England make a stunning declaration in Day-Night Test versus NZ
In what can be called a stunning decision, England declared their first innings at 325/9 (58.2 overs) in the ongoing opening Test versus New Zealand. The idea behind the same was to expose NZ batters in the fag end of the opening day's play. Notably, the ongoing Test is a Day-Night affair and hence, bowlers are operating with the pink cherry. Here's more.
Why does this story matter?
The Brits could have added more runs with Ollie Robinson and James Anderson being the non-dismissed batters. In fact, Robinson was playing on 15 off 11 balls (three fours) when the declaration came. Notably, England have been taking brave and aggressive decisions ever since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took over as head coach and captain, respectively, of the Test team.
How did the innings pan out?
NZ won the toss in the Day-Night game and put England to bat first at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. The Brits were off to a poor start with opener Zak Crawley (4) perishing cheaply. Nevertheless, Ben Duckett (84) joined forces with Ollie Pope (42) and the duo added 99 runs for the second wicket. Harry Brook's fiery 89 helped England post a strong total.
Fiery knock from Duckett
Duckett was at his destructive best as he ended up scoring 84 off just 68 deliveries (14 boundaries). The left-handed batter has now raced to 551 runs from eight Tests at an average of 42.38 (SR: 87.32). The tally includes one century and five half-centuries. 107(110), 0(1), 63(49), 79(98), 26(37) and 82*(78) are Duckett's previous scores since his comeback to Test cricket.
Harry Brook shines again
Like Duckett, Brook was also aggressive in his approach and he recorded an 81-ball 89 (15 fours, 1 six). The 23-year-old missed out on what would have been his fourth Test ton in just five appearances in the format. The youngster now owns 569 runs in five games at a stellar average of 81.29 (100s: 3, 50s: 2). Meanwhile, his strike rate reads 94.52.
Third-highest score for England in D/N Tests
Meanwhile, Brook's 89 is the third-highest individual score for an England batter in Day-Night Tests. Alastair Cook (243 vs West Indies in 2017) and Joe Root (136 vs West Indies in 2017) are England's only centurions in this regard.
Four-fer for Wagner
Neil Wagner was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers, having claimed figures worth 4/82 in 16.2 overs. He has now raced to 250 (251) Test wickets in just 61 games. The 36-year-old left-arm pacer boasts an average of 26.80 in the format. The tally includes as many as nine five-wicket hauls with his best innings figure reading 7/39.
