Kiwis do well despite Anderson milestone

Cricket365
May 17, 2013

A valiant New Zealand reached stumps on day two of the first Test at Lord on 153 for four, just 79 runs behind despite James Anderson stealing the headlines with his 300th Test wicket.

England were all out for 232 just after lunch, with New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee taking four wickets as the pace and swing came into play under gloomy skies. Anderson continued that trend, removing both Kiwi openers early on to join the exclusive club.

But the Black Caps recovered well, with Ross Taylor batting at a pace no-one else had managed in the game, top-scoring to date with 66, while Kane Williamson was unbeaten at stumps on 44 off 137 balls.

England started the day on 160 for four, and the visitors took the new ball immediately, having stopped play the night before on 80 overs. Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow continued how they left off, and saw off the first hour unscathed.

The ball did not swing early on, making it a bit easier for the batsmen, but once the shine was off it was much trickier, hence the loss of four wickets in nine runs. Root was the first to fall, for 40, edging Southee down the leg side to be caught by BJ Watling.

Matt Prior, the last of the recognised batsmen, was out the next ball, trapped in front. He sent it upstairs for a review, but the replays held up the umpire's decision as it was hitting the top of leg stump.

Stuart Broad was also out for a duck a few Wagner deliveries later, and there have been very few LBWs more plumb than this one. The ball would have hit on the seam, half way up middle stump.

Graeme Swann then added five runs to the score before Wagner sent him packing, catching an inside edge that Watling had no issue grabbing. At this stage, Bairstow was trying to keep things together and reached lunch on 29 not out.

The final two wickets didn't take long in coming for the Black Caps, as Steve Finn was also stuck in front to Southee. He had faced 30 balls for his four runs, thus allowing Bairstow to reach 41, which was the top score.

The Yorkshireman was the final wicket to tumble, hitting the ball hard to the bowler, Southee, who did well to hang on to the return catch.

The Kiwi reply got off to a poor start as Hamish Rutherford was back in the dressing room in the first over. He'd struck Anderson for four, and the Lancashire bowler responded by inducing an edge to Alastair Cook off the final ball.

Peter Fulton was also unable to impress, failing to replicate his century heroics, and was out for just two in the seventh over. He also edged Anderson, who thus bagged his 300th Test wicket, and Graeme Swann completed the low catch in the slips.

This left Williamson and Taylor to continue the chase, and the latter was very impressive before tea, batting at a better pace than anyone else in the game thus far, making 32 off 36 balls and hitting six fours.

The partnership was eventually ended after 93 runs when Taylor fell to Anderson, trapped in front without question. The former skipper had been very aggressive, hitting 13 boundaries in his knock.

Dean Brownlie was the final wicket to fall on the day, to Finn this time, having made 23 alongside Williamson, who was as composed as could be. The young batsman was dropped with his score on 23 by Matt Prior, and he went on to punish that mistake. Brendon McCullum was with him as bad light stopped play.