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29th over: England 146-4 (Brook 63, Pope 39) Pope plays another gorgeous drive for four, this time through extra cover. England have got a problem on the horizon because he looks so good at No6; it’s not just the runs but the way he is scoring them. We haven’t heard the F-word* all series.
Brook edges Smith just short of the slips and away for four. Enough of propping and cocking: he makes room to slam the next delivery over extra cover for a simply preposterous six. It’s his third of the innings, all over extra cover I think.
* Frenetic
28th over: England 130-4 (Brook 52, Pope 34) Matt Henry, who bowled a single spell of 7-4-14-2 this morning, returns after lunch and beats Brook with his first delivery. He’s had a Test career of two halves. His first 55 wickets cost 41 apiece, the last 57 have come at 19.
He has an appeal for wicket No113 turned down when Pope flicks at a delivery down the leg side. A very good over ends with Brook playing and missing for the second time. Even in this very fine seam attack, Henry looks a class apart.
27th over: England 128-4 (Brook 51, Pope 33) Smith has three slips waiting for an edge, though as you’d expect there’s nowhere near as much movement as there was with the new ball. Pope, who looks so much more natural at No6, rifles a lovely drive through mid-off for four.
The players are back on the field. Harry Brook will resume on 51; Ollie Pope has 29. Nathan Smith, who has figures of 6-1-41-2 on day one of a Test match, has the ball.
“Many thanks for your summary of the action we’ve missed,” says Nick Parish. “Mostly very informative, although I’m not convinced those of us who have followed this England team before really needed to be told that Zak Crawley went cheaply...”
The more he fails, the more certain I am he’ll score 800 runs in next winter’s Ashes. I’m fascinated by good but not great players who produce their best against their best. Peter Willey and David Steele are good examples from the past. On an individual level, the New Zealand No3 Andrew Jones had outstanding head-to-head records against the best bowlers of his era.
“Cricket though!” writes Adam Hirst. “What an amazing session that I almost saw. Soon Joe Root will oon not even be Yorkshire’s best batter. Whatever England manage in the rest of the day though, could get…* overshadowed by news from Adelaide.
“*I don’t even like using the word ‘trumped’ any more."
Toilet humour may never be the same again.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live, belated over-by-over coverage of the second Test between New Zealand and England in Wellington. As you may be aware, Guardian and Observer members of the National Union of Journalists have been on strike for the last 48 hours, hence the late start to our coverage. If you’d like to know more about that, click here.
If you’re here for the cricket, the whole cricket and nothing but the cricket, here’s a summary of the morning session.
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England, put in by New Zealand, reached 124 for four from 26 overs at lunch
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They were 43 for 4 after Matt Henry and Nathan Smith took two wickets apiece
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Zak Crawley (17), Ben Duckett (0), Jacob Bethell (16) and Joe Root (3) all fell cheaply
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Harry Brook made a 48-ball fifty, with two sixes and five fours, and added 81 for the fifth wicket with Ollie Pope (29 not out)
