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Moeen hits seven sixes then takes two key wickets to keep West Indies at bay

Matt Roller29-Jan-2022Moeen Ali set up a Sunday-night decider in England’s series against West Indies at the Kensington Oval, leading from the front as stand-in captain with 63 off 28 balls and two key wickets in the run chase.With Eoin Morgan ruled out of the series after injuring his quadriceps in the warm-ups on Wednesday, Moeen struck seven sixes – four of them off consecutive balls in Jason Holder’s 18th over – as England surged to 193, building on the platform set by Jason Roy’s scratchy 52.West Indies started brightly in pursuit, reaching 56 for 0 after the powerplay with Kyle Mayers making a sprightly 40 on his return to the side, replacing Shai Hope at the top of the order. But England’s spinners put the squeeze on: Moeen removed both openers, and Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone both made breakthroughs on a dry pitch.Holder and Kieron Pollard kept the run chase alive, but a middle-overs slowdown meant the task was beyond them. The result set up a deciding final match on Sunday night, with the series squared at 2-2.Roy’s late arrivalAsked to bat by Pollard for the third time in the series, England struggled to adapt to the pace of the pitch – the same one used in their one-run win last Sunday night – early on, with Tom Banton plinking a pull to mid-on to give Holder a wicket in his first over. Roy, who was given a life when Holder put down a return catch, looked particularly out of form, creeping to 11 off 19 balls and swearing in frustration over the stump mic after failing to beat the infield yet again.But 15 balls later he had brought up a half-century, clicking into gear by clubbing Sheldon Cottrell 101 metres over midwicket, and England raced to 80 for 1 after nine overs with James Vince also hitting his straps at No. 3.Pollard put the brakes on with another canny spell of slow-medium cutters, exchanging words with Roy after angling the ball into his pads to defend the short off-side boundary. He conceded only one run (plus a leg bye) off the seven balls he bowled to Roy, roaring in celebration when Nicholas Pooran gobbled up a thick outside edge from a legcutter.Moeen cuts looseWhen Vince miscued a wide offbreak from Akeal Hosein to short third, England had lost their two set batters in the space of seven balls and the innings threatened to fall away. Moeen and Livingstone traded sixes – Livingstone’s, a 91-metre pull over midwicket, was the only boundary Pollard conceded – but a canny 17th over from Cottrell left them 134 for 3 with three overs left.Related

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What followed was a masterclass in death-overs hitting from Moeen. Holder, whose first two overs cost just three runs, leaked 28 off the 18th, including four consecutive sixes from Moeen: a drag over long-on, a dead-straight hit into the press-box window, a languid swing over extra cover and a wristy pick-up over square leg.Shepherd had Livingstone caught off a steepler with the first ball of the 19th but then suffered some rough treatment himself. Moeen clipped two into the leg side to bring up a 23-ball half-century – his fastest for England – before hitting two more sixes, including a sumptuous chip over extra cover with the full face of the bat.He miscued Holder to long-on at the start of the final over, and Phil Salt – down at No. 7 – skied his first ball into the covers, but Sam Billings, recalled in place of Harry Brook after missing Wednesday night’s game through illness, clubbed the last two balls for six. England added 59 in the last three overs, and Holder’s final two cost 41 runs.Moeen Ali scored a quick-fire fifty•Getty Images

Spin strangleMayers impressed at the top of the order, hitting Moeen for two sixes over the leg side and thumping Tymal Mills’ first three balls for four, six and six, but West Indies’ chase faded badly against spin in the middle overs. Moeen made the first breakthroughs, having Mayers and Brandon King caught at long-off and long-on respectively, while Rashid maintained the pressure from the other end.Rovman Powell had played Rashid out during his hundred on Wednesday night, milking him for 11 off 11 balls, but his notorious weakness against wristspin was enough for Billings to bark over the stump mic: “Still love this match-up!” Three balls later, he ripped a googly through the gate which crashed into middle-and-off stump.56 for 0 after the powerplay became 84 for 3 off 13, and after Pooran hit Livingstone for consecutive sixes, he holed out to long-on looking for three in a row. Holder’s 36 off 24 – his highest T20I score – kept West Indies’ hopes alive, but Reece Topley and Chris Jordan kept their composure to close things out at the death.

A four-day defeat loomed until Greaves and Hope dug in to give West Indies some hope against New Zealand’s tired attack

Shashank Kishore05-Dec-2025A depleted New Zealand attack – effectively reduced to just two-and-a-half frontline bowlers – was made to toil as a defiant West Indies rearguard stretched the contest into a fifth day on an increasingly docile Hagley Oval surface.Forced off the field on day three by an eye infection, Shai Hope returned with sunglasses under his helmet to compile an unbeaten 116. It followed his first-innings 56 and marked his second century in three innings, a seamless extension of the defiance he showed while stonewalling India for long periods in New Delhi in October.If Hope was the fulcrum, Justin Greaves was the anchor beside him. He reined in his instincts to play a composed, almost uncharacteristically restrained hand to finish 55 not out off 143 balls. His unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with Hope was worth 140 as New Zealand’s attack toiled under the blazing Christchurch sun.Related

• Blundell, Smith, Henry sustain injuries in Christchurch; Jamieson returns to Plunket Shield

Nathan Smith did not come out to bat and spent the entire innings off the field with a side strain. When Matt Henry left the field after the 35th over – later heading to hospital next door for scans – with West Indies 92 for 4, New Zealand may have hoped to finish off the game quickly.But with his bowling resources rapidly thinning, Tom Latham – already standing in with the gloves due to Tom Blundell’s torn hamstring that ruled him out of not just this Test but the next – was left to lean heavily on Rachin Ravindra and Michael Bracewell’s part-time spin around pacer Jacob Duffy. On a surface that only got easier to bat on against the old ball, Hope and Greaves settled in and applied themselves admirably.Having begun with positive intent, Hope was tested periodically with the short ball, Duffy setting a square leg halfway to the rope along with a short leg and fine leg for the pull. Hope mostly swayed and ducked out of harm’s way, and on the rare occasions he was tempted into the shot, he did well to keep it down. He brought up his fourth Test century off 139 deliveries.Duffy employed a similar plan to Greaves, whose natural game is far more instinctive. But to his credit, Greaves appeared to take a cue from Hope, choosing restraint instead. He played only when the ball was at his body, using his height to ride the bounce and fend safely. While he was a lot more enterprising against spin, the fundamental of his knock was crease occupation.Justin Greaves played a composed knock of 55 not out off 143 balls•Getty Images

Hope and Greaves laid down the template for those who perished prior to their arrival. Tagenarine Chanderpaul and John Campbell were put through a stern new ball test by Foulkes and Henry as they repeatedly tested both their edges in an engaging first spell. Chanderpaul’s propensity to shuffle across got him into trouble more often than not, and was out to a short ball that he inside-edged to the keeper for 6 off 45 balls.Campbell – out an over earlier – was taken out by Foulkes as he jabbed at an away-swinger with no feet movement as Bracewell took a superb low catch at second slip. In the overs prior to his dismissal, Campbell wore a blow on his boot as he smashed one back off an inside-edge, making him groan in discomfort. This may have eventually had a hand in his dismissal.Alick Athanaze never got going, and the frustration of being unable to score had him attempt a pull, only to be rushed into the stroke by Bracewell. He only managed to toe-end a pull to mid-on. And when Roston Chase fell in eerily similar fashion to his dismissal in the first innings – nibbling at a Henry away-swinger while being rooted to the crease – West Indies were collapsing swiftly and were 72 for 4.A four-day defeat loomed until Greaves and Hope dug in to give West Indies some hope even as New Zealand’s tired attack wheeled away in the hope of a mistake. That wasn’t to come, as West Indies took the fight into the final day even though hopes of scaling down the 531-run target they were set seem just a pipe dream for now.Earlier in the morning, New Zealand surprised many by choosing to bat on. Perhaps this was to give their bowlers more rest on a placid surface, considering the slew of injuries. Kemar Roach picked up three of the four wickets to fall, finishing with figures of 5 for 78 to take his wickets tally to 290.

The allrounder has claimed career-best figures in both the Shield and Marsh Cup and also shone with the bat

Andrew McGlashan13-Oct-2023New South Wales allrounder Jack Edwards has begun this summer as one of the players in eye-catching form and he has praised the impact of pre-season work done with Shane Watson.Edwards has been particularly impactful with the ball, claiming career-best figures in both the Sheffield Shield (6 for 36) and Marsh Cup (4 for 38) against Queensland, while he has made scores of 92 and 87 across the two competitions to pick up where he finished last season which brought a career-best 138 against South Australia.Related

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Watson was brought into the NSW coaching set-up as a consultant alongside Michael Bevan, part of new structure under Greg Shipperd aimed at reviving the state’s fortunes after a winless Sheffield Shield campaign last season.Edwards has found the time with Watson, who has delved extensively into the mental side of the game, especially valuable and hopes to maintain the connection.”The one-on-one chats with Shane were fantastic for me on the mental side of the game,” he said. “A couple of things that I’d brought into my game at the end of last year and then was able to refine with him and just around bringing the best version of myself out on the field and being competitive. Having that competitive drive to win and getting into the contest.”I took a lot away from those conversations. It was also fantastic to just chat to him, he was a bit of a childhood hero of mine so it was nice to sit down and meet him.”The similarities to the beginning of his career had with where I’m at, juggling the responsibilities of being an allrounder and managing your body and the weight of expectation on yourself and all sorts of things. Hopefully I can stay in touch with him and keep picking his brain.” Edwards made his NSW debut in 2018, hitting a maiden one-day hundred against Queensland, and in the 2020-21 season was player of the match in the Marsh Cup final against Western Australia where he scored 108, but had not found the consistency to command a regular place.In recent months he has also worked closely with Jackson Bird who joined NSW from Tasmania this season having been part of the Sydney Sixers set-up and from the same grade club, Manly, as Edwards.”I do a lot of chatting with him and being able to work a little bit closer with him this pre-season has been nice,” he said. “Just the way he prepares for every training and game, he’s the ultimate professional. Even at the twilight of his career, he still does everything he can to get his body in the best place possible.”Then there’s just a few other things like wrist position and trying to maximise that. He’s someone who’s exploited that beautifully over the years. I just pick his brain on little things and controlling what I can to make the outcome as good as possible.”Edwards was particularly impressive from around the wicket to Queensland’s left-handers during the Shield match at Cricket Central, removing Bryce Street, Matt Renshaw, Jack Clayton and Usman Khawaja with that angle.”I’ve done it for quite a while had a bit of success, that’s probably my best mode of attack to left handers,” he said. “Watching how the game’s changed in recent years with [Stuart] Broad and guys going around the wicket, basically try and copy what they do. Seems to be working for me right now. If I can keep working on my stuff to the right-handers and have that option to the left-handers as well, it’s a nice combo.”However, despite Edwards’ impressive performances in the early rounds, NSW missed out on what should have been a victory in each format against Queensland with the visitors producing a superb rearguard through Jimmy Peirson and Michael Neser in the Shield, then a thrilling final-wicket stand of 73 to steal the one-day game at North Sydney Oval.”Everyone’s passion to represent New South Wales is as high as ever and [to] try and make amends for what happened last year,” Edwards said. “I think everyone was a little bit embarrassed, so I think everyone’s hungry. We’re doing a lot of good things so hopefully some wins are coming soon.”

The second ODI is at the same venue on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2023South Africa v West Indies
Match abandonedThe first ODI between South Africa and West Indies in East London was washed out without a toss. The venue, that was set to host its first men’s international game since the pandemic, witnessed intermittent rain through the day.Play was eventually called off at 4.35pm local, almost four hours after the original start time of 12.30pm. There was rain when the teams entered the stadium, and even though there were a few brief dry spells, there wasn’t enough time to dry the outfield before rain returned.The two teams meet again at the same venue on Saturday, for which the weather forecast appears promising. The third and final ODI of the series will be in Potchefstroom next Tuesday.

‘He is not new to us. Yes, he’s bowling quickly, but there’s nothing we’re not accustomed to’ – Floyd Reifer

Andrew Miller10-Jun-2019As if Friday’s fixture in Southampton was not tantalising enough, there will be an extra piquancy in England and West Indies’ World Cup match-up, given the reunion between Jofra Archer and the team for whom he might already have been a mainstay.The Barbados-born Archer, 24, has been one of the stars of the tournament to date, having qualified to play for England in April after the ECB chose late last year to reduce its residency period from seven years to three.And though he is hardly an unknown quantity on account of his exploits in T20 leagues around the world, he’s undoubtedly benefited in some of his early outings from a certain surprise factor – not least his ability to bowl in excess of 90mph from an ambling run-up that scarcely requires him to break sweat.But according to Floyd Reifer, West Indies’ head coach and fellow Bajan, there will be nothing about Archer that can take his players by surprise on Friday – and he should know, having played alongside him in club cricket while he was still a West Indies youth prospect.”To be honest, we knew Jofra for a long time,” said Reifer. “He is from Barbados, where we are from. We knew him from the U15s, U17s, U19s so he is not new to us. Yes, he’s bowling quickly, but there’s nothing that we are not accustomed to. We are looking forward to the challenge. So we will see how it goes on Friday.”Jofra Archer bowled with venom, picking up three key wickets•Getty Images

In a tournament that has already featured some tantalising match-ups, the expectations around Friday’s game have been heightened by the extraordinary feast of attacking batting and fierce quick bowling that lit up the team’s 2-2 series draw in the Caribbean earlier this year.In a see-saw series, England appeared to have struck a decisive blow in posting a hefty 418 for 6 in the fourth match in Grenada, a match in which Jos Buttler cracked a remarkable 150 from 77 balls.But their thunder was stolen in the series decider in St Kitts, where Chris Gayle set a personal seal on a brilliant campaign with 77 from 27 balls, after Oshane Thomas had bombed England out for 113 with figures of 5 for 21. And with a further trial by pace in prospect on Friday, England will doubtless be grateful to have their own spearhead to return the compliment to their opponents.”We are entertainers,” said Reifer. “We are here to entertain so the players come out and entertain us. But yes, we will have a good game. I’m sure Jofra will be chomping at the bit to come at us and we will be ready for him.”Archer’s decision to abandon his aspirations to play for West Indies came after he was overlooked for the Under-19 World Cup in 2014. Instead, he followed the advice of his friend and fellow Bajan-turned-England international, Chris Jordan, and took advantage of his British passport to forge a new career at Sussex. The rest, as they say, is history.Asked if he was disappointed that Archer would be playing against, rather than for, his team on Friday, Reifer laughed and said: “He made his choice.””Jofra is a tremendous talent, we all know that. Like I said, we are looking forward to the game on Friday.”He obviously had the pace [to play international cricket]. He had a few injuries as a young guy. But I’m guessing though he’s fully over those injuries and he is bowling very well for England.”West Indies’ own fast-bowling stocks were depleted for the South Africa game with the absence of Andre Russell, who has been managing a knee problem since the start of the tournament. But Reifer said that his non-selection had merely been a precaution, given the length of the tournament and his importance to the cause.”Yes, Andre will be fit enough for the game on Friday,” he said. “The game against England is a big game for us. We are looking forward to that game. Looking at the weather forecast, it was 90 percent rain today and they had rain over the last couple of days here as well. So it is just a precautionary measure where we are kind of wrapping him in cotton wool.”

All the matches will be played in East London before the teams go to the World Cup, starting eight days after the tri-series final

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2022South Africa will host India and West Indies in East London for a triangular T20I series in January-February next year in the build-up to the women’s T20 World Cup 2023, which will be held in South Africa soon after, in February.

Schedule

Jan 19: South Africa vs India
Jan 21: South Africa vs West Indies
Jan 23: India vs West Indies
Jan 25: South Africa vs West Indies
Jan 28: South Africa vs India
Jan 30: India vs West Indies
Feb 2: Final

The three teams will play each other twice in the round-robin stage, before the top two teams play the final on February 2, after which there will be a short gap before the World Cup kicks off on February 10. The World Cup will run till February 26, with the matches played in Cape Town, Gqeberha and Paarl.”These two sides [India and West Indies] are up there with the most talented and entertaining nations in women’s T20 cricket, having featured in two of the last four finals, with the West Indies lifting the trophy in 2016,” Enoch Nkwe, CSA’s director of cricket, said in a statement. “This will give the Momentum Proteas a highly competitive build-up to the ultimate prize of the T20 World Cup.”At the World Cup, South Africa have been placed in Group A alongside favourites Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. India and West Indies are in Group B with England, Ireland and Pakistan.Australia have won five of the seven editions of the World Cup so far, with England and West Indies winning once each. South Africa have never reached the title round, while India got to the final for the first time in the previous edition, in 2020 in Australia, where Australia beat them by 85 runs at the MCG.

Fit again captain Kieron Pollard says his team has “put in the effort to get it right” for the T20Is, after the ODIs loss

Shashank Kishore15-Feb-2022For a while when West Indies trained on Tuesday, the men designated to put up sponsor boards around the edges of the first tier above the dressing rooms waited and watched to see if the batters would stop hitting the ball in the direction. After a while, it became amply clear this was part of a skills-specific training routine. They stopped and enjoyed a power-hitting show for a good 40 minutes, before they got to work again.Big hits routinely flew off the blade, one after the other. If Nicholas Pooran tried to hit them 80 meters, Odean Smith went 85. Romario Shepherd gunned for 90. The white-ball destroyers who’ve thrilled audiences around the world surfaced. Balls were disappearing into the empty stands routinely.After a while, Kieron Pollard walked out with his weapons and whacked them big. Over the past week, he’s worked on repairing his ankle that was sore due to fluid accumulation. On match-eve, he declared himself fit, and even proved it by not just flexing his muscle in hitting big but also completing regular drills. If the weekend was about relaxing and soaking in multi-million-dollar bids at the IPL auction, the last two days have been about training hard and ironing out areas they want to focus on. Two long sessions later, West Indies are confident heading into the series opener on Wednesday.”It’s down to execution,” Pollard asserted. “That’s the conversation we’re having. Being precise in what to do and being as accurate as possible. We’re clear and have worked on specific things in the nets. Skill-sets of the group are different. One thing you can be rest assured of, we have put in the work to get it right.”Related

• West Indies batters 'got caught' in India's spin trap, admits Nicholas Pooran

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Barring Kyle Mayers, Dominic Drakes and Shepherd, the allrounders, the rest of the squad have had a taste of conditions in India, either from earlier or during the ODIs. They may have been thumped in the ODIs, but Pollard insisted every bit of learning has been taken onboard and there are no hangovers from the IPL auction euphoria.”Every time you get an opportunity to represent your team, you want to do well,” he said. “The IPL auction is done and dusted. To be selected there, you should have done something great on the field. When the IPL comes, we will deal with that. For now, it’s about representing the West Indies and putting our best foot forward. From a one-day perspective, it didn’t go how we wanted it to. Come tomorrow, hopefully we can deliver the plans we have.”West Indies have now lost back-to-back ODI series, to Ireland and India, but go into the T20Is with the confidence of having beaten England 3-2 at home. Pollard termed it “confidence boosting”, but felt there were weaknesses they got away with.”For us, it’s about consistency,” he said. “We had a good series against England. A couple of times with the bat and at the back end of the innings, we could have been better at executing. Our fielding performance, we can take it up a notch. That is an area we need to improve. And try to be as consistent as possible from a batting perspective. We have not been consistent at all. That’s a fact. We want to put it right in the limited opportunities in the shorter format of the game. It’s about continuing to improve in all facets and executing to the best of our ability.”Kieron Pollard trained and did all his fitness drills•Associated Press

Pollard hinted at continuity at the top, which means Mayers could line-up to open alongside Brandon King. Mayers, who made his mark in a record-breaking Test match chase in Chittagong last year on debut, is just four T20Is old, but brings multi-dimensional skills with his ability to chip in with a few overs of medium pace.”I’m very impressed, he’s aggressive in nature and is doing tremendously, and has improved a lot from the first time I interacted with him in the 2013 CPL,” Pollard said of the 29-year-old. “He’d done well in the Test arena, in a couple of T20s too. We want that to continue, for him to give that impetus. He is clear what he has to do for the team. We look forward to consistent performances. We know he can give us a few overs with the ball as well.”Some captains don’t like talking about individuals, particularly if they aren’t chosen. Pollard is the exact opposite. He was asked what it would take for Shimron Hetmyer to make a comeback. The big-hitting Guyanese batter was signed for INR 8.5 crore last weekend by Rajasthan Royals, but finds himself out of the white-ball setup on fitness grounds. Coach Phil Simmons has made it clear he will only return if he passes the required parameters.”I think the coaches have spoken on their assessment of Shimron,” Pollard said. “I miss Shimron when he is not around. He is a young player and a superstar in his own right. He will get it right and get back to the West Indies squad pretty soon. I will be looking forward to having him. We know what he can do as an individual and he has a bright future. You can never write off a guy who is 25. My love for Shimron is paramount, and he knows that, and we all know that. It is a matter of time for him to do all that is necessary to get back to the team. We will welcome him with open arms.”What about Pooran, another big name with a big reputation, but with the kind of returns that may make you tear your hair out. “He is still trying to find his foot to become consistent and perform as an individual before thinking about leadership,” Pollard said. “He is in a good space. We have had a lot of conversations. He has got different opportunities at different times. We can see what he can do, and that is exciting.”The T20 set up has long been about the Gayles, Pollards, Russells, Bravos and Narines. Pollard, however, sees big things going forward with what he terms an “exciting group” that is ready to step up and take over the mantle.”What I see is that these guys are all wanting to do well,” he said. “Odean Smith, Drakes, Hetmyer, Romario – these are the guys we look to, to take our cricket forward. Some of the guys are selected in IPL and if they can use that experience to enhance their cricket, and get some expertise from the coaching staff, it augurs well for us in that aspect. They will be soaking in the knowledge, so it is exciting times for us going forward.”

Ben McDermott, Jordan Silk and George Bailey hit half-centuries to lead a comfortable chase

Andrew McGlashan23-Oct-2019Nathan Ellis claimed his maiden five-wicket as Tasmania hauled themselves off the foot of the Marsh Cup table by overturning a star-studded New South Wales side at North Sydney Oval.Ellis, who made his Western Australia debut at the start of the competition, claimed 5 for 38 as New South Wales were bowled out for 237 with almost seven overs remaining.They had been set back early in the day when Riley Meredith continued his good time in Sydney by removing David Warner and Steven Smith inside the first six overs to follow the five-wicket haul he claimed in the Sheffield Shield match.On a small ground with a fast outfield New South Wales needed their international attack – featuring Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in their first matches of the season – to pull the game out of the bag, but Ben McDermott warmed up for his return to Australia’s T20I set-up with a crisp half-century.McDermott began the chase by taking 12 off Mitchell Starc’s opening over with three drives and in all 46 off his 58 runs came in boundaries before he was bowled attempting a reverse sweep off Nathan Lyon.He had formed a brisk opening stand of 61 with Caleb Jewell to set Tasmania on their way in the chase until Jewell was bowled off his pads by Hazlewood as he walked across the crease. Hazlewood returned to trap Beau Webster lbw to give New South Wales a glimmer with Tasmania 3 for 113.From there, however, the stand-in captain Jordan Silk – covering from the injured Matthew Wade – and George Bailey eased towards the target with a stand of 118 in 21 overs. Bailey, who was left out of the Sheffield Shield match, moved to fifty from 59 deliveries and Silk matched that with a top-edged six off Cummins who recorded none for 62 off his 10 overs.Tasmania had put New South Wales into bat on a ground where it is difficult to defend. Meredith struck in his second when Warner toe-ended a pull back to the bowler and then again in his next when Smith clipped straight to square leg, to the disappointment of himself and the crowd that had come to watch in anticipation.Silk produced an excellent piece of fielding with an under-arm flick to run out Moises Henriques after Daniel Hughes called a risky single and Hughes became Ellis’ first wicket when he was given caught down the leg side.Matthew Gilkes gave another glimpse of his talent with some glorious shots in a better than run-a-ball 43 before driving a catch to cover. The lower all managed to chip in alongside captain Peter Nevill but couldn’t transform the innings as Ellis hit the stumps four times, the delivery take Cummins off stump being especially eye-catching.The defeat all-but ends New South Wales’ hopes of reaching the final.

Lancashire push into 160-run lead after Bohannon and Balderson put on century stand

ECB Reporters Network04-Sep-2023Josh Bohannon indulged his liking for Northamptonshire’s bowlers yet again with an imperious century to put Lancashire in control of their LV= Insurance County Championship contest at Wantage Road.The 26-year-old hit 175, his highest knock of the season and a third successive hundred against Northamptonshire, becoming the second Division One player to pass 1000 runs this summer in the process.Bohannon batted almost the entire day, sharing a partnership of 150 with George Balderson – a Red Rose record against Northamptonshire – to guide the visitors to 392 for 7 in their first innings, a commanding lead of 160. Northamptonshire toiled resolutely in the heat for little reward, with seamer Jack White the pick of their bowlers with 3 for 79, but they face a battle to rescue the game on day three.Having steered his side to 54 for 2 the previous evening, nightwatchman Will Williams took an early boundary off Ben Sanderson before the Northamptonshire seamer removed him with a rising delivery he could only fend to second slip. At the other end, White found both movement and bounce, ensuring a difficult start for Williams’ replacement Phil Salt as a couple of balls zipped past the bat and another flew off his inside edge just past the stumps.Salt had more joy against Tom Taylor, who offered too much width and was punished with three boundaries in a single over – but Taylor eventually got his man when he top-edged a pull and Emilio Gay ran back from his position in the slips to gather the catch.Taylor was unlucky not to add a second wicket when his strong leg before appeal against Vilas, on 10, was turned down and the former Lancashire captain took advantage of that let-off to build a partnership of 92 with Bohannon. The pair also shared a comic moment when a Vilas boundary mistakenly prompted the announcement of his partner’s half-century on the ground’s PA system, with both batters removing their helmets in mock celebration.Bohannon’s actual fifty duly arrived when he glanced White for three in the next over and the Lancashire batter continued to look untroubled after lunch, aside from a rare lapse when he was fortunate to get away with carving Taylor between second and third slip.White raised the prospect of a slender first-innings lead for Northamptonshire, striking twice in three deliveries as Vilas chopped onto his leg stump for 37 before George Bell was pinned in front without scoring. But Bohannon remained unruffled at the other end, drilling Rob Keogh sweetly to the cover boundary to advance to 99 before cutting the next delivery, the 184th of his innings, for a significant single.He raised personal and team landmarks in style soon afterwards, crashing Keogh for six over long-on to move past 1000 runs for the season and lift Lancashire beyond the home side’s first-innings total of 232.Bohannon found a new ally in Balderson, who was quick to pounce on anything wide of off stump as the pair put together a century stand and extended the Red Rose advantage into three figures. A thumping cover drive off Sanderson scuttled over the rope to take Bohannon past 150 as he dominated the post-tea scoring, with Balderson adopting a more watchful approach en route to his half-century.Taylor finally separated the pair by having Bohannon caught behind off a bottom edge, but Balderson, who finished unbeaten on 83, ensured there was no respite for the home side as he and Tom Hartley added a further 53 by stumps.

All the updates, news and stats from the first Test at Lord’s

Alan Gardner02-Jun-2021*Most recent entry will appear at the top, please refresh your page for the latest updates. All times are local

6.35pm: Conway’s day

Devon Conway celebrates his century on debut•PA Images via Getty Images

That’s stumps folks. New Zealand will be pretty pleased with that and no one more so than Devon Conway, who scored a century on debut. Henry Nicholls showed impeccable temperament in support as the pair put on an unbroken stand of 132 for the fourth wicket.Ollie Robinson, one of two debutants for England alongside James Bracey, took 2 for 50 to end the day the best of the home side’s bowlers, who all toiled hard, but the day belonged to the tourists – and Conway. Please join us again tomorrow. We look forward to bringing you all the action then.

5.55pm: Nicholls in nick

Henry Nicholls showcased his ability to occupy the crease for long times again•PA Images via Getty Images

Henry Nicholls may be the least starry member of a NZ batting line-up that contractually doesn’t do starry, but he is again demonstrating his value as a middle-order rock. This is the fourth innings out of his last five in which he has faced more than 100 balls, and he has played the foil to Conway beautifully, happy to tick along at half of his partner’s scoring rate while focusing on maintaining a control percentage in the region of 90%. Probably the reason he’s No. 6 on the ICC’s batting rankings.

5.30pm: Not Picking a Spinner in Test Cricket Dept