By Nick Hoult, in Mount Maunganui
England continue to break new ground under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes. A first Test win in New Zealand for 15 years was also their first ever in a floodlit match overseas.
Stokes now sits alongside Australia captain Lindsay Hassett as the quickest captain to 10 wins (12 games), which includes the one-off as a stand-in for Joe Root in 2020.
After the pre-Christmas success in Pakistan where they became the first team to whitewash their opponents on their own pitches, they arrived in New Zealand and simply carried on where they left off.
This victory, by 267 runs, was completed in 100 minutes of play on day four with five sessions in the match to spare. James Anderson nipped in with 4-18, and walked off with a wry smile at finishing with better figures than his mate Stuart Broad (4-49), after he opened up the New Zealand innings the night before.
03:01 AM
Ben Stokes on England’s first win in NZ since 2008
“Another great performance. Very clinical with the bat and very clinical with the ball. You look at the bowling attack that we’ve got… I think we executed everything we wanted to. I think one of the most pleasing things was whatever New Zealand threw at us with the ball… we managed to react to that and come out on the positive side.
“I think again, it’s going with what you feel is going to work [on targeting Wagner’s short balls]. There’s always the opportunity for a wicket to be taken with short bowling, but there’s [the chance] for runs. Some days it’s not going to work but this week everything we tried to do paid off.
“I think that’s a tactical thing around these day/night games is taking advantage around bowling under lights. We were able to inflict some hard damage with the new ball on day one and the same again last night. It’s tough for anyone when Jimmy and Broady get that ball talking.”
02:57 AM
Tim Southee reacts to a thumping loss
“Disappointing but I think credit to England they played it pretty well. We made the decision thinking it was the right one. The rate they batted put them in the position to declare [when they did]. The style they play is going to present opportunities and we saw that. It’s about trying to stem the bleeding in between those wickets. Strategically they played it pretty nicely.”
02:55 AM
Harry Brook gets player of the match for his two 50s
“There was probably no standout performer in the game. We all contributed well. We stuck at it and we were outstanding. I think it helped that they went for bumpers earlier, I felt I could get in earlier. It was a good pitch.
“I kept on trying to whack it [in the second inns]. Just trying to put as much pressure on the bowler as we can. I struck it well yesterday but another day it might not have come off. It’s the most fun I’ve had. Every time I go out to bat I’m excited to go out and do whatever I want.”
02:53 AM
Stokes’s fine record as captain continues
11 Test and 11 times England have taken 20 wickets.
This little nugget from Nick Hoult is interesting too: “Stokes now sits alongside Australia captain Lindsay Hassett as the quickest captain to 10 wins (12 games), which includes the one-off as a stand-in for Joe Root in 2020.”
02:50 AM
England bowling figures for this innings
Anderson 10.3 – 3 – 18 – 4 (1.71)
Broad 15 – 5 – 49 – 4 (3.26)
Robinson 8 – 0 – 34 – 1 (4.25)
Leach 11 – 4 – 25 – 1 (2.27)
Root 1 – 1 – 0 – 0 (0.0)
02:46 AM
RESULT: ENG (325/9dec and 274) beat NZ (306 and 126) by 267 runs
A thoroughly deserved win for England. Fairly even after the first innings scores and similar after two days but it was yesterday where England went for the jugular and put the result almost out of the reach of the hosts. Broad was excellent and Anderson finished off the job today. A pretty meek surrender bar the final wicket partnership which showed a bit of fight.
England lead the two-Test series 1-0.
02:42 AM
WICKET! Tickner b Anderson 8
Anderson beats the outside edge as Tickner hops back and plays inside the line, the ball then hitting the top of off-stump. That’s that then. Four wickets for Anderson, all today. A decent effort from Tickner and Mitchell but far too much for them to do.
FOW 126ao
02:40 AM
OVER 45: NZ 126/9 (Mitchell 59 Tickner 8)
Mitchell gets four with an uppish shot through backward point. A bit of a slice, a full wide one it was but he got more than enough on it and the field was empty there so fair enough really.
A delay as they change the ball. England still search for that elusive final wicket, as the partnership reaches 35 runs after 10 overs. I guess that’s not all that elusive, but in the context of the innings it is.
02:33 AM
OVER 44: NZ 122/9 (Mitchell 53 Tickner 8)
James Anderson returns for his 10th over. Tickner tries to sway away from a short one, but turns his back on it and it loops up off his forearm and to leg slip. Not an appeal at all, really. Looks painful that, but he wears it well. Anderson continues with the short stuff and Tickner is happy to see the end of the over you’d imagine.
NZ might get to tea here. That said, do they play the extra half an hour because they are nine down? I’m not sure. It might not get to that. Probably another six overs before then.
02:27 AM
OVER 43: NZ 122/9 (Mitchell 53 Tickner 8)
Mitchell plays a couple of handsome pulls to the fielder at deep square, but turns down the chance to get to 50 both times. No mistake on the fifth ball, though, as he times it well enough for it to reach the boundary for four. He moves to a well-deserved fifty off 94 balls, by far the best batting performance by a NZ batsman in this innings. Well played. In vain, but well played nonetheless.
02:23 AM
OVER 42: NZ 118/9 (Mitchell 49 Tickner 8)
Leach continues with men around the bat for Tickner. Pushes one through a bit but Tickner is equal to it, going back and playing in front of the stumps. He turns down a single off the fifth ball of the over, and then it becomes a maiden – Leach’s fourth of his 11 overs.
02:20 AM
OVER 41: NZ 118/9 (Mitchell 49 Tickner 8)
Broad mixing up his pace and lengths here, not afraid for the odd slower ball yorker. Mitchell sees this one, though, and punches down the ground for two runs. Turns down a single to keep strike. He pulls for two more towards midwicket, not really timing it.
He follows that up with a pull that he does time, moving back and pinging it off the bat to the deep midwicket boundary for four! He moves to 49…
02:15 AM
OVER 40: NZ 110/9 (Mitchell 41 Tickner 8)
Six men around the bat for Jack Leach as Tickner faces. It’s a maiden but fairly well played by the Kiwi batsman.
02:11 AM
OVER 39: NZ 110/9 (Mitchell 41 Tickner 8)
Broad continues in his search for a fifth wicket of the innings. If he were to get it it’d be his 20th in 160 Tests. I thought it’d be more after just looking that up. Just four runs to Mitchell in the over as he shovels one down off his pads behind square. A bit much to say Mitchell is frustrating England again at this point…
02:05 AM
OVER 38: NZ 106/9 (Mitchell 37 Tickner 8)
Mitchell launches Leach over long off for his second six (may as well) of the day and then picks up a single off the fifth ball. NZ avoid the ignominy of being bowled out for under 100.
That will be drinks. Four wickets in the first hour for England.
02:00 AM
OVER 37: NZ 99/9 (Mitchell 30 Tickner 8)
Broad’s first over back is not his best. Mind you, his first couple were not red hot yesterday, either. Tickner gets a thick outside edge past the slip cordon, no gully in place but it’d have been close to him were he there. Instead, it’s four and Tickner is off the mark.
There’s four more off the final ball with a more conventional drive past mid-off. Well, if a mid-on was in place, which it isn’t. Full and wide from Broad and that’s a nice shot as it rolls just into the boundary rope.
01:56 AM
OVER 36: NZ 91/9 (Mitchell 30 Tickner 0)
A Jack Leach maiden… Stuart Broad will return for the next over.
01:52 AM
OVER 35: NZ 91/9 (Mitchell 30 Tickner 0)
Tickner blocks Anderson’s finall ball. 3-18 off nine overs for Anderson now. All of England’s front-line bowlers have at least a wicket. No overs from Stokes and just the one from Root.
01:50 AM
WICKET! Wagner c Foakes b Anderson 9
There have not really been many alarms for NZ since the last wicket. Again, the pitch is still good.
Aaand, just as I type that Anderson picks up his third of the day! Wagner chases a wide-ish, full one, plays it hard and edges it behind. Ben Foakes moves to his left to take the catch.
England on the verge of first Test victory and their first Test victory in New Zealand since 2008.
FOW 91/9
01:46 AM
OVER 34: NZ 89/8 (Mitchell 29 Wagner 8)
Mitchell gets out the long handle to Leach, advancing down the pitch with a shuffle and then launching it over the long on boundary for six! Those are the only runs from the over.
01:43 AM
OVER 33: NZ 83/8 (Mitchell 23 Wagner 8)
Anderson dishing out some short stuff to the short stuff merchant Wagner. Anderson gets one to beat his bat and arm and hitting him just below the shoulder as he failed to evade it. Anderson goes over the wicket to Wagner, but a short one sits up and he cuts behind square for four, beating the field. Nice shot.
An inside edge onto pads, I think, ends the over. A brief shout but more an “oh, that was close” rather than a “how is that?” to the umpire. Would have pitched outside leg stump, too.
01:39 AM
OVER 32: NZ 79/8 (Mitchell 23 Wagner 4)
England have not been at their best for this Test but they have been good enough and their opponents, well, just haven’t. It was all fairly even going into yesterday but the hosts were ragged with the ball and then collapsed by virtue of the excellent Broad. Maiden No 1 for Leach.
01:35 AM
OVER 31: NZ 79/8 (Mitchell 23 Wagner 4)
Wagner gets a couple with an aerial punch down the ground. Would have been catchable for a close in mid on but there isn’t one there.
Here’s an interesting Anderson stat from ESPNCricInfo’s Andrew Miller:
01:32 AM
OVER 30: NZ 76/8 (Mitchell 22 Wagner 2)
No demons in the pitch or anything like that. Mitchell picks up a single off the fifth ball, leaving Wagner just one to face. He plays a forward defensive and sees off the danger.
01:30 AM
OVER 29: NZ 75/8 (Mitchell 21 Wagner 2)
Anderson would have preferred to be bowling at Wagner for his hat-trick ball, but he is not. It’s not the best ball first up, Mitchell survives and defends. Three runs off the rest of the over with Wagner off the mark with a two.
01:24 AM
OVER 28: NZ 72/8 (Mitchell 20 Wagner 0)
The Barmy Army trumpeter greets Wagner’s arrival at the crease with a quick blast of ‘Ride of the Valkyries’. Just a single to DJ Mitchell off Leach’s latest over. Anderson to return for his hat-trick attempt.
01:21 AM
OVER 27: NZ 71/8 (Mitchell 19 Wagner 0)
Well, I’ve now removed the target of 394 from the top of these updates because well, what’s the point at this stage? NZ lose three quick wickets and will do well to get this past the first hour, never mind into a second session.
01:20 AM
WICKET! Southee c Root b Anderson 0
Two in the over! Captain Southee follows a ball outside off, outside edging it fairly tamely to slip, where Root takes a simple catch.
NZ eight down now and Anderson on a hat-trick, he’ll have to wait, though.
FOW 71/8
01:17 AM
WICKET! Kuggeleijn LBW b Anderson 2
Full, swinging in, hits the pads and up goes the finger immediately!
The batsman reviews… but this looks as out as it is possible to be.
Yep, impact in line and hitting middle stump about 80 per cent of the way up. NZ definitely in the “collapsing without much fight” category at the moment.
250 wickets overseas for James Anderson, that is.
FOW 71/7
01:12 AM
OVER 26: NZ 67/6 (Mitchell 17 Kuggeleijn) – target 394
Leach ends his wicket-taking over with a beautiful ball that beats the outside edge of the new man Scott Kuggeleijn. Pitched on probably fourth stump, gripped and beat the outside edge.
Looks like the umpires are checking for a stumping here, though…
Kuggeleijn did have his back foot off the ground momentarily, but it’s down in time before Foakes has the bails off.
01:11 AM
WICKET: Bracewell c Brook b Leach 25
Mitchell punches one off the back foot, firmly for a single. That brings Bracewell onto strike, with Leach spinning it into the left-hander’s pads with men in close for the deflected inside edge.
Leach doesn’t need anything so marginal to get the first wicket of the day, though as Bracewell loops one up to midwicket to take a very easy catch.
He went back and just dollied it in the air. An easier catch you could not want. A bit of turn and a bit of bounce but that is a poor dismissal.
FOW 68/6
01:07 AM
OVER 25: NZ 67/5 (Mitchell 17 Bracewell 25) – target 394
Anderson comes around the wicket to the left-handed Bracewell and from quite wide of the crease, too. It’s a decent first over from him, a maiden, mostly forcing Bracewell to play.
01:03 AM
OVER 24: NZ 67/5 (Mitchell 17 Bracewell 25) – target 394
Leach tosses one up second ball, a bit too full really and Mitchell gets to the pitch and drives to the long-off boundary for four, beating a diving Duckett. Those are the only runs from the over.
It’ll be James Anderson to return for his fourth over next up. Didn’t get much action last night when Broad was ripping through the New Zealand top order.
01:00 AM
Right, we’re nearly ready to get going
Looks like MJ Leach will start the day. England require five wickets, NZ 331 runs.
12:52 AM
James Anderson speaks before play
“I’m fortunate that I’ve been on the field for quite a few of those spells. In the situation that we were in we knew we had to try and get wickets during the night. We’ve seen it’s quite good to bat on during the day.”
On the longevity of his career and Broad’s:
“I think we’ve just helped each other the whole way through, we’ve pushed each other in terms of trying to stay in the team and keep getting better as players. I think once that partnership started to grow, we know each others’ game inside out and we can help each other on the field.”
On breaking McGrath and Warne’s record:
“It’s incredible. It doesn’t really seem real to be honest, when you look at the names up on that list, McGrath and Warne one of the if not the greatest pair of bowlers I’ve seen and played against. I’m sure we’ll share a glass of wine in the future [to reflect on it].”
12:42 AM
How long will it take England today?
They will want it done in the first session, but it doesn’t really matter too much as long as they get it done. That said, it’d be some task to get it to a final session for New Zealand.
The conditions look pretty decent at the Bay Oval, sunny with a few clouds and a slight breeze. Sometimes it works in a team’s favour when they are so far away from victory. But then again sometimes they just collapse.
12:30 AM
How reborn Stuart Broad and James Anderson stack up against the greatest bowling duos of all time
Pair took 1,002nd Test wicket when playing together when Broad dismissed Devon Conway, eclipsing the great Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. Read the full piece from Scyld Berry here.
12:17 AM
Broad was fantastic yesterday
Four wickets, all bowled, to pretty much put NZ out of the game.
12:03 AM
Good morning (just)
Another day and yet more reasons to exclaim that James Anderson and Stuart Broad are ‘pretty decent’. ‘Pretty decent’ being a huge understatement, of course, and there being little need to hunt for further reasons to suggest the blatantly obvious.
Broad’s wicket of Devon Conway in the last session of day three, took his and Anderson’s wicket tally as a pair (playing in the same Tests) to 1,002 and past Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath as Test cricket’s most successful bowling partnership. If that is testament to the pair’s longevity then Broad’s latest brilliant spell – that saw him take out New Zealand’s top order with four for 21 in 10 overs – is testament to the fact that both he and Anderson still have more than what it takes to scare the world’s best batsmen.
If they are to defy age and take the new ball against Australia this summer – many expect them to – it will be because they are England’s best hope of early wickets rather than due to misguided sentimentality.
Broad’s four wickets helped England reduce the hosts to 63 for five, chasing an unlikely 394 for victory, and underlined that he is far from a spent force as a new-ball Test bowler. When play resumes later on many expect him to take his 20th Test five-fer, and after the fourth day he was able to reflect on making history.
“To go past two heroes of mine growing up (Warne and McGrath) – certainly we’re not in their category, the quality of those two – but to be up there with Jimmy [Anderson], I feel very lucky,” he said on BT Sport. “I’m very blessed to be in the same era as him.”
Broad has been written off many times but seems to have a new lease of life under the regime of Brendan McCullum and Ben Stokes. Unless New Zealand manage a quite spectacular escape from 331 behind, England will take their record under the pair to 10 wins from 11 matches.
And Broad says it’s great to be part of.
“It’s completely unrecognisable. It’s a bit of a shame there’s not a fly-on-the-wall documentary on it because it’s been amazing to be part of,” he said. “I’m so lucky to see it first hand. Every day Baz (McCullum) walks in he’s like ‘what a job this is. What a gig I’ve got’.
“Everything is positive, it’s not fake. Honestly, since June I can’t remember hearing a negative word in the dressing room. It’s phenomenal to watch up close, how Baz and Stokesy go about their business.”
Stay here for all the action from Mount Maunganui with play due to get under way at 1am.
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