England vs New Zealand: Joe Root ‘won’t give up’ but Black Caps ’99 per cent’ likely to level Test series at The Oval | Cricket News

Joe Root passed 14,000 Test runs on Saturday and reached stumps at The Oval 25 runs away from a 42nd century in the format, but he will have another number on his mind – 281.

That is how many more runs England need to pull off a record, and remarkable, chase of 463 against New Zealand in south London after closing day four on 182-5.

The tourists seem all but certain of victory – Stuart Broad makes them 99 per cent favourites and Simon Doull 98 per cent – yet with Root still in, England have a “smidgeon” of hope, according to another Sky Sports pundit in Michael Atherton.

Atherton said: “I can’t really see a way out of this for England, but those who have tickets are lucky that England’s best in Root is still at the crease. There’s just a smidgeon of hope, maybe.

“It’s a quality New Zealand attack. We saw that at Lord’s [in the first Test], albeit on a much more helpful pitch. You’ve got to work hard and fight hard for your runs.

“They’ve got four seamers who keep coming, in Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Nathan Smith and Will O’Rourke, and give you very little.”

Doull added of Root, who will resume on Sunday morning alongside debutant Jordan Cox: “I don’t know if he has ‘give up’ in his DNA. Not many Yorkshiremen do. He will be saying to Cox, ‘we can do it’.”

‘Brook is box office and you want to watch him bat’

England looked toast at 40-3 when Ben Duckett was caught off O’Rourke clothing a pull to mid-on, 10 overs after Emilio Gay and Jacob Bethell had fallen in Jamieson’s double wicket-maiden.

However, a 97-run stand between Root and Harry Brook boosted the hosts’ chances of an improbable series-sealing win, with Brook making 58 before he was dismissed by Matt Henry, having played some stunning shots as he reached fifty from 33 deliveries.

Praising Brook, Doull said: “You have to take the good with the bad with Brook.

“There will be times, like at The Oval last year against India when he got out when the game was probably in the bag, where you want him to be slightly better, but you can’t chastise the bloke for averaging 50-odd.

“I don’t like the term, ‘that’s the way he plays’ as that is often a bit of a cop out but he is a very good player and frightening, I would imagine, to bowl to in a mood.

“There was only one way he was going to play and while he didn’t kick on, he is box office and you want to watch him bat.

“Yes, you want to watch him bat for longer but he has a Test triple hundred and four other scores over 150, so sometimes you have to temper throwing the cup of tea at the TV when he gets out in a strange way with ‘just sit back and enjoy it’.”

Brook was dismissed in a conventional way on Saturday, snicking to slip with wicketkeeper Tom Blundell stood up close, and Doull added: “He might think: ‘How am I going to play when the keeper comes up to 77-85mph bowlers?’ Hopefully he will look at that.”

Root to the rescue?

While England were toiling in London, usual captain Ben Stokes, dropped for this game after breaking a midnight curfew he was part of establishing, spanked 95 from 118 balls for Durham in the County Championship against Northamptonshire.

Stokes, who seems likely to return for the third Test at Trent Bridge from Wednesday, has history when it comes to reviving England from seemingly lost causes, most notably in the 2019 Ashes Test at Headingley when he struck an unbeaten 135 in a one-wicket win.

This time, though, it is milestone man Root on whom England’s hopes of a heist appear to rest.

New Zealand will know that while he is there, the job is not yet done.

Watch day five of the second Test between England and New Zealand live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.15am on Sunday (11am first ball). Stream with NOW.

England vs New Zealand results and schedule

All times UK and Ireland, all games live on Sky Sports

• First Test (Lord’s) – England won by 115 runs
• Second Test (The Kia Oval) – June 17-21 (11am)
• Third Test (Trent Bridge) – June 25-29 (11am)