Summary

  • Third Test, day three, Hamilton

  • England close on 18-2 after Duckett & Crawley fall late on

  • New Zealand make 453 to set England nominal target of 658

  • Williamson compiles superb 156, Mitchell hits 60; Bethell takes 3-72

  • Stokes sustains left hamstring injury while bowling

  1. Postpublished at 22:38 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    This may not have been a walk of shame, Adam, but it was certainly a run of one.

  2. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 22:38 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

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    Adam Davies: Running round the hotbed of cricket that is Stockport on a Sunday morning should only be reserved for those doing the walk of shame. New Zealand Road is not for the faint hearted.

  3. Postpublished at 22:35 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on the TMS podcast

    It is hard to quantify why England don't perform in the final game when they have already won the series. I am kind of in the Ben Stokes camp because you go into every game with the intention of winning clearly.

    There are elements of a last game of a tour, where you've been away for a while, there can be an end of term feel about it sometimes, but I just can't see that being a thing in this England team because their mentality is so positive.

    Clearly, with a big Ashes series next year, it is something they are going to want to address, but I can't put my finger on why it is happening.

    Listen to the TMS podcast on BBC Sounds.

  4. Postpublished at 22:33 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport chief cricket reporter in Hamilton

    The groundstaff had taken the covers off, but now they are firmly back on. Raining heavily.

  5. Postpublished at 22:32 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    Mind you, The Great North Run is in early September, so I'm not sure what the people dressed as Christmas trees were doing there.

  6. Postpublished at 22:29 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    It is the season for being humiliated in a sporting context by people dressed festively.

    Someone rising in a Santa hat to nod past you at five-a-side, or casually ripping you apart at the darts league while ringed head to toe in tinsel.

    England should consider themselves lucky that Will O'Rourke didn't take them apart while dressed as a Christmas tree.

  7. Postpublished at 22:23 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    At this event last year I was overtaken by a member of my club dressed as The Grinch.

    That was a low moment.

  8. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 22:22 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    Good work Mike, ran the Great North Run after a two-week boys holiday in Biarritz, with zero training - driving from Biarritz to Newcastle in one slog as we stayed an extra night to enjoy French hospitality... ruthlessly (sorry Ben - see Stephan's piece below) overtaken by a brace of Christmas trees on the downhill finish as legs had given up. Then drove home.

    Jerry

  9. Postpublished at 22:17 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    Thanks Steph.

    And if you're after more Shemilt content, here's more analysis from yesterday.

    It's mostly about the boundaries between carelessness and a lack of ruthlessness, but there's a good chunk about Richard O'Brien from The Crystal Maze.

  10. Postpublished at 22:12 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport chief cricket reporter in Hamilton

    At about 0830 this morning it was absolutely hammering down in Hamilton, real biblical rain. It has slowly dried out and the groundstaff are busy mopping up. Some covers are even being removed. The outfield is pretty dry. I'm mildly optimistic, although the forecast is for more rain.

  11. Postpublished at 22:07 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on the TMS podcast

    I don't see any escape for England to be honest. Clearly logic and history is against them, despite this team doing things that have dumbfounded us sometimes in terms of thinking what is possible.

    Clearly this game won't end in a draw and England will try and chase the runs whether they are one down or nine down.

    It is a long uphill battle from here, but on day two of a game I would be reluctant to completely rule them out, but all the evidence suggests that it is not going to be possible.

    Listen to the TMS podcast on BBC Sounds.

  12. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 22:02 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

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    It was dry when I awoke in my Hamilton hotel room at 7am this morning but the rain started soon after. It’s been mostly light but with the occasional heavy burst. I’m staying put for the moment.

    Anon

  13. Postpublished at 21:58 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    Still, let's not make this live a nest of misery.

    Here's a clip of Marnus Labuschagne getting caught in the slips.

    Media caption,

    Labuschagne out after Siraj bail swap

  14. Postpublished at 21:53 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    In case you wisely chose to spend all of last night in bed, day two was a horror show for England.

    Having allowed New Zealand's tail to add to their total in the first hour, they were bowled out for 143.

    The home side returned to the crease and were 136-3 at close, holding a lead of 340.

    You can read Stephan Shemilt's report of the day's action right here.

  15. Postpublished at 21:47 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    ...except that's not going to happen as it's raining in Hamilton.

    Pictures we've seen from the ground show the wicket under cover and dark clouds overhead - although there don't seem to be any puddles on outfield, at least.

    The BBC forecast suggest it may be showering through to about 15:00 local time (02:00 GMT) and clear after that.

    We'll keep this live page ticking over with updates from the ground - hopefully we'll get on at some stage.

  16. Postpublished at 21:45 Greenwich Mean Time 15 December

    This morning, in a move critics and my mother are calling "incredibly unwise", I set out to run a 10-mile race.

    As it turns out, attempting to run off an overnight cricket shift with one hour of sleep in the tank doesn't massively work out.

    To make matters worse, this particular race features New Zealand Road (if you know, you know) a sweeping 1km uphill in its closing stages.

    So, whether it's the brutal ascent to which they lend their name or their cricket side's pounding of England yesterday, I'm feeling a deep antipathy to all things "New Zealand" right now.

    How can the Land of the Great White Cloud make it up to me?

    Well, losing a few quick wickets would be a start...