England v New Zealand: third men’s Test, day three – live

Key events

37m ago

Preamble

The first email of the day comes from John Starbuck. “Things may be falling apart, as you say,” he writes, “but the lines ‘The centre cannot hold/Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world’ could be reserved for the Lord’s staff, if their next two Tests this summer are played on such a dreadful pitch as the first one.”

Personally, I love a low-scoring Test, when a cool-headed 50, like Emilio Gay’s, can be a matchwinner. So much better than sitting through a partnership of 300. But while we’re reflecting on pitches of the recent past, wasn’t the one at the Oval excellent? It had enough runs in it to be widely described as flat, yet there was always something in it for the bowler, whether that was Jofra Archer (who could have had a five-for on the first morning), Matt Henry or Jacob Bethell.

Preamble

Morning everyone and welcome to the third act of a riveting drama. England won the first Test, New Zealand won the second. New Zealand won the first day of this Test, England won the second. Who’s going to win the third? Who knows!

If the game is to have a winner, according to CricViz, it’s now twice as likely to be England (who apparently have a 45pc chance) as New Zealand (20pc). Are they sure about that?

Well as Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell batted yesterday, England are still just a collapse away from a first-innings deficit of 100. And collapses are their special subject. Plus, they have to bat last on a surface that is as dry as Mark Butcher’s sense of humour.

On the other hand, England are close to full strength, with Ben Stokes back to bowling with superhuman tenacity, while New Zealand are nearly as depleted as their hosts were at the Oval. The Kiwis’ change bowlers from the last Test are now taking the new ball, one of their stand-ins has had to stand down with possible concussion (get well soon, Blair Tickner), their best batter from the first two Tests is missing, their only spinner has taken a pummelling, and they didn’t even get to the Rex Rooms to celebrate their victory. In this slow old sport of ours, things fall apart very fast.