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Where there’s Kane, there’s hope.
From down and out on Saturday night, the Black Caps saw a glimmer on a sun-drenched Wellington evening to arrive for day four of the second test at the Basin Reserve with a spring in their steps.
Run machine Kane Williamson will – as he has done many times – shoulder the burden, assuming he scores four more to finally overtake Ross Taylor as New Zealand’s greatest test runscorer on Monday morning.
Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Henry Nicholls, left, and Kane Williamson of New Zealand scamper another run on a pleasing day three for the hosts.
Then it will be down to serious business, with the Black Caps on 202-3 trailing England by 24 runs with two days to play and seven wickets still standing. With Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell and Michael Bracewell following they need to bat through Monday to entertain any hope of causing the super-confident tourists any discomfort.
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Certainly England remain dominant favourites to win seven straight (and just three teams in test history have won after being asked to follow on), but after the hosts took day three honours via Tim Southee, Tom Latham and Devon Conway, they could dare to dream.
“Absolutely. You’ve always got to look at ways to win a test match and we know there’s a lot of work to do before that point. But if we’re able to build partnerships throughout the innings we’ve still got a lot of guys to come who’ve had a little bit of form… so whether it’s 200-250 [to win] you just never know,” Latham said.
“We’ve seen the wicket, it’s still doing enough with the old ball and the new, and there’s plenty of turn there.”
Alongside Williamson – who was restrained and watchful in the lengthening shadows in scoring 25 off 81 balls – will stride Henry Nicholls, without a 40-plus score in this past year and shunted down to No 5 here.
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Henry Nicholls has a crack at a short one on the Basin Reserve.
He looked solid enough before playing an awful shot in the first innings and got through a testing period to be 18 not out off 70 balls at stumps on Sunday. A big innings under pressure will silence some lingering questions over his place in the side.
As Latham smiled and spoke of a satisfying day’s work when he scored 83 in a tick under four hours and became the seventh New Zealander to pass 5000 runs, it was difficult not to think back 24 hours.
The Saturday horror show saw them plunge to 103-7 with key men Latham and Williamson joining Nicholls in the ‘poor shot’ category.
“Things didn’t go to plan but the character of this group – we stand up when things aren’t going so well. We know it’s going to be another day tomorrow to show that fight and character,” Latham said.
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New Zealand captain Tim Southee acknowledges his 50 not out.
Southee lifted his team with a whirlwind knock remarkably similar to his 77 not out on debut against England in 2008 – which remains his highest score 92 tests later.
His 73 off 49 balls including six sixes, and with key assistance from Blundell, meant they trailed by 226 and England captain Ben Stokes went against modern cricketing wisdom and invited New Zealand to follow on.
This time there was more application and better shot selection with the pitch still offering steep bounce and seam movement to make Ollie Robinson a menace. Unlike a normal Basin pitch there was turn, too, which spinner Jack Leach enjoyed to the point he skittled Will Young (8) with an unplayable one, and may interest Bracewell later if there are runs to play with.
Before that, Latham and Conway (61) added 149, their third century stand in their 13th opening partnership. Conway was undone by the bounce from Leach, then Latham was undone by a sweep shot again, to Joe Root’s spin. When Young trudged off after an unhappy recall they’d lost three for 18.
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England bowler Joe Root removes Tom Latham.
Stokes made a bowling cameo with a strange volley of bouncers, Stuart Broad played only a minor role and even Jimmy Anderson was used sparingly.
Anything other than an England win would be a major surprise. But with the bowlers tiring, if the hosts can get through the second new ball they will back themselves to bat long, with the right man for the job at the crease. From a long way behind the eight ball in this two-test series, they have very little to lose.
*Most test runs for New Zealand (as at stumps on day three):
Ross Taylor 7683 (112 tests)
Kane Williamson 7680 (92)
Stephen Fleming 7172 (111)
Brendon McCullum 6453 (101)
Martin Crowe 5444 (77)
John Wright 5334 (82)
Tom Latham 5038 (72)
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