope.
Source: www.theguardian.com
