Match Details

ENG vs NZ 1st TEST, NZ vs ENG 2021

team important image
ENG 275(101.1)
170-370.0
Match drawn
378(122.4)
NZ
52.3169-6
team image
68th Over:
0
0
0
0
0
0
 
= 0
Last Over:
0
0
nb
1
0
0
0
 
= 2
This Over:
0
2
0
0
0
0
 
= 2

Commentary

All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Inn 3
Inn 4
Milestone
That brings us to an end of our coverage for this Test match. Like always it was a pleasure bringing in all the live updates and commentary for the first Test of the two match series. Till the next time, it's ta-ta and good night from me, Arya Sekhar Chakraborty and my co-commentators Akshay Bhide and Anurag Dasgupta.
Devon Conway, Man of the Match- Never imagined standing in this position after my Test debut. Credit to Williamson for winning the toss and batting first. The surface was slightly on the slower side and deteriorated throughout. The way we played today was great. The pitch was a good Test match wicket, good for batsmen and with something in it for the bowlers as well. I have had my sessions with Kane earlier as well. Had I made it at a younger age I wouldn't have played as I did now. The bowlers hit a length consistently and didn't let me score. Just knowing that they weren't going to leak many runs and accepting that became part of my gameplan.
Devon Conway is the Player of the Match for his astonishing double hundred in his debut innings
Joe Root, England skipper- We tried to lay a platform at the start, but unfortunately didn't materialize the way we would have liked. It would have been easy to go hard early today, but it was a tricky wicket. We felt we didn;t have enough overs to go for it. It was about the conditions more than the talent in the dressing room. Once that decision was made to close the day out and play for a draw, we had to make sure we weren't silly as batters. It was an easy decision to leave out a spinner when you have such a great battery of fast bowlers. They did a fantastic job. Rory did a fantastic job. They way he played was phenomenal, coming back into the side and carrying his form from Surrey. It's been tough on Ollie. He has learnt a very hard lession. He showed a lot of remorse and dealt with a huge range of emotions. As a squad we need to keep looking to educate and make the sport as inclusive as we can. As a team we are committed to do that. I am not sure about his selection for the next Test.
Now time for England skipper Joe Root to have a chat.
Kane Williamson, New Zealand captain: Obviously we had a little bit of work to do before declaration. The guys came out and hit hard and the weather forced the declaration a little bit. The wicket was deteriorating, and had it not been for that lost day, we would've had a cracking finish. Scoring was reasonably slow throughout the day, and all in all, with only four days, some fantastic cricket was played. Incredibly special performance from Conway. A special player, he's come into the side and shown his class. He played within himself, he's a brilliant player and it is an incredible feat. Incredible contribution from tim Southee as well. He led the attack brilliantly and the guys contributed around him as well. Both teams could have done with an additional day and pushed their case further. Boult is here and he should be bowling pretty soon.
It's time for the Post Match presentation. Time for New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson to have a chat with Robert Key.
Arya: Persistent good line and length helped New Zealand prize out Jack Crawley quite cheaply. In came Joe Root in the middle with Sibley and the duo ensured that the potential chance of a result for New Zealand was neutralised by some good defensive approach shown by both the batsmen. They found the boundaries on odd occasions and made sure nothing breached their defence. Root was eventually dismissed Wagner and deservedly so after bowling so well. In the end, England finished proceedings on 170/3 in 70 overs.
Arya: A target of 274 runs in 75 runs was a tricky one for both teams. While New Zealand had enough time to bowl England out, the hosts should have given themselves a reasonable chance of chasing the target down. In the era of T20 cricket, the target looked achievable but openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley made their intentions pretty clear. They took their good old time and started dead batting almost everything that came their way. It was a fiery spell of fast bowling by Neil Wagner which gave New Zealand their first wicket in the form of Burns.
Arya: The day began with a possible result on the cards if both teams played positively. Ollie Robinson started off with a sensational opening spell sending nightwatchman Neil Wagner back in the pavilion. After struggling his way in the middle, Ross Taylor decided to cut loose and smashed a couple of sixes en route to a knock of 33 of 35 deliveries. Henry Nicholls also flayed his way around and tried to score some quick runs. Despite a wholehearted bowling performance from all the English bowlers, the match was tilted in favour of the visitors and they made their intentions clear after Williamson decided to declare the innings once the rains set in and forced an early lunch. Yet again debutant Ollie Robinson was the pick of the England bowlers with a three wicket haul.
Arya: A tame end to an otherwise fascinating Test match. In the end it was not possible for the New Zealand bowlers to enforce a result despite the lacklustre approach shown by the English batsman. Despite a sporting declaration from Kane Williamson, England never went after the target and settled for a draw right from the word go. In the end Kane Williamson and the two English batsmen in the middle decided to call the match off as a draw with five overs still pending in the day's play.
OVER 70.0
England
170/3
Ollie Pope
20(41)
Dominic Sibley
60(207)
Mitchell Santner
0-38(13.0)
69.6 M Santner to O Pope
0 Slightly round-armish. On the stumps and nicely defended off the frontfoot by Pope. That looks like the end of the match. Kane Williamson has decided to call it a day. The match ends in a draw.
69.5 M Santner to O Pope
0 That is full and quick on the stumps and Pope is a bit hurried. Ends up working down the ground.
69.4 M Santner to O Pope
0 That kept a bit low. Faster and flatter and Pope somehow manages to get his bat down on time.
69.3 M Santner to O Pope
0 Slightly fuller on the pads and Pope works this down the leg side.
69.2 M Santner to O Pope
2 Flatter trajectory delivery on the pads of Pope, he works it down the long leg region and has enough time to come back for a couple. A faint edge onto his pads off for a couple.
69.1 M Santner to O Pope
0 Nicely flighted on the stumps, Pope clears his front leg and pushes this down the cover fielder off the frontfoot. Nicely timed but straight to the fielder.
OVER 69.0
England
168/3
Dominic Sibley
60(207)
Ollie Pope
18(35)
Kyle Jamieson
0-28(15.0)
68.6 K Jamieson to D Sibley
0 Another one banged in short and Sibley sways away from it.
Commentary