Black Caps v England: MCC admits Lord’s pitch ‘fell short’ after England’s 115-run win over New Zealand
By Andrew Alderson at Lord’s
New Zealand face an arduous task to level, or indeed win, the three-test cricket series against England, but no one need prescribe panic.
The hosts were justified 115-run victors at Lord’s.
A gloomy Sunday brightened for local fans when Matt Henry’s middle stump was KO-ed by Gus Atkinson – an emphatic end to a fast-paced match.
The visitors’ wait for a second test win at the home of cricket – and a first this century – now extends beyond their 20th attempt.
In fairness, the batters didn’t know Nasa physicist-like knowledge would be required to adjust to the rogue bounce of the ball on a vertical as well as horizontal plane. Evidence included 24 of the 40 wickets falling lbw or bowled; the most from those two modes of dismissal for a test in England.
The match took an erratic turn at 99 for one in the 26th over of the hosts’ second innings after lunch on the second day.
Henry bowled a short-of-a-length delivery which skidded through at shin height into Jacob Bethell’s off stump.
At that point any confidence in the pitch evaporated, underlining a theme of the test. Such behaviour by the Dukes ball could be tolerated on a worn fourth or fifth-day surface, but not after 95.3 overs.
You knew matters had taken a dire turn when Marylebone Cricket Club boss Rob Lawson got on the front foot post-match, unlike many of the batters, with a statement.
“We recognise that the pitch for this test has shown more variable bounce than we would have wanted. We hold ourselves to the highest standards and are naturally frustrated when a surface falls short of those expectations.
“The unusually hot and dry weather during May, followed by wetter conditions in the lead-up to the match, presented a number of challenges in preparing the pitch.
“However, we fully recognise the need to act quickly [to fix it].”
Both captains reflected on what they had witnessed.
“I knew that question was coming,” New Zealand skipper Tom Latham mused.
“It wasn’t ideal, but both teams had the same conditions, pretty much throughout.
“It’s obviously a great week here so for the match to play out like that is unfortunate, but there were two quality bowling attacks and they exploited the conditions perfectly.”
England captain Ben Stokes was more abrasive with media post-match.
“God, yeah, straight in there [talking about] the pitch rather than the victory.
“This week we were presented with conditions that were difficult, but we were playing against another team who had the exact same. I thought the way … [we] committed to what we thought we needed to give ourselves the best chance of winning was impressive.
“It was an inconsistent pitch … as a batter you never feel in and that presents more chances as a bowler. But again, we could turn up next week and the game goes five days for a draw and everyone says the pitch is too flat.”
The Black Caps can take solace that after a 10-day break, the second test at The Oval has been a site of batting bliss in the county championship.
The average first innings total across three matches is 512, including 12 centuries.
New Zealand’s current lack of runs is still worth scrutiny though, given no one scored a half-century. The batting top six – excluding nightwatchman Will O’Rourke – could only muster 91 runs across two innings, including Devon Conway’s second innings 41.
Dressing room contagion set in early when the recalled Ollie Robinson delivered a triple-wicket maiden down the Lord’s slope, leaving the visitors floundering at two for three after two overs. That extended to 20 for five after 10. Fans with elephantine memories treasured getting past 26, the still world record test low set against the same opposition in 1955.
No one could apply a tourniquet as six Black Caps traipsed back through the Long Room under the eyes of the new Martin Crowe portrait by stumps on the opening day.
Number nine Kyle Jamieson probably offered the best context.
“I was in the ice bath thinking, jeez I’m gonna have to get out of this thing pretty quick.”
There was little respite across the rest of the game apart from a 53-run seventh-wicket stand between Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips in the second innings.
Phillips offered a window into what might work against the England attack from here after compiling the game’s top aggregate of 78 runs, made up of 44 not out and 34.
He was proactive rather than waiting for the ball to come to him and playing under the eyes, such is the common wisdom. That negated his chances of capture in the lbw zone, putting the onus back on the hosts to adjust.
The other key area for improvement is catching.
Kane Williamson’s one-handed third slip snare of Stokes in the first innings was a blinder, but two spills each from Rachin Ravindra and Conway cost 75 runs.
If The Oval pitch plays as forecast, those sorts of gaffes will be punished severely.
On the plus side, the bowling looks sharp.
Jamieson and Nathan Smith became the 22nd and 23rd New Zealanders to have their names gilded on the visitors’ honours board with figures of five for 62 and six for 70 respectively.
Jamieson offered bristling aggression and Smith delivered nagging accuracy but both were helped by Will O’Rourke’s relentless fury.
The latter’s pace, especially peaking in the late 140km/h bracket, forced opponents back in the crease. His teammates pounced on the batters’ subsequent vulnerability.
The trio worked superbly, given the depowering of Matt Henry with back spasms. Smith even proffered a diagnosis on his teammate’s scope of movement.
“It’s amazing he can come in and bowl, but can’t pull his pants up or tie his shoelaces.”
New Zealand now head for their first test at The Oval since 1999. The last was the country’s only victory in nine appearances at the venue, to take the series 2-1.