Rank outsiders leave England facing humiliating defeat

Alastair Cook’s men will drop to third in the world rankings if the Kiwis wrap up a shock series victory tomorrow
Stephen Brenkley25 March 2013

England are engaged in a desperate and increasingly hopeless struggle to save the Third Test and a series that was meant to be slightly easier than falling off a log. In a complete reversal of form, fortune and approach, New Zealand today set a formidable target of 481 for the tourists to win.

It is purely academic. By the close of the fourth day, England were 90 for four in their second innings, still 390 adrift. The notional runs they require to win would be 63 more than has ever been scored in the fourth innings to win a Test.

The whole day was summed up in the diametrically opposed field settings. At one point, England had nine men on the boundary to try to stem the deluge. In the late afternoon, New Zealand, putting the squeeze on, had nine round the bat.

England seemed to have staged a slow but determined recovery after the loss of two wickets before the shine was fully off the new ball. But Alastair Cook, their captain, for whom this sort of situation could have been custom built, was smartly caught at slip five overs from the end to a reckless drive against the part-time off spin bowler, Kane Williamson. To the first ball of the day’s final over, the nightwatchman, Steve Finn was also caught at slip off Williamson.

Should England lose this match and series, against the predictions of all rational judgement a fortnight ago, they would fall from second to third place in the ICC rankings in which New Zealand are eighth. The morning and early afternoon of the fourth day were an unmitigated embarrassment for England and a triumph of resolve and intent for their opponents.

In the 26 overs bowled before lunch, New Zealand scored 141 runs for the loss of one wicket, in 8.2 overs after it they added another 65. The man who combined the roles of chief aggressor and tormentor was Peter Fulton, as undistinguished as he was underachieving before this series started.

He added to his maiden first innings hundred with another cut from different cloth. After a period of essential consolidation on the third evening when New Zealand’s second innings was reduced to 8 for three, Fulton cut loose. The first fifty took 120 balls, the second 52.

He reached his century by hitting Stuart Broad back over his head for his fifth six. Fulton had played ten Tests before this series for a batting average barely above 20 but had been steadfastly ignored by the selectors for more than three years.

This was the batting of a liberated man, of someone who realised that there was not much to this international cricket business after all. England were stunned into submission. They took one wicket in the morning session when Ian Bell executed a splendid running catch to dismiss Dean Brownlie.

What a mistake that proved to be because it brought in the explosive Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, to partner Fulton and they did pretty much as they wished.

If the batting was as purposeful as it comes, it was matched by bowling which lacked zest and discipline. England had sensed matters wrongly at the start of the session, assuming that their opponents were ready to fold and went chasing wickets.

The fields were zanily designed, as if by malfunctioning software rather than instinctive captaincy. This might work if the bowling is up to it and in this case it was not.

Before long, England were in retreat, the array on the perimeter signalling a band of men no longer in any control of their own destiny. The plight was embodied by Monty Panesar, though he was not alone. There were no runs from his first 27 balls which also included the wicket of Dean Brownlie, 52 from his next 27.

McCullum had had reached his default position, fifth gear and not budging from it, when Fulton departed for 110, miscuing a pull. It was a splendid innings, which merely encouraged McCullum to sustain the momentum.

When BJ Watling was out, gifting a second wicket to Panesar as if he was a charity in need of donations, with a pull to the outfield where he was not short of options, McCullum decided to call it a day. It left England 53 overs in the day, 143 in all to make something of it for the first time in the match.

A solid start was essential. Nick Compton allowed his first ball from Tim Southee to go by, clipped the second to square leg for two and, only half forward to the third which straightened on him, feathered it through to the wicketkeeper.

Cook and Jonathan Trott looked in no trouble on this drop-in pitch that was still refusing to wear. But for no apparent reason as the left arm swing bowler came round the wicket, Trott drove away from his body and was caught behind. A period of dogged retrenchment followed from Cook and Ian Bell but it was to become a whole lot worse.

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