Yahoo Finance Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell frustrate England again after hosts' bright start
Ben Stokes vowed his team would be the entertainers but this was less about thrills and spills and more about hard work and substance as the bowlers limited New Zealand on a slow batting pitch.
It was action tailor-made for a purist Headingley crowd and required plenty of honest spadework by England, but it will chiefly be remembered for the extraordinary dismissal of Henry Nicholls who was caught off his partner’s bat in a moment made for the social-media age on a day of old-fashioned Test cricket.
While England did well to winkle out five wickets after losing the toss under blue skies, the failure to review an lbw to Daryl Mitchell could yet prove to be the pivotal moment of the Test.
Mitchell was eight and New Zealand 97 for four when Matt Potts beat him with an inswinger and struck the pad. Stokes, stood at mid-off, looked at Ben Foakes who indicated the ball was going down leg side.
It was hitting middle and leg, and for once Stokes had been conservative, refusing to gamble after already losing a review, an uncharacteristic hesitancy given Mitchell was the prized wicket after hundreds at Lord’s and Trent Bridge. Moments later bowling coach Jon Lewis signalled out from the balcony and Potts grimaced as he tucked his shirt in at the top of his mark.
Mitchell made Stokes pay, the reprieve getting him going. Having struggled to connect with his sweep shots against Jack Leach, he kicked into life. The over after the let off, he nailed Leach for two fours, including a reverse sweep, and soon after slotted him down the ground for six.
Another straight six off Leach brought up his fifty and he closed on 78, New Zealand 225 for five, a decent recovery from 123 for five. England wasted a review late on when Mitchell missed a leg-side flick off Jamie Overton, and Brendon McCullum has work to do rectifying their on-field system of checks and balances.
Mitchell batted with composure and controlled aggression again, and his union with Tom Blundell is as strong as newlyweds, the pair putting on 102 to take their tally of runs in the series together to 593.
Stuart Broad bowled his best new-ball spell of the summer, stepping up in the absence of James Anderson by pitching the ball up to hit the Headingley length to take a wicket in the first over, Tom Latham nicking to first slip.
The pick of the bowlers though was Potts. Given both new balls, he bowled with pace, movement and concentrated on hitting line and length in another assured performance. He deserved better than nought for 28 off 20 forceful overs.
Overton bowled an excellent second spell of one for six and looked much happier running down the slope from the Kirkstall Lane End. He rarely touched 90mph and is a notch below Mark Wood and Jofra Archer on the speedometer but he can swing the ball away from the right handers making him capable of producing a snorter from nowhere.
Handed his cap in the morning by twin Craig, he settled in with an unspectacular first spell before switching ends and cranking up the speed dismissing Devon Conway off the inside edge.
Leach was much improved from Trent Bridge, responding to being brought into the action within the first hour by Stokes by striking with his first ball which gripped enough to beat Will Young’s hesitant defence.
Headingley lifted Leach, this his first Test here since the most famous one not out in history, and he bowled with more drift and shape through the air while being more economical too. Stokes has huge faith in Leach, not surprising when you think of their shared history, and sees him as the long-term No 1 spinner.
It was Leach’s second wicket that went viral on social media. This is the 80th Test at Headingley going back to 1899 but never before has it witnessed a dismissal quite as bizarre as the one that befell Nicholls.
He played a laboured innings, taking 74 balls to hit a four and about his only sign of intent was when he used his feet to Leach and hit the ball hard and straight in the final over before tea, only to find the bat of non-striker Mitchell. He tried to move out the way but only deflected the ball which looped off the middle - it would be the middle given Mitchell’s form - and dollied to Alex Lees at mid-off, who pouched the catch before laughing.
What on earth!? 😅🙈
Scorecard/clips: https://t.co/AIVHwaRwQv
🏴 #ENGvNZ 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/yb41LrnDr9— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 23, 2022
Nicholls was gone for 19, the 18th innings by a New Zealand top-five batsman in this series not to advance beyond 31.
Form has been elusive and rustiness is not an excuse now. Kane Williamson got going on this home ground of sorts after stints with Yorkshire but Broad started his second spell with a wicket, an in-ducker leaving Williamson in two minds and flat-footed when the next one held its line and took the edge.
Conway went hard at Overton and paid the price again, his series of cameos a far cry from the heavy run scoring in England last year.
Potts thought he had Nicholls on nine leg before and reviewed only for England to be non-plussed when the third umpire judged a spike on Snicko as an inside edge. Nicholls just could not find any momentum, and even though his end was comedic it was perhaps a blessing.
Blundell and Mitchell brought up their third hundred stand in three Tests in the final over, the second new ball having offered nothing to the bowlers. It was England’s day but one that ended with a feeling of what might have been.
England vs New Zealand, day one - as it happened
06:45 PM
CLOSE: NZ 225/5
England did well, Stuart Broad taking two deserved wickets, Jack leach bouncing back from Trent Bridge to grab two on the first day of a Test and Jamie Overton removing Devon Conway on debut. England will rue the decision that robbed Matty Potts of Daryl Mitchell's wicket. The No6 batsman, now on course for a century in three successive Tests, was pinned in front of middle and leg on eight but the angle deceived Messrs Stokes, Foakes (and Erasmus) and they decided not to review. Still, England will be happy with their work having lost the toss.
06:40 PM
OVER 90: NZ 225/5 (Mitchell 78 Blundell 45)
There's the third century stand between these two in three Tests. Mitchell brings it up by working a single through midwicket. Leach gets one to grip and spit at Blundell and it kissed the glove but dropped short. Blundell ends proceedings with a square drive for two through cover and off they walk to sleep the sleep of the just.
06:37 PM
OVER 89: NZ 222/5 (Mitchell 77 Blundell 43)
Oh! Potts almost bags Mitchell when the bat handle revolves in his hand and knocks the ball just short of Pope at short midwicket. Potts had him leg-befpre earlier but chose not to review. One to come after a single clipped through point takes them to choo-choo-choo.
06:33 PM
OVER 88: NZ 221/5 (Mitchell 76 Blundell 43)
Leach starts his third spell, after that marathon 23-over one, with his eighth maiden. Potts changes ends and replaces Broad from the Kirkstall Lane End.
06:30 PM
OVER 87: NZ 221/5 (Mitchell 76 Blundell 43)
Broad attempts the yorker but doesn't land it and Mitchell toes it to mid off. Stokes gives him the sign to try something short and he duly obliges but both batsmen are unruffled by the bounce because there's no pace or inconsistency and roll the wrists to cuff their pulls for singles.
Mitchell eases on to the front foot to tap two past point.
Time for Leach again.
06:25 PM
OVER 86: NZ 217/5 (Mitchell 73 Blundell 42)
New Zealand inch towards the close, run by run, Mitchell flicking it off his pads. The partnership is now 94.
06:21 PM
OVER 85: NZ 216/5 (Mitchell 72 Blundell 42)
Mitchell takes on another tight single, pushing Broad to mid-off and making his ground. Stokes had a shy but missed. Doubt it would have made a difference. Blundell plays out the rest of the over.
06:16 PM
OVER 84: NZ 215/5 (Mitchell 71 Blundell 42)
Blundell misses out on a straight one and pushes three into the offside. Potts ends his seventh maiden by arrowing one into Blundell's pads, the angle meaning it would miss leg stump by a mile. No real movement from the new ball yet off the seam. It won't swing until the lacquer comes off.
06:12 PM
OVER 83: NZ 215/5 (Mitchell 71 Blundell 42)
Broad bellows an appeal when he pins Mitchell with the first ball but it was shaping down. England don't review, like they didn't when they should have when Mitchell had only eight:
That should have been the fifth wicket for England 😰
Why did they not review?! #ENGvsNZ pic.twitter.com/uBRLsNf46c— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 23, 2022
Mitchell chips a drive through mid-on for two and whisks a single off his pads. Blundell farms the strike with a twist of the wrist to glean a single to midwicket.
06:09 PM
OVER 82: NZ 211/5 (Mitchell 68 Blundell 41)
Potts shares the new ball and begins with five dot balls to Blundell. Mitchell set off for a crazy run from the non-striker's when his partner pats the ball into the legside. Blundell has to scream at him to get back tow here he once belonged.
Blundell ends on the over with a terrific back-foot punch that skates through square for four.
A one-over treat only for Overton as Broad is now asserting his rights.
06:02 PM
OVER 81: NZ 207/5 (Mitchell 68 Blundell 37)
Overton is rewarded for his durability and diligence with a new-ball dart and, like Broad would have done, gurns appropriately when he doesn't land his big inswinger and the full toss only misses leg stump by a whisker before shooting under Foakes and racing down for four byes.
Overton seems to revel in the nickname 'Big Boy'.
05:58 PM
OVER 80: NZ 203/5 (Mitchell 68 Blundell 37)
One more over for 'Leacher' too. Blundell defends the lot. Right, game on. Leach has taken England to the new ball with figures of 28-7-72-2, bowling 23 of them off the reel.
05:56 PM
OVER 79: NZ 203/5 (Mitchell 68 Blundell 37)
One more Overton over before the new ball and he comes round the wicket to Mitchell who takes on the pull, top-edging it for four. It went too fine even for fine leg but England will be encouraged that Overton's pace, even on this pitch, drew the mistake from such an accomplished player of the hook and pull.
05:53 PM
OVER 78: NZ 197/5 (Mitchell 62 Blundell 37)
In the space of one over Foakes calls Jack Leach, 'Leacher', Leachy' and 'Leachy Boy'. Blundell is finding it more difficult to get him away than Mitchell who plays him largely off the back foot, slapping one through point before Blundell plays out five dot balls.
This is now the most overs Jack Leach has ever bowled on Day 1 of a Test match, going past the 2nd Test in Ahmedabad last year.
Despite using lots of spin, the average turn today (2.4 degrees) is the second lowest for Day 1 at Headingley since records began in 2006.#ENGvNZ— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) June 23, 2022
05:49 PM
OVER 77: NZ 196/5 (Mitchell 61 Blundell 37)
It sounded woody but not when the ball passed the bat. England are left with one review and the partnership stands at 73.
05:47 PM
NOT OUT
No. It was the bottom of his thighpad.
05:47 PM
DRS is back! And England use it
Mitchell c Foakes b Overton Did he tickle that?
05:44 PM
OVER 76: NZ 193/5 (Mitchell 59 Blundell 36)
Blundell gorges on the drag down from Leach and carves it in front of square for four. Mighty shot that. It's Leach's 26th over, no wonder he looks tired. Leach fires one across Blundell and straightens it past the pads. England appeal but the umpire shakes his head and DRS is bust anyway so they can't review. A Sky replay suggests it came off the thighpad.
05:40 PM
OVER 75: NZ 187/5 (Mitchell 58 Blundell 31)
After that 25-minute breather, Overton continues as does Mitchell, taking an unruffled single with a tuck off the hip. Blundell uses the bounce to clout a single behind point. They have a man out at long leg and deep backward square but Blundell ducks the bouncer. Mark Butcher and Kumar Sangakkara, both Surrey men, say they have never seen a bowler in county cricket to whom batsmen duck more readily. There's something about his action, says Butch, that persuades them not to take him on.
05:36 PM
The players are back out
Sixteen overs to come, they can play until 6.55pm.
05:14 PM
Rain stopped play: NZ 187/5 (Mitchell 58 Blundell 31)
Blundell and Mitchell continue to be thorns in England's side, the only consolation for the hosts is that they haven't yet managed to thwart their victories in the preceding two Tests. England have bowled well but the softer ball is not their friend and with Stokes not bowling, they don't have anyone who can routinely reverse an old ball.
05:12 PM
OVER 74: NZ 187/5 (Mitchell 58 Blundell 31)
Leach completes a maiden, his sixth, and a shower hits Headingley. Off trot the players and up go the brollies.
05:11 PM
OVER 73: NZ 187/5 (Mitchell 58 Blundell 31)
DRS has been fixed and England bring back Jamie Overton. Mitchell tries to pull three of the short ones but rolls his wrists on them and can't pierce the infield. When 'Jamie-O', as his captain calls him, goes fuller, the angle takes it on to middle and leg and Mitchell helps it round the corner for four. If Mitchell isn't a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in the next Almanack I shall turn a milliner's into my restaurant.
Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell have faced 1000 deliveries together in this series. They're the first partnership to face 1000+ balls together in a Test tour of England since Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith (1013) in 2003. #ENGvNZ
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) June 23, 2022
05:03 PM
OVER 72: NZ 183/5 (Mitchell 54 Blundell 31)
Mitchell works Leach for a single through midwicket and on come the drinks with the sixth-wicket partnership now 60.
DRS has gone down.
04:58 PM
OVER 71: NZ 182/5 (Mitchell 53 Blundell 31)
Blundell crashes drive through mid-off for four when one now slips out of Root's hand and floats outside off stump invitingly. Though Erasmus took hsi time to give Blundell out, the speed with which he initiated his DRS review suggested he hadn't hit it, which was the case.
04:55 PM
NOT OUT
He was cutting on the back foot but he didn't hit it.
04:55 PM
NZ review
Blundell c Foakes b Root
04:54 PM
OVER 70: NZ 178/5 (Mitchell 53 Blundell 27)
Blundell chassés down the pitch and is pinned on the pad by Leach. England go up and then take an age to consider a review when the appeal is turned down. Good job they didn't. He was a long way from home when it hit him. One slips out of Leach's hand and squirts down the legside, Blundell helps it on its way to the tune of three and then Mitchell brings up his fifty with a lofted off-drive for six. All power, timing and good judgment because long-on was back.
04:51 PM
OVER 69: NZ 168/5 (Mitchell 46 Blundell 24)
Blundell cuts Root for three and drives Root for a single either side of a couple of singles for his partner through cover.
04:47 PM
OVER 68: NZ 162/5 (Mitchell 44 Blundell 20)
Blundell presses two singles into the offside, Mitchell pokes one down to the point sweeper. The clouds are lowering, the wind is up and rain feels imminent.
04:44 PM
OVER 67: NZ 159/5 (Mitchell 43 Blundell 18)
Blundell has good reason to be annoyed with Root after using his feet to drive. Root gathers and hurls the ball at Foakes, far too close to the Kiwi keeper but Blundell is too polite to mention it, or even glare. He gets away with a Root shot to Root the bowler, dabbing two behind point and a single slapped off the back foot through cover.
04:41 PM
OVER 66: NZ 156/5 (Mitchell 43 Blundell 15)
Mitchell runs a tight single to square leg, Blundell chops a cut down to the sweeper for another. Short spell for Broad. Root is coming back.
04:35 PM
OVER 65: NZ 154/5 (Mitchell 42 Blundell 14)
Handsome stroke from the bearded Blundell, no more than an extended defensive push that he caresses on the up through mid-off for four and, after he drives the next one to Stokes, England finally get the ball changed. Sixth time lucky. Broad celebrates with his arms in the air when Erasmus calls on the box of replacements.
Two balls left and Blundell keeps both out and warns Mitchell not to dare with a firm, 'No!'
04:31 PM
OVER 64: NZ 150/5 (Mitchell 42 Blundell 10)
Leach muzzles Mitchell for five dot ball but the right-hander, who has already scored 373 runs in the first two Tests, waits for the right line, just outside off, and sweeps hard for four.
04:28 PM
OVER 63: NZ 146/5 (Mitchell 38 Blundell 10)
The Root experiment ends after four overs. Stokes, obviously, is not fit to bowl so turns to Broad who starts with a loosener to Blundell who lets it go. Despite having tried to change the ball about four times, it is swinging for him but there's a feeling of deja vu as Marais Erasmus chucks it back to them ... and also to see Blundell and Mitchell digging in. Stokes isn't convinced that the umpire isn't forcing the ball through the ring. Broad returns with a maiden.
04:21 PM
OVER 62: NZ 146/5 (Mitchell 38 Blundell 10)
Mitchell has a history of barbecuing his partners and running them out. Blundell is aware of it, taking one two but making sure two more remain as singles rather than risking hari-kiri.
04:17 PM
OVER 61: NZ 142/5 (Mitchell 35 Blundell 9)
Root elicits the edge off Mitchell but the ball drops well short of Crawley at slip and scuttles undr his dive for two. Blundell is batting in a cap and took a single to mid-on, taking on Potts' arm and beating it, to start an over which Mitchell ends by farming the strike with a push into the offside.
04:15 PM
OVER 60: NZ 138/5 (Mitchell 32 Blundell 8)
Mitchell sweeps well both the orthodox way and when reversing, using the latter to Leach, who is getting more drift than I've seen for a couple of years. Mitchell collars it, hitting it too well to the point sweeper and takes two. A bit more of a scuff and it would probably have gone for four.
04:12 PM
OVER 59: NZ 136/5 (Mitchell 30 Blundell 8)
That's better from Root, using flight, giving it a rip. The infield is mustard and they can only take a single to midwicket. England now rattling through these overs. Amazing what a docking of WTC points can achieve.
04:11 PM
OVER 58: NZ 135/5 (Mitchell 29 Blundell 8)
Blundell, as busy as most keeper-batsmen, works Leach round the corner for two. Stokes is sticking with Root. There may be some rain about, around the back of Rob's mother's.
04:07 PM
OVER 57: NZ 133/5 (Mitchell 29 Blundell 6)
Root continues and starts with a full toss that Blundell whisks through midwicket for four. The Kiwi keeper drives a single to cover and Mitchell sweeps twice for a pair of deuces. Nicely milked.
04:04 PM
OVER 56: NZ 124/5 (Mitchell 25 Blundell 1)
Mitchell and Blundell are reunited for the concluding four balls of Leach's over and the keeper gets off the mark by pushing the ball off an open face through point. Leach has figures of 16-5-39-2. That's terrific for a first day but let's not forget these two put on 195 at Lord's and 236 at Trent Bridge.
04:00 PM
The law for those so minded
An unfortunate dismissal? Yes. But wholly within the Laws.
Law 33.2.2.3 states it will be out if a fielder catches the ball after it has touched the wicket, an umpire, another fielder, a runner or the other batter.
Read the Law: https://t.co/cCBoJd6xOSpic.twitter.com/eKiAWrbZiI— Marylebone Cricket Club (@MCCOfficial) June 23, 2022
03:56 PM
Well, when they say it's the most bizarre dismissal ever ...
I've seen that happen somewhere before... pic.twitter.com/n6KSIjCsVz
— That’s so Village (@ThatsSoVillage) June 23, 2022
With thanks to That's so village, one of the best follows around.
03:52 PM
TEA: NZ 123/5
Another good session for England having lost the toss. To dismiss the world champions' top five by tea (and with their spinner bowling well) must be a huge tonic for the dressing room. Looks a good pitch for batting, too.
03:45 PM
And here it is for those who haven't seen it
What on earth!? 😅🙈
Scorecard/clips: https://t.co/AIVHwaRwQv
🏴 #ENGvNZ 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/yb41LrnDr9— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 23, 2022
Poor Nicholls is kippered by his mate one ball short of his Dentury.
03:44 PM
Scenes
These relay catches are getting crazier and crazier.
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) June 23, 2022
03:40 PM
Wicket!!
Nicholls c Lees b Leach 19 Never seen anything like it. Nicholls comes down to drive, smashes it and hits Mitchell's bat at the non-striker's which then deflects it off the middle to mid-off. Remember the World Cup final. Poor New Zealand suffer again from an inadvertent deflection! Time for tea! FOW 123/5
03:39 PM
OVER 55: NZ 123/4 (Nicholls 19 Mitchell 25)
Joe Root is going to come one for an over before tea. Maybe he'll squeeze in two if Leach is rapid at the other end. He slings it round arm from round the wicket these days. Nicholls pats another single down to long on and Mitchell sweeps for two.
03:37 PM
OVER 54: NZ 120/4 (Nicholls 18 Mitchell 23)
Just the single off Leach's 15th over, Nicholls exploiting the spavce given to him to walk when he pats one down to long.
03:32 PM
OVER 53: NZ 119/4 (Nicholls 17 Mitchell 23)
Probing start from Potts who wheels away on a pitched-up, fifth-stump line and entices Mitchell into a couple of drives which he can only direct straight at the off-side fielders.
Mitchell watches the final three wider deliveries float harmlessly through to Foakes. A maiden.
03:27 PM
OVER 52: NZ 119/4 (Nicholls 17 Mitchell 23)
Some technical gremlins have jumped into our system but we're back up and running - In the 49th over Sangakkara said on commentary that New Zealand had to be more proactive to spin, and next ball Mitchell danced down and launched Jack Leach for a towering straight six. But since then the shackles from Pott and Leach have gone bac on again.
03:17 PM
OVER 49: NZ 112/4 (Nicholls 16 Mitchell 17)
A first boundary for Nicholls off his 74th ball. Potts angles it on to middle from round the wicket and Nicholls drills it past the bowler for four. Now he's weaving. Potts digs one in short and Nicholls pivots to pull it without extending his arms through midwicket. Lees saves two with a good dive on his former home ground.
03:14 PM
OVER 48: NZ 106/4 (Nicholls 10 Mitchell 17)
Mitchell celebrates his 'life' by lapping Leach for four and bringing up the hundred then nails the reverse sweep he was struggling with earlier for another.
03:10 PM
OVER 47: NZ 98/4 (Nicholls 10 Mitchell 9)
Potts replaces Overton whose second spell was 6-1-9-1. Excellent comeback. Potts goes up in a sustained appeal when he pins Mitchell in front of middle and leg as he tried to skelp the ball off his pads. Looked out. Stokes asks Foakes to judge whether they should review and he says no. But they should have done. It swung enough but not too much and would have crashed into middle.
03:06 PM
OVER 46: NZ 97/4 (Nicholls 10 Mitchell 8)
Nicholls again misses out on the sweep and is hit on the toe and stays upright to work Leach off his pads for a single. Mitchell's problem is nailing the reverse sweep, which he hits into the ground. The right-hander gives up on that for now, opts for the drive instead and chips a single towards mid-off. Foakes shouts 'Catch that!' but it landed well short.
03:02 PM
OVER 45: NZ 95/4 (Nicholls 9 Mitchell 7)
Back to the short stuff from Overton, this time to Nicholls and now he cranks it up to 90mph for the first time. The left-hander ducks two, protects his ribs with a jab of the hands and ducks another before pulling round the corner for a single, rolling his wrists on it.
02:58 PM
OVER 44: NZ 94/4 (Nicholls 8 Mitchell 7)
Leach has a slip and a short leg to the left-handed Nicholls. The over before he hit him on the front pad as he tried to break the manacles by sweeping. Both were outside the line but must have ruined his confidence to play that stroke. So why they give him an easy single down to long on is beyond me.
02:55 PM
OVER 43: NZ 93/4 (Nicholls 7 Mitchell 7)
England think Mitchell is susceptible to chin music but so far this series he has coped with a few barrages. This time he swivels rapidly en pointe and hammers a pull square for four off Overton. It's the full, swinging ones that are testing him most severely.
02:53 PM
OVER 42: NZ 89/4 (Nicholls 7 Mitchell 3)
Another maiden for Leach, building pressure nicely.
02:47 PM
OVER 41: NZ 89/4 (Nicholls 7 Mitchell 3)
Nicholls chases a rapid one down the channel from Overton, fat and short, asking to be cut but he flashes at it and looked more likely to edge it than middle it. He has been off kilter all innings but the ball before the drinks waiters make their entrance, he adds another single with a flick off his pads to move to seven off 55 balls.
02:44 PM
OVER 40: NZ 88/4 (Nicholls 6 Mitchell 3)
Definite signs of turn and grip in the pitch for Leach and he almost elicits a caught and bowled when Mitchell leans forward to defend with a slanted bat and the ball kicks up on pitching, hits the maker's name but lands a good 6ft short of the spinner.
Leach's figures of 8-3-20-1 contrast with 8-0-36-0 from the first innings in Nottingham at the same stage.
02:38 PM
OVER 39: NZ 88/4 (Nicholls 6 Mitchell 3)
Overton switches to enforcement mode, banging it in at both right- and left-hander. It's a strategy England have confronted Mitchell with all series, not to any great effect but then they haven't had anyone as quick as Overton yet. Nothing comes of it this over, though. Mitchell pulls one off his armpit for a single and goes and sits on the handle for the last four balls of the over.
02:35 PM
OVER 38: NZ 87/4 (Nicholls 6 Mitchell 2)
There is turn when Leach bowls it quicker and flatter into the pitch and there is no doubt he has been working hard since Trent Bridge and looks far more threatening and consistent than he did last week.
02:31 PM
OVER 37: NZ 87/4 (Nicholls 6 Mitchell 2)
'Come on 'Jamie-O' is the cry from, I think, Ben Stokes as the burly quick goes back to his mark. After a couple of dot balls Broad intervenes to try to get the ball changed yet again. I agree with Scyld Berry, there has to be a limit to this. Get on with the game. Mitchell pulls a single, Nicholls twists one round the corner off his hip. When he pitches up, though, Overton can swing it away from the right-hander and into the left-hander. What kind of ball do England want if this one isn't good enough?
What a moment 👏 A first Test wicket for @JamieOverton 🙌
Scorecard/clips: https://t.co/AIVHwazVYX
🏴 #ENGvNZ 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/kCq88XI4Gl— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 23, 2022
02:26 PM
OVER 36: NZ 85/4 (Nicholls 5 Mitchell 1)
Double change. Back comes Jack Leach, the darling of the Western Terrace and The Original Oak come 7pm. This time he's bowling from the Football Stand End to allow his former Somerset mucker to come down the hill. Nicholls works one off his pads, Mitchell pats a drive down to long on for a single and Leach, seeing Nicholls on the charge, cleverly fires a dart wider, forcing the batsman to have a hasty poke at it and squirt it to point rather than risk being stumped.
02:21 PM
OVER 35: NZ 83/4 (Nicholls 4 Mitchell 0)
Jamie Overton is back for a second spell, this time down the hill. And he strikes with his third ball. Inswing at 87mph is a pretty useful tool. Wicket maiden.
02:17 PM
Wicket!!
Conway b Overton 26 A maiden Test wicket. Conway, as he often does, throws his hands at a drive without moving his foot across to shut the gate. The ball swings in, kisses the inside edge and crshes into the timbers. FOW 83/4
02:14 PM
OVER 34: NZ 83/3 (Conway 26 Nicholls 4)
Would help if I actually posted the video of Nasser's analysis!
"To right-handers in three Test matches, he's been outstanding" 🌟
Nasser Hussain discusses how Matthew Potts has impressed with the ball, particularly bowling to right-handers 🔍#ENGvsNZ pic.twitter.com/cn6bF3PHOk— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 23, 2022
Although the ball is swinging and Potts is keeping Nicholls scoreless with another maiden, hooping it in from round the wicket, Stokes wants a ball change. Out come the gauges and the ball is tossed back to the captain who can't believe it went through the ring.
02:10 PM
OVER 33: NZ 83/3 (Conway 26 Nicholls 4)
Coneay likes the odd wide one from Broad and is prepared to bide his time. When Broad lays down the invitation, he RSVPs with a glorious off drive for four before going back into his shell to see out the rest of the over.
02:08 PM
OVER 32: NZ 79/3 (Conway 22 Nicholls 4)
Maiden from Potts to Nicholls who thinks he breaks the shackles with a dabby cut but backeard point runs round to stop it. Movement both ways for Potts.
Fantastic analysis here from Nasser, though it's sad we haven't got Michael Holding and Bob Willis to listen to as well.
02:02 PM
OVER 31: NZ 79/3 (Conway 22 Nicholls 4)
Broad continues to attack Conway's legs, playing the patient game, hazarding that he will flamingo on to his front leg to whisk it to long leg. He doesn't play that shot this over, preferring to work it squarer through midwicket for four. Broad switches to targeting the edge, strays too wide and Conway larrups it on the up through point for four more.
01:59 PM
OVER 30: NZ 71/3 (Conway 14 Nicholls 4)
Conway gets off strike inadvertently by hanging his bat outside off stump to an inswinger that canons off the inside edge and down to fine leg for a single. Nicholls is almost undone by another huge inswinger. They're manipulating the ball nicely now.
01:58 PM
Not out
Inside edge. But not sure there was. I'm sure it hit pad first. There was no woody spike only the general muffled interference of pad but there was not enough evidence to overrule even though it would have knocked back leg stump, halfway up. England lose their review which seems a bit unfair because most judges thought it was out.
01:55 PM
England review
Nicholls lbw b Potts Pinned by a big inswinger. Did too much?
01:52 PM
OVER 29: NZ 70/3 (Conway 13 Nicholls 4)
Broad doesn't have a leg slip for Conway but is slanting it across him because he likes to flick balls on his pads uppsihly through square leg. After a couple of offers to do so, Conway does have a go at the stroke, swishes past the ball but runs a leg bye instead.
He's had a real spring in his step today 😊
Every ball from @StuartBroad8 this morning 🙌
🏴 #ENGvNZ 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/PmpBzZ9mWu— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 23, 2022
01:47 PM
OVER 28: NZ 69/3 (Conway 13 Nicholls 4)
Potts starts too straight and Nicholls flick it off his toes down to midwicket. Overton gives chase and slides on his side to pull it back from the rope, skinning the palm of his right hand on the short, dry grass in the process.
Conway rotates the strike with an off-drive for a single and sends Nicholls back up the other end for an interrogation by Potts' full length, which he keeps out. Good bowling from round the wicket, demanding Nicholls gets his nose right over it to defend.
01:42 PM
The players are back out
Matty Potts will continue.
01:09 PM
Some lunchtime listening
Here's the latest episode of the Vaughany & Tuffers CC, fresh off the, er, press. In this week's edition of the Telegraph podast, the three amigos chat with Marcus Trescothick, among other delights. You can listen here or download on iTunes, Spotify and all other good (and bad) podcast providers.
01:08 PM
LUNCH: NZ 65/3
Having lost the toss, England will be delighted with their morning's work. Stuart Broad has been the pick of the bowlers, dismissing Tom Latham and Kane Williamson, Stokes' Midas touch continued by giving Jack Leach an early bowl and the spinner rewarded him with a first-ball wicket. Jamie Overton has been busy and Matty Potts very useful.
NZ's middle order has been their powerhouse all tour and after these two come Daryl mitchell, averaging 124.33, Tom Blundell 60, Michael Bracewell 37 and the always useful old guard of Southee, Wagner and Boult, the Unman, Wittering and Zigo of NZ cricket.
So, on the whole. Well done but still plenty of work to do for England.
We'll be back after lunch at 1.40pm.
01:03 PM
OVER 27 NZ 65/3 (Conway 12 Nicholls 1)
Good start by England and a good over rate too, given they have taken three wickets and the first hour, particularly, was played under a blazing sun. Conway, in survival mode, leaves three and defends the rest before walking off for his Yorkshire pud.
01:00 PM
OVER 26 NZ 65/3 (Conway 12 Nicholls 1)
The penultimate over before lunch is a maiden for Potts to Nicholls who leaves the first three and plays at the last trio but cannot beat mid-on or cover (twice).
12:56 PM
OVER 25 NZ 65/3 (Conway 12 Nicholls 1)
A very hard chance is grassed by Foakes off an inside edge as Broad nips one back into Conway and clipped the inside of the gatepost. Foakes hurled himself to his right, no time to move his feet, and could only tip it round the post. Kumar Sangakkara, a member of the keeping fraternity, says it wasn't really a chance. Well, it was. Technically. If you touch it, it's a chance.
They run a single then Nicholls gets off the mark with a push through point.
12:52 PM
OVER 24: NZ 63/3 (Conway 11 Nicholls 0)
If Potts can't add to the wickets tally, he can play his part by building pressure with dot balls. He is making the ball move away from the left-handers but only when it already pitches too wide and keeps going. When he tries for a straighter line, Conway tries to leg glance for a single. It hits the pad, not bat, and they run a leg-bye.
12:49 PM
OVER 23: NZ 62/3 (Conway 11 Nicholls 0)
The specialist left-hand nemesis is confined to bowling at Williamson all over and gives his defences and judgment a working over outside off stump, tempting and discombobulating, bringing his line from fifth stump in to fourth. The ball before the wicket swung in prodigiously and pinned Williamson on the thigh pad, The next one, delivered from the same angle, pitched on off and held its line on pitching.
Drying up the runs for four overs may have also played its part.
12:43 PM
Wicket!!!
Williamson c Foakes b Broad 31 Set him up with the five previous balls of surgical probing, tightening is line progressively until Williamson pushed at one that kept straight and feathered it through to the keeper. FOW 62/3
12:41 PM
OVER 22: NZ 62/2 (Williamson 31 Conway 11)
Potts and Leach enjoying a spell of bowling dry. Williamson leaves a couple, blocks two then whisks a single through midwicket when Potts errs too straight. Broad will return for a pre-lunch blast at the mollydooker.
12:39 PM
OVER 21: NZ 61/2 (Williamson 30 Conway 11)
Neither Williamson nor Conway resort to using their feet again during Leach's fifth over, though, after Williamson takes the single down the ground with a push, Conway unwraps the reverse sweep but cannot curl it past point. Just the one off the over.
12:33 PM
OVER 20: NZ 60/2 (Williamson 29 Conway 11)
Potts replaces Overton who ends his first spell with 5-0-17-0. The Sun'lan' lad is a couple of clicks slower than Big Jamie but he causes more problems from Conway over the wicket, who resists the temptation to drive. Potts, using the crease well, keeps asking the question while subtly changing the angle. Maiden.
12:27 PM
OVER 19: NZ 60/2 (Williamson 29 Conway 11)
But then again ... Williamson chassés down and spoons a drive over mid-off that runs away from Stokes and up the hill for four. Leach saw him coming and pulled his length back. Williamson went through with it and could easily have holed out.
There was no chance of a wicket when Leach goes quicker and shorter. Williamson drops to his haunches and slices a cut behind point for four more.
12:24 PM
OVER 18: NZ 52/2 (Williamson 21 Conway 11)
A sign that Williamson may be playing himself back into form in what seems likely to be his final Test as captain comes when Overton goes full and straight and he times the pants off an on-drive, smearing it past mid-on.
12:22 PM
OVER 17: NZ 46/2 (Williamson 16 Conway 10)
Conway hears the sounds of the trumpets and comes down the pitch to wedge a drive over mid-off for four. Good fielding from Stokes at midwicket keeps Conway down to a single and leaves Williamson, potentially, to face Leach for four balls. Williamson, out of nick for a year, takes no chances, playing himself back into form with the feel of ball on the middle of the bat, even if he is blocking it ... for now.
Jamie Overton's opening spell has been bowled at an average of 136kph. It's only 0.5kph quicker than Matt Henry's opening spell of the series, but that does make it the quickest for any bowler this series. #ENGvNZ
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) June 23, 2022
12:18 PM
OVER 16: NZ 41/2 (Williamson 16 Conway 5)
More encouraging evidence from Overton that he is not one-dimensional. He swings it, he can find seam movement and he can bowl like the wind. He nips one back into Conway that clocks him on the box and then flirts with the batsman's gloves whee he tries to pull a short one. Conway ends the over by using the swing to turn the ball through square leg for a single.
12:13 PM
OVER 15: NZ 40/2 (Williamson 16 Conway 4)
Leach has improved no end in the last 10 days and Williamson, guardedly, blocks out a maiden. A bit more flight, perhaps, would help but when he does drop short Williamson fails to cash in, dragging his cut off the bottom edge into the turf.
12:09 PM
OVER 14: NZ 40/2 (Williamson 16 Conway 4)
Overton bustles in again, his arm coming more from 11 o'clock than high noon. The commentators tell us that he has been working at Surrey with Azhar Mahmood to maintain his momentum through his delivery stride, to drive his hips and legs through the crease. He alternates short with full and Williamson works the fullest and straightest through midwicket for a single.
Leachy into the attack. His first ball... 🙌
Scorecard/clips: https://t.co/AIVHwaRwQv
🏴 #ENGvNZ 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/whSIqUuSm2— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 23, 2022
12:05 PM
OVER 13: NZ 39/2 (Williamson 15 Conway 4)
Leach, who bowled poorly at Trent Bridge, finds some drift that eluded him in Nottingham - the Yorkshire air has that revivifying effect one me, too - and strikes with his first ball. On come the drinks as Conway replaces Young with five balls to go.
The left-handed Conway defends one, pats the next to mid on then creams a cover drive for four. Leach sends up a dart next that does hurry Conway into an instinctive defensive before he has time to think. Wonder if Broad will come back for the left-hander from the Football Ground End?
12:00 PM
Wicket!!!
Young lbw b Leach 20 He was wrong. His bat hit his pad and the ball pinned him in front of middle on his shin. What a bowling change and Young, who managed to see off the new ball pair who bowled well, gets his bat tangled up in his legs and can't reach a straight ball in time. FOW 35/2
11:58 AM
NZ review
Leach lbw b Young He thinks he edged it.
11:57 AM
OVER 12: NZ 35/1 (Young 20 Williamson 15)
Overton is cranking it up in his second over, now reaching 88mph and forcing Williamson to treat him as suspiciously as a Frenchman sniffing a melon. Young exploits width to crash pull three through the legside but Williamson is more cautious. After ducking the bouncer he waits for width too and steers a dab down for a single.
11:52 AM
OVER 11: NZ 30/1 (Young 16 Williamson 14)
It took 48 minutes, which must be a record this series, but England want the ball to be changed. Nothing doing so far from the umpire and Broad carries on with it. Williamson pats a single, Young plays a good forward defensive then swivels to pull one that wasn't short enough and almost plays on, dragging it off the bottom edge on to his foot within an inch or two of the poles. The next ball is short enough to pull and Young rolls his wrists on it to cuff it down to square leg for a single.
11:47 AM
OVER 10: NZ 28/1 (Young 15 Williamson 13)
Not at full ratpower from the start, he bangs the first couple in, low eighties, but then goes too full and wide. Young gets out the broomhandle to reach it and clobber a cut over point for four. Some swing for the new quick when he pitches up. They're very wholehearted the Overton brothers, something of the yeoman myth around them, a kind of scruffy authenticity.
11:43 AM
OVER 9: NZ 24/1 (Young 11 Williamson 13)
The Western Terrace rises to Jack Leach when he touches the ball for the first time to field the ball at long leg, three years on from his 1*. Young trots a single. Williamson gets his nose over the ball to block and then drives the next ball through mid-off for four. Lovely timing. It was only a push, the bat only a couple of degrees past the perpendicular.
The first twins to play for England and they're on the field at the same time, too.
2 Overtons on the pitch right now. Bairstow off, so Jamie has gone into the slips and Craig is on as sub.
— George Dobell (@GeorgeDobell1) June 23, 2022
And now Jamie is coming on to bowl.
11:38 AM
OVER 8: NZ 19/1 (Young 10 Williamson 9)
Potts plugs away probingly outside off at 85mph. Young defends two, leaves two and then works a single off his toes. Williamson shoulders arms at one that was closer to seventh stump than fourth.
11:35 AM
OVER 7: NZ 18/1 (Young 9 Williamson 9)
NZ have been uncharacteristically skittish at times and now Young almost runs himself out with a tip and run to mid-on. Potts makes a deft one-handed pickup and shies at the non-striker's, missing the one stump he could see by six inches.
When Broad strays too straight, Williamson flicks it off the bottom strap of his pad for three. The outfield seems as fast as Trent Bridge's.
Another classic Stuart Broad wicket. Since the start of 2019, the overwhelming majority of his deliveries to left-handers have been from around the wicket - and he averages just 19.90 from that angle in that time. #ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/LI0rLUPFvl
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) June 23, 2022
11:31 AM
OVER 6: NZ 14/1 (Young 8 Williamson 6)
Big yahoo outside off from Williamson when Potts goes full and a tad too wide and it keeps swinging away. He definitely chased it. Potts goes fuller on a tighter line, almost a yorker though wouldn't have hit the stumps. Williamson chisels it out with the inside edge and takes a single when the ball squirts past leg slip.
So far this morning Matthew Potts has been called 'Pottsy', 'Matty', 'Potto' and 'Potter' by his colleagues in cries of encouragement. I'm not a fan of the inane boostering but it would be churlish not to note that England were virtually mute in Australia, cowed and beaten. They have been very encouraging of each other in this brave new world.
11:26 AM
OVER 5: NZ 13/1 (Young 8 Williamson 5)
Another fine over from Broad, pitching it up largely and giving it every chance. Williamson takes advantage of the shorter one to tuck a single off his hip, Young planks a very straight one through the legside for two as he lost his grip and the impact of the ball twisted the bat.
11:20 AM
OVER 4: NZ 10/1 (Young 6 Williamson 4)
Potts loses his run-up a bit and hangs one outside off stump that Young slaps off the back foot through point for four. Having demonstrated his diligence with a series of leaves, he climbs into a short ball that stays a little low, pulls at thin air and the ball keeps wobbling after it past him and Foakes again had to dive headlong to save four byes.
11:18 AM
OVER 3: NZ 6/1 (Young 2 Williamson 4)
Ben Stokes takes out fourth slip and moves Ollie Pope to leg slip for Williamson and Broad slants the first ball across the left-hander who duly has a tickle at it. It was too far from Pope to be a chance but Foakes almost made it across with a mighty spring to his left but could neither pouch it nor stop it scooting down for four. Broad experiments with the crease to test Williamson on angles but the Kiwi captain and former Yorkshire player sees him off ... even if he is beaten by a ripper at the end, the ball angling in and nibbling away from his Gray-Nicholls.
🎙️ "LEFT-HANDERS... HE LOVES 'EM!"
Brilliant from Broady! Tom Latham is out with no runs on the board for New Zealand - what a start! ⚡#ENGvsNZ pic.twitter.com/sPkkG4x7yu— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 23, 2022
11:11 AM
OVER 2: NZ 2/1 (Young 2 Williamson 0)
Potts shares the new ball and bowls impressively full and fast, extracting some seam movement off the pitch. After two leaves Young gets away when Potts drops a fraction shorter and he flicks it off middle behind square for two. Potts changes his line back to the channel and threatens the outside edge. Young keeps his hands disciplined, refusing to let them follow the ball.
11:08 AM
OVER 1: NZ 0/1 (Young 0 Williamson 0)
It's a gloriously sunny day in t'Broad Acres. Broad starts round the wicket to the left-hander Latham with four slips and a gully. Latham leaves the first two in the channel outside off then fires one across that Foakes gathers at full stretch with a fine dive to his right. Latham has no choice but to play the fifth ball, gets his bat down and it squirts along the ground to gully. And then Broad completes the over with a wobble-seam beauty, having probed outside off until he found the perfect line.
11:05 AM
Wicket!!
Latham c Root b Broad 0 Angled in from round the wicket, slight movement away. Broad has done him like he did David Warner umpteen times in 2019. Root takes the catch at mid-thigh height at first slip. FOW 0/1
11:02 AM
Tom Latham takes guard
Stuart Broad is coming down the hill from the Kirkstall Lane End.
10:59 AM
The teams are out
And its national anthem time. It is a recent innovation at cricket. Michael Vaughan, I believe, instigated it in this country.
10:57 AM
Move over Edgbaston
England have won four of their last five Tests in Leeds, three by an innings and one, as you know, by one wicket. This century they have won 10, lost seven and drawn one. New Zealand won their last Test here in 2015 by 199 runs when Paul Farbrace was caretaker head coach. Oddly both sides were bowled out for 350 in heir first innings and, stranger still, the spinner Mark Craig and the part-time twirler Kane Williamson took three wickets each to bowl England out in the fourth innings
10:42 AM
Jamie Overton receives his Test cap from his twin brother, Craig
There were a few most eyes in the huddle this morning which was joined by the Overton twins' parents:
10:35 AM
Pitch looks flat
Look up at Headingley, not down, as they say. Ben Stokes says he would have batted first, too.
10:35 AM
Your teams
England Alex Lees, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (capt), Ben Foakes (wk), Matthew Potts, Jamie Overton, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad.
NZ Tom Latham, Will Young, Kane Williamson (capt), Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.
10:31 AM
NZ win the toss
And will bat.
10:25 AM
Good morning
It's 11 years since England beat India 4-0 and climbed to No1 in the world Test rankings. Some of us might remember that India were a bit psychologically spent from winning the World Cup a couple of months earlier, were integrating a new coach, Duncan Fletcher, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook made grandaddy double hundreds and James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann were formidable. It was the last time England swept a series longer than two Tests and, remarkably, Broad (but not Anderson) will be there in Leeds this morning trying to do it again.
England are on a high after Trent Bridge but we ought to acknowledge how precarious the line they walk is. Had Jonny Bairstow holed out at long leg when taking on Matt Henry after tea on the final day, many of the same people who were showering him with praise, would have been coating him in vitriol. When he tried to hit England to victory, as instructed by coach and captain, on the Saturday evening at Lord's, he was 'stupid'. When it came off in Nottingham, he was a 'hero' who 'ripped up conventions'. Whose conventions? Not his own. We should bear in mind that there will be thrilling successes when they make their way across the high wire and moments when they'll slip and fall off. There is no one without the other for a team in this rebuilding phase that has been encouraged to play so uninhibitedly.
Jamie Overton is a welcome addition to the XI. I thought Matty Potts bowled very well at Lord's and in the second innings of the second Test but having a 90mph bowler at one end gives the captain the chance to bowl properly himself as well as subjecting the opposition to pace ('like fire') and bounce.
NZ welcome back their captain Kane Williamson who should return for Michael Bracewell while Neil Wagner should be the man to replace the injured Kyle Jamieson.
The toss is imminent. We'll bring you the team news once confirmed by the captains.
