Cricket score nz

By Nick Hoult, Cricket Correspondent, at Basin Reserve. England have played 12 Tests in the Bazball era and won some tremendous matches but this, ...

Foakes was caught at fine leg and Anderson will have to wait a bit longer to hit the winning runs. Fortunes ebbed and flowed like a current in Wellington Harbour as England at various points had the game in their grasp, even if it was never plain sailing. Perhaps it is a useful moment too, a reminder that might just have to dial down Bazball at times to get the job done. Anderson went for the flick, the ball ended up in the gloves of keeper Tom Blundell and it was all over. In his next over and with Root eyeing his first ever twin hundreds in Tests, Wagner banged another ball in short. With Jack Leach one not out off 25 balls at the other end and calmly reprising his sleeping partner heroics of Headingley 2019, it felt as if Anderson was about to tick off his final achievement. It is just that Kane Williamson is a great player and salvaged the match. Ben Foakes played intelligently for 35 off 57 in a 36 run stand with Leach that was a rescue job with England eight down and another 43 needed when they came together. England go home from New Zealand with credit high despite defeat after one of the finest Test matches ever seen. “No I hate batting,” he harrumphed when asked at the start of the tour if it was one last ambition. Nobody was moving from their seat as last man, 40 year-old James Anderson, walked to the crease with seven runs needed and at stake a long line of notable achievements. It was the 2019 World Cup final replayed with a red ball.