his series was a modern classic, which is a bit odd because all three games shared many features.
New Zealand batted first each time and, whatever they scored, England made a very similar total, with the backlog in the first innings just nine, 13 and 31. New Zealand continued to beat England’s targets between 277 and 299.
That they put England in such a way that many were usually the heroic batting of Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell, and so it was here again. Mitchell has a century in each Test, making another 56 in his final innings of the tour. Blundell was the unbeaten batsman in New Zealand’s second innings of 326, scoring a tremendous, combative 88. Their stand was 113, three figures for the third time in the series.
And England approached all three chases with vim. If they enter again one last day which is free entry, they are the strong favorites to win. They are 183 for two, still needing 114, with Ollie Pope and Joe Root looking in sublime touch in a partnership of 131 that bowled over more than five. New Zealand bowled poorly but they looked in total control.
One difference in this game from the rest is that spin, in the form of Jack Leach, has entered the series. As he did in the first innings, Leach indeed bowled very nicely and picked up five more scalps which gave him his first score of 10 wickets in Tests.
Jack Leach took his first score of 10 wickets in Test cricket in what felt like a significant performance
/ Getty ImagesOnce again, Leach swept the tail and took the last four wickets, but he provided excellent control and made the ball spin hard. Oddly enough, some of his best deliveries beat the bat, but the goalkeeper and also slipped and ran away to the boundary.
Leach was frustrated in the morning session, during which Mitchell and Blundell batted, with each reaching his half-century just after halftime. At 17, Mitchell lbw was issued, but his review saw the decision reversed.
After lunch, it was Matt Potts, England’s best seam bowler, who opened the door through which Leach burst. Blundell was given lbw of his bowling at 52, but DRS showed the ball sliding down the leg. Later in the over, Mitchell was trapped in front, and the review did not work. An extraordinary series in which Mitchell scored 538 runs at an average of 107.6, with a century in each Test and two more half-centuries.
Leach asked Michael Bracewell to sweep the man into the depths, then bowled for Tim Southee. Later in the over, Neil Wagner fell in an unusual way, caught between the wicketkeeper’s knees. The wicketkeeper was Sam Billings, who was called up in a French manner overnight due to a positive Covid-19 test for Ben Foakes, who also had a back injury. He was the third wicketkeeper to get a catch for England in the match, after Foakes and Jonny Bairstow, who came on in day three.
The last wicket that fell was Trent Boult, bowled, which meant Leach left the field for a standing ovation – not for the first time at Headingley – in what feels like a very significant display from England’s spinner.
England needed 295, more than Lord’s, but less than Trent Bridge. As with both, they made a modest start. This time, they just had to blame themselves. Zak Crawley, who looked desperately scratchy, averaged a ball wide from midfield and expected it to shoot away for four. Kane Williamson made a brilliant stop and got a throw-in to Boult at the end of the non-striker. A clever piece of work found Alex Lees, dormant, out of his ground.
Crawley struck four fours, not all completely in control, from Boult, but soon fell in a desperately disappointing manner. Williamson left a large gap on the sidelines and encouraged Bracewell, the spinner, to hang it outside his eye line. He picked out the one man in front of square.
This brought Pope and Root together, and they immediately gelled. New Zealand were scrappy, with reviews wasted and Bracewell could not provide any control (he was relentlessly swept upside down). Wagner drove straight into the Rugby pitch for a six even more extraordinary than last week’s from Southee.
Pope looked calm and sawed-off and plucked boundaries down to stumps. There is some concern about rain tomorrow, but England should still have time to complete a famous series victory.