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Third Test:
Teams: Chopra, Kieswetter, Smith, Onions, Kerrigan, Meaker and Dernbach all come in for this dead rubber. Roy, Bopara, Buttler, Woakes, Harris, Briggs and Topley make way. New Zealand play an unchanged side.
Toss: England win the toss and bowl, hoping to exploit the overcast conditions on the first day.
Match Report:
Day 1:
We bowled New Zealand out for 275, after a lower order collapse. Once again, Watling got a century. If he hadn’t have played, this series would have been so much easier.Onions got 3 wickets, and Kerrigan got a couple as well, as we used the conditions well.
We closed out on 13/0, playing it safe at the end of the day.
Day 2:
We reached 356/8 after some good work from Chopra and Dawson. Hales, Horton and Bell all got starts without pushing on, and for a while we looked in trouble. Dawson went soon after reaching his half century, Smith and Meaker following in quick succession. At the close of play though, Kerrigan and Dernbach had frustrated the bowlers, and given us a useful lead.
Day 3:
We got to 372 before we lost all our wickets, as both Kerrigan and Dernbach fell for 49. Unlucky for them, but very useful runs nonetheless.
By the time New Zealand got rid of the 96 run deficit, they were already 5 wickets down. Stuart Meaker took 3 wickets in a great display of pace bowling. The Kiwis eventually got to 256/6, after some good work from Rhodes and Williamson recovered their position. However, with the new ball available, we need to capitalise.
Day 4:
We finally got the Kiwis out for 386, Kane Williamson getting 156, as we couldn’t get the breakthrough. We have 290 to win, in a day and a half. It’s winnable.
We reached 132/2, in our bid for a whitewash, as Hales reached his half century. We lost Horton early on, and then Bell soon after, but Chopra stayed in, and we have a good platform from which to build on the final day.
Day 5:
Once again, we had to rely on the batting of Jade Dernbach at the end of the innings to see us through. Hales and Chopra both played well, but the rest of the batsmen struggled, and it took some serious concentration from Stuart Meaker and Dernbach to take us home. Dernbach has in fact batted better than he has bowled so far for me, not that I can rely on that it of course.
Batting Award: Varun Chopra, batted well in both innings, and stands out as a potential England opener of the future.
Bowling Award: Stuart Meaker, 6 wickets on debut, and used the new ball well.
Teams: Chopra, Kieswetter, Smith, Onions, Kerrigan, Meaker and Dernbach all come in for this dead rubber. Roy, Bopara, Buttler, Woakes, Harris, Briggs and Topley make way. New Zealand play an unchanged side.
Toss: England win the toss and bowl, hoping to exploit the overcast conditions on the first day.
Match Report:
Day 1:
We bowled New Zealand out for 275, after a lower order collapse. Once again, Watling got a century. If he hadn’t have played, this series would have been so much easier.Onions got 3 wickets, and Kerrigan got a couple as well, as we used the conditions well.
We closed out on 13/0, playing it safe at the end of the day.
Day 2:
We reached 356/8 after some good work from Chopra and Dawson. Hales, Horton and Bell all got starts without pushing on, and for a while we looked in trouble. Dawson went soon after reaching his half century, Smith and Meaker following in quick succession. At the close of play though, Kerrigan and Dernbach had frustrated the bowlers, and given us a useful lead.
Day 3:
We got to 372 before we lost all our wickets, as both Kerrigan and Dernbach fell for 49. Unlucky for them, but very useful runs nonetheless.
By the time New Zealand got rid of the 96 run deficit, they were already 5 wickets down. Stuart Meaker took 3 wickets in a great display of pace bowling. The Kiwis eventually got to 256/6, after some good work from Rhodes and Williamson recovered their position. However, with the new ball available, we need to capitalise.
Day 4:
We finally got the Kiwis out for 386, Kane Williamson getting 156, as we couldn’t get the breakthrough. We have 290 to win, in a day and a half. It’s winnable.
We reached 132/2, in our bid for a whitewash, as Hales reached his half century. We lost Horton early on, and then Bell soon after, but Chopra stayed in, and we have a good platform from which to build on the final day.
Day 5:
Once again, we had to rely on the batting of Jade Dernbach at the end of the innings to see us through. Hales and Chopra both played well, but the rest of the batsmen struggled, and it took some serious concentration from Stuart Meaker and Dernbach to take us home. Dernbach has in fact batted better than he has bowled so far for me, not that I can rely on that it of course.
Batting Award: Varun Chopra, batted well in both innings, and stands out as a potential England opener of the future.
Bowling Award: Stuart Meaker, 6 wickets on debut, and used the new ball well.
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