FOW: Compton Brownlie b Southee 1 (11/1), Trott c McCullum b Wagner 28 (67/2),
Cook c Brownlie b Bracewell 34 (67/3), Bell c McCullum b Williamson 30 (146/4),
Root c McCullum b Boult 104, (270/5), Bairstow c McCullum b Boult 64 (279/6),
Broad c McCullum b Boult 0 (286/7).
McCullum's management keeps NZ hopes alive
He had to carefully plot his way to the second new ball, but by keeping his best bowlers fresh, New Zealand's captain has just about kept his side in this series
5-0-14-1. That was Kane Williamson's return after 61 overs. Brendon McCullum would have been pretty confident that Williamson could have helped rest his seamers for one last new ball dash.
It had been a good day for Williamson. He had taken the wicket of Ian Bell. He had beaten the bat of Jonny Bairstow. He'd kept up an end, got decent spin, been economical and dismissed the No. 4. He was doing more than a part time spinner would have been expected to do on the first day. One crusty old scribe had even said he'd take 150 career wickets based on his early spell.
On any day a part time spinner is most useful in that period from the 60th to 80th over. On a long day like this, he's even more important. Anything around three an over would have been handy. Another wicket would have been a bonus. But the 63rd over changed all of McCullum's plans.
A floated offspinner from Williamson was driven through wide mid-on to the padded boundary triangle. It was the sort of shot that made old men in the members' seats nod at each other with a glint in their eye.
The third ball was a fraction short, but there was little room outside off. Bairstow nimbly gave himself room and played a beautiful cut shot for two, that turned into three with an overthrow.
When Root had last faced Williamson, he'd scored only a single off a complete over. There had been a decent appeal for an lbw. Williamson might have hoped for a quiet last three balls, maybe, even a chance of a wicket.
That seemed improbable as Root came down the wicket confidently flicked a full toss for another boundary. The next ball Root moved across his stumps and played another sweep. This time there was no appeal, just a boundary as the ball went very fast and fine. With 15 runs in the first five balls of the over, Root could have been forgiven for blocking the last one. He reverse swept it for four.
19 runs in the over. Williamson dragged out of the attack. McCullum's plans in tatters. They'd outwitted his chancellor, bested his swordsman.
When the over started, it didn't look like an obvious plan; it just looked like a loose ball being dealt with. But the intent on the last four balls was blatantly clear. These two young batsmen were not content with sitting back and waiting for the new ball.
They were using their aggression to tire the Kiwi bowlers out before they got the new ball in their hands. Root was also trying to get his hundred in before Tim Southee and Trent Boult came back on.
It was great, attacking, smart cricket. Both players weren't content with waiting for something to happen, they were changing the face of the game.
McCullum also knew exactly what was happening, some captains would have locked Williamson in the basement. McCullum refused to allow England to dictate. After only four overs, he brought him back from the other end. The end he had taken him off after an over where he'd taken Bell and beaten Bairstow.
Root and Bairstow continued to attack. This time it didn't end in a bunch of boundaries, just good milking. Williamson tried darts, legside fields and even stopping in his delivery to see what Root was planning to do. Root late cut, Bairstow reverse swept, and Root walked across his crease and played a delicate paddle pull. Williamson's two overs back went for 12 runs, and McCullum had to shelve him.
But McCullum didn't give in altogether. Southee bowled two overs after Williamson's 63rd. Boult bowled none. Instead McCullum rode his two workhorses, Neil Wagner and Doug Bracewell, into the ground. He was risking it all on the fact that a fresh Southee and Boult was worth more to him with the new ball.
Because of the attacking, it wasn't until the 79th over that Williamson came back on. Giving Bracewell one over off. This time, Root and Bairstow just played him out. There was no need to attack him now.
Root was rewarded for his smart work with a hundred, but in keeping Boult fresh, McCullum had done very well. The first delivery with the new ball, Boult took a wicket. Then another in his next over. Then another in his next over. He'd broken the alliance of young Tykes, and taken an extra one as well.
Had Prior been caught off Southee, New Zealand would have ended the day with all of England's batsmen gone. Perhaps even with England all out. Instead they had to bowl to the close, and Bracewell bowled one over (the second last) with the new ball. He suffered from cramp during it. And then during Southee's last over, Bracewell was brought off the field after barely moving to field a cut from Prior.
McCullum, who looked just as sore, had gambled with Wagner and Bracewell's fitness, yet won three wickets and given New Zealand some hope of saving this series. Williamson finished with 9-0-49-1.
Stumps: England 337 for 7 (Prior 37*, Prior 21*, Boult 3-48) v New Zealand
It was, in the end, the scenario most of the locals wanted: two young, born and bred Yorkshiremen, digging England out of a hole with batting of class and substance. This was a golden afternoon for Yorkshire cricket.
Joe Root led the way. The 22-year-old, batting with a maturity that put his much-vaunted top-order colleagues to shame, registered his first Test century to steer his side away from the rocks and into far calmer waters.
While his colleagues paid the price for pushing and prodding away from their bodies, Root was compact, disciplined, patient and composed. He looked every inch the finished article as a Test batsman and generally played as late and as straight as any of his illustrious Yorkshire and England forefathers. Indeed, by becoming the first Yorkshire player to register his maiden Test century on this ground, he achieved something none of them had. He was also the first Yorkshire player to score a Test century at Headingley since Michael Vaughan in 2007.
With his county team-mate Jonny Bairstow, Root added 124 for the fifth wicket in increasingly confident style just as it appeared that New Zealand had seized the initiative. Until the pair came together, the second day of this match - the first had been lost to rain - had been characterised by soft dismissals as New Zealand's admirable bowlers again made good use of helpful conditions. Indeed, when England went into lunch 67 for 3 it raised questions about the wisdom of Alastair Cook choosing to bat first after winning the toss. New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum admitted he would have bowled first anyway.
But there was more than a degree of self-harm in England's early wickets. While Nick Compton, caught at third slip in the fourth over of the day, might consider himself the victim of fine bowling - the impressive Tim Southee drew Compton into driving a delivery he could have left by going wide on the crease and angling the ball in only to nip it away - Jonathan Trott had less excuse.
Having seen off the new ball, Trott was beginning to bat with some fluency when, on the brink of lunch, he attempted an uncharacteristically loose drive well outside off stump and edged behind. Cook followed to the next delivery, prodding at one he could have left and edging another catch to third slip.
By the time Ian Bell prodded lamely at an innocuous delivery well outside off stump from the part-time offspin of Kane Williamson, New Zealand were well on top. Bell's torturous innings had included being given out leg before to Southee on 12 - the decision was over-turned on review - and, on the same score, surviving an edge to the keeper off Trent Boult that the bowler, the umpire and most of the New Zealand fielders seemed not to notice.
Certainly, England were grateful for the Yorkshire influence. Root, particularly fluent off the back foot at the start of his innings, drove and cut nicely, put away the poor ball adeptly and ran like a whippet between the wickets.
But, as with any successful Test batsman, it was the shots Root did not play that were as important as those he did not. While his more celebrated colleagues paid the price for pushing outside off stump, Root remained compact, refused to be drawn into anything away from his body and played the ball right below his eyes.
But it would be wrong to characterise Root as dour and defensive. In partnership with Bairstow, he plundered 19 from one over from Willamson, hitting three boundaries in succession as he showed a willingness to skip down the pitch and drive, to sweep and then to reverse sweep. His century, from 164 balls, came with his ninth four - a dab to third man - and made him the 11th youngest England player to score a Test century.
He survived a couple of anxious moments. Brendon McCullum was convinced he had caught Root down the legside off Doug Bracewell when he had 93 and utilised New Zealand's last review to check, and the umpire called for a replay when Neil Wagner got a hand on a Bairstow drive and thought - incorrectly as it transpired - that he may have run out Root as he backed up.
Bairstow took some time to settle but, once he had, lost little by comparison. Powerful on the pull and the cut, Bairstow was also strong off his legs and brought up his own half-century and the century stand with a sumptuous on-driven four that brought back memories of the stroke with which Geoff Boycott reached his 100th first-class hundred.
The value of their stand was thrown into even sharper relief by events that followed it. Once Root fell to a loose waft outside off stump, more a victim of a loss of concentration than the first delivery with the new ball, England lost three wickets for 16 runs. Bairstow, attempting to leave one outside off stump, was also caught behind before Stuart Broad, rooted to the crease, poked at a full ball and gave an inside-edge to McCullum.
Had Matt Prior, on 21, been caught at midwicket by Bracewell off Neil Wagner, New Zealand may have been able to finish off the innings. As it was, however, Prior and Graeme Swann were able to extend the eighth-wicket stand beyond 50 and ensure Root's hard work was not squandered.
Tea report: England 178 for 4 (Root 61*, Bairstow 13*) v New Zealand
An unbeaten half-century from Joe Root kept England's heads above water at tea on the second day at Headingley. The 22-year-old, playing his first Test on his home ground, was the one England batsman to show the requisite discipline and determination to prosper in conditions that once again provided some assistance to New Zealand's impressive attack.
Root, demonstrating a tight defence, also looked strong on the back foot and producing some pleasing cuts and drives to record his third half-century in his tenth Test innings. Him apart, England surrendered their wickets with some loose shots. Despite enjoying periods of relatively untroubled batting, soft scalps allowed New Zealand to retain the initiative.
None was softer than that of Ian Bell who, having helped Root rebuild in a partnership of 79 in 26.2 overs, pushed at an innocuous delivery well outside off stump from the part-time offspin of Kane Williamson and edged the ball to the keeper. Perhaps some credit is due to the bowler and the captain. New Zealand had left a gap in the covers to encourage just such a shot, but it was still an obliging stroke from Bell.
He had been fortunate to score so many, anyway. Not only had he survived being given out leg before to Tim Southee on 12 - the decision was over-turned on review - but, on the same score, he appeared to have been caught behind off the face of the bat as he attempted to leave a delivery from Trent Boult only for the bowler not to appeal and the umpire to ignore the stifled shouts from the keeper. He also survived a mis-hit on 25 when he attempted to loft Williamson but was fortunate to chip the ball just over mid on.
Earlier, wickets from successive deliveries on the brink of the lunch break gave New Zealand the better of the first session. With play finally getting under way on the second morning after rain washed out the entire first day, Alastair Cook, England's captain, elected to bat first after winning the toss. It seemed his decision had been vindicated, too, as England reached 67 for 1 with only minutes to go until the interval.
But then Neil Wagner drew Jonathan Trott into a loose drive outside off stump from a delivery he could have left and, from the next delivery, Doug Bracewell coaxed an edge from Cook that flew to the safe hands of Dean Brownlie at third slip. Again, Cook could have left the delivery.
It was a run of play that raised questions about Cook's decision to bat first. Certainly McCullum admitted he would have bowled first anyway had he won the toss and his seamers found enough assistance in the air and off the pitch to trouble the batsmen throughout the session.
Batting was not straightforward. After Nick Compton fell in the fourth over of the morning - Tim Southee going wide on the crease, angling the ball in, then nipping it away and drawing the batsman into a drive - Trott was beaten by a beauty from the same bowler before he had scored and Cook survived two big lbw shouts.
In between times, however, Cook and Trott exhibited sound defence and put away anything off line with some relish. Cook was off the mark with a glance for four off Boult, while Trott was quick to punish anything straying on to his legs and leant into a couple of pleasing cover drives.
Bracewell's introduction into the attack was greeted by successive boundaries from Cook - the first a steer past gully and the second a sweetly-timed cover drive - but the following delivery saw New Zealand utilise one of their reviews following a not out decision for a leg before. Replays vindicated the umpire and sustained a run of five unsuccessful reviews from New Zealand in succession.
Wickets from successive deliveries on the brink of the lunch break gave New Zealand the better of the first session of the second Test at Headingley.
With play finally getting under way on the second morning after rain washed out the entire first day, Alastair Cook, England's captain elected to bat first after winning the toss. It seemed his decision had been vindicated, too, as England reached 67 for 1 with only minutes to go until the interval.
But then Neil Wagner drew Jonathan Trott into a loose drive outside off stump from a delivery he could have left and, from the next delivery, Doug Bracewell coaxed an edge from Cook that flew to the safe hands of Dean Brownlie at third slip. Again, Cook could have left the delivery.
It was a run of play that raised questions about Cook's decision to bat first. Certainly the New Zealand captain, Brendon McCullum, admitted he would have bowled first anyway had he won the toss and his seamers found enough assistance in the air and off the pitch to trouble the batsmen throughout the session.
Batting was not straightforward. After Nick Compton fell in the fourth over of the morning, Tim Southee going wide on the crease, angling the ball in, then nipping it away and drawing the batsman into a drive, Trott was beaten by a beauty from the same bowler before he had scored and Cook survived two big lbw shouts.
But in-between, Cook and Trott exhibited sound defence and put away anything loose with some relish. Cook was off the mark with a glance for four off Trent Boult, while Trott was quick to punish anything straying on to his legs and leant into a couple of pleasing cover drives.
Bracewell's introduction into the attack was greeted by successive boundaries from Cook - the first a steer past gully and the second a sweetly-timed cover drive - but the following delivery saw New Zealand utilise one of their reviews following a not out decision for a leg before. Replays vindicated the umpire and sustained a run of five unsuccessful reviews from New Zealand in succession.
England named an unchanged team from the side that won the first Test at Lord's by 170 runs. That meant there was no recall for Tim Bresnan on his home ground and another chance for Steven Finn.
New Zealand made two changes. With left-arm spinner Bruce Martin and wicketkeeper BJ Watling both injured, New Zealand went into the game with a four-man seam attack with Bracewell coming back into the side.
McCullum started a Test with the gloves for the first time since March 2010, while Martin Guptill was brought in to strengthen a batting line-up which was blown away for just 68 in the second innings at Lord's. That left Kane Williamson, a part-time offspinner, as their only slow option.
10.36: Morning! Toss: Eng win and bat first & are unchanged
Teams: Eng: Cook (capt), Compton, Trott, Bell, Root, Bairstow, Prior (wkt), Broad, Swann, Finn, Anderson.
NZ: Fulton, Rutherford, Williamson, Taylor, Brownlie, Guptill, McCullum (capt/wkt), Southee, Bracewell, Wagner, Boult.
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