Key events
53rd over: Nnew zealand 176-6 (Smith 12, Mitchell 40)
”Morning / Evening Tanya. New Zealand and England are always worth watching, but it will take something special for the Black Caps to turn this around. So your friend has kittens you say? Are they watching, or are they busy making you biscuits for lunch? We got two kittens over the summer after 15 years as dog owners. Sisters we named Margot and Olive. They are magnificent beings. I consider cats to be the equivalent of Test cricket in the animal world. They know they are the best and feel sorry for anyone who disagrees. If I could watch Test cricket with a cat by my side for eternity, I’d be a happy man.”
The kittens are adorable (Paris and Stella) but I have to disagree with Simon McMahon. The Dog is the domestic equivalent of Test cricket.
52 over: Nnew zealand 172-6 (Smith 11, Mitchell 37) As the cat on the carpet in front of me plays with a carrot on a stick, Stokes bursts in. The sky is blue, the hills are rugged, the land is full. Four more escape through the cordon.
51 over: Nnew zealand 166-6 (Smith 10, Mitchell 32) The dangerous Bryden Carse rushes in like a hungry panther. Smith pings it for two consecutive fours, one aimed expertly between slip and gully.
50 over: New Zealand 157-6 (Smith 2, Mitchell 32) Stokes starts with Barmy Army riffing loose through full Jerusalem. Stokes’ hair is Compton Brylcreem with a touch of mullet. A couple of singles put the Kiwis on their feet.
It’s David Gower the starting bell has rung and Ben Stokes has the ball. There it is.
It’s Chris Woakes putting David Gower through Kane Williamson’s plan. “Ideally, you get him out early, that’s when he’s most vulnerable. I think around the fourth/fifth stump is where everyone is susceptible. Then it’s all about using the crease. It’s nice when an over comes together like that.”
Mmmmm. 25 degrees with a nice breeze and oatmeal.
Bon soir Alistair Connor in Lyon: “Very decent by Guardian to OBO for night tests. My routine is to follow until midnight, then go to bed and in the morning try to rewind without learning the score so I can keep the tension going while I catch up. Glued half-closed eyes are an advantage. I could probably get a free TV channel from New Zealand, but then I’d have to stay up all night.
“This series has huge potential. Our lot is one smaller, no doubt, but the sides are well chosen.”
It’s definitely a delicious Christmas Eve side dish.
“Nice flat pristine surface,” says Jeremy Coney, looking neat and tidy. “For a day four surface it looks pretty good and if you can get in there are runs available.
The Wisden editor rub it in:
The game is due to start at 22:00 GMT. While you wait, read about Harry Brooke, who has jam on toast.
Preamble
hello In this tail-chasing Test cricket winter, where Sri Lanka are chasing New Zealand, who are chasing India, who are chasing Australia, England (chased in turn by Pakistan) are now closing their jaws on the lively Kiwi tail. With a lead of just four and just four wickets in hand, New Zealand will struggle to keep the crowds basking deliciously at the lovely Hagley Oval entertained after lunch, let alone the fifth day.
England used day three to the fullest – Harry Brooke delighted with another 150-plus score, Ben Stokes with a subdued 80 and some hearty battles from Carrs and Atkinson. Henry finished with four wickets, Smith with three. New Zealand, who dropped eight catches as England wobbled and rolled towards 500, faltered at the start of their second innings. Williamson staged a steady recovery but was outwitted by Chris Woakes – Williamson and new man Blundell caught in successive balls. Three wickets too for the unstoppable Carse.
I’m at my friend’s lovely house in Marlow, being entertained by their kitties. Wherever you are, write me.
