Cricket: Root finds form ahead of test series

Joe Root hit a century against the New Zealand XI. Photo / Getty Images

England captain Joe Root made a century on the final day of the red-ball warm-up match at Hamilton's Seddon Park.

The visitors reached 353 for nine in reply to the New Zealand XI's 287 for 13. That came after the Kiwi outfit, featuring four of the Black Caps' test squad, reached 376 for nine and England slumped to 319 for 14 in the pink-ball practice earlier in the week.

The New Zealand quartet — Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls and Colin de Grandhomme — made 35 runs, faced 119 balls and spent 105 minutes at the crease between them.

They had further practice last night under lights at Mt Maunganui's Bay Oval. The New Zealand squad were scheduled to face 60 overs across two sessions.

Root struck form after getting trapped lbw for one on the back foot by Doug Bracewell in the first match. He made 50 not out in Thursday's contingency innings. That led to his 115 from 150 balls across more than three hours yesterday.

The preparation might not match the tours of yesteryear — the first touring Marylebone Cricket Club side of 1929-30 had 35 days of play across Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand before this country's maiden test in Christchurch — but it has offered a gauge as to what England might do.

The decision to bowl Stuart Broad first change in both matches, rather than in his traditional partnership with Jimmy Anderson, suggests they want to develop an opening bowler such as Chris Woakes or Mark Wood longer term.

Ben Stokes' back injury saw him miss playing under lights and he did not bowl during the red-ball match.

That hints the all-rounder will only feature as a specialist batsman at Eden Park. He made 27 from 32 balls before Scott Kuggeleijn forced an error. All England's potential test batsmen had one or more innings of at least five overs' duration across the four days.