AAfter another cracking day in a huge series, New Zealand start the day 137 runs ahead and with the new old firm, Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell, with their feet under the table. Yes, their partnership may still be only seven, but to date they have made 236, 45 and 120 batting pieces together in this series. England will think they can pursue anything, given Lord’s and Trent Bridge, but they will make life a lot easier if they can roll these two cheaply this morning.
At the beginning of day four, England has a new / old face behind the stumps. Ben Foakes tested positive for Covid and he will, as per ICC regulations, be replaced by Sam Billings on a similar basis. Billings, who was strangely absent in the white-ball Dutch series, made his Test debut in Hobart five months ago, with 29 & 1 and five catches in the 146-run defeat. You can read the full story here.
I thought Stokes handled his bowlers very well yesterday and, because he himself is one, he has a much more intuitive and sympathetic understanding of them than Joe Root and Alastair Cook. They had Broad and Anderson and, Cook for a year, also Graeme Swann, all world class, all of them England Test hall of fame great. When they first left, I thought Cook was weak in his use of Moeen Ali, Root weak in his handling of Jofra Archer and Jack Leach, and many others. One of the most impressive things about Stokes’ captaincy so far has been his relationship with Matthew Potts and Jack Leach, both of whom have blossomed into his faith in them. I thought Leach bowled so poorly at Trent Bridge that he should be dropped. But it shows I’m just a hack. Stokes maintained faith and was rewarded. Leach looked like another man with the Headingley crowd on his back, not on it.
Stuart Broad is currently being interviewed on Sky Sports by Kumar Sangakkara and NAsser Hussain and says the big difference is that the bowlers now have ‘spiritual freedom’, Stokes has liberated everyone, even those with almost 550 and 700 wickets respectively. Free your mind …
Right, on with the match. They start at 11:00.