The opening day at Edgbaston witnessed a swashbuckling battle between bat and ball. Despite winning a crucial toss and not losing a wicket in the first session for the first time in ten years, England finished on a modest 258/7. There was a bit of swing and seam movement throughout the day, enough for the New Zealand bowlers to tame the English middle order on a decent pitch.
Barring last match’s centurion Rory Burns (81) and Dan Lawrence (67*), there was no significant contribution from the batters. Resuming at 72 for no loss after lunch, England lost three wickets in 29 balls. That phase completely derailed their progress.
Matt Henry and Neil Wagner ensured a New Zealand turnaround. Then Ajaz Patel chipped in with the wicket of Ollie Pope as New Zealand tightened their grip. England kept losing wickets at regular intervals. At one point they were tottering at 175/6. But Lawrence, along with the lower-order batters, took England past the 250-run mark at the end of the day.
Day 2: What to expect
It will be another cloudy day at Edgbaston, but thankfully the chances of precipitation is low. The temperature will hover around 19-20 degrees. Overall, it looks like a bowling day and under these conditions the Dukes ball is expected to produce lateral movement for the seamers.
New Zealand had taken the second new ball straightway last evening. Their primary objective will be to bowl England out by 300. Trent Boult, who bowled 23 overs on Day 1, will be the ideal man for the clean-up job.
For England, 300 or more can be considered as a decent recovery from 175/6. Lawrence holds the key here, as he needs to score the bulk of the runs. Mark Wood is with him. With Stuart Broad and James Anderson to follow, there is still a realistic chance for England to post a decent first innings total.
Against the depleted New Zealand batting line-up, England will be satisfied with a score around 300. Anderson, Broad, Wood and Stone may be more than a handful in these conditions for a depleted New Zealand line-up.
Overall, we can expect another cat and mouse battle between bat and ball on this Day 2 of the second Test.