Player of the Match
Player of the Match
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    4.2 play that! No chance, even for Cook. That's sensational bowling and NZ strike. Boult goes slightly wider of the crease, but he persists with that length, full. His deadly accuracy means Cook is drawn into a stroke, it's around off. Moves away just enough with that angle from wide of the crease, takes the outside edge and flies to second slip at a comfortable knee height. Big strike. 6/1
    9.4 England are 18 for 4 on the first morning of the Test! Another terrific delivery, it's full, the ball moving away late. Stoneman has to play, he has to. The ball is straight afterall. Another outside edge and another nice low catch from Watling. Boult and Southee, not many better swing bowling combinations around. 18/4
    6.2 and Boult has Root! England's best Test batsmen are done for today. Stunning bowling again, very full outside off, the ball moving back in. Root is drawn into a drive because he sees a run-scoring option. He drives at the ball, but the ball swings back and finds a big gap between bat and pad. The ball loves that unhindered path and hits off stump. 6/2
    8.1 England in disarray! Boult is on faaayyyyaaa! It's the exact same delivery that got Cook, exactly the same. He goes wide of the crease and bowls it on a full length. Because of that, Malan has to get forward and play, or at least he feels like he needs to play. The ball moves away juust enough, takes the outside edge. It carries nicely to Watling, who dives in front of first slip and takes it with the gloves. Superb cricket from NZ. 16/3
    10.3 it gets worse for England. They have been absolutely undone by one of the spells of the summer! Boult goes wide of the crease again, he has been taking the ball away for most of the afternoon from that angle. But this one doesn't, it comes back in. Stokes wants to leave that, but the ball keeps coming back in, like the off stump is a magnet and the ball is a magnetic substance with an opposite charge. It perfectly finds the off stump by the time Stokes' bat thinks of coming down. 18/5
    11.2 caught and bowled! Read this right: 18 for 6! It's full outside off, nothing much else to it. Bairstow drives, looking to counter-attack but the ball comes on a touch slower than he expected. It lobs back off the lower half of the bat, towards Southee, who doesn't panic in his follow-through. The ball goes straight in. WHAT A START. 18/6
    13.4 yorker! As if the swing and seam isn't enough, Southee is forcing the batsmen to deal with toe-crushers? This is borderline evil! Moeen is so slow bringing the bat down, and when he does, he makes it travel down the original line of the ball. On off stump. But it's swinging in. Just enough again to beat the inside edge and cannon into the base of middle stump 23/8
    12.6 he's got a fifth, and he's only in his seventh over! Boult is judge, jury and executioner at Eden Park and everyone is feeling his wrath. Not least the stumps as they take another battering. This is another inswinger, pitched up, drawing Woakes into a drive. But to play these kinds of shots, the front foot needs to move, needs to cut the gap that pops out when the hands go searching. Woakes' doesn't. And Boult thunders through to hit off stump. Epic bowling. Unbelievably epic. 23/7
    not out
    33
    25
    35
    5
    1
    132.00
    15.4 this has to be a dream! It's one thing to have your bowlers looking literally unplayable. But when you couple that with your captain flying through the air to catch a ball hurtling past him, you are playing cricket at an entirely different level. Williamson is at gully. He sees a thick outside edge from Broad. He throws himself to his left. He's parallel with the ground, sticking one hand out to that little pink thing and it sits in it ever so obediently 27/9
    20.4 taken at point, Boult has six and England are all out for 58! This is the least glamorous wicket of all, but it still has an English batsman fearing the ball, Anderson shying away from a short ball outside off and poking it straight to the fielder. But really, what can No. 11 do when the rest of the line-up was so shoddy? 58/10
    Extras
    1 (lb 1)
    TOTAL
    58 all out (20.4 Overs, RR: 2.8, 94 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Alastair Cook, 4.2 ov), 2-6 (Joe Root, 6.2 ov), 3-16 (Dawid Malan, 8.1 ov), 4-18 (Mark Stoneman, 9.4 ov), 5-18 (Ben Stokes, 10.3 ov), 6-18 (Jonny Bairstow, 11.2 ov), 7-23 (Chris Woakes, 12.6 ov), 8-23 (Moeen Ali, 13.4 ov), 9-27 (Stuart Broad, 15.4 ov), 10-58 (James Anderson, 20.4 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    TA Boult10.433263.0000
    TG Southee1032542.5000
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    8.2 caught behind! Reward for persistent bowling. Both Anderson and Broad have been hunting the outside edge with froth coming out of their teeth and finally one snicks through. They look at each other almost immediately, flashing big smiles. This is a planned strike. A back of a length ball on middle has Raval squaring up, thrusting the bat in front of his body and basically praying he gets beaten. No luck for New Zealand this time 8/1
    37.5 that's Broad's 400th Test wicket! Not the way he would have liked, but I don't see him complaining, only soaking in the Auckland applause. It's on the pads, and Latham tucks him very neatly. But he fails to keep the ball down and picks out the square leg fielder. An exceptional achievement from an exceptional bowler. 92/2
    83.6 given lbw! The new ball works! Williamson comes down to see if his partner things it's okay for a review. Somehow I don't think it'll work. New Zealand do take it up to the third umpire. HotSpot won't save him. Ball-tracking says this has pitched just outside off, swinging in all the way, then it decked in off the seam too to beat the inside edge by a good distance and pinned Williamson plumb in front 206/4
    47.2 hurried on a pull and Taylor's gone! The no-ball is juuuust fine. A short delivery outside off, Taylor reads the length early enough but is very late on his pull. To worsen things, he tries to drag the pull, instead of possibly cutting the ball. It lobs off the splice to deep midwicket. It was a scratchy innings 123/3
    not out
    145
    268
    407
    18
    0
    54.10
    105.6 edged and gone! The wider one, the widest one of the over. And Watling nicks behind. Watling sees an opportunity to score as Broad errs, or at least he thinks he does. To be fair, it was there to drive. The ball may have just bounced extra and moved away a touch, which meant he wasn't in control of the shot. A thin edge. 260/5
    115.6 caught behind! Brilliant take from Bairstow, leaping up and taking it over his head, with the batsman going for a big old pull shot. Keepers wouldn't be expecting a top edge to come to them virtually the same way as an outside edge - in that the ball does not soar straight up. Decent cameo from de Grandhomme though. He had to throw his bat around to get some quick runs but this back of a length ball wasn't quite wide enough to attempt such a stroke 309/6
    18
    35
    40
    3
    0
    51.42
    125.2 chops on as Astle tries an on the up drive, with no footwork. And if only to remind him he needs to do better, a good length ball outside off pings off the inside edge, onto his leg and then onto his stumps 341/7
    139.1 leading edge back to the bowler! Flight down leg, Southee looks to work the ball into the leg side, but gets a leading edge back to the bowler. A tame, lame dismissal. 413/8
    not out
    9
    7
    6
    0
    1
    128.57
    Extras
    19 (b 4, lb 9, w 6)
    TOTAL
    427/8d (141 Overs, RR: 3.02, 605 minutes)
    Did not bat: TA Boult
    Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Jeet Raval, 8.2 ov), 2-92 (Tom Latham, 37.5 ov), 3-123 (Ross Taylor, 47.2 ov), 4-206 (Kane Williamson, 83.6 ov), 5-260 (BJ Watling, 105.6 ov), 6-309 (Colin de Grandhomme, 115.6 ov), 7-341 (Todd Astle, 125.2 ov), 8-413 (Tim Southee, 139.1 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    JM Anderson29108733.0000
    SCJ Broad3497832.2900
    C Overton2577012.8010
    CR Woakes33910703.2410
    MM Ali1715903.4700
    JE Root301314.3300
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    2.5 caught down leg! He has scored millions of runs with this shot, the dink behind square leg. He's played em even when he hasn't known where his next run would come from. Perhaps that's why he's searching for the ball - and it's a half-volley a foot away from middle. The kind that would've made Boult grin with embarrassment, not delight as the edge is taken 6/1
    29.4 caught at long leg!. Wagner's the man! As he's so often been for New Zealand. Shifts around the wicket for a big ol bouncer, and it rises up around the left-hander's throat and tries as he might to get inside the line and power it away, the bounce is just a smidge too much for him to properly keep it down. Boult is the man tracking the ball, running forward and to his right. Takes it right in front of his face in a manner that suggest he might not have seen the ball all that well. Chuffed that he's caught it though. 94/2
    46.5 he's gone. Boult's done it! That's nasty bowling. Right after taking a blow, he's in the firing line of a sharp bouncer, angling into the body, leaving Root no room, to hide or to hook. He's trying to fend the ball away, but only ends up gloving to the wicketkeeper. That's the close of play 132/3
    51.2 edged and gone! Beautiful bowling from Southee. It's the exact same delivery as the previous one, full, moving away. A fifth-stump channel. For some reason, Malan is drawn into playing, he gets a thick outside edge which flies to second slip. He was leaving quite well early today. 142/4
    113.3 Wagner's done it! Is this the game? Oh this is such a top spell from Wagner. He's breathed life back into a sullen-looking New Zealand side. Plugs away outside off and Stokes, with three balls to go for the break, has lost his concentration after a long, very good knock. Backs away and looks to swat this bouncer over point. There are two fielders in that region - a backward point and a conventional point. Southee is stationed at the latter and he has free path to get under this after calling for it. Has to really adjust his radar because he's running backwards and looking up at the same time. Follows it with his hands, and grabs on as it sways to his right. What an absolutely under-rated bowler this guy is 300/7
    72.4 can you believe it?! Bairstow has played another pull with no control, and this time he's found Williamson at short midwicket. Another long-hop from Astle, draws a loose shot. This one is turning away a little more than the previous one and he drags it a long way. Williamson leaps high to his right and hangs on. 181/5
    28
    43
    42
    6
    0
    65.11
    82.4 big lbw appeal as he's struck right in front. There's definitely bat involved but Williamson is willing to bet on it being pad first. He has reviewed the not out decision. This is an inswinger, at a good length and coming in at middle and off. That's crashing the stumps if the batsman isn't there. Williamson looked really confident that it was pad first. No one else seemed interested. And he might be onto something...he is! Sensational review! That is pad first and it is hammering middle stump down. A feeble attempt at a forward defence from Moeen, leaving a gap between bat and pad with barely a stride in 217/6
    125.2 has he got him? Yes he has! Wagner has Woakes fending. That's an unplayable bouncer. Headed straight for his face and he has no way to get out of the way. Jabs at it with his feet off the ground. Gets it on the gloves and it lobs up for short leg to take a simple catch to his right. Simply incredible from Wagner to get that sort of lift in his 12th over of the spell, break in the middle or not. He screams as he sprints away in celebration and is promptly mobbed. What an effort 319/9
    118.5 trapped him! He'll review, but Overton looks very out. Defends for the turn outside off but it's a googly. He's bang in front of off stump. That can't be overturned, it's plumb. Addendum: It's umpire's call, England will keep the review, not the wicket 304/8
    not out
    1
    19
    36
    0
    0
    5.26
    126.1 chips it straight to mid-off! That's the victory! Todd Astle's chucked one up full and wide outside off. Anderson, known in some parts as the Burnley Lara, doesn't go through with his big cover drive after getting in good position for it. Checks his shot, finds the fielder 320/10
    Extras
    12 (b 8, lb 2, nb 1, w 1)
    TOTAL
    320 all out (126.1 Overs, RR: 2.53, 519 minutes)
    Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Alastair Cook, 2.5 ov), 2-94 (Mark Stoneman, 29.4 ov), 3-132 (Joe Root, 46.5 ov), 4-142 (Dawid Malan, 51.2 ov), 5-181 (Jonny Bairstow, 72.4 ov), 6-217 (Moeen Ali, 82.4 ov), 7-300 (Ben Stokes, 113.3 ov), 8-304 (Craig Overton, 118.5 ov), 9-319 (Chris Woakes, 125.2 ov), 10-320 (James Anderson, 126.1 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    TA Boult2796732.4800
    TG Southee2648613.3000
    C de Grandhomme24104001.6601
    N Wagner32117732.4010
    TD Astle16.153932.4100
    KS Williamson10101.0000

Match Details

Toss

New Zealand , elected to field first

Player Of The Match

Series result

New Zealand led the 2-match series 1-0

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

14.00 start, Tea 16.00-16.20, Dinner 18.20-19.00, Close 21.00

Match days

22,23,24,25,26 March 2018 - day/night match (5-day match)

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Close of Play

  • Thu, 22 Mar - day 1 - New Zealand 1st innings 175/3 (KS Williamson 91*, HM Nicholls 24*, 69 ov)
  • Fri, 23 Mar - day 2 - New Zealand 1st innings 229/4 (HM Nicholls 49*, BJ Watling 17*, 92.1 ov)
  • Sat, 24 Mar - day 3 - New Zealand 1st innings 233/4 (HM Nicholls 52*, BJ Watling 18*, 95 ov)
  • Sun, 25 Mar - day 4 - England 2nd innings 132/3 (DJ Malan 19*, 46.5 ov)
  • Mon, 26 Mar - day 5 - England 2nd innings 320 (126.1 ov) - end of match

Match Notes

England 3rd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st6AN CookMD Stoneman
2nd88MD StonemanJE Root
3rd38DJ MalanJE Root
4th10DJ MalanBA Stokes
5th39JM BairstowBA Stokes
6th36MM AliBA Stokes
7th83CR WoakesBA Stokes
8th4CR WoakesC Overton
9th15SCJ BroadCR Woakes
10th1JM AndersonSCJ Broad