On February 24th, New Zealand and England will set to face off in the second Test of their two-match series. The game was to be held at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. The England team, led by Ben Stokes, had adopted a more attacking style of play which had paid off for them in the past year. They had started off 2023 with a strong win against the Blackcaps by 267 runs in Mount Maunganui. James Anderson, at 40 years old, had shown that age was just a number as he displaced Australia’s Pat Cummins as the No.1 ranked bowler in Tests. He had contributed to England’s victory by taking three wickets in the first innings and two in the second.
Anderson-Broad: one of the greatest duo
Anderson and Stuart Broad have created history by becoming the most successful bowling pair in Tests in England and in the World. They surpassed the previous record set by Australia’s Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. The duo’s impressive performance is a testament to their skill and teamwork.
Harry Brook, continued his excellent form from the Pakistan series. He scored 54 and 89 runs in the first and second innings, respectively. His contribution played a crucial role in the team’s success.
The New Zealand team also had some standout performances. Tom Blundell, in particular, played an outstanding inning. He scored 138 runs off 181 balls, hitting 19 fours and one six. His brilliant knock helped his team put up a competitive total.
Despite his impressive performance, Neil Wagner had a tough time in the second innings. He took four wickets but was unable to contain the opposition’s runs. Nonetheless, Wagner’s efforts helped keep the Kiwis in the game.
The Wellington pitch offers a fair chance to the batters, but the pacers can still make use of the surface’s nuances. Thus, teams have an opportunity to take advantage of the pitch by opting to bat first and setting up a respectable total.
England vs New Zealand
Date and Time: February 24, 2022, Friday, 03.30 am IST
Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington
New Zealand
Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tim Southee (c), Neil Wagner, and Blair Tickner.
England
Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, James Anderson.
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