Henry runs through the England batters as the hosts surrender to a 253-run loss without Stokes

ICC World Test Championship

The English team led by interim captain Joe Root featuring three debutants felt the Kiwi heat as they slump to a 253 run loss at The Oval tying the three-match series 1-1. A fairly young team which had played a total of 118 Tests if you remove Joe Root's experience of 164 matches before the start of this Test was thrown into the deep end suddenly as England made five changes to the playing XI from the first game. New Zealand were handed a golden prospect of coming back into this series after England left out their regular skipper Ben Stokes and seamer Gus Atkinson following their involvement in an altercation at a Chelsea night club with a local Rugby team which left an ECB security official injured. The incident became a major headline because of a curfew imposed recently by the management at the insistence of skipper Stokes who was himself present at the scene.

England suffered further setbacks when Ollie Robinson was out injured from this Test match due to a knee soreness succeeded by wicket-keeper Jamie Smith withdrawing his participation as he welcomed his second child on the eve of this match. England handed debuts to James Rew, Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker while also recalling Matthew Fisher on his home-ground after he played his only Test match four years ago in West Indies. Jofra Archer also made a comeback to the side as the selectors found it difficult to balance the side without their premier all-rounder Ben Stokes. New Zealand were given a setback of their own after their best batter Kane Williamson announced a shock retirement from International cricket. They made one change with Henry Nicholls replacing Williamson at No. 3 whereas Matt Henry retained his place after a minor back injury had limited his involvement in the first innings of Lord's Test.

English bowlers struggle to hit correct lines

From the very first session there was evidence of this pitch playing much better than the one offered in the last match due to uniform bounce and carry at The Oval. Although a few deliveries did stay low later but mostly the playing surface remained steady through the whole duration of five days. Joe Root who was captaining England for the first time since March 2022 against West Indies at St George's, Grenada opted to bowl due to overcast conditions after the start was delayed by half an hour due to early rain. The hosts had retained only Josh Tongue in the bowling attack from the first Test match.

Jofra and Fisher started with the new ball targeting the four left-handers at the top for New Zealand from round-the-stumps angle. The ball swung a long way from the opening over but the bowlers sprayed it around a bit. Devon Conway gifted his wicket playing a pull shot to a delivery going down leg and gloving it to James Rew who collected his first catch in International cricket. The Kiwi batters wasted good starts as the bowlers started to find their rhythm slowly. Latham got out for 27 trying to flick a Jofra Archer ball and edging it to gully where Jacob Bethell took an excellent catch. Nicholls inside edged a length delivery by Josh Tongue onto the stumps for 24. Ravindra gave his wicket away after solid start of 33 to guide one straight in the hands of Bethell at Gully giving debutant Sonny Baker his first Test wicket.

With four wickets down at Tea, both Mitchell and Blundell started to re-build once the rustiness started to show for the hosts. Having hit the 6 to 8 mtr length for the first two sessions, England suddenly reverted to their short ball plan once the ball got old. An effort ball from Baker caused some discomfort to Mitchell who got out at short mid-wicket trying to attempt a half-hearted pull but the hosts overdid the short ball plan during the third session on Day 1 never hitting the right line. Too many byes and leg byes were conceded and the batters started to punish the bad balls bringing up the fifty-run partnership between Blundell and Phillips in just 52 balls. Blundell slogged one to mid-wicket off Bethell two balls after completing his 12th half-century in Test cricket and six overs later Nathan Smith also gifted his wicket to the same bowler trying to hoick a full-toss but miscuing it to fine leg where Cox completed the catch running back from leg slip. Jofra bowled a fiery eight-over spell before the close of Day 1 indulging in a menacing battle with Phillips targeting him with short balls as Phillips kept ducking and swaying out of line and even falling on the crease twice. Phillips brought out his sunglasses to add some swag and managed to survive till the close of play only to register his maiden century on Day 2.

 

Joe Root's questionable tactics at the start of Day 2 shifted the whole advantage towards the Black Caps. Baker started the day with another short ball down the leg side which went for four byes laying the marker for the next nineteen overs. Both Baker and Tongue carried on the bizarre short ball ploy and offered plenty of boundaries to Phillips and Jamieson. England asked for the new ball immediately and offered it to Bethell in the 85th over before introducing both Jofra and Fisher in the spell after Baker and Tongue continue to leak runs. Bethell provided them a lucky breakthrough removing Jamieson. Jofra removed Henry in his first over of the Day followed by Phillips' wicket to Fisher but not before the visitors posted a total of 391. England bowlers conceded 53 extras in the first innings which contained 20 byes and 22 leg byes spoiling Rew's debut with some below-par bowling at the back end of the innings.

Post gaining a lead of 100 the Kiwi batters made merry in the second innings cashing on the rustiness and tired bodies of this English pace-quartet. Nicholls scored his 11th Test ton in his comeback Test putting up impressive partnerships with both Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell of 161 and 72 runs respectively. The bowling was mediocre yet again as Jacob Bethell looked the best bowler for them in the match posing some serious questions over the quality of England's back-up pace attack. 

Phillips' investment finally pays off, Nicholls return with a bang

Glenn Phillips made his Test bow at the SCG in early 2020 batting at No 5 and scoring a maiden fifty in the debut innings. He had to wait for almost four years before making a comeback in Sylhet versus Bangladesh and has batted at number 7 or 8 ever since. Phillips' short Test career had included a number of rapid innings mostly batting with the tail until this Test match. He top scored with 87* off 72 balls and followed it with a 40* adding to his 3 wickets with ball in a Player of the Match performance at Mirpur in his third Test match. A counter-attacking 71 against the Aussies went in vain in a match where he took his maiden fifer as well. Phillips pursued his fine form on the tours to Sri Lanka and India contributing with some quick-fire knocks and important wickets with the ball especially in the 3-0 win on the 2024 tour to India. 

Glenn Phillips had top scored with a 34 & 44* on the tough Lord's pitch in the last game. He walked in with the score at 188-5 in middle of a short-ball plan from the opponents. Playing his 19th Test match, Phillips started pouncing on loose balls and raced to 33 off 23 balls until Jofra Archer came into the attack. Archer peppered Phillips with the short ball in an eight-over spell out of which 41 balls were faced by GP often ducking and getting floored a couple of times as well but survived the spell unscathed. England continued to miss their line and length next morning allowing both Kyle Jamieson and Phillips to counter-attack early. Phillips finally got to his maiden ton swiftly after the wicket of Jamieson to become the third batter after Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill as an all-format centurion for New Zealand. 

Glenn Phillips sported a sunglasses look while dealing with a short ball barrage by Jofra Archer on Day 1

Henry Nicholls had endured a few years out of the national team in the red-ball set-up due to loss of form and reduced output in 2023. Since making her bow in 2016, Nicholls was a middle order mainstay for New Zealand guiding the team to the No. 1 position in the ICC Test cricket rankings and the inaugural World Test Championship title in 2021. Nicholls scored only 475 runs in 20 innings bolstered by a 200* against Sri Lanka but did not reach a single fifty in the other 19 innings forcing the selectors to shelve him from the scheme of things post the Bangladesh series 2023. Nicholls took the Plunkett Shield route soon after scoring 1804 runs in the last three years at a whopping average of 82. He was the highest run-scorer last season with 870 runs @ 96.66 forcing his way back into the side yet again. 

Nicholls was already given a chance in the XI last year against Zimbabwe when a few first-choice names were missing and scored a 150* in the second Test match but was left out in the subsequent series against West Indies. Nicholls was supposed to be the spare batter on this tour but a shocking retirement of Kane Williamson in the middle of this series meant Nicholls was suddenly playing the Oval Test at a crucial No. 3 spot. Nicholls started to build the innings in a standard Nicholls fashion but a back of a length delivery from Josh Tongue forced a mistake ending his innings for only 24. he looked prepared to do the same task once more in the second innings.

Henry Nicholls played out the pacers after the early fall of both openers as captain Tom Latham continued his struggle in England. He started to cut loose as soon as Root brought himself into the attack complimenting the attacking nature of Rachin with equal finesse. England tried a few bizarre strategies in the field like bringing the keeper to the crease for Matt Fisher taking inspiration from Matt Henry's display in the first innings but everything went pear-shaped for England. The short ball battle became one-sided as Nicholls and co stood firm collecting regular boundaries. His ability to transfer the weight back quickly and dismiss the ball from his presence makes him such a delightful player. If he can somehow work on his weakness of throwing hands away from his body, Nicholls' second wind as a Test cricketer might turn out even better for the team. His 11th Test century put the game firmly in New Zealand's grasp signaling a beaming comeback for the southpaw.

Henry finally announces himself in England

Since the retirements of New Zealand's best fast-bowling trio Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner, the onus to command the bowling attack fell on faultless Matt Henry and he has transitioned into this role with utmost ease. From the start of 2024, Henry has played only 14 Tests for his national side, often being absent due to regular injuries he has suffered in his playing career and taken 80 wickets at a bowling average of 15.87 with 7 fifers. A career spanning 11 years, it's almost criminal to see Henry play only 35 Tests until now. After a sedate start to his Test career, Henry has become a nightmare for the opposition regardless of the conditions on offer. Spear-heading a diverse pace attack featuring the tall Kyle Jamieson & Will O'Rourke along with the hit-the-deck ability of Nathan Smith, the Black Caps needed their leader to make a huge impact in this series if they wanted to stand a chance of competing with the hosts.

It's bewildering to see a bowler of Henry's ability under-performing in English conditions, tailor-made for his playing style. Before the start of this match, Henry averaged 41.17 with the ball taking just 17 wickets in 5 games. Henry has participated in the County Championship for Kent and Somerset in the past with incredible stats which made his five-day numbers an anomaly when playing in this country. Henry decided to course-correct at a crucial time when his team needed it most after trailing 1-0 after the Lord's Test.

Matt Henry's 11-109 earned him the Player of the Match award in the second Test match

The English bowlers failed to make an impact in both innings but Henry started to slowly build his tempo with the first spell. He troubled Gay and Bethell but also provided a few boundary balls in an expensive 7-over spell. Gay's second consecutive fifty followed by a neat Root-Brook partnership put England into a comfortable position before Latham re-introduced Henry. Tom Blundell came up to the stumps forcing the batters to stay in the crease and the plan worked immediately when Henry stuck in his second over getting Root out lbw with a delivery that nipped in sharply. Henry kept targeting the stumps and got Brook out next in similar fashion who could not account for the ball jagging in and looked totally out of position, pushing the opposition on back foot by removing their best batters one after another. With England 6 down and staring at a big lead, the aim from New Zealand bowlers was to wrap things quickly on the morning of Day 5. Henry started the day with Jamieson and struck thrice in three overs. Cox flicked a ball straight to mid-wicket, Blundell took a stunning catch off Archer and a scoop from Tongue ended in the hands of Nathan Smith at mid-on. Henry completed his seventh fifer in Test cricket and his first in England but he was not done yet.

Post dismissing England for 291 and accumulating a lead of 100 runs, New Zealand piled on their misery leaving the home side a target of 463 runs in the last innings. Although the pitch was still in good shape, there were a few deliveries keeping low which can disturb a batter's flow. Jamieson broke the back of England's chase with a double wicket-maiden getting both Gay and Bethell for a score of 13 as Henry's probing first spell went wicketless. England's captain and vice-captain combined once again to bail their side out of trouble adding 97 for the fourth-wicket as Latham turned to his most experienced bowler one more time. Henry almost got a wicket off his first ball but the decision got overturned on review and one more similar review saved Brook in the 29th over. Henry was probing from the start with his stump-to-stump line and the keeper standing close to the stumps. 

It was not long before New Zealand stuck again via some luck going their way. Brook who was batting with a Strike Rate of more than 100 edged one straight to slip which flicked the pad of Blundell on the way just enough to not cause a deflection giving the visitors some breathing space. England were five down on the morning of last day needing 281 runs to win the game. Similar to the first innings, Henry ran through the batting in a single spell taking all five wickets in just 31 balls handing his team a huge win. Henry started the day by trapping Root just like the first innings and bowled Archer with a one that kept low two balls later. In his next over Henry got back-to-back wickets of Fisher and Tongue reaching the milestone of 150 Test wickets in the process. Cox was bowled off a yorker as Henry's Player of the Match performance helped his side level the series with one game to go. Henry's masterclass earned him his First 10-wicket haul in Test cricket bringing his bowling average down to 28.89 in England.

The contrasting display of Rew and Blundell behind the stumps

James Rew was called up to the Test squad for this series due to his outstanding presence in First Class cricket at the age of only 22. A promising youngster, Rew was not selected in the playing eleven of the first Test because England decided to include the other debutant Emilio Gay as Ben Duckett's opening partner. His wish came true on the eve of the second Test when Jamie Smith pulled out of the match to attend the birth of his second child which meant that the home side was playing three uncapped players in this match. Rew was slotted to bat at No. 6 ahead of Jordan Cox who replaced captain Ben Stokes and also took the wicket-keeping gloves.

35-year old Tom Blundell was playing his 47th Test match for New Zealand. His glovework has been exemplary when playing either at home or away yet he has largely remained unnoticed just like his predecessor BJ Watling who also got recognition late in his career. Blundell started his career with two centuries in the first three Tests including the first one in his maiden innings. Blundell was in outstanding form when the Kiwis visited England four years ago but they lost the series 3-0 and his batting form tapered off post that series. He scored 394 runs in 25 innings until another three-figure score against the same opposition in Wellington. When New Zealand played Ireland last month in preparation of this tour, the he ended up with 186 bailing his team out of early trouble. However, it was not with the bat but with his antics behind the stumps which caught everyone's attention in this game.

Tom Blundell exhibited a wicket-keeping tutorial while keeping to Matt Henry in both innings of The Oval Test

Blundell scored a 51 in the first innings with bat and stitched important partnerships with Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips before getting out to an unnecessary slog sweep caught at short mid-wicket. His glovework in the first match was also tidy and on a pitch with true bounce Blundell started neatly in the first innings. When Latham asked Henry to start his spell in the middle overs, Blundell came close to the stumps limiting the free-flowing Harry Brook & Joe Root to the crease. The plan paid off quick dividends as Henry trapped both the batters LBW. New Zealand had tried the same tactic in the last Test as well but it was here at The Oval when the returns started to favor their bowlers. A huge credit belongs to their wicket-keeper who was flawless. Blundell conceded only 1 bye and 5 leg byes taking 3 catches behind the stumps which included an excellent take off Archer up close. More brilliance ensued in the second innings with the team following the same ploy against Brook and Root as Henry completed a double against both batters on his way to 11 wickets in the game. The visitors copied Australia's tactics which they employed in the Ashes a few months ago when Alex Carey displayed his mastery with the gloves standing close to the stumps against the likes of Michael Neser and Scott Boland as Harry Brook became the victim there too, a trick which will be carefully studied by all teams across the world.

 

On the opposite side, James Rew endured a horrible debut with the gloves corresponding to his side's performance on the field. He started the game with a maiden catch when Devon Conway was strangled down leg by Matthew Fisher which was ironically his only catch in the first innings. Preferred with the gloves over Jordan Cox, Rew's first big mistake came in the 56th over when he caught his opposite number diving full stretch to his right but grounded the ball on his way down. England conceded 22 byes, 20 leg byes and 8 wides in the first innings but it would be unfair to judge Rew on these figures. The English bowlers could not hit a consistent line around off stump and kept spraying the ball down the leg side or over the keeper especially in the third session when they tried to bounce out the batters. They kept persisting with this weird strategy and kept loosing their lines making it incredibly difficult for the keeper to lay hand on any of those wayward deliveries. 

Rew dropped another one early in the second innings giving a chance to Rachin Ravindra on 7 who scored 76. There were a few misfields too but Rew showed sharp reflexes to catch a rebound when Root juggled a catch at leg slip dismissing Blundell for 16. His time with the bat was not that special as well. After getting a decent start in the first innings, he gloved a short ball from Will O'Rourke to first slip for 24. In the second essay, Rew again played 39 balls but a back of a length delivery from Jamieson which stayed low struck his thigh which was overturned on review almost hitting the top of the stump concluding a disappointing match for the debutant. With Jamie Smith coming back, this will be the last Test Rew has played for a while but he needs to put this game behind him and continue to churn runs in domestic cricket. The talent he possesses in undeniable and he has the ability to play as a pure batter in the team. English selectors are already keeping a tab on him and it will not be long before we see him in the whites for his national side again.

England tormented by a Ben Stokes sized gap

In the aftermath of the Chelsea nightclub incident, ECB were forced to drop the guilty party of Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson from the second match here at The Oval. Stokes has not only been their leader since the last four years but also a consistent match-winner since his debut in the 2013 Ashes and his absence has always affected the balance of this team. It's not easy to fill the role of a proper fast-bowling all-rounder with the caliber of Ben Stokes and England faced the same wrath once more when they were stuck with the news of his exclusion from the squad. 

England made five changes to their final eleven which took the field last Wednesday. Led by interim captain Joe Root who became the second player in the history of Test cricket to complete 14000 runs, they had to drop Shoaib Bashir in order to fulfill the pace bowling quartet and depended to the part-time spin options provided by Bethell and Root. Bethell impressed everyone becoming the highest wicket-taker in the first innings but Root failed to make any impact with the ball. An injury to Ollie Robinson meant Josh Tongue was the only bowler who played back-to-back matches. Jofra Archer, Matt Fisher and Sonny Baker completed the bowling attack. 

The rustiness of this new look bowling attack was on show in both the innings. But it's the leadership of Stokes on field which they missed the most. Joe Root who is an exceptional player did not seem in total command of the situation for most of England's time with the ball. There were some puzzling decisions taken by him when they reverted to a short ball ploy in the third session of Day 1 after bowling back of the length for the first two sessions with fair outcomes. Using Matt Fisher with the keeper at the stumps to replicate New Zealand's plan seemed embarrassing in the second innings as not only Fisher failed to pick up a wicket but the Black Caps were not even troubled by the threat of his ball coming in forcing England to play the waiting game. To Stokes' credit, he does manage to attack the opposition with different ideas that sometimes yield required results. 

The selectors have now recalled both Stokes and Atkinson after ECB conducted their investigation and found no evidence of their involvement on two different incidents. Ben Stokes is back at captain squashing all sacking and retirement rumors in the past few days. Both Stokes and Atkinson started for their respective County sides in the latest round but were pulled out by ECB in the middle of the round to announce their return for the final Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. Ollie Robinson also comes back after complaining of a knee issue and so does Jamie Smith post his paternity absence giving the coach Brendon McCullum a chance of reverting to the original team that played in the first Test. But with Bethell's four-wicket tally in 21 overs, they can look to extend their batting till No. 8 by playing Robinson, Tongue, Archer\Atkinson with Stokes and Bethell as the slow-bowling choice. It will be interesting to see what changes they will make for the exciting last Test in three days time but for now the momentum rests with the New Zealanders after a big win yesterday.

References: Statsguru by ESPNCricinfo