The communication, cohesion and camaraderie between the Wellingtonian pair was a lesson to other padded-up Black Caps who scampered and lumbered to and fro from the dressing room too regularly across the match.
As England stood in the field with MC Hammer pants flapping in the burgeoning nor’ wester, Blundell and Smith busied themselves at the crease. They rotated the strike with alacrity and piled on the counterattack within reason.
New Zealand’s next best stands made for slim pickings. Blundell and Daryl Mitchell’s 47 for the fifth wicket in the second innings was second, then came a dead heat between the 35 for Blundell and Glenn Phillips’ sixth-wicket in the second dig and Tom Latham and Kane Williamson’s second-wicket in the first.
Let’s compare that to England.
They took the overall podium via 187 for the second wicket between Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell in the second innings; next was the 174-run pivotal first innings stand between Harry Brook and Ollie Pope after coming together at 43 for four for the fifth wicket; and finally 100 between Ben Stokes and Joe Root for the sixth-wicket in the second dig.
England’s best three combinations amounted to 461 runs; New Zealand’s top trio totalled 178 runs.
The 283-run difference in aggregate defined the game and was 40 runs shy of the margin between the teams.
New Zealand captain Latham acknowledged their inability to gel.
“We speak about putting partnership after partnership together.
“Unfortunately, most of us weren’t able to do that on the wicket, which was potentially playing close to its best today.”
England skipper Stokes saluted the value of Brook and Pope’s contribution.
“Our ethos, particularly with the bat, accepts we’re going to have to absorb pressure at times, but also understands that we need to put it back on them at some point as well.
“I thought that [stand] was a great example on the first day… unbelievable bravery and backing of their own ability, but you also need to have the skills to play like those two did.”
