England extend lead under the floodlights but contest heading for one-innings shoot-out
Andrew Miller17-Feb-2023
Tom Blundell acknowledges his hundred on the second afternoon•Getty Images
England 325 for 9 dec and 79 for 2 (Pope 14*, Broad 6*) lead New Zealand 306 (Blundell 138, Conway 77, Robinson 4-54) by 98 runsTom Blundell produced a masterful, marshalling century to haul New Zealand from collapse to near first-innings parity, before England’s batters reinflated their lead under the floodlights – including through a chaotic late appearance from Stuart Broad in full “Nighthawk” mode – as the first Test in Mount Maunganui continued to hurtle towards its final, accelerated showdown.By the close of an undulating second day, England had regained the upper hand after a frustrating afternoon in the field, in which Blundell’s Test-best 138 had rescued New Zealand from a nadir of 83 for 5 to post a fighting first-innings of 306.Ironically, given that England themselves had declared with one wicket still standing, much of that rescue act revolved around Blundell’s tenth-wicket stand with the debutant Blair Tickner, who not only stayed long enough to see his team-mate to his fourth Test century, but remained 3 not out from 24 balls in a partnership of 59 – a contribution that evoked Jack Leach’s hand in Ben Stokes’ Headingley heroics in 2019.It could have been the basis for a similar turnaround in this match too, given how New Zealand had fared in their own late-night session on day one. But England, to their credit, came through an hour-long examination under the floodlights in some style, reaching 79 for 2 in 16 overs before the close, thanks to a pair of breezy 20-somethings from Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. Though neither could go on, nor did they depart without taking some lumps out of New Zealand’s fallow attack with ten counterpunching fours between them.Duckett, England’s first-day agenda-setter, was once again the more fluent of the pair in reaching 25 from 27 before Tickner capped his day with a fine lifter, fenced to second slip. At the other end, the under-pressure Crawley battled through another torrid examination from Tim Southee to crack six boundaries in the space of 17 balls.When he toe-ended a pull off Scott Kuggeleijn in search of his seventh, however, Crawley cleared the way for a circus-act denouement, as Broad marched out with 15 minutes left in the day’s play, and fulfilled his brief to cause chaos in the most absolute of fashions. A second-ball slog sailed high in the air, only to plop inches from the crease as neither Kuggeleijn nor Blundell committed to the catch, and there was time for four leg-side byes, a crashed four over the covers, and a ten-minute delay for a conveniently damaged helmet, before the stumps were finally pulled.
That late aberration, however, could hardly detract from the main man of the day. Blundell had been a thorn in England’s side throughout last summer’s tour, with 383 runs at 76.60 in the three Tests – including his previous Test century at Trent Bridge, when he had joined Daryl Mitchell in a 236-run stand, en route to New Zealand’s hefty 553. Such riches could hardly have been further from his thoughts today, however, and when Blundell began his innings at a ropey 83 for 5, it was Mitchell whom he passed on the way out of the pavilion, after he had padded up to Ollie Robinson to be pinned lbw for a duck.At the outset of his innings, however, Blundell exuded calm. His first scoring stroke was a dabbed late cut for four off Leach that would prove to a signature of his early efforts, as he waited consistently for the ball to arrive under his eyes and picked it off accordingly. While he and the equally steadfast Devon Conway were adding 75 for the sixth wicket either side of tea, New Zealand’s ambitions of parity began to be revived.All that changed, however, when Conway succumbed to a sucker punch after the interval. Though he had remained unperturbed with wickets falling around him on the first evening, Conway’s desire to feel bat on ball was palpable – not least in his volley of three fours off Broad in the day’s first over. So straight after the interval, Stokes bought himself out of mothballs for a five-over burst of short balls.Ollie Robinson pinned Daryl Mitchell lbw for a duck•Phil Walter/Getty Images
The tactic hit paydirt in his third over of the afternoon. After two no-balls had inadvertently extended the examination, Stokes’ eighth delivery rose sharply outside Conway’s eyeline, and instead of climbing into a cut shot, he attempted to paddle it over square leg. Ollie Pope was on hand to pocket a looping chance, and at 158 for 6, England had the opening they’d been striving for.That became 182 for 7 five overs later, when Leach was the beneficiary of an extended break in play after Michael Bracewell had been hit flush on the helmet by another Stokes short ball. Three balls after the resumption, Bracewell rushed into a launch through the line, but could only scuff his stroke tamely to mid-on where Stokes was once again in the action.But that dismissal, too, was the signal for New Zealand to ditch their circumspection. The catalyst for the change of approach was the debutant Kuggeleijn, who dismissed both his nerves and many of England’s close fielders with a huge slog-swept six onto the grass banks off Leach. On his watch, Blundell moved through to a 96-ball half-century then upped his own tempo too, with a lash through mid-on off Leach, moments after a bonus four overthrows as a shy from the covers flew wide of the keeper.With dinner approaching, Kuggeleijn was bowled for 20 by a superb inswinger from Robinson, who then picked off the dangerous Southee soon afterwards, courtesy of a fine leaping catch from Duckett at backward square. But at 247 for 9, Blundell took full command of the situation. His first task was a personal one, to reach three figures, and in a single Leach over, he lashed a six and two fours to march from 82 to 96.Related
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Tickner, with the crowd warming to his no-less-crucial task, then dug out a fine maiden including a pinpoint yorker from Robinson, whereupon Blundell sealed his own deal with a sweep through backward square.Everything that came thereafter was a bonus, and it was beyond anything that New Zealand could have hoped for. Out came his ramp shot to disrupt Robinson’s length, followed by a murderous swing for the ropes through long-on. Stokes brought himself back in a bid to end the nonsense, but he too was dispatched for three pulled fours in two overs, and England even had to turn to the second new ball as the partnership grew in stature.Anderson duly induced two more edged boundaries before one last swing for the hills ended up back in his hands. But Blundell’s bludgeoning had effectively reduced this game to a one-innings shoot-out, as is the new-found nature of Bazball.
