Wagner, Astle consign England to innings defeat

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Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes led an excellent rear-guard act for England on the final day of the first of two Tests against New Zealand, at Auckland’s Eden Park, but were left with far too much to do. The resistance ended at 320, in the 80th over of the day, giving New Zealand victory by an innings and 49 runs.

Stokes and Woakes, the all-rounders, got together with England at 217/6 and dragged the total to 300 before Stokes fell for 66, the top score of the innings. That was the big wicket, and though Woakes went on to score 52, there wasn’t much resistance from the other tail-enders, and New Zealand got the result they wanted despite the best part of two days in the Test being lost to rain.

The day started with England on 132/3, having lost Alastair Cook and Joe Root to Trent Boult and Mark Stoneman to Neil Wagner in the final session on the fourth day. Stokes joined Dawid Malan, the overnight batsman, in the middle, but Malan didn’t last too long, a full delivery from Tim Southee moving away and catching the edge through to Tom Latham at second slip. Malan had added just four to his 19 before becoming the fourth England batsman to be dismissed.

Jonny Bairstow and Stokes then played well to move the total along to 181. It began fortuitously for the wicket-keeper batsman, as BJ Watling failed to hold on to an edge down the leg-side, but he was steady after that as the two batsmen added 39 for the fifth wicket.

Todd Astle was given the ball and a particularly poor patch of cricket led to New Zealand getting their fifth wicket. Astle first sent down a long hop that Bairstow tried to pull but only miscued to Boult at mid-on, but the paceman put down the easiest chance he could get. The next ball was similar, and Bairstow went for the pull again, and again didn’t get hold of it and only found Kane Williamson at short mid-wicket to depart for 26, leaving England at 181/5 and a lot to do.

It was just Astle’s second wicket in his third Test appearance.

There was another brief partnership after that as Moeen Ali and Stokes added 36 for the sixth wicket before the new ball accounted for Ali. Boult brought one into the left-hander and it seemed like bat first and then pad, but Williamson reviewed and got the decision in New Zealand’s favour. Ali fell for 28, becoming Boult’s third victim in the innings.

But for just over 30 overs after that, New Zealand were made to wait as Stokes and Woakes controlled proceedings. The break finally came when Wagner, in the last over before the dinner break, bowled a short one and Stokes, after a wonderful innings, lost his concentration for once against the left-arm paceman who had induced false strokes from both batsmen. Stokes backed away and tried to hit the bouncer over the off-side infield, but Southee ran back from point to take a smart catch, and England were 300/7 with one whole session to negotiate.

In came Craig Overton, whose 33 not out was the only bright spot in England’s 58 all out in the first innings, and Astle had his second for the match soon, trapping the batsman lbw with a googly that was confirmed after an England review – 304/8.

Wagner looked the likeliest at that stage to finish the innings, and the match off, and Williamson gave him an extended spell. Wagner delivered, picking up his third for the innings when he finally got rid of Woakes with one that would have troubled most top-order batsmen: a bouncer aimed at the face. Woakes, who had played beautifully till then in getting to his fourth Test half-century, could only fend at the ball and it went off his gloves to Henry Nicholls at forward short-leg.

The end came soon after as Astle flighted one up to James Anderson, who checked his drive and ended up sending the ball to Boult at mid-off, and that was that. Boult, whose 6/32 in the first innings set up New Zealand’s win, got 3/67 in the second innings, while Wagner returned 3/77 and Astle 3/39. Boult was named the Player of the Match for his combined returns of 9/99.

The second and final Test will be played at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval from Friday 30 March.