Cricket

Mitchell has just dropped Pope now.

Difficult one hander to his left.

74-1.

50 up for Pope with a glorious square cut for four.

Some quality shots in this innings - particularly the three cover drives he's hit.

Day 2 Stumps:

England end on 90-1 trailing by 463 runs

Hundred for Olly Pope!!!

And another Test fifty for Joe Root

Well in ollie pope. Make it a double now 😀

Two of the easiest on the eye players these two.

I know it's often said but Pope is so like Ian Bell in the way he plays. And if he can have a career anywhere near as good as Belly then he'll of done well. As for Root, he always looks good.

Joe Root's 27th Test match century.

Puts him level with his modern-day rivals Steve Smith and Virat Kholi, as well as legendary captains (and obviously batsmen) of the game Graeme Smith and Allan Border.

Also just a few runs behind Sunil Gavaskar on the all-time Test run scorers, which would place him 12th on that list.

What a F***ing incredible player this man is. Will become our leading run scorer in due course.

The one criticism of him in the earlier part of his career was not converting 50s into 100s, well he's put that to bed now. I think that's 10 hundreds in his past 14 scores of over 50.

Kiwis have taken the new ball. No brainer.

They're desperate for this one to swing.

331-2 at tea.

Pope gone for 145.

Cracking knock though.

Bairstow caught behind.

The ball clipped his glove on it's way through to the keeper.

Bairstow caught behind.

The ball clipped his glove on it's way through to the keeper.

Poor dismissal from pope there ... Still a big job to do with the new ball just being taken and you just knew another would go quickly after that. The big 2 in together now.

Draw the obvious outcome. Pitch would have to really fall apart for a result. Stokes chancing his arm a bit, but England still need to bat long.

Draw the obvious outcome. Pitch would have to really fall apart for a result. Stokes chancing his arm a bit, but England still need to bat long.

You'd think so mate. But if England get bowled out tonight and they bat all day tomorrow you'd think they would have a lead well over 300 which would give them pretty much a full day at us on a day 5 pitch. And I don't need to mention how many times we have capitulated in quick order 😞

Going well at the minute though. This is what stokes can do if the top order make a few I guess.

Love stokesey and that was entertaining but I'm not sure he has got that right. There is attacking and there is just being reckless. You just felt he could get out at anytime. Lose root now and we are getting bowled out tonight around 100 behind as not much to come now after foakes. It could go either way.

Hopefully root can bat through with the tail and get us past 500 and near parity.

looks like Stokes is going to be very positive attacking captain. Could've played through conservatively but went after them. Have to drop anchor a bit now. Foakes is decent, best keeper no doubt. So England need to bat through.

Joe Root has passed 150 for the 13th time in his Test career.

Half of his 50s (53) he's turned into centuries (27). Half of those centuries he's passed 150 in (13) and nearly half of those 150s have been converted into double hundreds (5).

What more can be said about this man?

Joe Root has passed 150 for the 13th time in his Test career.

Half of his 50s (53) he's turned into centuries (27). Half of those centuries he's passed 150 in (13) and nearly half of those 150s have been converted into double hundreds (5).

What more can be said about this man?

Losing the captaincy was great for him. We need Root the batsman. Bar a couple of sloppy shots he's been majestic again today. Superb.

Root arguable the best back foot player. Certainly one of the best.Great off his pads as well. Disciplined as well. great knock. No risks now coming to the close of play.

Wanted to see Harry Brook in this test. Very attacking player, sees it very early. Plenty of Cricket to come so Brook will get a chance.

Losing the captaincy was great for him. We need Root the batsman. Bar a couple of sloppy shots he's been majestic again today. Superb.

He was scoring runs towards the end of his run as captain as well mate, the only one who was really. But without it, he has even more freedom.

All done for the day.

473-5 trailing by 80.

Root 163* Foakes 24*