Test Match Special - Root resistance but England on the brink

Episode Date: June 20, 2026

Simon Mann is alongside former England captain Michael Vaughan and BBC chief cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew for reaction to the fourth day's play between England and New Zealand at The Oval.Hear from Josh Tongue, who took two wickets in New Zealand’s second innings, and Henry Nicholls, whose century got New Zealand well on their way to an imposing total.Plus, Andy Zaltzman gives us a stat-attack.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. On the open road, conditions change. Your composure doesn't have to. But technologies like terrain response to and clear sight ground view, Range Rover Sport brings confidence and control the challenging conditions. Explore more atrangerover.ca. He's widely recognised as one of the greatest footballers in history. He's won the prestigious Ballandour Award five times.

He's the all-time leading goal scorer in professional football. And according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, he's the first active footballer in history to achieve billionaire status. Guess who we're talking about yet? That's right. Good Bad Billionaire is exploring the life and fortune of football icon Cristiano Ronaldo. That's Good Bad Billionaire from the BBC World Service. Listen now, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Welcome to our review of the fourth day of the second test at the overall.

where New Zealand are closing in on victory. They need five more wickets to win. England need a further 281 to win. There were 182 for 5 at T. They were 54 for 3, and we wondered whether we would even need a fifth day. But Joe Root is still there. He is 75 knot out.

Harry Brook made 58. New Zealand bowled out for 362, 110 for 7 today, and 4 for 17 after lunch, but they were playing lots of shots, and they wanted to get bowling. Once they did, they just began to work their way through England's batting lineup. Michael Vaugh is here.

Jonathan Agnew is here. We'll hear from Henry Nichols and Josh Tung. Shortly, firstly, Michael, a certain inevitability about where we have ended up, but at least England showed some fight today. Yeah, they did. I thought they ball well today. There was a little bit more happening. That stem from Joff Rogers first over where he found the outside edge first ball.

Harry dropped one at first slip. Inga of fighting, there's never a question of the kind of want to put everything in for the three lines. It's just up there up against the side that since day one where you kind of look back to day one and they kind of worked away New Zealand to just stay in the contest from pretty much the day to the day to that first hour, they've been outstanding. They've played some tremendous cricket and with the ball in hand, they've got a skillful attack. I did enjoy Harry Brooks innings, you know, the way that he's. came and played particularly after tea. I just wonder what was said at tea, because England certainly came out after tea today

with a little bit more energy and a little bit more of the kind of basball method that we've seen for a few years. But yeah, New Zealand, I mean, I can't imagine that England will about 90 over us without losing five wickets. And we're going to Trent Bridge 1-1. But, you know, you're never saying never with cricket

while you've got someone like Joe Root out there who's once again in me. Every time I watch Joe, I just say, he makes bat and looks so easy. You know, he's got all the time in the world. He's got great ball. and he's got that fire inside to want to bat for long periods of time. So obviously for England to have any kind of sniff and it's a long sniff,

the captain's going to have to bat all day tomorrow. He's amazing how he keeps threading that ball through, isn't it? I mean, countless hours of video every team would have watched. This is how you bolder Joe route. Here we go. This is where we're going to put the fielders. And he still just threads that ball through down through the slips, down through third man. He's just kind of playing with them, isn't it? It's like they have to put the fielders on straight.

It is extraordinary But yeah I mean going to England have tried hard It's just been It kind of sums up The rather shambolic chaotic Buildup to all of this

They've got some young young lads playing Giving it giving it their best They're just outgunned Aren't they I mean if New Zealand can bring in someone like Henry Nichols To replace Kane Williamson And you know England brought in some youngsters

For a look And one or two have put their hands up And you think okay That looks okay But you know I think this test match was always likely to end this way. Yeah, that's my point. I mean, should anyone really be that surprised that England had been a bit disjointed this week?

No, no, absolutely not. When you've got five changes and you've got three debutants. Different captain. Different captain. You know, they've not got a great record of light here either. Even when, you know, you go back to last year again, Sydney where Ben Stokes didn't play in the game. The last game, Chris Wokes got injured, so they pretty much played India with 10.

I mean I've seen signs of the new players that you think yeah I wouldn't put any of them on the scrap heap just yet I mean Sunny Baker he's got a bit of pace about him he looks like he might have to work on a bit of skill he clearly has to get a bit closer because then he'll bowl a yard quicker which will help him and the team Matt Fisher looks at a schoolful cricket they played nicer with the bat and I think James Rue I mean he's had two scores where he'd have liked to get the bigger numbers but you know I've heard of think oh you've got a problem with a short

Well, I've seen enough of Jane through to tell you that he's a good player. You know, he's a batter. You know, he's keeping his certainly working programme, and he can keep better than he has done this week. But, you know, if you look at James Rue purely as a batter in the future, you know, I think he has a career in the England team. I don't see him being the wicket-keeper battered just yet. I think there's a lot of work to do with his glove work.

He'd be the first to admit that. But, you know, Jordan Cox, I mean, he's nought not out, but I see him and go, he's got something about him. He's got a lot of composure. And one thing is positive from this week. If they find out about one or two players for the future in a few games time that they need a change in the batting line up. You're looking at moving someone out.

You know you've seen a couple of players. So that's the one positive that England can take from this week. But New Zealand are excellent. They're a workman-like team, aren't they? They know how they kind of just gather and they've got him Matt Henry this week someone that looks a lot fit than he did at Lords. I think if they had a Matt Henry ball in the way that we've seen in this week, on that pitch at Lords.

You remember he had the back spasm on day one. England got 140 at Lords on day one. If Henry had been fully fit, I don't think that they got the 140. Yeah, it's interesting watching him bowling at Root and Brooke again and the way that they were determined, I thought, to show you, you think we've got a problem with this, for the keeper, I will show you.

And Brooke playing as big shots, wasn't he? And Root, they just look really positive against that. As if, you know, you've got this wrong, lads. But actually, they were both saved by the thinnest little edges again, I mean, I don't think the way that they played actually necessarily answers that question. There's still with that keeper up and a bowler like Henry nagging away like that. There is something that there is. Well, I think it also identify how hard it is to ball with the keeper up.

Henry's done it brilliantly. Nathan Smith tried it and he got it a little bit short and Harry Brooke went, put him onto the leg side, a couple of cut shots. So it's easy for so you just put the keeper up and you'll get Harry Brooke out or you'll get Joe Rupert. Well, you've still got to have skill and you've got to have discipline. and Matt Henry once again, he could have, and that spell in the last, he could have had a wicket every ball.

He bowled beautifully, and that's the kind of bowler that he is. He gets on a roll. I think as a bowler, you have to buy into it. You have to buy into the whole notion of the keeper standing up as well, because, you know, you're an opening bowler. You don't really want the, you know, you don't want the keeper standing up to you

because there is that kind of negative side to it. So you've got to buy into what it actually does, which clearly Henry's done, and he's got a career extension opportunity here to bowl that little nibbly stuff. he started off as an out and out quick bowler or trying to be, well, this is lovely. Well, the one that did for Harry Brooke was a beauty

because he'd been nipping them back and he just gets wanted. Just shape away, thin edge, which came off the keeper's thigh and kind of just ballooned to Daryl Mitchell. But I watched that spell, and it was two plays. You had one in Harrybrook who's thinking,

how do I attack him? He had mid on and mid-off pack. It was like a spinning field. I didn't understand that from New Zealand that if I'd have been bowling to Harry Pack and I wanted to make sure that he was on strike. And then Joe Rooke technically kind of working it out, it was great test match cricket.

Yeah, it really was. Contest was on because it felt actually for, I don't know, a day until England started batting as though we're not quite going through the motions, but there was that feel about the game. Inevitability about the course of the game. But then the, yeah, it really was test match cricket back on again. I'm surprised by Ruse LBW, I don't know what you two thought.

That looked an odd one. I mean, every now and then, and we see a lot of these, we see every ball bowled. You see a lot of hawk eyes and all that computer stuff. That looked an odd one to me. And it's a bit unfortunate for him maybe because he's going to attract more short pitch balling. He is going to work on that, isn't he?

I mean, you say he can play it. I'm sure he can. He's up against two very tall quick bowlers here who seem to think that he's vulnerable to it and he can say that he got a bit in a strange position playing that one. But I think he might have been unlucky there. Well, I look at Jameson where he pitched the ball and instinctively, he's saying play instinctively

and he's seen it go quite short and he's gone to play the pool shot, which I probably would have been. played that shot to that length ball. It skids on. It must have been every now and again with Hawkeye, I just see a ball that was tracking. And then on this occasion, it seemed to flattened. It didn't kind of carry on with the trajectory of the ball. He's out. That's something that we can't change.

I actually thought he played a Roque quite nicely when he went in. It's test cricket, isn't it? You get out to a bowl in the first inning, he's playing a pull shot. Guess what? Second innings, guess who's on? A Roak. So that's what you have to put up with, the pressure of the 20 or000. and everyone talking about you on the television, us talking about him now.

I've seen enough of James. Not necessarily this week, but over the last two or three years, I wouldn't be putting him on the scrap heat yet. Should we talk about another left hander as well? Jacob Bethel, 6, 14, 9, naught in this series. But we also saw him score a superb 100 in Sydney

and also a brilliant hundred in the T20 World Cup semi-final as well. The talent is there, but it's not coming out. far at number three. I'll tell you about number three. Yeah, I'll just say look, we're asking a lot of Jacob Bethel and you know I kind of understand the IPL and I understand you know this this contract and the player pulls out and you get banned don't you get a couple of years on the naughty step. It's very evident to me that for a young player to be successful at this level you're

asking a lot of him if he's not going to play any red ball cricket. You know you kind of you're going on the hunch all it happened in Sydney But in Sydney, he'd been on a tour and he'd been hitting red balls for a long period of time. He didn't play in the first three, three test matches. England went three-nil down. He came in at the MCG, played a bit of a dash innings, but played well in the second inns. And obviously, throughout that tour, he'd have hit hundreds and hundreds of red balls leading into that MCG game. And then...

And mindset, too. All they're talking about is red ball cricket. You're not sitting and talking about the white ball stuff, I'm going to come out of no red ball cricket into this environment. playing a New Zealand attack that's quality. It just tells you that if it was that easy, many would have tried it before. So, but the problem for Jacob is like, when does he get the red ball cricket?

So he'll play next week at Trent Bridge and they go straight into the White Ball Series against India. Then there's 100 and then straight into a Pakistan series. And you know, he's a kind of player because he's young that he just needs time in the middle. You know, I'm actually laughing because Ben Stokes is up in Durham this week, getting a few runs for Durham 95

He'll no doubt play at Trent Bridge, I think, and he'll be so much better for that time in the middle. And I do worry about young players that are all format players that they're not going to get the chance to kind of develop the game in Redboard cricket away from the glaring eye of what is test match cricket. But Ben Duckett said, actually, well, I'm not going to go and play the IPL, didn't he? So, you know, and he's an established player. Doesn't it come down to the young player,

if Bethel really wants to be a successful test player? and I'm with the sort of the Allister Cook, I'll give him against KP here. It's out of him. I mean, he's going to make a choice, isn't he? I mean, it's not down to anybody else, really. I want to be a successful number three for England. You're going to have to get into that red ball mindset, aren't you? And play games.

I don't think, you know, today's dismissal was down to his fault necessarily. But he just needs to play. He just needs to play some games. I suppose the difference with Ben Duckett is that he felt his test place was on the line. Whereas as far as Bethel's concerned, he can't establish himself with that 100 in that Sydney test match. Well, he's actually been out a couple of times LBW. I know the ball nipping back up the slope at Lords and the first things with a decent delivery. And today, again, it nip back.

But, you know, you start looking at players and you say, oh, you know, James Trues got a problem with the short ball. Well, has he? You know, what about Jacob, Bethel's problem with the ball that nips back onto his stomach. So everyone has problems playing this game. It's not easy. But, you know, when you've got young players that, coming straight from the IPL with no kind of red ball game time behind them against the quality of attack like New Zealand.

And again, you go on a pitch at Lords, which was spicy, and there's just been enough here, particularly with the new ball. Don't be surprised if a few low scores happen when you haven't got the red ball cricket behind you. And does it apply particularly to a number three? It's like an opener or a number three. If he was a middle order shot player, the fact is coming back from IPL, whiteboard cricket,

you can kind of understand it in a way, because that's the way they play. But because of a number three, It's supposed to be. Well, the perfect example is Glenn Phillips. He's been at the IPL. He's come back and played great, hasn't he? Yeah.

But he's batting a bit further down. And he's, you know, you can be a bit more proactive down there and be a bit more aggressive. At number three, it's like, oh, you've got about a long period of time. It's that element of getting yourself into the zone of batting for a long period of time. You watch Joe Root, who's been our best. And he just gets into this kind of rhythm. And he just bats and just plays. And he's got this process of walking away and just coming back.

And he faces another. ball, it's nice and upright, and everything's the same. I don't know, I don't know how you get that process of understanding what your game is and what your processes are unless you play, unless you're playing lots of cricket. And, you know, I think you're processing T20 cricket, which is just a few balls, it's probably different to what it is in red ball cricket. You know, in white ball cricket, 50 over cricket, you're always looking for boundaries, aren't you? You wear the zones that I can strike. This is a different format. It's a rhythm, isn't it? Yeah, it's a rhythm. And it, and it, look, he's a, he's a, he's a, he's a

had a couple of good balls, but it's just getting him enough cricket so that he comes back into this and he can find that flow of playing the red ball game. But as you say, it's not obviously going to change, is it? Because there's, like, there's one but more best match and there's white ball. Baggers makes a very good point, you know. Eventually, younger players might. And the money is so big in India, obviously it's going to get more and more you would think over time. And it's a big call for a young player to suddenly say, I'm going to focus on red ball cricket in April and May here and try and work on my game and not take the check

it's a big call for a you're going to do it hopefully the cheque's waiting for you in years to come like a pension perhaps half century for root today half century for brook and a half century you've alluded to it already for ben stokes

playing for Durham against Northamptonshire he needed those runs didn't he if he's going to play anyway I was watching quite a lot of it and I've watched Ben in test cricket for a while now I've always thought, well, he looks to me like he's properly playing with his technique.

You know, he's trying to almost play the purest technical innings. I watched him today for Durham, and he was dancing down, he was whacking, he was pulling the ball. And it just reminded me, I thought, that's when Ben's at his best, when he's really trying to challenge the bowler. I'm not saying that he should dance down all the time, whack it over the top, but dancing down and punching it through extra cover, and dancing down and flicking it through midwicket, and then the bowler thinks he comes in, he's not a ball that's short,

and pwoh, gets onto the pool, shot. And there's one thing that's happened, and it's been chaotic, it's been carnage, isn't it, for English cricket? But if one thing positive can come out of it, well, maybe Ben has found his flow of batting this week. So maybe things happen for a reason. The TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Step inside the Range Rover's sport and experience refinement in every detail. With features like cabin air purification and active noise cancellation, every drive feels composed and considered.

more at range rover.ca. He's widely recognized as one of the greatest footballers in history. He's won the prestigious Ballandor Award five times. He's the all-time leading goal scorer in professional football. And according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, he's the first active footballer in history to achieve billionaire status. Guess who we're talking about yet? That's right.

Good Bad Billionaire is exploring the life and fortune of football icon Cristiano Ronaldo. That's Good Bad Billionaire from the BBC World Service. Listen now, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. What about England's bowling today? Sometimes you get to the fourth day and the team are well ahead. What were they at the start of the play today? 352 for three, effectively, New Zealand. Hughes lead, but actually in them seven for 110.

I thought they bow well today. And it's interesting, is it? I mean, Joffre Archer looks better for bowling some overs. And he bowled, I thought he bowled really well today. I'm saying, I think that was his best, the best that we've seen of him. And the other ones certainly are more settled. you know, it's anxious playing in your first test match or I mean for Fisher it's more or less his first test match

it takes your time to get into it, doesn't it? And to expect, you know, debitants to come in and just be right on it straight away. It's quite unrealistic actually. So I thought, I mean, I think, I mean, Baker's interesting, isn't he? Baker at the moment, you know, he looks like it runs in, lets it go. And yes, he is quite expensive.

But he has got some pace. I do like his character. I mean, he's not someone who's going to hide away when the ball's flying around and, you know, I don't want the captain to find me sort of person. Now, he's going to be out there, isn't it? So I think we'll see some more of him, but the big question for me is whether

Archer plays Trent Bridge on Thursday. Because now having got himself into a state of actually having got some overs under his belt, and I thought, I said, I thought it was a boy ball really well today. They're not going to say, well, thank you, Joffron. Have a rest, are they shortly? But you just don't know. I mean, if it is 1-1, and then are now to win, I hope they play him.

I suppose it depends on, well, does Ben Stokes play? We think so. We don't know as we speak. Atkinson's been playing for Surrey down at Glamorgan. He's picked up a few wickets. What about Ollie Robinson? He's running in here. Player of the match in the last game.

Yeah, and he's running in and look very fit on the outfield this morning. Yeah, I mean, if Joffa can go again, you're playing Joffre Archer, surely. Yeah. And Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongan, for me, Oliverson would miss out. You know, that's the pecking order. I don't think you can say that Olly Robinson justifies coming straight back in the side. I know he did well at laws, but the pitch did pretty much everything for everyone. If I wanted England's best bowling attack out there next week, I'd want Joffre Archer, Josh Tong, Gus Atkinson, Ben Stokes.

And then you decide upon the spinner. I mean, we have an absolute bizarre situation in English cricket that England's number one spinner, because they keep picking him, Shoy Bashir, can't even get a game for Derbyshire this week playing at Chesterfield because the pitch is conducive to Seaman. So England's number one spinner can't get a game in the second division for Derbyshire. So what do they do then, Michael? We think it's going to be a dry week leading into Trent Bridge. Last year, Sherbaishir took some wickets there, didn't it?

It was against Zimbabwe. Does he just come straight back? He decided Ben Stokes is it back to balance the team? Yeah, I mean, I think you do need a spinner. Yeah, I mean, Shoebashir against the Westin, he's had a good game at Trent Bridge. So he's had two good games on the venue.

It's going to be a very hot week. The only other way that they could go is bringing Ray and Armad. You've got 100 for Lester's show. So pack your bat and use a bit of leg spin. We'll see how he bowls in the same. I think you've got a couple of wickets in the first innings for Lester. So that could be a way that they go. Pack the bat in.

Use Rayan's leg spin. And obviously you've got Jacob Bethelterball a bit of left arm. And you've got Joe Root. If I had to choose now, that would be the way that I go. Yeah, I'd like see Rayne Ahmed bowl. His bowling is developing. And I think he's a batsman who bowls wrist spin at the whole. moment rather than the wrist-pinner bats, you get what I mean. But yeah, I mean, if you're going to,

it's going to be very dry up there. And if you have got enough backing for a young wrist spinner to bowl, which it would have, I'd play him as well, definitely. Let's hear from Josh Tongue now. He took two for 64 in New Zealand's second innings. He's speaking to Eleanor Aldroyd. Well, balled this morning, Josh. How did you feel you bowled as a group, maybe in comparison to how you bowled a couple of mornings ago? Yeah, I thought we obviously had a task this morning. Obviously, we were a bit behind the game. And we said as a group, obviously last night we had a little chat, just knowing what we wanted to do with the ball in terms of our plans.

And yeah, I thought we all did very well. I mean, you were facing being really up against it going into today, as you have for the last couple of days. Is there still a good spirit among the team? Yeah, look, we're in good spirits. Obviously, we're behind the game. But yeah, we'll just see what happens tomorrow. For you coming into this side as one of the more experienced members,

in the bowling lineup now how has how has that felt have you felt the responsibility among the the less experienced bowlers who've played less test cricket than you have no obviously I'm still quite an experience as a fast bowling test cricket and obviously I'm the likes of Jof there with us as well coming back into the into the team which he's been unbelievable and obviously Sunni's obviously done really well this season for for Hampshire and obviously fish as well so yeah overall we're happy how's the captain been in the field there have been a couple of times

where he's looked a little bit frustrated when things haven't been quite going your way. No, he's been exceptional. Yeah, he's obviously had loads of plans for us leading into the game. We've obviously had a debriefs at the end of the days as well. And he's been very supportive out there as well. When things haven't been going well, trying to slow down the game, making sure everyone's in the right positions and just gives us 100% confidence leading into it. What about him going out and breaking that 14,000 mark today?

Yeah, he's obviously an unbelievable play of watching him for many, years now and yeah to get to 14,000 runs is, yeah, it's just unbelievable. And whenever we wrap up here, off to your home ground Trent Bridge on Thursday, you're looking forward to that? Yeah, it's obviously an amazing place to play cricket. Obviously, moved a few years back now. So yeah, I'm looking forward to get back back at Trent Bridge and obviously in a test match as well, hopefully. Do you think you have a pitch that will suit you there? Fingers crossed. We'll see what they prepare. I might have a little word, but now it will see what happens. Josh, tongue there with Eleanor,

Old droid. Is he kind of almost right at the top of England's pecking order now, Josh Toe? Yeah, I think he's a wonderful bowler. You know, the angle, the pace, the consistency now. There was a period, wasn't it? It was a bit wayward and spread it around, but he seems to have found his consistency. And it's not just a consistency of action. It's consistency of playing at this level. And he obviously trusts himself and believes in himself. He looks threatening. That's right. Every ball he runs in. You know, you see some bowlers. It is, you know, you look. You'd look. and then you look away. Tongue, to me, looks like you get a wicket every ball.

And he seems to believe he can get a wicket every ball. He's become a very dangerous bowler. But interesting about Trent Bridge looking at the weather, one thing you often associate with the Trent Bridge is swing, actually. It doesn't look like it's going to be that sort of... I was actually there last week, and it was quite a nice week watching a bit of county cricket, and the ball reverse swung in the second.

Reverse. That's unusual for Trembris. Yeah, the square's really dry. Yeah. and it was a dry week and yeah the ball started to reverse swing so we might see some kind of swing but it might not be the conventional type okay now in New Zealand a very strong position in this test match not largely thanks to Henry Nichols but certainly thanks to him he made a hundred and twenty one ultimately a hundred yesterday's out to Archer today but he did his job he's been speaking to Eleanor as well Henry very many congratulations on your century that's back-to-back centuries for you in test matches isn't it going back to Zimbabwe last year Yeah, a wee while between tests, but yeah, obviously very pleasing and yeah, it's, you know, it was another good day of test cricket. When you knew that Kane was stepping down after Lords, what was that feeling like knowing that you were going to be stepping into those shoes?

Yeah, incredibly mixed emotions. You know, Kane is someone that, you know, obviously everyone who loves cricket, not even New Zealanders have such respect for, and, you know, I was lucky enough for a lot of my test career to have played with him and had battered behind him, and, you know, he's just a marvel. So I guess, yeah, very mixed emotions for me. He's sad that he's obviously not playing with this anymore. but also yeah I was really excited by the opportunity and yeah I just wanted to go out there and try to make a contribution and you know it was nice I guess yeah I yesterday worked out and the partnerships we have with Ruther and then and Darrell later on as well and were you feeling very much in the groove I know you scored a lot of runs domestically during during your summer yeah sort of ebbs and flows a little bit I think you know it's sort of was that sort of day yesterday it was obviously very hot we

knew if we could try and I guess stick at it for a while then the runs would come like that and I think we saw that after tea yesterday Ruch and I scored it a very very quick I think it's just the nature of the ground here and how the ball I guess across the square can get away quite quickly What's gone right for you here that didn't go right at Lords? Yeah, I think they're just two very different test matches, you know I think the Lord's test was a bit of a lottery obviously with the wicket and the surface and I think this wicket here has been a really good cricket cricket and I think you know we've done a lot of good work and it's been four tough days of test cricket And obviously there's one more and you know we're five pieces of cricket away from you know what we wanted to do at the start of this test match

Well clearly you've enjoyed batting on it I think your seamers have enjoyed bowling on it as well. It's offered something for both, you know, both bat and ball. Yeah, I think it's a really good cricket wicket. I think, you saw the way Banglain boys bowed this morning and they managed to find some movement and bounce as well. And that's again what we'll be hoping to do in the morning. And like I said it's set up really nicely for a big day five. And what's it like watching Joe Rooker go about his business out there and passing yet another milestone in his career?

Yeah, absolutely. I say, someone else that I've played a lot of Test Cricket Gates and yeah, yeah, obviously 14,000 runs is just incredible. And like you say, he's a phenomenal player. And, you know, it's obviously frustrating the other side of when you play against them. But also like you say, yeah, they're absolutely admiration. And, you know, he's a really great guy as well. And obviously, an amazing player will probably go down

as, you know, he's on track, obviously, to break the all time one. So that's obviously a big hook for us in the morning. And, you know, hopefully we can start well. Are you hoping you can get this done quickly? And then maybe you have at least an afternoon off before you head to Nottingham because it's a very tight turnaround.

Yeah, I mean, that's that sort of a turnaround we used to, I guess. but you know, Tuscaryk is a funny one. I think we know how much hard work it takes to get five wickets and that's going to, well, it's going to take us tomorrow. We're however long it takes it might take all day. But, you know, certainly from our point of view, the hard work, you know, starts again in the morning

and obviously there's 90 overs in the day and, you know, we'll be certainly on from the morning but prepared to go as long as it takes. Have you had family here watching you? What's the reaction to me back home? Yeah, you know, I've got family here. I've got my wife and my two kids, so they've been down most days,

and I think my wife, Lucy, kept them here a bit longer yesterday to see it, but they're right up in the top there, so all the families are up there, which is really special. You'd say having two kids, but them coming all the way over here, and they're only four and two, so they're not too interested in the game. But, yeah, no, it was a very special moment seeing a video of them up there when I brought up the 100. Not missing school quite yet. No, not just yet. No, perfect time next year.

Well done. Thank you so much. Thank you. That is Henry Nichols. I made 121 in New Zealand's 362. Route back for more tomorrow, 75 not out. with me what caught your eye today statistically results well let's just start with with rooting that milestone Henry Nichols talked about there the Satchin Ten dorcas all-time test runs record 15,921 route passed 14,000 today if he keeps

scoring at the rate he's been scoring since he began a sort of golden period in his career in 2021 just over 90 runs per test there's a very well if he keeps at that rate he will pass that that record in England's in India early in in 2028. That's assuming he plays all the games in between. His conversion rate in recent years in England will need him to have any chance of this. The sort of miracle chase will need him to do it again. At nine of his last 1150s he's converted into hundreds, 24 of his last 41.

But when that fifth wicket fell, 283 still needed. No teams added more than 243 after the four of their fifth wicket. to win a test match. So that overall target, 463, would be a record. It would be the second highest ever fourth inning score behind the 654. England made in a draw in a timeless game in South Africa in 1939.

They had to leave to get the boat home when they were only five wickets down. Harry Brooke, brilliant half century, 51 of 33 balls, his fastest half century, and the joint sixth fastest ever for England in test cricket. But then Matt Henry came on, tied him down. Henry's got Brooke out twice in this game

for just four runs in 19 balls, both times to defensive shots, and he the third time in Harry Brooks' test career. And this is his 37th test in which he's been out defending in both innings. Ben Duckett now has seven tests without a half century after his dismissal today. And just a quick word on Matt Henry, absolutely outstanding today. Just the one wicket. Also had a catch dropped early on and almost had Brooke and Root out. LBW both overturned on review. He's now taken 110 wickets at 20.4 in his 30s. He didn't have a great start

to his test career in and out of the side, but you look at the all-time best test seamers in their 30s. He's right up there in terms of average with some of the all-time greats of the game. Jasperit Bumra, Richard Hadley and Malcolm Marshall and Imran Khan from the 1980s. He's just out of Kurtly Ambrose, Josh Hazel, Alan Donald, Glenn McGraw, Joel Garner and English. Freddie Truman. That's the kind of statistical company Henry's been keeping. He's not generally viewed in that in that class, partly because of that difficult start to his career. His average has been sort of creeping up, but he has been absolutely outstanding for New Zealand for several years now and made, yeah, he's been the decisive figure in this game up until, up until now.

Yeah, he's been phenomenal. And one more stat to finish with. No team that's been five down going is the final day of a test match ever has survived to draw the game. I suppose England they need 281. So they did battle day. They might get 281, so it wouldn't be a draw. But New Zealand are closing in, you think, on a 1-1. You can watch highlights on today at the test on the BBC Eye Player. There are clips available on the BBC Sport website and app.

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