Ten turbulent days after the crapshoot at Lord’s, there came some welcome and familiar Test-match rhythms south of the river. Not that it was entirely familiar, given the churn of England players that was triggered, in part, by that late night for Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson at the Rex Rooms in Chelsea.
They call the Oval the People’s Ground and the people could have been forgiven for squinting at England’s team sheet, perhaps even Googling a name or two on the sly. Not since 1958 against New Zealand at Old Trafford have they followed a Test win by picking three debutants (Ted Dexter, Ray Illingworth, and Raman Subba Row).
That was dead-rubber experimentation, however, whereas this is a live second Test. And the changes did not stop there. As well as new caps for Jordan Cox, Sonny Baker and James Rew, there were returns for Jofra Archer and Matthew Fisher. Joe Root was also back in the captain’s blazer at the toss, having implored his team to match the energy and passion of the newcomers in their pre-match huddle.
Matching that of Baker takes some doing, however. Hampshire’s fast bowler is an effervescent character by default, doubly so when he is among the wickets. And on his first day as a Test cricketer, Baker’s smile was broader than ever, picking up two crucial strikes as New Zealand reached 291 for seven by the close.
The makeup of the England team for the third Test at Trent Bridge next week is anyone’s guess. This apparent standoff between Stokes and the management clearly runs a bit deeper than just a few beers and some scuffles after midnight. Otherwise it would be an open-and-shut case for the cricket regulator.
But Baker did his best to state a case for retention by knocking over Rachin Ravindra, caught at gully for 33, and Daryl Mitchell via a miscued pull shot on 44.
The 23-year-old lost his run-up at times, leaked a few more runs than he would have liked, yet made an impression with his slippery pace and enthusiasm.
Although perhaps the most important wickets came in the final hour when, amid a fiery spell from Archer at one end, Jacob Bethell’s left-arm tweakers accounted for Tom Blundell and Nathan Smith. Blundell smacked one to midwicket on 51, Smith top-edged a full toss on four.
It left Glenn Phillips to steer the tourists to the close with an unbeaten 49 that was busy and brave in equal measure.
In winning the toss and electing to bowl, Root was simply doing what the previous 28 captains have done in first-class matches at the Oval. The pitch had an early tinge of green but it was more about utilising the best bowling conditions the match is likely to offer. Seven wickets with a patchwork attack and a new wicketkeeper was a solid effort, even if 77 overs in the day also made it a tardy one.
Not that England utilised the new ball effectively. Fisher did pick up his second Test wicket 1,553 days after his first, strangling Devon Conway down leg to hand Rew a nice early catch. But Fisher’s line of attack to New Zealand’s left-handed top four – around the wicket, swinging it in – kept things tight without creating many chances. He looked more threatening against the right-handers.
The second wicket produced the first of two excellent catches by Bethell at gully on a day when that position and leg slip felt in the game. Archer was the bowler to square up Tom Latham on 27 here, with his comeback – perhaps the first of his career to not trigger a raft of headlines – truly catching fire later on.
This was New Zealand’s first outing since Kane Williamson’s mid-series retirement and, perhaps rattled by that capricious pitch at Lord’s, they seemed a bit gun-shy en route to 75 for two at lunch. Williamson’s replacement, Henry Nicholls, was watchful before Josh Tongue cramped him for room on 23. The ball ricocheted on to Nicholls’ stumps, then on to his back, then on to his stumps again.
It was not until the familiar engine room of Mitchell and Blundell came together that New Zealand started to become more proactive. That said, Mitchell was dropped by Cox at leg slip on two, a tough chance that denied Fisher his second. Blundell also survived a strangle down leg on 34 when replays showed Rew had grassed it.
This proved to be a tricky first day for Rew behind the stumps, with the ball often wobbling late and reflected by 16 byes in the extras column. This is likely to be a one-off appearance in this capacity, with England rating Jamie Smith’s glovework higher and the spot opened up due to his paternity leave.
That said, Rew has caught the eye as a top-six prospect and could yet force a rethink when his time comes to bat. Given the turmoil behind the scenes – turmoil that sees the England captain on the outer – nothing is certain.
