Key events
Southee strikes immediately after drinks, with Tom Latham getting rid of his catching blues with a low grab at second slip! Woakes pushed at the ball outside off. It goes up to the TV umpire to check the catch is clean – cue the awkwardness of the slo-mo replay which makes every grab look a little sketchy. Think he’s OK here, though, and the umpire agrees. Out.
86th over: England 382-6 (Woakes 1, Stokes 56) Chris Woakes is up next and there’s still a lot of work to do: the lead is hardly enormous. Stokes takes a blow to the arm after failing to middle a pull shot off Henry. Ouch.
Sixth time lucky as New Zealand finally hold on! Brook tries to play that guide to third man again, but an outside edge travels into the hands of Tom Blundell.
85th over: England 381-5 (Brook 171, Stokes 56) Oh my days. Brook has sent Southee on to the roof, swatting away over the leg side for six. Then comes a delicate guide behind point for four. Get yourself a man who can do both.
Krishnamoorthy v asks a pertinent question: “What is the record for most dropped catches for one batsman. I do not recall 5 for a single player – this is qctually nuts.”
Don’t think Cricinfo have a list for this kind of stuff.
84th over: England 370-5 (Brook 160, Stokes 56) Ben Stokes has his first 50 since the summer, and he wants more: out comes a shimmy down the pitch and slap through the covers for four – off Matt Henry. Stokes and Brook have put on 51 in 10 overs today.
83rd over: England 362-5 (Brook 159, Stokes 49) Brook moves to 152 with serious swagger, skipping down the pitch to thrash Southee through the off side for four. He then tries the scoop … but fails to make contact. The two batters exchange singles before Brook clips into the leg side for a couple. A leg-side swat from Brook to the ropes ends the over. The runs are flowing and these two are in a rush.
82nd over: England 350-5 (Brook 148, Stokes 48) Stokes doesn’t lace his cover drive off Matt Henry, nearly offering Williamson a catch but the ball drops just short. The left-hander looks a bit fidgety, trying to force things with the bat.
Guy Hornsby writes in:
Doesn’t Christchurch look like an absolutely beautiful place to watch cricket? Those panned back shots to games going on in the shadow of the ground are the best thing. Even better seeing girls playing. I went to those wonderful islands back in 2001, a truly great time it was, but late May wasn’t the time for Test cricket, sadly. Perhaps the Black Caps fielders feel like getting on the bus themselves, rather then shell yet another catch. They really are giving so many lives to England. But it’s new ball time, should be interesting!
81st over: England 350-5 (Brook 148, Stokes 48) Time for the second new ball, with England trailing by just one. Stokes skips down the pitch immediately, but doesn’t connect with Tim Southee’s inswinger. Stokes is dancing around his crease, making his intentions known: he wants to have a whack. He sneaks through a quick single before Brook does the same to produce a first-innings lead.
80th over: England 347-5 (Brook 147, Stokes 46) Stokes pulls Smith to claim a couple. TV replays show the five times Brook has been dropped in this innings – this is so unlike New Zealand.
79th over: England 340-5 (Brook 147, Stokes 41) O’Rourke gets the ball to thud into Brook’s front pad, though it’s high and probably sliding down leg as well. A bumper follows and the six-foot-very-tall quick is still causing the guy on 147* problems … and then another drop! Brook looks up to the skies and smiles. He slashed outside off, it went to Glenn Phillips at gully, and it really should have been taken. Straight to him, but popped out.
78th over: England 340-5 (Brook 147, Stokes 41) Smith gets one to leap up towards the shoulder of Brook’s bat, but the ball keeps low as it bisects the slip cordon. Brook then crunches a drive through extra cover for four; England are quicky making their way towards a lead.
77th over: England 332-5 (Brook 140, Stokes 41) Stokes nails a cover drive off O’Rourke … but Kane Williamson pulls off a cracking dive to his right to collect before firing a throw at the striker’s end. The England captain is forced to turn back and launch himself to make his ground.
76th over: England 329-5 (Brook 138, Stokes 41) Nathan Smith, very impressive on day two, is in from the other end. Brook is quick into his work, though, driving through point for his first boundary of the morning. Then comes the immaculate forward defence, quite possibly my favourite shot of his (a bit boring, I know). I reckon he could thrive at No 3.
75th over: England 324-5 (Brook 133, Stokes 41) Will O’Rourke opens up, with six overs remaining until the second new ball is available. Brook is on strike and quickly off it, tucking behind square on the leg side for one. Stokes throws the bat at a wide one but only connects with the air; he leaves the next one well alone. I wonder if he’s keen for a thrash before the new ball? He nails a pull shot for four to bring up a century stand.
Ben Stokes and Harry Brook, all smiles, make their way out to the middle. Let’s get going.
“Morning from a wet Auckland,” writes Chris Pitts. “Assuming England can push on this morning, what would be a lead?”
England would probably be very chuffed to get to 450, get themselves a 100-run lead? Considering where they were at lunch yesterday, any lead feels a fine achievement.
TalkSport, providing radio comms on this series, have had their cameras nicked!
William Lane writes in, offering some herbal wisdom:
Sorry to hear you’re under the weather.
Can’t go wrong with classic lemon lemsip, but I like to make my own lemon and ginger mix on the hob to stir the powdered stuff into. Tablespoon of honey in there too and you’re onto a winner.
Not much to say on the cricket itself to be honest, it’s all a bit “classic England” isn’t it? Ride our luck to be in touching distance of the first innings score with a few wickets in hand, collapse, concede a sizeable 3rd innings score before an all-time great chase in the fourth innings. Yawn….
Mark Quinn’s having a lovely time. As I crank up my electric heater, the jealousy grows. “Longterm reader first time writer… Just thought I’d drop you a line as we’re on holidays in Christchurch. Watching test cricket barefoot sat on a grass bank was a real joy, and to top it off, it was a cracking day yesterday. The first session looked tricky yesterday but would be fantastic for Stokes to get a century in his birthplace…”
Elsewhere in the Test game, there’s this mad scorecard. Aside from the obvious ‘Sri Lanka, what you doing?!?!?’, it’s worth noting that Temba Bavuma, a fine player who struggles to convert his fifties, has got his third Test ton.
Where does Ollie Pope want Ollie Pope to bat? He’s made it pretty clear, despite an impressive knock at No 6 on day two.
New Zealand, England, the Hagley Oval, day three and it could end up being a tight game. This is how you do a Friday night, right?
The hosts had a bit of a stinker in the field yesterday, dropping several catches, and Harry Brook took advantage to post his seventh Test hundred and sixth away from home, which is just a bit ridiculous. He remains unbeaten on 132, with Ben Stokes, searching for form, alongside him on 37. England trail by 29, with five wickets still in the bag.
Feel free to drop me a line with your thoughts, queries, views on where Ollie Pope should bat, favourite Lemsip flavour (I’m feeling a bit meh), whatever makes you happy.
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