Auckland: England captain Alastair Cook found himself pacing around the dressing room as the three-match Test series against New Zealand drew to a gripping climax at Eden Park on Tuesday. He changed seats when Stuart Broad was the eighth man to be dismissed, having decided that "the luck" had run out of that perch, so he needed somewhere else to watch the final few overs.
Cook, however, gave up on that when James Anderson lasted just two deliveries, instead relying on a running commentary from fitness coach Huw Bevan and team-mate Jonathan Trott. When last man Monty Panesar mistimed his dive trying to get off strike, Cook said there were a few "ooh-aahs", followed by a string of expletives, from the amateur commentators. Then, like the rest of the 6,754 spectators at Eden Park, laughter.
And finally, when Matt Prior blocked the last ball from Trent Boult to save the match and series, with England on 315 for 9, relief. "Yeah it was quite a nerve-racking day when you can't do anything about it," Cook told reporters. "Ideally you don't want to be in that situation but the character we have shown today can only be a good thing. We have proven to be quite a tough side to beat, which we will need in the coming months."
Locked 0-0 after two rain-affected draws, Tuesday's final day of the series promised so much. New Zealand had not beaten a major cricketing nation since they overcame West Indies
02:57 PM, Mar 26, 2013
Not a single ball has been bowled on Day 5 as the rain never stopped completely and umpires had no other option but to call it off. ...
02:26 AM, Mar 18, 2013
New Zealand were 77 for 1 and trailed England by 134 runs at stumps on day three with Williamson (16) and Fulton (41) unbeaten at the crease. ...
02:35 AM, Mar 16, 2013
The Sussex left-armer was previously on a central contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) until 2009 when his deal was not renewed. ...
06:54 PM, Mar 07, 2013
Lyon and Doherty are analysing the performance of their English counterparts in India ahead of the four-match Test series in the sub-continent. ...
07:21 PM, Feb 01, 2013
Monty Panesar has been cleared by his county side Sussex to take part in next month's auction of the IPL. ...
05:14 PM, Jan 19, 2013
Hussain said that England were fitter, both physically and mentally, and hungrier for Test cricket. ...
11:29 AM, Dec 18, 2012
Fans also took a dig at coach Fletcher "Is Fletcher resigning after Nagpur Test? Or we have to fire him? Anything is fine," tweeted @Dravidoholic. ...
04:37 PM, Dec 08, 2012
Fans also took a dig at coach Fletcher "Is Fletcher resigning after Nagpur Test? Or we have to fire him? Anything is fine," tweeted @Dravidoholic. ...
04:37 PM, Dec 08, 2012
Pragyan Ojha broke England's 165-run opening stand when he trapped Nick Compton lbw, after he had scored 57. ...
08:17 AM, Dec 06, 2012
James Anderson proved to be the wrecker-in-chief, picking up 3 for 68, while Tendulkar scored 76, his first fifty after ten innings. ...
10:55 AM, Dec 05, 2012
Anderson got the reward for his persistence as he got rid of Tendulkar for 76, while Swann got the wicket of Yuvraj, who made 32. ...
08:11 AM, Dec 05, 2012
Two local club spinners along with Monty Panesar bowled at the nets in tandem. ...
05:07 PM, Dec 02, 2012
'If we win the Kolkata Test, the series should end.' Is that next on the list of Dhoni's outrageous demands? ...
08:02 AM, Nov 27, 2012
'If we win the Kolkata Test, the series should end.' Is that next on the list of Dhoni's outrageous demands? ...
08:02 AM, Nov 27, 2012
Given a rank turner after he called for it, MS Dhoni oversaw one of India's most embarrassing home defeats of all time. ...
03:07 PM, Nov 26, 2012
India's ploy to prepare a spinning track might have backfired as England registered a 10-wicket win in the second Test. ...
03:02 PM, Nov 26, 2012
The pair of Panesar and Swann not only managed to find the right length required to bowl on this surface, but their trajectory was also way better than their Indian counterparts. ...
02:06 PM, Nov 26, 2012
