Test cricket’s eternal verity: The match can go on for five days, right up until 7pm on the final evening, only for the captains to shake hands with no result having been reached. How fitting then, that in its much-anticipated return to The Home of Cricket, Test cricket provided a petering draw. A fine example of its type, there was little chance of a result come Sunday morning; the long form’s quirk endlessly confusing for a newcomer, decidedly quaint for a rusted-on tragic.
So, the story lies not in the result when stumps are drawn, but instead in the respective dressing rooms with the wearied, and sun kissed players. Their achievements this match, some of which have earned places on Lord’s historic honour boards, will be remembered for a long time. A lot longer one might suspect, than the relatively dull final outcome of the contest.
Primarily amongst those achievements in the Visitors’ rooms, is New-Zealand debutant, Devon Conway’s mighty maiden innings of 200. The final wicket to fall in the first innings, run out after reaching his fourth milestone, the humble Kiwi batted for almost ten hours and 350 balls. A disappointing way to go, there could really be no disappointment here. A truly remarkable and record-breaking achievement, Conway now holds the second-highest score by a Kiwi on debut – behind only Matthew Sinclair and his 214.
Unforgettable on debut
Impressive too for the location of his runs as much as the tally, the affable South-African born opener now holds the highest score on Test debut for any man in England, 46 runs clear of second place, and passing the likes of WG Grace. He will, however, find himself eclipsed on this front, by Michelle Goszko, whose mammoth 204 against England at Shenley in 2001, remains the highest score by any player on debut on English soil. Goszko’s world-beating achievement is celebrated in Clearing Boundaries – The Rise of Women’s Cricket.
In any case, Conway’s Man of the Match performance on Test debut completes a fine introduction to international cricket. Averages of 75 in ODI cricket and 59.1 in t20I to go along with a lofty 111.5 in the whites suggests he has arrived at the highest level while at the peak of his powers. Having made his Test debut at the same age as Michael Hussey, the pair might yet have more in common than merely their left-handedness.
In the Home rooms, Rory Burns has added his name to the honour board, with a brave – and truth be told – game-saving 132 in the first innings. Though given lives by Watling and Southee, Burns was endlessly gutsy, struck twice on the head between 85 and 100. His third Test match century and second against the Kiwis, Burns becomes just the sixth England opener with 3 or more centuries since the year 2000. His innings provided a desperately sought-after resistance for a team whose youthful top and middle order mostly gave their wickets away. Coming into the summer with a weight of runs in the early part of the County Championship – he has passed 50 in each of his last five matches for Surrey – the opener is in fine touch. The innings will inject him with a great deal of confidence, the kind that only comes from a big score against high quality opposition. Keen to lock down his spot at the top of the order, Burns continues to earn the respect of a team and a country that desperately crave some consistency with bat in hand.
A fighting knock from Burns to give his England side some hope
Alongside Burns, debutant Ollie Robinson provided a shining light for England, at least inside the boundary rope. With seven wickets to his name across the match, as well as an invaluable 42 runs which helped avoid the follow-on, Robinson demonstrated he has the skill-set to thrive at Test match level. With a nagging length and awkward bounce, he also made the ball talk in the second innings, more than could be said for his experienced and decorated contemporaries. That said, he has found out that Test cricket is so much more than that which happens on the field. Testing of will and character, he has regrettably been found wanting.
Granted, he demonstrated a resolve and resilience to continue with aplomb in the final four days of the match after his historic tweets were unearthed, but the damage was done. Suspended from all international cricket until the conclusion of a disciplinary investigation by the ECB, Robinson will find himself on a steep learning curve and will look back on his debut with mixed emotions.
The Kiwis dangled a carrot at lunch on the final day, but England refused to bite. A drab draw which included an obligatory day of rain, the return of Test match cricket to Lord’s was far from a classic – just ask Bumble. But as ever in the game’s longest form, there is always plenty to write home about.
You would imagine Devon has been scribbling furiously.
To read more from Andrew Young and the Bradman Museum, simply click: HERE
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