England cricketers frustrated in New Zealand as overseas winless Test run extends to 13

Ish Sodhi shakes hands with Mark Wood (r) as England captain Joe Root (c) reacts as the match finishes as a draw
Stu Forster/Getty Images
Chris Stocks3 April 2018

In the end, perhaps this was the conclusion England’s miserable Test winter deserved as heroic resistance from New Zealand’s tail-enders denied Joe Root’s side a series-levelling victory on an oscillating final day at Hagley Oval.

For New Zealand, who were indebted to a brilliant eighth-wicket stand between Ish Sodhi and Neil Wagner spanning 31.2 overs , there is the reward of a first Test series against England since 1999 and only the fourth overall in their history.

For Root and his players there will be the realisation that after 35 days of Test cricket this winter - all five matches during the 4-0 Ashes defeat against Australia also going five days - they simply weren’t good enough.

England will be frustrated that of the 10 wickets they needed on this final day in Christchurch, the eighth took so long to fall and when it did - Wagner’s 103-ball innings of defiance ended by Root — just three minutes of the final hour were left.

The end came moments later, the umpires declaring the light too bad to continue as new batsman Trent Boult was walking to the crease. England, who lost the first match of the series after they were bowled out for 58 on the opening day in Auckland, can have no complaints. They eventually bowled 101.4 overs on this final day and still couldn’t get the job done.

The result is a 13th successive overseas Test without a win — the worst winless sequence away from home in England’s history. But they did not help themselves, dropping five catches during New Zealand’s second innings, including Sodhi on nought shortly before tea on this final day.

Mark Stoneman was the culprit, spurning the chance at silly point off the bowling of Jack Leach, and it proved a pivotal moment as Sodhi went on to score an unbeaten 56 during three hours and 19 minutes at the crease.

The brutal statistics of England’s winter make grim reading. In seven Tests they lost five and drew two, here and in Melbourne in December. In fact, since their last Test win, against West Indies at Lord’s in September, 44 managers in the Premier and Football Leagues have lost their jobs. Yet their own coach, Trevor Bayliss, is seemingly secure in his role despite the fact the Test team are going backwards.

Getting the 10 wickets they needed for victory on this final day was always going to be tough for England on a flat pitch that only offered consistent assistance for the new-ball bowlers.

The ball England had at the start of the day was already 23 overs old.

However, they got off to the perfect start when Stuart Broad struck with the first two deliveries of the day.

Jeet Raval was the first to go, caught by Stoneman at square leg.

The key wicket of Kane Williamson fell next, New Zealand’s captain edging behind to Jonny Bairstow.

That left Broad with the chance to take the third hat-trick of his Test career, with things happening so quickly a jubilant Barmy Army hadn’t even had time to start their daily chorus of Jerusalem.

Ross Taylor saw that off with a confident forward defensive.

But it wasn’t long before Taylor fell, top edging Jack Leach to short backward square to hand the Somerset spinner his maiden Test wicket.

James Vince, who had dropped opener Tom Latham on 23 the previous evening, had given Taylor a life on six off the bowling of Broad before he eventually departed to Leach to leave New Zealand reeling on 66 for three inside the first hour of the day.

There would be one more wicket before lunch, Henry Nicholls edging Jimmy Anderson to slip as New Zealand went into the interval on 124 for four.

The middle session started well for England when BJ Watling punched Mark Wood to leg slip to hand the Durham fast bowler his first Test wicket since last summer.

It broke a 19.4 over stand with Latham, who fell for 83 soon after when he top-edged an attempted sweep off Leach and Vince ran in from deep square leg to gather the chance.

Then came Stoneman’s drop of Sodhi in Leach’s next over that would prove critical.

The second new ball arrived eight minutes before tea and England made a breakthrough with it early in the final session when Colin De Grandhomme hooked Wood to Leach on the boundary rope.

That, though, brought Wagner and Sodhi together and the pair slowly extinguished England’s hopes as the light faded.

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