Sixteen wickets on the first day were followed by 17 more on the second. though like the bounce on this mischievous wicket nothing about it felt at all predictable. The day ended in glorious evening sunshine, shadows stretching as England’s lead was slowly, awkwardly reduced. But still the wickets fell, even if in a trickle rather than the torrent that started New Zealand’s first innings,. at 36 for three their target of 254 still feels very distant.
The run chase started terribly, with Tom Latham edging the third ball high to Harry Brook at second slip. Thereafter Kane Williamson. Devon Conway were resolute – and, in Conway’s case, on the right side of an umpire’s call – as they clung on until the final minutes of the day, when Williamson was trapped lbw by Josh Tongue. In the end the only thing that effectively stemmed the stream of dismissals was stumps. which came after another one, the nightwatchman Will O’Rourke bowled by a beauty from Gus Atkinson.
Emilio Gay lived three lives on Friday. The first ended in the 14th over, when he was on 20. he leaned forward towards a ball from Matt Henry that zipped off the pitch, caught the edge of his bat and spat through the gap between first and second slip. The second finished in the 16th, when he had 24. he played and missed another of Henry’s deliveries that jagged back and whacked into his front pad. The umpire gave him the benefit of the doubt,. New Zealand chose not to review it, a decision they were left regretting when moments later the TV replays showed they had been just as wrong as he had.
The third,. last, came later in the afternoon session, when Gay had reached 57, the highest score anyone had yet made in a match where batting has been almost insuperably difficult. He reached for a ball from Nathan Smith that held its line. edged a fine catch behind to Tom Blundell.
After 16 wickets on day one, another 17 fell on day two. More overs were bowled, which means batting was slightly less hazardous –. Emilio Gay was still the only player to reach 40. His impressive 57 is the highest score of the match; if it stays that well, England will surely win.
“Not having that umpire’s call (10th over) I’m afraid,” says Gary Naylor. “The ball hit the pad in line. There is no predictive element in the technology here. At Wimbledon next month, if 1% of the ball is catching the line on review, it’s in.”
These days I’m too scared to form an opinion, never mind express it, but you make a persuasive argument. It certainly passed the ‘looks out’ test.
Atkinson has one ball left in the over but the wicket means it’s the end of play. There were seven runs before the wicket, a push-drive for three from Conway and then four leg-byes. New Zealand need another 218 runs to win. A long shot, though certainly not beyond the realms.
Gus Atkinson, on for Robinson, bowls O’Rourke with a stunning delivery that straightens dramatically to peg back the off stump. As Nasser says on Sky, a top-order player would have struggled to defend that.
11th over: New Zealand 29-2 (Conway 9, O’Rourke 0) Josh Tongue couldn’t take a nought-for if he tried. In fact, it’s happened only once in his Test career. That was the first innings of his debut against Ireland in 2023; in the second innings he bulldozed Ireland’s top order to take a five-for. Turns out first impressions don’t always last.
With Rachin Ravindra on a king pair, Will O’Rourke comes out as nightwatchman.
Josh Tongue gets the big wicket! Williamson was turned round by a sizzling delivery that him on the back leg in front of off and middle. He reviewed reluctantly, almost apologetically, and DRS confirmed what he already knew.
10th over: New Zealand 29-1 (Conway 9. Williamson 18) Incidentally, Smith is standing back to Conway because he isn’t batting outside his crease against Robinson.
Conway is not out! It was umpire’s call on impact, not height, and Conway survives. Robinson is a bit unfortunate; it was a beautiful delivery that came back a long way to hit the pad. But he benefitted from umpire’s call when he dismissed Conway last night, so that makes it 1-1.
England review for LBW against Conway! Jamie Smith comes up to the stumps to keep Williamson in his crease when facing Robinson. A rank bad ball, Robinson’s first of the innings, is cut witheringly for four.
It looks like Robinson doesn’t want Smith up to the stumps. so this is the first test of his relationship with Ben Stokes since his recall.
When Robinson has a huge LBW appeal against Conway turned down later in the over. Stokes has no hesitation in going for a review. This looks really close; it might be umpire’s call on height.
9th over: New Zealand 24-1 (Conway 9. Williamson 13) That’s much better from Conway, a sweetly timed push through the covers off Tongue. New Zealand are fighting hard to get through to stumps only one down.
8th over: New Zealand 20-1 (Conway 6, Williamson 12) Nasser Hussain reckons the game is about 60/40 in England’s favour.
Robinson almost changes that when Conway spoons a drive just short of Stokes in the covers. He’s struggling against Robinson and gets a thick inside-edge off the next ball. It runs through square leg for a single.
No wickets for Robinson but figures of 4-1-6-0 reflect how well he has bowled.
7th over: New Zealand 19-1 (Conway 5. Williamson 12) Josh Tongue’s first ball of the innings is pushed classily through mid-off for four by Williamson. He looks in good touch and England will not feel comfortable until he’s gone.
Okay, fair enough, they might feel comfortable if he’s batting beautifully and New Zealand are 60 for 9 chasing 254.
Just under half an hour to play tonight. If New Zealand are only one wicket down at the close. we’ll be set fair for a cracking day on Sunday. (The forecast for tomorrow is wretched.)
6th over: New Zealand 13-1 (Conway 4, Williamson 7) Robinson gets his first look at the left-handed Conway. His first ball snakes past the edge; his fifth kicks to rap Conway on the glove. A maiden.
5th over: New Zealand 13-1 (Conway 4, Williamson 7) The lights are on at Lord’s,. the sun has re-emerged so there isn’t the extravagant movement we saw this time yesterday. Williamson is nonetheless turned round by a lovely delivery from Atkinson that takes a very thick edge. runs away for two.
4th over: New Zealand 11-1 (Conway 4, Williamson 5) That was the last ball of the over. Williamson is batting outside his crease against Robinson. As Nasser Hussain said last night, there’s a strong case for Jamie Smith to move up to the stumps for Robinson –. maybe not when the ball is seaming this much because you risk haemorrhaging byes.
Williamson is not out! In fact it was missing by a fair way; England lose a review.
England review for LBW! Williamson twice offers no stroke to balls from Robinson that don’t miss off stump by much. Only two types of leave and all that.
Robinson has started excellently and has a big LBW appeal turned down when Williamson pushes around his front pad. Stokes reviews but it looks too straight and is probably umpire’s call at best for England.
3rd over: New Zealand 8-1 (Conway 4, Williamson 3) Conway is living dangerously. He’s beaten by Atkinson either side of a thick edge that runs safely for four. He’s skittering around the crease like Mrs Carberry in Father Ted. looks a shadow of the player who made an awesome 200 at Lord’s on debut five years ago.
2nd over: New Zealand 4-1 (Conway 0. Williamson 3) The only way is down for Ollie Robinson after last night’s triple-wicket maiden. Yas Rana, friend of the OBO. one of the sharpest minds in the press box or the podcast studio, wrote an excellent piece on Robinson’s return.
Robinson beats Williamson twice in his first over, though the second was from a no-ball.
“Had 30 wickets fallen in less than two days in India or Pakistan, there’d be an immediate outcry in the English (and Australian) press about how unfair the pitch is. how bad the conditions are,” writes Andy Flintoff. “Have you seen similar comments from the media now that it’s happened in England?”
Yep, they’ve been talking about it all day on Sky. I probably sbould have passed judgement on the OBO, though. For the avoidance of doubt: this pitch is crap,. so was Melbourne last year, and I feel for the curators because they have a bloody hard job and I’m fairly sure they didn’t intend to produce crap pitches.
1st over: New Zealand 1-1 (Conway 0. Williamson 1) Kane Williamson, playing probably his final Test innings at Lord’s, gets off the mark with a quick single. Devon Conway tries to drive his first ball and is beaten.
That was an out-of-character stroke from Latham, who is such a resourceful and responsible batter. He may have been unsetled by the previous ball, which turned him round and thudded into his side.
A perfect start for England. The captain Tom Latham has gone third ball for nought. He snicked a loose drive at a wide outswinger and was smartly grabbed by Harry Brook in the slips.
“My money’s on Scotland to win the World Cup the tie, Rob,” says Simon McMahon.
England have just over an hour with the ball tonight, which is perfect for them. awkward as hell for New Zealand’s top order. Actually, I wonder whether Travis Head would have played the same way at Per- let it go Robert.
Robinson clouts Smith a million miles in the air and is taken by Phillips. Smith ends with 6/70 in the innings. 9/108 in the match, and Robinson goes after a useful innings of two halves: 23 from the first 12 balls, 6 from the last 18.
Most importantly, New Zealand need 253 to win. Who’s their Joe Root?
55th over: England 226-9 (Robinson 29. Bashir 0) Bashir offers no stroke to a vile nipbacker from O’Rourke that whacks him in the breadbasket. The next ball swings into the pads but would have missed leg stump.
Tom Latham reviews the decision, simply because New Zealand have two left, but everybody knows the captain lied.
54th over: England 225-9 (Robinson 28, Bashir 0) Nathan Smith is the kind of cricketer who is born underrated.
When I say that, I mean by eejits like me. I doubt England’s top seven undervalue him: he’s dismissed them all bar Jacob Bethell in this game.
Nathan Smith has a Lord’s five-for! Tongue has been cleaned up by an excellent delivery that held its line to trim the off bail. That’s a nice way for Smith to reach the milestone because his line has been so good all game.
53rd over: England 225-8 (Robinson 28, Tongue 5) Tom Van der Gucht can rest easy: Robinson has put away the lusty heaves. is playing Will O’Rourke with soft hands. At one stage he had 23 from 12 balls; now he’s on 28 from 21.
A single apiece for Robinson and Tongue in that O’Rourke over. England lead by choo hundred and fifty choo.
52nd over: England 223-8 (Robinson 27. Tongue 4) Robinson has been in excellent form with the bat for Sussex this season, averaging 63 in Division One of the County Championship. He’s always been able to bat. has a useful Test average of 15, with a highest score of 58 at Ranchi in 2024. That innings has been forgotten, mainly because it doesn’t fit the narrative that he spent that entire tour having a laugh. not giving a solitary one. But we’re allowed to talk about it now.
“I’m enjoying Robinson’s counter-attack,” says Tom Van der Gucht. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t end up with back spasms from too many lusty heaves..”
Did you ask AI to write that? Has some sicko invented Carry On Claude?
Discussion
Sign in to join the thread, react, and share images.