ENGLAND attempted to move on from the Ben Stokes controversy with a solid opening day of the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval.
Captain Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson are unavailable pending an investigation into an incident in a London nightclub following England’s win in the first Test.
Without them, an England team captained by Joe Root, with five changes from the first Test and including three debutants, worked hard to leave New Zealand 291-7 at the close on a true batting surface.
The efforts justified Root’s decision to field first on a damp, humid morning. Sonny Baker, one of the trio of new caps, picked up 2-63 and Jofra Archer was unlucky to claim only one wicket – he bowled a rapid and exhilarating spell late in the day.
Glenn Phillips was the unfortunate recipient of Archer’s thunderbolts, somehow surviving to reach 49 not out. At the other end, Jacob Bethell burgled two wickets with his left-arm spin.
Daryl Mitchell, who was dropped on two, made 44 and Tom Blundell 51, but a number of the tourists’ top order were guilty of wasting good starts.
Following the extraordinary events since England won the first Test, the beginning of this match at least gave the home side some respite from the off-field chaos.
The fresh faces brought an energy to the England team, particularly when Baker, wicketkeeper James Rew and batter Jordan Cox were presented with their caps before play.
England needed some fortune for most of their wickets, and Phillips put the pitch into context before his ordeal against Archer.
Bethell’s two late wickets were a bonus – more gifts from New Zealand – leaving England in a position from where they can win the series.
‘I think he enjoyed that!’ – Baker takes his first Test wicket
With Stokes and Atkinson unavailable, and Ollie Robinson injured, it meant England were missing three of the seamers that won them the first Test.
Without them, the inexperienced pace attack was led by the returning Archer, playing his first Test since the third match of the Ashes series in December.
An opening over averaging 90mph was a sign of things to come. He touched 92mph in his first spell and before lunch had New Zealand captain Tom Latham well caught at gully by a flying Bethell.
While Archer’s pyrotechnics bookended the day, 23-year-old Baker provided the spark in the middle. Occasionally wayward, he produced a lifter to have Rachin Ravindra caught at gully for his maiden Test wicket, leaping into the air with delight. Mitchell’s miscue to mid-on after tea was a donation of a second wicket.
Blundell and Phillips added 75, threatening to take control, when Archer launched into his thrilling spell. He hit Phillips on the chest and his hostility was surely a contributing factor in Blundell swiping Bethell’s left-arm spin to mid-wicket.
The figures of Archer’s eight-over spell – no wicket for 22 runs – do not begin to tell the story of the drama. That Bethell got his second wicket via Nathan Smith top-edging a full toss was almost absurd (BBC Sport)
