RESULT
1st Test, Mount Maunganui, November 21 - 25, 2019, England tour of New Zealand
353 & 197

New Zealand won by an innings and 65 runs

Player Of The Match
205 & 5 catches
bj-watling
New
ENG 2nd Innings
Full commentary

5.01pm: That's a wrap from our live coverage of this Test. Alan's report will be available here very soon, and the usual searing analysis from our man in Tauranga, George Dobell, will be up shortly on the site. We'll be back to talk you through the second Test on Friday, but until then, thanks for joining Alan and me throughout this game.

"It feels great to win a Test match," says Kane Williamson. "There was a huge amount of heart from that middle-order batting unit to get us to the 600 mark, which was our only opportunity to get us a win. For them to bat for 200 overs was an outstanding effort. [Santner] The talent's always been there... in his own mind, to spend so much time at the crease [and] to come away with his first Test hundred along with BJ Watling's first double was a magnificent contribution. [Watling's] application and his focus... the patience to make good decisions for long periods of time - it was what the team required. [On the bowling effort today] Apart from the odd delivery that reacted like you'd expect on a day-five wicket it was still pretty flat. When you're bowling for a Test victory there's always a bit more left in the tank. [Leaving the field] Just a niggle, it's OK."

Here's Joe Root's verdict: "We missed an opportunity [in the first innings] if we're brutally honest with ourselves. Could have done with a score over 450, and using that scoreboard pressure as another fielder. We did a lot of good stuff, we just need to do it for longer - it's not going to happen overnight. It ended up being a good wicket over the course of five days... unfortunately, that first innings is what's cost us. We have to be honest with ourselves, not panic... the guys are putting in a lot of hard work behind the scenes. We've got an opportunity to level things up."

BJ Watling is player of the match. "It felt really good. The key was to get partnerships, and the boys stuck in there at the end. We tried to build as much of a lead as possible and hoped the wicket would do funny things on Day 5. Your job is to play the situation, whatever that is... it's just about turning up for that situation. I take a break every now and then, try and keep the body as fresh as possible. It was awesome here to play at the Mount, very exciting. [Keeping on this pitch] You feel like you're in the game the whole time"

Good spot this, from Liam: this was the longest Test (in terms of most balls bowled) of the calendar year so far

Bozza: "good luck picking a MoM on this one!" Tough one isn't it... I think if Santner had picked up a couple today he'd have sealed it, but it'll probably end up being Watling. Stick around here for the decision on that, as well as some post-match reaction from the captains.

4.49pm: As for England... well, the Silverwood era starts in disastrous fashion, with yet another abject defeat away from home. They threw away a solid base in the first innings, underwhelmed with the ball while Watling and Santner went about putting on a mammoth stand, and then got themselves out in the final innings on a fairly placid surface (albeit one that bounced unusually on day five).

4.46pm: What a brilliant effort from New Zealand, who wrap up a mightily impressive victory by a margin of an innings and 65 runs - crushing, by any standard. It's been their unsung stars, Wagner, Santner and Watling, who have taken the headlines, but the team effort was phenomenal as their stuck to their simple gameplan: bowl dry, and bat long.

96.2
W
Wagner to Broad, OUT

low full toss, smacks Broad flush on the pad, huge appeal, and given! Broad reviews, though it looked stone-dead live. No bat on it, and it's crashing into the base of middle stump. And that will be that!

Stuart Broad lbw b Wagner 0 (1b 0x4 0x6 3m) SR: 0

Great day for Wagner so far. Can he finish the job and complete a deserved five-for in the process? Stuart Broad is the man hoping to stop him.

96.1
W
Wagner to Archer, OUT

short ball on leg stump, Archer flicks it away off the hip in the air but straight down deep backward square leg's throat! Henry, on as sub, takes the catch, and Wagner lets out his trademark celebratory roar. New Zealand are one away!

Jofra Archer c sub (MJ Henry) b Wagner 30 (50b 5x4 0x6 71m) SR: 60

Williamson is off the field briefly

end of over 96Maiden
ENG: 197/8CRR: 2.05 
Sam Curran29 (59b 6x4)
Jofra Archer30 (49b 5x4)
Mitchell Santner 40-19-53-3
Neil Wagner 19-6-44-3
95.6
Santner to Sam Curran, no run

ooft, not far away. Length ball outside off, decent turn and Curran is struck on the front pad looking to defend. There might have been a faint inside edge, but it dropped short of Taylor at slip regardless

95.5
Santner to Sam Curran, no run

tossed up, full and straight. Curran brings out the sweep, and hits it between the two short legs, but can't beat the man at square

Two short legs in now

Sean: "I can't go through something like this as a Kiwi again."

95.4
Santner to Sam Curran, no run

length outside off, drawn forward in defence and it spills up off the inside edge... but lands safely

95.3
Santner to Sam Curran, no run

length ball, bounces normally this time and Curran defends purposefully

95.2
Santner to Sam Curran, no run

just full of a length outside off, it turns sharply and doesn't bounce at all out of the footmarks, and beats Curran for all money!

95.1
Santner to Sam Curran, no run

full on fourth stump, defended back to the bowler's left hand

OZ Tragic: "I got a sneaky suspicion that this comment section doesnt work and it is creative cricinfo people who come up with those witty liners" Wrong!

end of over 954 runs
ENG: 197/8CRR: 2.07 
Jofra Archer30 (49b 5x4)
Sam Curran29 (53b 6x4)
Neil Wagner 19-6-44-3
Mitchell Santner 39-18-53-3
94.6
Wagner to Archer, no run

short ball outside off, and Archer again ducks underneath it

94.5
Wagner to Archer, no run

full and straight, pushed out to mid-on

Does Wagner throw in a knuckleball at some point?

94.4
Wagner to Archer, no run

back of a length on fifth stump, Archer defends out to cover off the back foot

94.3
Wagner to Archer, no run

short ball aimed at the left shoulder, Archer ducks underneath it

94.2
Wagner to Archer, no run

short ball outside off, Archer drops underneath it nonchalantly

94.1
4
Wagner to Archer, FOUR runs

bosh, have some of that! Length ball outside the off stump - a bit of a half-volley if truth be told - and he extends the arms and crunches this through cover out of the middle!

Now then Glen, pay attention: your man Neil Wagner returns from round the wicket

end of over 94Maiden
ENG: 193/8CRR: 2.05 
Sam Curran29 (53b 6x4)
Jofra Archer26 (43b 4x4)
Mitchell Santner 39-18-53-3
Tim Southee 20-4-60-1
93.6
Santner to Sam Curran, no run

fired through fuller and quicker, defended back to the bowler with his head over it

93.5
Santner to Sam Curran, no run

hangs a length ball wide of the off stump, Curran is a bit tentative in defence after being beaten last time around but gets a full face on it

93.4
Santner to Sam Curran, no run

length ball, looks like a little slider or maybe even the carrom ball, holds its line to beat Curran's defensive prod

Glen: "They need to bring Wagner back on. A few, well placed, short ones should do the trick" Sure he'll be back on before long

93.3
Santner to Sam Curran, no run

full on fifth stump, Curran gets forward to smother the spin

93.2
Santner to Sam Curran, no run

fired in quicker, just full of a length outside off, and Curran jams the bat down in defence

93.1
Santner to Sam Curran, no run

fullish outside off, defended out towards point with soft hands

Santner continues from over the wicket. Slip, short leg and silly cover point in place

RD: "To Bob Marley's iconic tunes... "No Morgan, No tie"" The tie's a write-off, but can England cling on for another 25 overs? Stranger things have happened...

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