New Zealand vs England

61st over: England 300-3 (Root 44, Brook 54) Phillips expresses regret after inadvertently elbowing Brook, an apology which Brook readily accepts. Root secures a single to reach 300 in the 61st over, and no one seems surprised. This crowd has made a five-run per over score commonplace in whites.

“The unwavering trust Stokes has shown in Zak Crawley,” remarks Ben Barclay, “reflects a strong indifference towards a host of emerging cricketers who have been overlooked.”

Against Australia and India, with whom England will clash again this year, he was the standout performer, and in theory, his style aligns perfectly with Australian conditions. Surely, if England believed there was a superior alternative, they would select him.

• 63.25 Test Average

• 68.80 Average when England loses the toss

• 69.31 Average in position No5

• 74.77 Average in Test wins

• 94.75 Average when playing away

• 112.50 Average in New Zealand

• 171.00 Average during this series

60th over: England 295-3 (Root 41, Brook 52) Brook nudges Henry over slip for four to achieve a customary half-century in 56 balls. Gilbert Jessop’s record for England’s quickest hundred (76 balls) seems safe today, yet it has been another enjoyable innings from this remarkable player.

Time for drinks.

59th over: England 286-3 (Root 39, Brook 45) Root targets Phillips off middle stump, reverse sweeping elegantly for two runs. He’s capitalizing on the chance to accumulate some relatively simple runs as he closes in on Sachin Tendulkar in the all-time rankings. Root is now just 600 runs short of surpassing Ricky Ponting for second place. Tendulkar remains around 2550 runs ahead.

58th over: England 281-3 (Root 35, Brook 44)

57th over: England 278-3 (Root 33, Brook 43) Brook impatiently cuts Phillips for three to advance into the forties. I wonder if he will continue to play normally until reaching fifty before looking for Gilbert Jessop’s record. This summer, Brook managed six sixes in nine balls off Adam Zampa, so he might attempt something alike against Phillips. Presently, he has 43 runs from 46 balls, while Root has 33 from 59.

56th over: England 272-3 (Root 31, Brook 39) The lead has now ballooned to 427.

Root is not out

Leg. With Root well outside the line, there’s no reason to consider LBW.

In their evident desperation, New Zealand has exhausted all three reviews.

New Zealand reviews for caught behind against Root!

Root suddenly positioned himself for a reverse ramp, and the ball grazed something as it passed through to Blundell. Was it bat or leg?

55th over: England 271-3 (Root 31, Brook 38) Brook intentionally swipes Phillips over short fine leg for four more. It seems that even though Brook appears to be playing cautiously, he maintains a strike rate close to one run per ball. Relish each boundary, for witnessing England play Test cricket hasn’t always been this pleasurable.

54th over: England 266-3 (Root 31, Brook 33) Matt Henry nearly claims a wicket with his first ball of a new spell as Root top-edges a pull that lands short of fine leg.

For a fielding side, these sequences of play must feel disheartening; New Zealand understands the match and the series are almost out of reach, yet they still have another 24 hours of administrative work ahead.

In another update, play is about to commence on day two of the second Test between Australia and India. A crucial first hour, a significant first session, a big second day. You can follow it with Jim Wallace.

53rd over: England 262-3 (Root 29, Brook 31) Glenn Phillips takes over from O’Rourke. He delivers very straight to Root, turning the ball past leg stump, and Blundell has the bails off a few times when Root misses his attempted sweeps. His back foot remained in the crease both times.

52nd over: England 259-3 (Root 27, Brook 30) Smith continues to charge in as if England is ahead by 41 rather than 414. With Tim Southee nearing retirement and Matt Henry about to celebrate his 33rd birthday, Smith seems a valuable find—especially since he can bat effectively too.

51st over: England 255-3 (Root 24, Brook 29) Brook steps back to send O’Rourke over mid-off for two, then guides the next ball through mid-on for three. It’s reasonable to claim Brook is into his stride now; he managed just 5 off his first 14 balls but has put on 25 off the next 14.

50th over: England 249-3 (Root 23, Brook 24) With more than two hours still to play tonight—prepare for an incredible over-rate—England might decide to declare despite having over three days ahead.

49th over: England 246-3 (Root 21, Brook 23) A short delivery from O’Rourke fails to rise, yet Brook deftly pulls it through square leg for four with exquisite placement. That’s an outstanding stroke.

O’Rourke follows up with a beautiful slower delivery that catches Brook off guard, who is too early with his pull shot but still manages a fortunate single off the back of the bat. Root picks up two more through midwicket, extending England’s lead beyond 400.

48th over: England 238-3 (Root 18, Brook 18) Brook thumps Smith through extra cover for four, then mishits a back-of-a-length delivery just short of mid-on. Even with a ball that has bowled for 48 overs, there’s still ample bounce left in the pitch.

47th over: England 232-3 (Root 17, Brook 13) Brook charges towards O’Rourke, executes a one-handed swipe, and secures four over the slip cordon. O’Rourke for the umpteenth time today shakes his head in resignation.

“Even if you’re exempt from paying any IHT, how does it feel to be a former farmer?” asks John Starbuck, responding to my earlier remark about a wager echoing farming-related metaphors.

I’m pleased to report that both the farm and the potential bet are purely fictitious.

46th over: England 224-3 (lead by 379; Root 16, Brook 5) Brook dodges an LBW appeal – and review – after being struck on the front pad by a nipbacker from Smith. It was close enough to warrant the umpire’s call, so New Zealand retains their last review.

Brook attacked aggressively in the first innings to shift momentum. Today, with England well in control, he can afford to take some time to settle. He has scored 6 runs off 15 balls, while Root has 16 off 24.

45th over: England 222-3 (Root 15, Brook 5) O’Rourke delivers yet another exquisite delivery that outruns Root outside off stump. He looks particularly challenging to face, reminiscent of Steve Harmison at his best.

Root attempts an uppercut, both feet off the ground, and is deceived for the second time in the over, showcasing another top-quality over from O’Rourke.

44th over: England 220-3 (Root 14, Brook 4) Nathan Smith returns to the attack following tea. Joe Root, having fallen to Smith in both Tests, drives flawlessly through mid-on for four.

I doubt any bowler in cricket history has had a debut series quite like Smith’s, whose stats read 50.2-1-310-7. And let’s not overlook the dropped catches.

Prepare yourself! The players are back on the field, and England is unlikely to be playing for time.

Teatime reading

“Bethell,” remarks James Brough. “He’s quite impressive, isn’t he? Am I alone in seeing a resemblance to David Gower? A slender, elegant left-handed player, selected despite a less-than-stellar first-class record…Hits the ball with much more power than Gower, though. Gower coaxed the ball to the boundary. Bethell strikes it as if it has insulted him.”

Indeed. The comparison with Gower is astute, and should he wish, Bethell could likely play with the same kind of graceful finesse. As you pointed out, however, his mindset is entirely different.

43rd over: England 215-3 (Root 10, Brook 3) O’Rourke’s wretched luck continues as a defensive shot from Root flies straight over the stumps. A 90mph rising delivery rushes Brook, strikes high on the bat, and falls safely once again. Brook takes command by moving back to flat-bat three runs through extra cover.

I reiterate my earlier statement: Will O’Rourke’s figures are utterly misleading: 11-0-55-0.

That attempt from Brook concluded an exciting session where England surely cemented their dominance in the match and series. They amassed 133 runs in just 28 overs, with Ben Duckett (92) and the impressive Jacob Bethell (96) falling agonizingly short of centuries.

Bethell’s performance was so stellar that comparisons are being drawn to his legendary score of 10 in the first innings at Christchurch.

42nd over: England 211-3 (Root 9, Brook 0) Considering that Harry Brook was dismissed at 43 for 4 in the first innings, we can surmise his approach today will be different.

“Every time this cynical old git fears the England experiment is teetering off course, they manage to astonish and please,” pens Brian Withington. “The minor crisis in Pakistan is acknowledged, accepted, and moved past. Yet another unexpected selection succeeds, narrowly missing out on a deserved first century (as I type). A challenging series against a recently victorious NZ appears nearly secured on day two of the 2nd Test.

“There may indeed be stronger sides out there, but if you call my logic into question, I dare say I’ve missed a more entertaining Test team in recent memory. All that’s left is for Zak Crawley to excel and assert his dominance next winter?”

I really admire this team, potentially even more than the extraordinary 2005 squad, which I thought was impossible. I fervently hope they claim the Ashes, but even if they suffer a 5-0 defeat, I will be eternally thankful for the enjoyment, the thrill, the optimism, the humanity, the occasional overconfidence, and even the blunders they’ve provided since May 2022.

It’s yet another disappointing near miss for Duckett, who has been dismissed N-I-N-E times between 71 and 99 in Tests, but he’s fulfilled his role in putting this game out of New Zealand’s reach.

No century for Ben Duckett, as he plays a somewhat careless shot outside off stump against Southee, dragging the ball back onto the stumps.

41st over: England 209-2 (Duckett 90, Root 9) O’Rourke expresses his dismay as Root connects with a loose delivery to guide it to the square-leg boundary. His frustration intensifies when Root effortlessly back cuts for four more. England’s lead now stands at 364.

40th over: England 200-2 (Duckett 89, Root 1) Root drives a single from Southee to get on the scoreboard after his modest form following a career-best 262—I calculate it as 117 runs at an average of 19.50—so he’s eager to contribute here. Duckett then narrowly drives Southee short of Williamson at extra cover.

I neglected to share Bethell’s statistics: 96 runs from 118 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes. You simply can’t perform like that at the age of 21. “Step up to Test cricket, showcased extraordinary talent.”

39th over: England 197-2 (Duckett 87, Root 0) O’Rourke needs a change of shoes, resulting in a brief pause in play. His statistics (9-0-42-0) are, incidentally, a disgrace.

Root is not out!

Indeed, it missed the inside edge and touched his clothing on the way through.

New Zealand reviews for caught behind against Root!

The bowler O’Rourke appeared uncertain, and I suspect it’s not out. It was a fine ball that jagged back, catching Root off guard, yet I believe it missed the inside edge.

38th over: England 196-2 (Duckett 86, Root 0) It’s unclear whether Bethell’s hurried advance towards the nineties stems from anxiety or if he was struck on the arm by O’Rourke. If it’s nerves, it’s out of character; he might simply be unfamiliar with such situations. In truth, that 96 is his highest first-class score.

Bethell began to play somewhat erratically, potentially as a result of that arm impact from O’Rourke in the previous over. He top-edged a pull that fell safely, inside-edged past the stumps, and then outside-edged for four. This brought him to 96, but then he chased a wide delivery from Southee and edged it to Blundell.

No century for Bethell, but it’s surely just a matter of time. The entire England balcony rises to applaud him as he departs the field.

Jacob Bethell falls just four runs short of his first-class century!

37th over: England 187-1 (Duckett 83, Bethell 90) Will O’Rourke, having previously faced no fortune today, steps in for Phillips and channels his frustration toward Jacob Bethell. A rising delivery hits high on the bat, falling short of O’Rourke, then a forceful short ball strikes Bethell on the arm. He appears to be fine.

Regardless of New Zealand’s series struggles, O’Rourke has established himself as a major talent.

36th over: England 186-1 (Duckett 82, Bethell 90) Southee replaces Matt Henry, whose impressive opening spell from day one now seems like a distant past. While they appeared lackluster in Christchurch, I’m not convinced they’ve been particularly at fault in this encounter; England has simply rekindled a performance reminiscent of their peak in 2022-23.

Bethell lashes a cut to deep point, racing into the nineties. He’s barely 21, hasn’t registered a first-class century yet—but I’d wager the farm that he isn’t especially anxious.

35th over: England 183-1 (Duckett 80, Bethell 88) Duckett merely misses a potentially strained stroke at Phillips and has to quickly press down his back foot to avoid being stumped. He takes a single, followed by Bethell driving another ball to long off, moving to 89. Be still my cold, dead beating heart.

34th over: England 180-1 (Duckett 78, Bethell 88) More generally, this series marks a continuation of one of the most remarkable years in Test cricket. It began with two spectacular victories in one day—West Indies in Brisbane, England in Hyderabad—and has followed an illogical trajectory ever since. England, entering this series under immense scrutiny, are on the verge of overpowering the team that recently defeated India on their home soil.