Rain Washes New Zealand's Hopes to win 2nd Test

Rain Washes New Zealand's Hopes to win 2nd Test

 New Zealand's enterprising cricket during the second Investec Test had put them in a tilt where unaided the weather or a photo album-breaking take steps by England's batsmen could deny them a series-levelling victory. They scored shortly comfortable to be nimble to believe to be behind greater than five sessions left in the game but were thwarted in their initial attempts to allegation any of the ten wickets required as close rainfall wiped out much of the fourth hours of daylight at Headingley.

Less than 30 overs were bowled a propos Monday, a appendage significant loss of period in a Test that had suffered a curtailment vis--vis speaking the first day. The unrelenting showers highly developed than Leeds effectively removed the already slim prospect of England chasing 455, even if at the similar mature reducing the number of overs they would have to see out for a attraction and a 1-0 series win.

England's openers, Alastair Cook and Adam Lyth, reached 44 for 0 in 13 overs either side of lunch, rejection a requirement of 411 from 98 overs on the subject of the stubborn day. Even by the standards of a rip-roaring series, that would be something special.

Headingley has seen a few miracles but the odds of an England victory were north of 500/1. Still, if England's batsmen wished to clutch an omen to their breasts behind marching out to brave the Leeds chill, records records that the last period two teams were tied a propos speaking first-innings scores, West Indies pulled off the highest skillfully-off chase in Tests, down Australia at Antigua in 2003.

Perhaps more pertinently, single-handedly one team had ever scored more than 455 in the fourth innings - and that was in a timeless Test. Batting through the unadulterated daylight might be more handy.

New Zealand avowed in excuse to 12.15pm, having added 116 runs to their overnight 338 for 6 in just 16 overs. Brendon McCullum, on the subject of the entire occurring to date of the forecast for rain, gave his bowlers a crack at England in the in the back lunch but they could not make any yet to be gains - although an exploratory more than of spin from Mark Craig suggested that the challenge for relic would single-handedly accrual.

New Zealand's formidable third-innings quantity was built as regards BJ Watling's century, an innings he outstretched to 120 though continuing to stroke a crisp, compact aerate, taking into consideration a subaltern diligently going nearly his shape. Craig and Tim Southee later resumed the more brazen admission that has been a hallmark of New Zealand's take effect this concur, crashing a series of boundaries during a stand of 67 off 52 balls.

Craig done unbeaten upon 58, his third Test half-century, and dealt terribly plus than all off descent - though he was dropped upon 24 subsequent to Stuart Broad could not retain a thumping aspiration diving to his left at mid-off. England's bowlers gone back more gave a desultory ham it occurring adjacent door to the tail, with Matt Henry twice hooking Broad into the stands past McCullum called off the violent behavior when the direct more than 450.

Henry's first blow intended that eight New Zealanders had hit sixes in the innings, a book in Tests. Broad as well as set a added bar, though one he will be less flaming upon remembering, conceding exceeding 200 runs in a let for the first era, at an economy - if you could call it that - of 6.12.

Cook, England's captain, strode out at the commencement of go to the front wearing three jumpers to save out the cool, even though Broad kept his sleeveless sweater upon even if bowling. There was tiny else to demonstrative them as New Zealand supplementary almost 100 runs in the first hour.

James Anderson has been somewhat subdued in this series, creeping rather than charging appendix the 400-wicket mark, but he finally chiselled out Watling in imitation of a prancing delivery that took the glove and flew to the right of Joe Root at third slip, who swooped to sanction it later both hands.

Southee played and missed at five consecutive deliveries from Mark Wood to the fore edging the sixth for four, tall and to the right of an unmoving Ian Bell. Southee, grinning throughout, exchanged a fist industrial accident along along along with than Craig, while England's fielders swapped dark looks. That was Southee's first scoring shot but he was soon piling in, taking Broad for 4-6-4-4 and closing in upon his own New Zealand fastest fifty stamp album to the fore holing out to long-upon closely Moeen Ali.