England win the First Test by 170 runs by Andy Jalil

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Ground:	Lord's Cricket Ground, St John's Wood
Scorecard:	England v New Zealand
Player:	SCJ Broad, TG Southee
Event:	New Zealand in England 2013

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DateLine: 19th May 2013

 

Andy Jalil reports from Lord's
In Association with INVESTEC

Andy Jalil from Lord's In Association with INVESTEC © Pakistan Cricket Website

 

Stuart Broad, with a magnificent bowling performance which seemed to have a mesmerising effect on New Zealand’s batsmen, led England to a comfortable 170-run victory on the fourth afternoon of the first Investec Test. His career-best haul of seven for 44 included a brilliant spell of six for 24 as he ripped apart the New Zealand batting.

 

The Test was dominated by pace bowlers with Broad’s opening attack partner James Anderson producing figures of five for 47 in the tourist’s first innings while for New Zealand Tim Southee’s memorable match figures of ten for 108 saw his name entered on Lord’s honour’s board. He is only the second New Zealand bowler to take ten wickets at cricket’s HQ after Dion Nash had eleven in the drawn Test in 1994.

 

Set a modest target of 239, New Zealand in their second innings, which began an hour before lunch, had no answer to Broad’s relentless attack. Although it must be said that under the circumstance with much time left in the game and the target being low, the batsmen played irresponsibly.

 

The shots were poor with risky strokes being executed throughout the innings. In the second over Broad had Peter Fulton driving at a ball which he should have left alone outside off stump and Matt Prior held the catch. New Zealand then lost the next two on the total of 16 with Broad sending Hamish Rutherford’s off stump cartwheeling with a ball that was angled across the left-hander.

 

Ross Taylor the top scorer in the first innings went for naught edging to first slip where Alistair Cook held inches off the ground. Broad completed his dismissal of the first four batsmen with the removal of Kane Williamson who needlessly drove to cover. It was a poor shot to a ball which was fairly wide. It seemed a common fault among New Zealand batsmen that they did not seem to know when to let a ball go rather than to reach for it.

 

With James Anderson interrupting Broad’s run of wickets as he dismissed Dean Brownlee, giving Cook a second catch, the tourists had lost half their side for 25. Broad then continued with his brilliant wicket-taking effort trapping Brendon McCullum lbw – his review of the decision was unsuccessful – and Tim Southee’s pull was held just inside the mid-wicket boundary and that was 41 for seven with Broad at that stage having wonderful figures of six for24.

 

There wasn’t much fear now that New Zealand would end up with the lowest score ever on this ground which was 42 by India in 1974. They were still though in danger of not passing their own lowest score at Lord’s and that 47 in 1958. But with BJ Watling, fit to bat but not field with a knee injury, having hit 13, the tourist lost the eighth wicket to Anderson on 54.

 

Broad’s seventh wicket came from a straight ball to Bruce Martin which knocked back the middle stump and a run later the innings was wound up with Neil Wagner being run out in going for a second run after being dropped at long leg on 17. England captain Cook praised Broad’s bowling: “He has all the attributes of a world class bowler, when he gets it totally right like he did today he is an absolute nightmare to face.” He then added: “We have got to look at the good thing we have done, 170-run win is a big win in Test match cricket, but of course you have got to look to improve, look to areas where you can do better. Where we didn’t get it quite right, we had the character and skills to put it right the next day.”

 

The fourth day’s play had begun with New Zealand striking early in the England second innings which was resumed on 180 for six and leading by 205 with the 25-run advantage from the previous innings. Southee, with three wickets on the previous day, began the rapid fall of wickets from the first over of the day. Facing his second ball and the fifth of the over, Steve Finn edged to substitute Martin Guptill at second slip. Guptill has been on the field for Bruce Martin who suffered a calf injury on the third day.

 

The only specialist batsmen left was Ian Bell and four overs later he too was accounted for by Southee as he reached well outside off stump to drive and was taken at third slip just as England’s 200 had come up on the board. Ten runs later Southee charging in for what turned out to be his final over of the match had Graeme Swann caught behind from an outside edge.

 

Southee still had one more part to play in the England innings, on the total of 213 he took the catch at cover point as James Anderson lofted Kane Williamson.

 

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2013 Andy Jalil)