Good morning, Tyres here. England had a great day with the bat yesterday and we will take some time to enjoy it before the game starts, but let’s remember the position in the match.
England resumed on the fourth day, still (still!) 80 overdue series, 473/5 in response to 553 from New Zealand. The pitch turned a bit on Kiwi’s spinner Michael Bracewell, who impressed and could do more as we continue. There is still a lot of time in this game and although the draw is the favorite, do not rule out something dramatic to happen in the third inning. If New Zealand can score quickly, they can still give England a difficult task on the fifth day. And while England did great yesterday, it would not be surprising or uncharacteristic for them to lose loopholes on the fifth day …
On the other hand, Ben Stokes and the home locker room will imagine that if Joe Root manages to do it today, they will pass Kiwis, then snatch a confused tour and start a chase in the fourth inning. We will see.
The game resumes at 11 a.m. this morning. Today it should be sunny and pleasant there, a light breeze is blowing. No rain forecast. There’s no reason we can’t get 90 overs (or, as in previous days, say 88 overs)
New Zealand family sailor Kyle Jamieson broke his back yesterday not to play. Yard collar on the menu for Tim South and Trent Boult, both continue to be great, experienced warriors for the Kiwi cause. They were disappointed with the feeding yesterday. I think we have nine or maybe ten drops so far on this test, and both sides seem to have forgotten how to catch it.
The person you need to watch this morning, of course, will be Joe Ruth. He was incredibly good yesterday. There was a wonderful moment when he played an incredible tug, pulled the ball out of the side and kicked it for so long that he was so good that Ben Stokes was actually laughing on the balcony. Nick Holt also ruled Alex Lees, who raised his own cause.
I think we should have a nice day. I guess Root, as always, will score quickly and if Fox and the tail can also crack, England can still create a winning position.
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