The Lions Have Come Out To Play
England made a massive turn around in Day 2 to put horrible New Zealand batting and poor bowling to the sword.
Day 2 started off with a bang for the Kiwi's as they put England’s bowlers to shame in the morning session. Stephen Harmison and Mathew Hoggard were hoping to continue their good form but they soon realised what they were faced with when Harmison got smacked for 9 in his 2nd over of the day. That definitely gave an indication as to what the day would be like. Vaughan had enough after the fifth over and brought spinners Panesar and Vaughan into bowl. The partnership was very economical, but was of no threat to Marshall and McMillan in the centre.
Soon Hoggard and Harmison once again had the ball in the hand, but could make no use of it. Hamish Marshall did though, he smacked a six in the 20th over to reach his fifty, the Auckland man reaching the first milestone in the game in only 68 balls.
The Kiwi’s were relentless, smacking every bad ball to the boundary, but soon Hoggard and Harmison tightened up and allowed no more than 5 runs in an over for the last 9 overs of the match.
New Zealand finished the session on 90 for 2.
The afternoon session was quite the opposite of the morning session with wickets galore. In the 35th over England broke the massive 100+ run partnership between Craig McMillan and Hamish Marshall when the former was caught by none other than the captain Michael Vaughan for 24. Panesar replaced Ryan Sidebottom an over later and danger man Marshall was soon following McMillan, 21 runs short of a century after being bowled by Monty.
Monty wasted no time in celebrating the huge wicket of Hamish Marshall
England’s mood was made even better when Ross Taylor was dismissed for a duck, Tim Ambrose making a good catch off Stephen Harmison’s bowling. Than the dangerous Brandon McCullum was gone for one. Two overs later and the captain was walking back to the pavilion, bowled for yet another duck, the Kiwi innings disintegrating. Then two wickets in two overs with Sinclair and Daryl Tuffey the next to go.
In came the worst batsman in the world, and he showed some lost form when he and Shane Bond kept the English bowlers at bay for 10 overs before Martin was caught at silly point, but not before making is record score in test cricket, 19 was the score the Christchurch man made before falling foul to good spin bowling. New Zealand after a good start, completely fell apart in the Afternoon Session and after the first innings lead by only 41 runs.
England couldn’t finish the remaining 4 overs of the session unscathed. Mal Loye with another disappointing innings lasting only 11 balls before he was caught playing a block shot in silly point for a duck. The England selectors will have to think long and hard about his further involvement in this series.
The Evening Session was all England and in a crucial session the three lions stole the show. Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan saw off the early threat of Daryl Tuffey and were going nicely. Cook cut away and started hitting the boundary.
Daniel Vettori couldn't break the 3rd wicket partnership
Soon the partnership was up to 50 and both players were in nicely. It seemed a completely different partnership than the last innings and after Vettori brought himself into the attack and couldn’t take a wicket Cook reached his fifty in the 27th over. He made the total in a spritley 79 balls. New Zealand couldn’t find the key and the pair didn’t play a bad shot all session. McMillan was brought in 4 overs before the end of play but couldn’t make a breakthrough. England finish the day on 108-1, they lead by 67 runs going into day 3.
Scorecards