Sodhi resistance gives New Zealand series win

Tailenders Ish Sodhi and Neil Wagner held out for a dramatic draw on the final day of the second Test against England on Tuesday in Christchurch to give New Zealand a 1-0 series victory.
The visitors were just four wickets from victory when the second new ball was taken just before the tea interval but they could only prise out one more until the last ball of the match when Wagner’s dismissal ended the rearguard pair’s resistance.
They added just 37 runs in 188 deliveries after Colin de Grandhomme was the seventh wicket to fall, but by that stage only survival mattered for the Black Caps who finished on 256 for eight when Wagner fell for seven and bad light ended play eight balls early.
The draw gave New Zealand the series after they won the first Test by an innings and 49 runs and it stretched England’s winless away record to 13 Tests.
Any hopes the Kiwis had of reaching the 382-run target to win back-to-back Tests disappeared at the start of the final day when Stuart Broad took two wickets with the first two balls.
From there, England were chasing eight further wickets for victory while the home team battled to hang on with 83 from opener Tom Latham, a 57-run stand by de Grandhomme (45) and Sodhi, and then Sodhi and Wagner’s stubbornness.
Sodhi ducked, weaved, slashed and took hits to the body as he produced his third Test 50, facing 168 balls, while Wagner faced 103 balls for his seven.
Joe Root stacked fielders round the bat, and spinner Jack Leach had eight in close catching positions as the number of remaining overs sank below six. But edges flew just wide of outstretched arms, adding to England’s frustration.
The tone of the day was set with the first two balls when Broad claimed the wickets of Jeet Raval and Kane Williamson, putting New Zealand immediately into survival mode.
Wickets fell at regular intervals, as much the result of poor shot selection as it was to Root’s sharp field placements and bowling rotation.
Broad’s first ball was down the leg side to Raval who clipped it to Mark Stoneman at midwicket and was gone for his overnight 17.
With the next ball, Broad gave Williamson a sighter outside the off stump but the New Zealand skipper decided to have a crack and the ball was edged to Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps.
It was the first golden duck for the New Zealand’s star batsman playing in his 65th Test.
Ross Taylor avoided the hat-trick, was dropped on six by James Vince and progressed to 13 when he saw Leach place Alastair Cook at short backward leg and promptly chipped the ball straight to him.
Cook moved to first slip to catch Henry Nicholls for 13 off James Anderson, and Anderson then fielded at short backward square to catch BJ Watling when he swept at a loose Mark Wood delivery.
Vince, who had dropped Latham on 23 in the final session the previous day, finally made amends with a diving catch at square leg to end Latham’s near five-hour stay in the middle.
Latest
-
News
Jonathan Trott warns England not to get ‘too desperate’ against India spinners
The duo have taken a combined 42 wickets in the series so far.
-
News
Darren Gough fears England could be on the end of another hiding by India
Gough knows all about two-day Test wins.
-
News
Chris Silverwood hopes England batsmen can learn from quickfire third-Test loss
Silverwood would not be drawn into criticising the pitch.
-
News
England players clash online over Alex Hartley’s social media comments
Hartley advertised England Women’s one-day international with New Zealand by referencing the men’s third Test defeat inside two days to India.
-
News
Nat Sciver excels as England wrap up series win in New Zealand
Sciver claimed three for 26 and hit 63.
-
News
Joe Root invites ICC to make own judgement on Ahmedabad pitch
England were beaten by 10 wickets to go 2-1 down in the series.
-
News
It was nice to bat on – Rohit Sharma defends pitch after India seal two-day win
The hosts thrashed England by 10 wickets in Ahmedabad.
-
News
Charlotte Edwards elected as first female president of the PCA
The former England captain takes over from Graham Gooch at the Professional Cricketers’ Association.
-
News
Joe Root refuses to blame pitch for England’s quickfire defeat in Ahmedabad
It was the shortest match since 1935 in terms of balls bowled.
-
News
7 Tests with the most premature endings since 2000
A turning wicket caused chaos for batsmen on both sides as England’s first-innings collapse for 112 set the tone.