Black Caps v England: Three wishes for the second test in Wellington - Andrew Alderson

Rachin Ravindra averages 48.05 in 20 innings this year. Photo / Photosport

THREE KEY THINGS

• England beat the Black Caps by eight wickets in the first test in Christchurch
• The Black Caps dropped eight catches as England scored 499 in the first innings
• The test match was wrapped up during the second session on day four

By Andrew Alderson in Christchurch

England dominated the opening test against New Zealand, but the hosts’ chances of winning or drawing the series remain realistic.

Their obvious flaw was eight dropped catches during the visitors’ first innings. These conceded anywhere from 124 to 251 complimentary runs, depending on how generous you’re feeling about Harry Brook getting spilt five times in his 171. The Pollyanna view, espoused best by Matt Henry at the third-day press conference, was “we kept creating chances”. Ergo, the bowlers are largely exempt from blame for the innings ballooning to 499.

Instead, in the spirit of Christmas, here are three “Dear Santa” batting wishes for New Zealand fans ahead of the second test in Wellington, starting Friday.

The opening partnership ignites

A settled start between Devon Conway and Tom Latham would be welcome. That’s defined by whether Kane Williamson can put the kettle on with confidence while the gilt gets chipped off the ball. Opening is a perilous art, especially on New Zealand pitches, but these left-handers know the role and presumably each other’s approach having been paired together since Conway’s 200 on debut at Lord’s in June 2021. From 36 innings they average 34 runs, but in the most recent 20 across the last year this has reduced to 17. Their longest stay was 18.4 overs for 63 in the first test against Sri Lanka at Galle in September, but they have only batted beyond 10 overs four times during that period.

Rachin Ravindra flourishes

The 25-year-old left-hander delighted during the opening match with an elegant 34 and a fluid 24 … but left prematurely. He has the game to counter most attacks with languid drives, audacious pulls and the ability to whip deliveries off his pads through mid-wicket. You could see him rue both catches the moment they were struck. First, a slap to short mid-wicket off Shoaib Bashir and second, holing out into the wind at deep square leg off Brydon Carse. Ravindra averages 48.05 in 20 innings this year, including two centuries and four half-centuries. Encore!

Tom Blundell stirs

Blundell the wicketkeeper, arguably his most important job, looks relatively sound, often noted by the thwack of leather-on-leather echoing across the outfield as his gloves cocoon the ball. Blundell the batter has struggled of late, averaging 13.52 in 25 innings since England’s last visit in March 2023. He’s innovative and busy, so impulsiveness can prove tempting. Yet his record against the current opposition is staggering, averaging 58.41 from 13 innings. Skipper Latham has backed him, so he appears to have a licence for resurrection across the series.