BEN STOKES was frustrated by some poor bowling, dropped catches and the curious case of the cider-sodden ball.
It meant captain Stokes’ decision to bowl first was not a success on day one of the Second Test as New Zealand reached 318-4.
Just Matthew Potts explaining what's happened
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At 210-4 and with the ball swinging, Stokes harboured hopes of a clatter of wickets.
But that came to a halt when it disappeared into a women spectator’s pint pot.
Daryl Mitchell hoisted Jack Leach for a six over long-on and, freakishly, the ball landed straight in the drink with a big splash.
The ball was dried and cleaned but it didn’t swing an inch after that.
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The New Zealand team were delighted at the alcoholic impact and they even bought the England fan a replacement pint of cider.
Kiwi batter Devon Conway said: “We were quite shocked they didn’t change the ball especially with all the Covid protocols.
“It didn’t swing as much after landing in the drink so Daryl did a good job with that!”
Add some indifferent bowling – the hosts tended to bowl too short and offered too many boundary hits – and a couple of crucial spilled chances and Stokes will know England’s situation could be much better.
Susan – the lady earlier who Daryl Mitchell’s pint hit – has been given a replacement by the Kiwi team
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Mitchell, who scored a century in the First Test at Lord’s, finished with 81 and Tom Blundell has made 67 not out. No New Zealand batsman was dismissed for fewer than 26.
Mitchell had scored just three when Joe Root put down an edge off Stokes and, let’s be honest, it was a fairly straightforward chance at knee height.
Root could not cling onto another much more difficult opportunity at slip when Blundell, on 47, cut at Leach and the ball flew through the ex-skipper’s hands.
Zak Crawley also dropped a catch when he dived in front of Root at first slip and allowed an edge from Henry Nicholls off Stuart Broad to hit the turf.
They were England’s first dropped catches of the series after a faultless display at Lord’s.
Then, with the second new ball, Blundell edged Broad and Crawley and Jonny Bairstow in the slips left it for each other without even extending a hand.
Broad and James Anderson were too short before lunch, Matthew Potts found life more difficult in his second Test and Leach, concussed out of the series opener, was expensive and wicketless.
England’s best period came in the afternoon session when Anderson and Stokes operated in tandem and the ball was moving. But it stopped after the dunking.
England bowling coach Jon Lewis said: “I thought it was really honest day’s work from our fast bowlers and Jack.
“They worked extremely hard but we were just a little short from what we would have liked.
“Stokesy made an aggressive play at the toss and we could easily have bowled out New Zealand for 250.
“The ball went past the bat regularly and took the edge but unfortunately we missed a couple of chances.
“It seemed to swing a little less after going in the spectator’s drink.
“The balls this season have been going soft and we have to find ways of taking wickets with them.”
KANE’S COVID KO
Kiwi captain Kane Williamson tested positive for Covid late on Thursday evening and was forced out the game. The rest of New Zealand’s squad returned negative results.
That meant opener Tom Latham led the team and, like Stokes, he would have bowled first.
Latham and Will Young combined for a first-wicket stand of 84 but then England took two wickets in two balls.
Young was well caught low down at second slip by Crawley from the final delivery of Stokes’ second over.
And then a gift – Anderson’s long hop at the start of the following over was pulled by Latham straight to Potts at mid-wicket.
England took a ‘team hat-trick’ at Lord’s when three wickets fell in three balls from Broad’s bowling (the middle one was a run out) and here was another chance.
Nicholls survived and he and Devon Conway rattled along with boundaries continuing to flow.
Conway pulled Anderson to mid-wicket where Potts held up the ball as though he had completed a catch.
But the umpires’ soft signal was ‘not out’ and video evidence also suggested the ball touched the ground.
Nicholls nicked Stokes to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes and then Anderson glanced the inside edge of Conway’s bat.
New Zealand were 169-4 and England were back in the game but Mitchell and Blundell produced a big partnership for the second match running.
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Even regular chat – not all of it friendly – from Anderson could disturb or upset Mitchell and he and Blundell were rock-solid.
England need wickets this morning and they need them fast.
