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Hello and welcome to our coverage for day 2 of first test of the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy! An interesting day’s play awaits us New Zealand are stranded at 319/8.
Kane Williamson and Shoaib Bashir were the star performers yesterday as the former scored a fluent 93 and was unlucky to miss out on a ton. Bashir picked up four scalps albeit a few were off pretty shoddy deliveries.
Glen Phillips steadied the ship from one end but there were wickets for England at regular intervals. A good day of cricket and now we are all set to see how this intriguing match proceeds.
Glenn Phillips adds another unbelievable catch to his career resume! The 151-run Brook-Pope (77) partnership is broken. Watch LIVE in NZ on TVNZ DUKE and TVNZ+ #ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/6qmSCdpa8u
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) November 29, 2024
New Zealand catching success rate of 75.7% is the second-lowest in Tests this year, only ahead of West Indies’ 73.07%. It was a day of missed opportunities for the hosts as five catches went down and despite being ahead in the game having reduced England to 71/4 quite early on the second day, they find themselves staring at a potentially large first-innings deficit.
Plenty of chances were created, particularly in the first session and in the first hour after lunch but few converted. Once the ball got older though, England scored at a fair clip. Nathan Smith bowled his heart out, claimed the wickets of Jacob Bethell and Joe Root early but got extremely unlucky henceforth as most of the catches were dropped off his bowling.
Harry Brook vs New Zealand
89 & 54 – Mount Maunganui, 2023
186 & 0 – Wellington, 2023
132* – Christchurch, 2024
Ben Stokes too was dropped late in the day and that means England are quite comfortably placed. The stand is worth 97 and they’ll be eyeing a handy first-innings lead.
Harry Brook’s sublime century narrowed the gap between England and New Zealand in Christchurch 👏 #WTC25 | 📝 #NZvENG: https://t.co/HXf4bg0srm pic.twitter.com/Z61bGqMwe4
— ICC (@ICC) November 29, 2024
New Zealand pride themselves on their fielding but it’s been an off-color day for the Blackcaps on that front. We’ve lost count on how many catches have been put down today, such a shambolic display of groundwork is just unacceptable at the international level.
Full on off-stump, Stokes cleared his front-leg looking to hack the ball away, he ended up slicing it straight to Tom Latham at cover, went at a decent catchable height too. Straight in and out, Latham just seemed to flinch as it came at him.
Almost a wicket owing to a terrible mix-up! Length delivery outside off, Ben Stokes pressed back and cut the ball towards point, Brook was already halfway down before being sent back, both the batters were ball-watching, and a direct-hit at the non-striker’s end would’ve been the end of Brook. He’s living a charmed life, as many as four lifelines hitherto.
Length delivery outside off, width on offer and Brook carves it away through backward point, struck well and it races to the ropes. The poster boy of Bazball, Brook had his luck in this innings and he’s capitalized on it to notch up three figures and steer England out of trouble. He takes his helmet off and acknowledges the applause from the crowd at Hagley Oval. A very measured celebration that suggests he knows the job is only half done, with England still trailing by 75 runs after New Zealand finished with 348 in the first innings.
Walking in at 45/3, Harry Brook has produced an archetypal counter-attacking gem🚀#CricketTwitter #ENGvsNZ pic.twitter.com/NHUgJfVKhb
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) November 29, 2024
Riding his luck, Harry Brook tons up to help England wrestle the advantage from New Zealand #ENGvsNZ pic.twitter.com/HVZkrHiLgP
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) November 29, 2024
FOUR, audacious! Length delivery on off-stump, Brook leans right across his stumps and utilizes the pace to scoop the ball straight back over the keeper’s head! You need guts to pull a ramp off when you’re in your 90s, and Harry Brook is far from a shrinking violet.
The ultimate ball of Tim Southee’s over travels for six and England are building on the progress after having taken 69 runs till the drinks break in the final session for the loss of Ollie Pope.
Glenn Phillips did what he does best, defy gravity to pluck acrobatic catches out of thin air, as New Zealand finally managed to put a full stop to the ominous alliance between the supremely talented youngsters Harry Brook and Ollie Pope.
England captain Ben Stokes joins Brook at the crease, with England placed at 233/5, trailing by 115 runs.
🚨 3️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ Test runs 🚨
Well batted, Ollie 🫡 pic.twitter.com/mgDPXFscJz
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 29, 2024
Not surprisingly, the Guerilla Cricket commentary team was spellbound for a second looking at Phillips’s wonder grab.
The GC commentary team wears an astonished look as Glenn Phillips did what he does best, defy gravity to pluck an acrobatic catch out of thin air!#ENGvsNZ #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/i9iiZjjYYI
— Guerilla Cricket #GCFromHome (@guerillacricket) November 29, 2024
Harry Brook and Ollie Pope have mounted a spirited counterattack at Hagley Oval as they wrestled the advantage back from New Zealand after the visitors were reduced to 45 for 3 at Lunch. They added 151 runs off 188 balls for the fifth wicket before the livewire that is Glenn Phillips flew at gully to intercept Pope’s unrestrained cut.
Apologies for my previous statement.
Glenn Phillips can do whatever he wants.
I’m ashamed of myself – that was special.
England are now 222/5
Phillips, Latham, then Conway! Good thing they don’t have the gloves this series!
For the third time, Brook has been dropped. Short ball, Brook goes hard on the pull and miscues. Devon Conway runs to his left from deep square leg, covers the distance but fails to hold onto the catch as he slides across. Phillips has his hands on head.
O’Rourke has been better with his line and length in this session and now raps Pope on the pads eliciting half hearted appeals for an LBW. The impact seemed to be outside off and hence the appeals were waved off.
We are back on after tea and we shall see now how New Zealand have refurbished their tactics.
England’s session all the way this one. Pope and Brook look solid out there and have put up with any problems that the New Zealand side have thrown at them. England still trail by 174 runs and will look to whittle down the total by much more now.
New Zealand will have to overlook their plans for both these batters. O’Rourke has been underwhelming to say the least and Smith has been the only one to cause a few problems for the visitors. The pitch has flattened out as well so breaking through this stand has just become a little tougher for the hosts.
50 for Pope now! These two are looking unbeatable in the middle. A change of tactics is needed now. Maybe some spin from one end? Either Phillips or Ravindra should be brought on.
Another six for Brook to bring up his 50! Stupendous batting on display here!
Brook and Pope have stabilized the ship for the visitors hitting a 100 plus partnership. England were in a perilous position and they have saved their team now. Exquisite batting from these two! Brook is on 45 and Pope is on 47.
Its not all bleak for New Zealand as there have been half chances for them but they really need to sharpen up in the field. The plan to bring Brook onto the front foot has worked for the most part and they need to stick to it.
After 35 overs, England have rebuilt to 135/4.
An unbeaten partnership of 64 and counting between Brook and Pope has allowed the lull to return around the Hagley Oval, yet there have certainly been chances for NZ.
Brook put down twice!
How has that gone down? Brook tries to drive a full delivery and nicks it to Latham at first slip. Latham fumbles it and it somehow diverts to Southee at second slip, who again fumbles it and finally its put down. Quite an incredulous sequence there.
Nathan Smith the bowler did not look impressed with that. Should have been a regulation catch.
Ollie Pope looks good out there now – he’s cruised to 25.
One has to wonder if his time as wicketkeeper may be beneficial for his batting – can’t hurt getting the entirety of the first innings out at the wicket, allowing him to study the pace of the pitch.
Flashed hard this time by Pope! The ball flies to Glen Phillips at gully who flies like a salmon in pursuit of it. Fortunately for Pope, the ball has enough velocity to beat an exceptional fielder like Phillips.
Brook has looked composed, whilst Pope is just starting to find his feet.
Drinks are taken with England at 106/4.
Brook again expertly latches onto a back of the length delivery and pulls it to backward square leg for the first maximum of the match! Brook now on 30 off 38 deliveries.
England 106/4.
The extra bounce that the New Zealand pacers are extracting is working against them. Pope and Brook are great back foot players and its been a piece of cake for them to slash the short deliveries. The plan needs to change and try to get the batsmen to play the drive.
