Category: New Zealand Cricket

One of the game’s modern greats still wants to play Tests and is looking forward to the ‘nice buzz’ of an English summer

The world’s third-best Test batsman has made a quiet arrival in London for the beginning of a four-month stint in county cricket. Middlesex made headlines recently by saying they were keen to sign Virat Kohli. Maybe next year. This one, they’ve got his friend and contemporary Kane Williamson who, with his gear stuffed into a Karachi Kings kit bag, was picked up from the airport by his new captain, Steve Eskinazi, on Wednesday morning then went straight to training on the Nursery Ground before the game against Sussex in the Blast on Thursday night.

Williamson should do plenty for Middlesex’s middle order, but maybe not quite so much for the viewing figures their live stream brings in on the subcontinent. Still, it feels like a coup for county cricket. It has been made possible by the support of MCC, who are paying a part of the 34-year-old’s fee so that he can double up playing for London Spirit in the Hundred.

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• Lahore: NZ, 362-6, beat South Africa, 312-9, by 50 runs
• Black Caps hit record score to book place in Dubai final

New Zealand will take on India in the final of the Champions Trophy after centuries from Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson enabled them to outmuscle South Africa in their Lahore semi-final.

The Black Caps piled on the pressure with a tournament-record score of 362 for six, Ravindra with 108 and Williamson adding 102, and their bowlers finished the job in clinical fashion to seal a comfortable 50-run win.

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• India 249-9; New Zealand 205 – India win by 44 runs
• Australia await for India in Dubai semi-final

India beat New Zealand by 44 runs in a low-scoring contest at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday to top Group A in the Champions Trophy.

Electing to field, New Zealand restricted India to 249 for nine with Matt Henry, who took five for 42, leading a fine team bowling display backed up by their characteristic sharp catching.

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Artist behind prize for winner of New Zealand v England series explains emotional process of fusing cricketers’ bats

In the moments before the first Test started in Christchurch last week the television cameras alighted on the new Crowe-Thorpe Trophy, the prize that awaits the winners of the ongoing series between New Zealand and England. On TNT Sports Alastair Cook grew effusive. “It’s not often that boards get things absolutely spot on but that is a brilliant trophy,” he said, “and whoever came up with the idea, it’s fantastic.”

That will be the Maori artist David Ngawati. ““I did different concepts and drawings for New Zealand cricket,” he says. “I guess it’s a co-creation really. People tell me the story and then I create concepts from that, then they decide what they want to go with.”

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• Second Test day one: England 280; New Zealand 86-5
• Brook’s 123 leads revival from 43-4; Carse then strikes

Harry Brook stood head and shoulders above the crowd with a magnificent century in Wellington, allowing England to take charge on day one of the second Test against New Zealand.

Having ridden his luck somewhat on the way to 171 in last week’s victory in Christchurch, Brook was imperious at Basin Reserve, smashing 123 on a day when 15 wickets fell as ball dominated bat. England were reeling at 43 for four after being sent in and would have been sunk had Brook not taken charge of a precarious situation. He steered a counterattacking stand of 174 alongside the rejuvenated Ollie Pope (66), with the fifth-wicket pair guiding the tourists towards 280 all out.

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Harry Brook’s spectacular 123 and a ferocious burst from Brydon Carse were the highlights of a scintillating first day in Wellington

31st over: England 158-4 (Brook 70, Pope 43) Pope jabs at Smith and edges this far short of Latham at second slip. He gets the next ball away, back cutting efficiently to the fence.

So, this medium-term No3, who should it be?

Ben Stokes Technically suited but his brain whirs far too much in the field, even when he doesn’t bowl, so he needs a rest.

Joe Root Doesn’t want to bat there, vulnerable to the new ball and especially extra bounce.

Harry Brook Still too soon, especially in Australia with the extra bounce

Ollie Pope Far better at No6

Jamie Smith Too soon even if he doesn’t keep wicket, never mind if he does.

Jacob Bethell Too soon against India and Australia, plus he’s not in the best XI at the moment.

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Kane Williamson made 93 and Shoaib Bashir took four wickets as the Crowe-Thorpe trophy got off to an entertaining start

Right, anthems sung, players out. Chris Woakes has the ball. Cricket imminent.

“Why is Bashir playing instead of Leach?” harrumphs Paul McIntyre. Well, because he’s England’s first-choice spinner in all conditions, as Ben Stokes put it in Pakistan last month.

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• Ajaz Patel claims 6-57 as hosts fail to chase 146 in Mumbai
• India slump to first home series defeat since 2012

New Zealand completed an unprecedented 3-0 series sweep in India as the Black Caps dismissed the hosts for 121 on a tricky wicket to secure a 25-run victory on day three of the third and final test in Mumbai on Sunday.

The last time India were blanked at home was in 2000, in a two-match series against South Africa, and Rohit Sharma’s side will be feeling the pressure ahead of a challenging five-match series against Australia starting later this month.

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Bowler’s superb display to end India’s 12-year home dominance followed Kiwis’ glorious sporting weekend

Mitchell Santner bowls in his contact lenses but bats in his glasses. It feels like part of his cricketing personality. A bit of this, a bit of that, all of which adds up to a clear-eyed vision greater than the whole – a series-defining 13 for 157 greater than the whole as it turns out. Rather like New Zealand sport in fact, the small country with the big ambition, and one still rubbing its eyes after an eye-poppingly bonkers week of sporting success.

Firstly, that weekend, kicked off by Team New Zealand’s Taihoro, who regained the America’s Cup off the waters of Barcelona, sending Ben Ainslie back to the drawing board. Then the first Test win in India, guided by Rachin Ravindra; followed by the Silver Ferns snatching netball’s Constellation Cup from Australia’s Diamonds; the Paddle Ferns winning the Women’s Canoe Polo World Cup against Italy; and finally Sophie Devine’s New Zealand defeating South Africa in the T20 World Cup final in Dubai.

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• New Zealand win Test series in India for the first time
• Santner takes 13 wickets in career-defining performance

India collapsed to a humiliating series defeat at home, their first for 12 years, when New Zealand beat them by 113 runs in Pune to take an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Mitchell Santner took six for 104, finishing with 13 wickets in the match, to set up an historic win that was sealed when his senior spin partner Ajaz Patel claimed the last two Indian wickets.

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• New Zealand in front by 301 after Santner takes 7-53
• Tom Latham hits 86 to extend tourists’ lead

A spectacular seven-wicket haul by Mitchell Santner helped New Zealand dismiss India for 156 before the tourists reached 198 for five at stumps on day two of the second test in Pune on Friday to tighten their grip on the three-match series.

Tom Blundell was unbeaten on 30 and Glenn Phillips on nine as the Black Caps, who won the series opener by eight wickets, extended their lead to 301 runs at the close after scoring 259 in the first innings.

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• New Zealand win by eight wickets after chasing down 107
• Rachin Ravindra made first-innings 134 for Black Caps

New Zealand secured their first Test victory in India since 1988, chasing down 107 to record an eight-wicket win on the final day of a rain-interrupted series opener.

New Zealand’s triumph was achieved without their injured batting mainstay Kane Williamson, and Tom Latham, their captain, was grateful to Rachin Ravindra for stepping into the breach.

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• Matt Henry takes five for 15 at the first Test in Bengaluru
• Rohit Sharma’s side record nation’s third lowest Test total

India collapsed to their lowest Test total on home soil after Matt Henry and William O’Rourke helped New Zealand dismiss the hosts for only 46 runs on the second day of the first match in Bengaluru.

After the opening day was washed out by rain, India immediately regretted their decision to bat first as the seamers took centre stage. Henry claimed five for 15, while O’Rourke returned four for 22 to condemn Rohit Sharma’s side to their third lowest five-day total, only just surpassing the 36 they made in Australia in 2020 and 42 in England 50 years ago.

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The Australian quick’s modesty after passing Dennis Lillee’s mark of 355 Test wickets belies the fact the milestone is serious business

In the second week of March this year, Mitchell Starc passed a big number: Dennis Keith Lillee’s 355 Test wickets, which was still second for any Australian fast bowler. This coming Saturday, in the fourth week of March, Starc will pass another: as the most expensive player yet to take the field in the Indian Premier League, with a season’s contract a lick under US$3m.

In the modern era, with the focus on cricket’s shift from a long-form demonstration of international pride to a short-form instrument of commerce, most people would probably see the second number as more significant. Lillee was the sensation of the 1970s, but you would have to be nearing 50 to remember seeing him bowl.

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• New Zealand 162 and 372; Australia 256 and 281-7
• Carey unbeaten on 98 in three-wicket victory in Christchurch

Australia’s middle order squeaked out a mighty Test win in Christchurch, where Alex Carey’s fighting 98 not out defied New Zealand to wrap up a 2-0 series victory. Carey and Mitch Marsh, who made 80, did the business for Australia, which stumbled to 4-34 before reaching 281-7 to win.

Combining after the early loss of Travis Head (18) at 80-5, Marsh and Carey put on 140 runs together – the biggest partnership of the series, when the pressure was at its heaviest. New Zealand debutant Ben Sears gave Australia a mighty shake, removing Marsh and then Mitchell Starc in two balls to reduce the tourists to 220-7.

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