Key events
Ali Martin
Ben Stokes cut a relieved figure when his press conference before this third Test against New Zealand belatedly veered away from his recent absence for disciplinary reasons and into his favourite memories of Trent Bridge.
The Ashes win at this venue in 2015 was the first that came to mind, Stuart Broad’s eight for 15 and the like. Then came his recollections of the second Test against New Zealand four years ago, when Jonny Bairstow went gangbusters in the run chase and Bazball was said to have been born.
Well, if England are to win the decider and ease the crisis triggered by Stokes after Lord’s, it may well top the lot. Because at the end of a baking hot first day, New Zealand having racked up an eye-watering 361 for four with centuries for Tom Latham and Devon Conway, the hosts appeared to be in need of a miracle.
Devon Conway’s reaction
We knew the wicket would be quite nice and it was important for us to put pressure on the bowlers. I still felt a little bit out of sorts at times, so it was nice to get through those tougher periods and build a partnership with Tom.
I don’t quite know what par is. It’s disappointing we lost those two wickets at the end but hopefully we can kick on.
Stumps
That was an admirable show of character from England, who were in a world of pain when the score was 317 for 0. They kept going and picked up four vital wickets for 44 in 12.1 overs.
New Zealand are still on top, thanks to a couple of mighty innings from Tom Latham and Devon Conway, but both teams will remember the Trent Brdge Test of 2022. New Zealand were 405 for 4 early on the second day of that match; England won by five wickets.
WICKET! New Zealand 361-4 (Nicholls c Smith b Archer 36)
England end a very tough day on a high. Nicholls jabbed at a really good delivery from Archer – the line and length were immaculate – and snicked it through to Smith.
Two wickets in two balls, and the timing of the second one means that will be stumps.
84th over: New Zealand 361-3 (Nicholls 36, O’Rourke 0)
Bashir saved a boundary off the previous delivery with a desperate sprawling stop. That meant three runs to Nicholls rather than four, and crucially it brought Ravindra on strike. He top-edged a loose pull stroke and was easily caught by Jamie Smith, at which point the England players all charged down to fine leg to congratulate Bashir. A really nice moment for him; a horrible one from Ravindra.
WICKET! New Zealand 361-3 (Ravindra c Smith b Atkinson 7)
Gus Atkinson takes a wicket – and everybody rushes to congratulate Shoaib Bashir!
Matt Hughes
The Saracens academy player who triggered the Ben Stokes captaincy crisis by throwing a punch at his England teammate Gus Atkinson has escaped without being disciplined.
The Guardian understands that Totoa Auvaa, a 21-year-old Samoan back-row, will not face formal disciplinary action from Saracens or the Rugby Football Union despite throwing a punch at Atkinson.
Auvaa’s punch missed Atkinson and struck an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) security guard, who was sufficiently injured to require stitches, but opted not to report the matter to the police.
83rd over: New Zealand 354-2 (Nicholls 29, Ravindra 7) Archer moves round the wicket and forces Nicholls to play at a series of fullish, straight deliveries. Eventually Nicholls guides one into the off side for a single; that’s the only run in the last 17 balls, which supports the view that New Zealand have shut up shop for a night.
If either batter gets out before the close, they’ll be filthy. There are still hundreds of runs out there for New Zealand.
82nd over: New Zealand 353-2 (Nicholls 28, Ravindra 7) A maiden from Atkinson to Ravindra, who looks happy to play for the close and then try to fill his boots tomorrow.
“What does Rehan Ahmed have to do to get a run in the Test side?” asks James Brough. “Shoaib Bashir was picked and nurtured specifically for Australia, then never got a game. Looking at his bowling today, I can’t really see that he’s progressed in 21 games. He still has the same weakness of not keeping a consistent length.
“Meanwhile, Ahmed’s taken wickets when he’s been picked and is turning into a pretty consistent top-order batsman for Leicestershire. We’re going to be looking for an all rounder sooner rather than later when Stokes decides he’s had enough. What am I missing?”
There’s so much to like about Rehan, but IMO he’s not ready to be England’s main spinner. I think he’d be taken to the cleaners by good teams, certainly more often than Bashir. He’s only 21, though, and he’s such a smart, effervescent cricketer that he should keep improving. As you say, his ability with the bat could be really important when Stokes has gone.
81st over: New Zealand 353-2 (Nicholls 28, Ravindra 7) Nicholls is fine to continue.
80.3 overs: New Zealand 353-2 (Nicholls 28, Ravindra 7) Archer starts with a poor delivery to Nicholls that is pulled easily round the corner for four. A more accurate short ball beats Nicholls for pace and clonks him on the side of the helmet. There’s a break in play while Nicholls undertakes a concussion check.
80th over: New Zealand 349-2 (Nicholls 24, Ravindra 7) A ball from Atkinson brushes Nicholls’ thigh and is caught acrobatically down the leg side by Smith. England consider a review for caught behind before wisely deciding against it.
The second new ball is available. England have taken it straight away.
79th over: New Zealand 348-2 (Nicholls 23, Ravindra 7) Root hurries through an over to hasten the availability of the second new ball.
78th over: New Zealand 346-2 (Nicholls 22, Ravindra 6) Tongue felt his hamstring at the end of his last over and has been replaced by Atkinson. The commentators think it is probably cramp rather than anything more serious.
A quiet over, three from it.
77th over: New Zealand 343-2 (Nicholls 20, Ravindra 5) Nicholls races into the twenties with a precise pull round the corner off Archer. Just over half an hour to play tonight, so England will have the chance to take the new ball.
76th over: New Zealand 336-2 (Nicholls 15, Ravindra 4) Root’s work is done with the ball: 2-0-5-1. England go back to Tongue, whose first ball is driven handsomely to the cover boundary by Nicholls.
Tongue pulls his length back and beats Nicholls later in the over.
75th over: New Zealand 332-2 (Nicholls 10, Ravindra 4) Henry Nicholls hits successive boundaries off the returning Jofra Archer, an aerial flick wide of leg slip and a controlled pull stroke.
Archer ends the over with a fine delivery that seams past Ravindra’s outside edge.
74th over: New Zealand 323-2 (Nicholls 1, Ravindra 4) Rachin Ravindra gets off the mark with a graceful cover drive for four.
No wickets in 72 overs, then two in seven balls. Conway smashed Root high towards long-on, where the substitute Matthew Fisher ran into take a really well-judged catch. Conway goes for a coruscating 157 that included 22 fours and three sixes.
WICKET! New Zealand 319-2 (Conway c sub b Root 157)
New Zealand are falling apart!
73rd over: New Zealand 319-1 (Conway 157, Nicholls 1) Latham will feel he’s left a few runs out there, which I appreciate is an odd thing to say about a guy who has scored 151. He shouted “Nooo!” after edging the ball, a bit like Eoin Morgan when he was dismissed in the 2019 World Cup final.
Seven years ago. Really?
“Ancient tradition revived there, England taking a wicket…” chirps James Brough.
WICKET! New Zealand 317-1 (Latham c Smith b Stokes 151)
Ben Stokes makes the breakthrough! Latham tried to dab a length ball outside off stumps and snicked it through to the keeper. Stokes roars with a combination of relief and delight. One down, nine to go!
72nd over: New Zealand 317-0 (Latham 151, Conway 156) The highest opening partnership against England – and in England – is 338 at Edgbaston in 2003, Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs.
Latham and Conway should break that. They might break the overall record, 415 between Neil McKenzie and Graeme Bloody Smith against Bangladesh in 2008.
As an aside, Graeme Smith is so underrated as a cricketer and a captain.
71st over: New Zealand 315-0 (Latham 150, Conway 155) Stokes returns for a bit of old-ball toil. England look pretty flat now – how could you not be when the opposition are a gazillion without loss – and Latham takes a quick single to reach a high-class 150: 211 balls, 15 fours. His management of risk has been exemplary.
70th over: New Zealand 307-0 (Latham 148, Conway 153) England have never saved a Test under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. They’ve had only two draws, both at Old Trafford – the Ashes deluge in 2023 and India’s rearguard last year. It’ll be a helluva plot twist if they keep Bazball alive by grinding out a draw in this game.
69th over: New Zealand 307-0 (Latham 147, Conway 150) Joe Root becomes England’s seventh bowler in this innings. Conway pushes him down the ground for a single to move to 150 from 210 balls; since reaching three figures he is scoring at more than a run a ball.
68th over: New Zealand 306-0 (Latham 147, Conway 149) Conway gets lucky when a hack at the new bowler Bethell flies over Brook at slip. A more controlled single brings up the 300 partnership, then Latham reverse-sweeps decisively for four.
New Zealand only made 251 runs in the entire Lord’s Test; now they’re 306 for 0.
“I may be clutching at straws,” says Tom Van der Gucht, “but what’s it Boycott used to say about adding three quick wickets to any total? Get Harry Brook on to burgle some and we’ll be laughing. Medium pacers were always the hardest to put away on Stick Cricket.”
May.
67th over: New Zealand 296-0 (Latham 141, Conway 145)
66th over: New Zealand 292-0 (Latham 138, Conway 144) A surprise length ball from Atkinson is driven majestically for four by Latham. His innings has been almost flawless.
There have been four instances of England failing to take a wicket in a full day of Test cricket, and here they jolly well are.
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Garry Sobers and Frank Worrell (West Indies, Barbados, 1959-60)
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Easton McMorris, Garry Sobers and Seymour Nurse (West Indies, Jamaica, 1959-60)
McMorris retired hurt -
Gundappa Viswanath and Yashpal Sharma (India, Chennai, 1981-82)
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Geoff Marsh and Mark Taylor (Australia, Trent Bridge, 1989)
Drinks
65th over: New Zealand 288-0 (Latham 134, Conway 144) Conway thumps Bashir down the ground for this third six, all of them in the last six overs. England are in so much trouble that there’s barely even scope for gallows humour. This really could be the end.
Latham dropped on 129
64th over: New Zealand 282-0 (Latham 134, Conway 138) Latham, trying to pull yet another short ball, gloves Atkinson down the leg side and is dropped badly by Jamie Smith. Oof, that will sting because it was a routine chance.
Latham pulls four more to make this New Zealand’s highest partnership for any wicket against England. Runs are flowing but England are at least threatening to take a wicket with this short-ball ploy. Atkinson’s over ends with a pull from Conway that teases Bethell before dropping short.
63rd over: New Zealand 276-0 (Latham 129, Conway 137) In fact Bashir has changed ends again. He bowled accurately this morning but is starting to lose control. A short ball is larruped for four by Latham.
62nd over: New Zealand 268-0 (Latham 122, Conway 136) Atkinson replaces Bashir, who was starting to take some hammer from Conway in particular. Conway hooks brilliantly for four, expertly bisecting the two deep fielders.
Romeo points out that this is New Zealand’s highest partnership for any wicket in a Test in England. It’ll soon be their highest against England too: the current is 276 by the brilliant Stewie Dempster and Jackie Mills in 1930.
61st over: New Zealand 262-0 (Latham 121, Conway 131) Conway hooks Tongue for his second six in as many overs. He’s spent most of the series fighting for every single run but there’s a carefree air to his innings now. He pulls another short ball just wide of Duckett, diving to his right at short midwicket, and then there’s a break in play while the umpires change the ball. It’s been whacked out of shape.
Latham pulls the replacement smoothly round the corner for four. But Tongue is causing a few problems and the over ends with a top-edge that falls short of Bethell at fine leg.
60th over: New Zealand 249-0 (Latham 115, Conway 124) Conway charges Bashir and smokes a full toss over midwicket for six. England consider a review when the ball deflects to slip via the pad, but there was no inside-edge and Stokes decides against it. Conway ends the over with another boundary.
“Brendon McCullum must be despairing of his countrymen here,” says David Hopkins. “Calmly taking advantage of favourable conditions to bat themselves into a commanding lead would never happen on his watch. By now they should be at least four down through miscued scoop shots or similar macho posturing.”
Macho posturing eh.
59th over: New Zealand 237-0 (Latham 115, Conway 112) Time for some short stuff from Josh Tongue. In truth it’s a surprise that England waited nearly 60 overs before trying it. A decent first over includes a clothed pull from Conway that lands short of the man at cow corner.
This is now the highest opening partnership against England since 2003, when What’s-His-Name and Herschelle Gibbs slapped a decent England attack – Anderson, Gough, Flintoff, Harmison, Giles, Butcher – all round Edgbaston.
“Sitting here in 31C temperatures with a whisky listening to an appropriate tune,” chirps Matthew Lawrenson.
58th over: New Zealand 233-0 (Latham 112, Conway 111) A long hop from Bashir is violated through midwicket for four by Conway. England are in a world of trouble here.
57th over: New Zealand 228-0 (Latham 111, Conway 107) Tongue replaces Bethell, whose brief introduction was to facilitate a change of ends. An inswinger is flicked extravagantly over square leg for four by Conway, who is starting to play with the freedom of old. That’s the last thing England need.
“If info on Old Trafford 1976 is what you’re after. you know where to come,” writes our old friend Mike Selvey. “Btw Close faced every single ball from Holding in that 80 minutes. He was 1 not out at the close. JE wasn’t battered.”
Selve is too modest to remind us that, earlier in that game, he ran through West Indies’ top order.
Devon Conway’s eighth Test century!
56th over: New Zealand 223-0 (Latham 110, Conway 103) Bashir has changed ends after tea. Conway pumps him over mid-on for four to move to 99, then square drives a classy boundary to reach his eighth Test hundred.
Nothing will top the first, a double on debut at Lord’s, but Conway will cherish this innings because he has looked out of form all series.
“Despite the conditions, the number of runs scored must be roughly par for a Test session,” says John Starbuck. “300 or so at the end of the day’s play is pretty much what we used to expect. Granted, no wickets, but that’s down mainly to the heat, the ground and bad luck, all of which applies to everyone at some time. Rationality, be my friend.”
Friend? I thought it got cancelled in 2016.
55th over: New Zealand 215-0 (Latham 110, Conway 95) Jacob Bethell comes on after tea for his first bowl of the match. He starts with a full toss but then beats Conway with consecutive deliveries. Small sample size but Bethell’s bowling average of 29.87 is the best of any England spinner since… Scott Borthwick.
“This pitch is appalling,” writes Phil Harrison. “Every bit as bad as the Lord’s one. Arguably worse as Lord’s was absolutely fair to both teams – it misbehaved throughout. This one puts way too much premium on winning the toss – it did nothing, even with the new ball. The team bowling first haven’t really had a chance.”
Didn’t we say something similar when Pakistan piled up 556 at Multan in 2024?
Tea
54th over: New Zealand 213-0 (Latham 109, Conway 94) Atkinson saves two runs with a good stop on the third boundary. Latham squirts Tongue for a single to conclude another unblemished session for New Zealand. They’ll be wary of their last visit to Trent Bridge, when they were 405 for 4 in their first innings and still took a hammering, but right now they are in a glorious position.
“I’m following you not the game so keen to know whether you reckon this pitch is as bad, in a different way, to the one at Lord’s or whether it will give us a proper five-day game,” wonders Jeremy Smith. “I guess we’ll only know after England bat, if we ever get to that point…”
With the caveat that nobody knows anything, I suspect it will turn as the match progresses, particularly in this heat. I’d say a bore draw is unlikely, and if I had a farm I’d be tempted to put it on Mitch Santner winning player of the match.
53rd over: New Zealand 208-0 (Latham 105, Conway 93) The aforementioned Trent Bridge Test of 1989 was the last time England spent an entire day in the field without taking a wicket. Stokes is trying everything to change that – this is his sixth over on the bounce, so he’s approaching the halfway point of his second spell.
Given the subcontinental nature of conditions, England really could have done with Ollie Robinson (2022-23 version). I guess they were worried about the 2023-24 version turning up.
52nd over: New Zealand 206-0 (Latham 104, Conway 92) Tongue replaces Bashir and bowls a hostile maiden to Latham, including a couple of inside-edges onto the pad. The first threatened to loop to gully before eventually falling short.
Tom Latham’s 17th Test hundred!
51st over: New Zealand 206-0 (Latham 104, Conway 92) Latham slashes Stokes over gully for four to bring up the 200 opening partnership. He flicks the next ball to the fine leg boundary to reach a ruthless, tone-setting hundred from just 149 balls.
The concept of a captain’s innings usually evokes over-my-dead-body defiance – Allan Border, Athers at Jo’burg – but in the 21st century that isn’t necessarily the case. Latham’s strike rate is just under 70 and he has put New Zealand in an outstanding position.
50th over: New Zealand 197-0 (Latham 95, Conway 92) “I was hoping to go to Trent Bridge tomorrow but East Midlands Railway have cancelled half the trains,” writes Emma John. “Given the score I find that, for once, I’m quite grateful to the train company…”
49th over: New Zealand 193-0 (Latham 95, Conway 88) No luck for Stokes, who snakes a good delivery past Latham’s outside edge. Latham is closing in on his 17th Test century, which would put him level with the mighty Martin Crowe. Only Kane Williamson (33) and Ross Taylor (19) have scored more for New Zealand.
48th over: New Zealand 189-0 (Latham 92, Conway 87) Bashir beats Latham with a nice delivery, bowled deliberately at about 20mph. An overzealous misfield from Stokes at mid-off gives Latham three runs.
Incidentally a couple of deliveries bowled by Stokes have already gone through the top, which is a) reasonably ominous for England and b) very encouraging for Mitchell Santner.
47th over: New Zealand 186-0 (Latham 89, Conway 87) More swing for Stokes, orthodox not reverse. It makes you wonder whether England should bring on Harry Brook at the other end.
Stokes is bowling a terrific spell, trying everything to extract blood from the stone, and has an LBW appeal against Lathan turned down. He was bowling over the wicket so it almost certainly pitched outside leg.
46th over: New Zealand 185-0 (Latham 88, Conway 87) Bashir is scrunched through mid-on for four by Conway, who is starting to resemble the guy who took England to the cleaners in his debut Test series five years ago.
“Of course the good news,” writes Michael Meagher, “is that Joe Root will overtake Sachin Tendulkar during England’s first innings …”
45th over: New Zealand 176-0 (Latham 87, Conway 83) A lifting delivery from Stokes is almost dragged onto the stumps by Latham. He jumped onto the back foot and deflected the ball just past off stump.
Stokes is getting a hint of swing, maybe even a soupçon, and looks threatening. His overall record on this ground is modest but he swung Australia to defeat with a forgotten six-for in 2015. It’s forgotten because Daniel’s favourite meeting time occurred in the first innings.
44th over: New Zealand 176-0 (Latham 84, Conway 72) Conway drives Bashir gunbarrel striaght for four to move into the eighties. He’s had a really tough couple of months but is playing fluently now.
Since you asked, the last time England drew a series decider was Matt Prior’s match in New Zealand in 2012-13. The last time they did so at home was against India at The Oval in 2002, when Michael Vaughan and Rahul Dravid made huge centuries and Ms Dynamite was in the top five of the hit parade.
43rd over: New Zealand 170-0 (Latham 82, Conway 77) Stokes replaces Archer and starts with an accurate over, one from it.
“If it gets gruesomely hot and the players are removed from the field, do you think Sky will put on highlights of the 1976 Old Trafford Test v the West Indies which will be 50 years ago in a couple of weeks?” writes Matthew Lawrenson. “The battering Close and Edrich took was less one-sided than this.”
That’s a nice line, but the pedant in me isn’t having it. In this game, New Zealand are cruising on a flat deck; in 1976, some poor old quadragenarian was controlling 95mph+ bumpers on the chest like a centre-back.
42nd over: New Zealand 169-0 (Latham 82, Conway 77) Conway unwittingly takes one hand off the bat while miscuing a drive off Bashir. But when Bashir drops fractionally short, Conway steers an accomplished boundary past backward point.
The Fear, Rob,” writes Gary Naylor. “The Fear.”
Thanks Daniel, hello everyone. Did you know, of course you knew, there’s been only one 200+ opening partnership against England in the last 15 years. It came, oddly enough, in one of England’s finest victories, the miracle of Rawalpindi in 2022-23.
Righto, my watch is over; here’s the great Rob Smyth to coax you through England’s spellbinding comeback.
41st over: New Zealand 164-0 (Latham 81, Conway 73) Oh my days, remember earlier when England burned a review they must’ve felt wasn’t out for fear of not reviewing and it being out? Well, that one last over, when I said Conway edged on to his pad because I actually heard Jamie Smith saying so? Er, it was bat first and, had they gone upstairs, it would’ve been gone. There’ll be some nausea in those England intestines when they find out, and to compound the sickness they don’t even know is in the post, Latham opens the face to earn four through third, then a single and a two follow – though Archer is finding some rhythm. And that is drinks…