Summary

Live Reporting

by Timothy Abraham

  1. How's stat?!

    Andy Zaltzman
    Test Match Special statistician

    RootGetty Images

    In Joe Root's first innings of series (including two one-off Tests v Ireland), he now averages 67.3.

    But in New Zealand, his first innings of series have been 4 in 2012-13, 0 in 2017-18, 2 in 2019-20, 14 in 2022-23, and 0 this time.

    In Australia, 2 in 2013-14, 15 in 2017-18, 0 in 2021-22. Total - 37 in 8 innings.

    In his first innings of series in England, he's scored 1596 at 79.8 in 23 innings (6x100, 6 other 50+).

    In his first innings of series in Asia, 1044 in 9 innings, ave 116, 3 double hundreds, one other century, and 85 in UAE v Pakistan in 2015-16. Very strange.

  2. New Zealand's players are just having had a quick conflab before heading out on to the field at the Hagley Oval. Harry Brook is walking out to the middle with Ben Duckett.

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    Charlie: Bethell is certainly a talent and is likely going to have a successful England career in at least one format. But we can all sense how today is going to go from this point, not just for him but for England in general. Will be waking up to New Zealand batting for sure.

  4. A quick look at the forecast for the afternoon session in Christchurch and it appears to be more of the same. Cloudy and overcast, although there is a little bit of blue sky peeping through now.

    It's certainly going to be a test for England's batters. They just need to hang in there, you feel.

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    Thomas Knights: Optimism is gone, England in dire trouble. Woeful session.

    Jam Barrell: How to bowl straight. By New Zealand.

    Kevin Ticehurst: The collapse is on then.

  6. 'Bowling length was England's problem'

    Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on TNT Sports

    Ben Stokes shows frustrationGetty Images

    If we look back to day one, England won the toss and opted to bowl first because the average first innings total here is 289. The pitch was very green and they gave themselves the opportunity to find that lateral movement that you can see from the back of a length.

    It was the length that was the same problem here. New Zealand were able to leave balls outside of the off stump, Brydon Carse came into the attack, started a touch wide and it just meant both teams sussed each other out like boxers. New Zealand were able to get through that first storm relatively easily.

    England were bowling a touch short, they were slipping slightly with their front feet and when you’re a bowler, you want your centre of gravity to be still.

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    Not sure Bazball can be blamed for the three England wickets falling. The issue must be the bowling strategy to batters 8,9,10 and 11. Out of interest, since the dynamic start of Bazball, what is the win/loss ratio now? Surely it’s a bit ropey?

    Stevo in Cheltenham

    New Zealand can wrap this up rapidly based on the action so far.

    Mark

    New Zealand really are excellent aren’t they? Consistently producing very good Test teams with a fraction of the resources England, India and Australia have.

    Tattz in Harborne

  8. Some excellent bowling from New Zealand in that session. A beauty from Nathan Smith to get rid of Jacob Bethell, in particular.

    Jacob BethellGetty Images

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    So when do we start calling for Baz and Ben Stokes to go? The very definition of one-trick ponies with no concept of a plan B

    Disgruntled Dave in Auckland

    Undercooked again! When will Rob Key, Brendon McCullum et al realise that pitches in NZ are a teensy weensy bit different from those in Pakistan. Pathetic organisation as usual.

    Anon

  10. Thank you, Sam.

    Go get yourself some freshly roasted Indonesian Java .

    Hmmm, that was a little bit of a frustrating end to the morning from an England perspective wasn't it?

  11. Well, after all that drama late in the session, I need a break (and some coffee).

    To go over an enthralling morning session and take you through the afternoon, it's over to Timothy Abraham.

  12. David Gower
    Ex-England captain on TNT Sports

    That could be a crucial five minutes for the context of this game. England would have been so much happier to go in just the one wicket down.

  13. Lunch - Eng 45-3

    Trail by 303

    What an end to the session for New Zealand. They have put themselves firmly in the ascendancy.

    Debutant Nathan Smith is the man to put them there after ending Jacob Bethell's resistance before claiming the prize scalp of Joe Root a couple of balls later.

    England need a big response in the afternoon session.

  14. How's stat?!

    Andy Zaltzman
    Test Match Special statistician

    Root's first duck since Karachi in Dec 2022, this is his 23rd Test and 40th innings since then.

  15. wicket

    WICKET

    Root b Smith 0 (Eng 45-3)

    Huge wicket for Nathan Smith!

    Two no-balls following the wicket but no such problem this time for the debutant as Joe Root chops on.

    The former England skipper had five balls to face before lunch but goes to the second legal delivery he faced.

    Just wide of off, angling in and Root gets a thick inside edge as he tries to guide to towards gully.

    Big blow for England, who are right up against it now.

  16. David Gower
    Ex-England captain on TNT Sports

    I don't think Bethell did a whole lot wrong, you just have to give credit to the bowler.

  17. wicket

    WICKET

    Bethell c Blundell b Smith 10 (Eng 43-2)

    Debutant gets debutant!

    It's another ripper from Nathan Smith and this time he does find Jacob Bethell's outside edge as the left-hander played back.

    Back of a length and moving away off the seam. Not much Bethell could have done.

    There's a nervy wait as the third umpire checks for a no-ball but Smith is in the clear and can celebrate his maiden Test wicket.

    Bethell showed good patience but goes for just 10 on the stroke of lunch.

  18. Eng 43-1

    Trail by 306

    Matt Henry gets through the seventh over of a superb opening spell and nearly ends it with a wicket.

    Having switched to round the wicket, he zeroes in on Jacob Bethell's stumps but an inside edge saves the left-hander and earns him a single.

  19. Kieran Parmley
    Cricviz analyst

    SmithGetty Images

    Just to add... two of the those round-the-wicket dismissals are Ben Duckett...

  20. How's stat?!

    Kieran Parmley
    Cricviz analyst

    Nathan Smith in the County Championship this year vs left-handers:

    Over the wicket - 106 runs, 175 balls, 5 wickets - 21.20 average Round the wicket - 64 runs, 142 balls, 5 wickets - 12.80 average