19th over: New Zealand 71-2 (Nicholls 26, Ravindra 25) That is a vicious pea-roller from Josh Tongue! Ravindra had no chance if that was straight, Bethell at Lord’s areas. Unplayable. Ravindra drives the next ball down the ground and Archer dives over it. Four runs. Both batters looking set now, ominous for England with the lead up to 171.

18th over: New Zealand 66-2 (Nicholls 25, Ravindra 21) Joe Root brings himself on for a twir and there’s a huge appeal first ball! Nicholls prods forward and the ball hits him on the knee roll. The umpire says no and England choose not to review. It was missing leg. Eventful first over from Root, a quick single sees Archer have a shy at the stumps but miss from mid on and then Ravindra tries to launch him down the ground but almost dollies a catch to Archer, who parries it after one bounce. Good start, Joseph.

17th over: New Zealand 62-2 (Nicholls 23, Ravindra 19) Tongue again, this has been an excellent spell so far. Mark Wood and Stuart Broad on the Sky comms coo and say he looks like he is in lovely rhythm, challenging the stumps, pads and the edge. Funky field from Root, with three fielders in close catching in a ring on the leg side to Nicholls. Funk-eh. A quick single sees Ravindra diving for his ground. He dusts himself off, calls for a new pair of gloves, then pings the final ball away for four through midwicket.

16th over: New Zealand 57-2 (Nicholls 22, Ravindra 15) Baker is pushing the speed needle but leaking a few runs, he drifts onto Ravindra’s pads and is whipped away for four through a vacant midwicket. Don’t bowl there son(ny).

15th over: New Zealand 52-2 (Nicholls 21, Ravindra 11) James Rew drops a clanger behind the stumps! Tongue draws Ravindra into a drive, the nick is found and Rew spills it tumbling away to his left. It’s a bad miss for the Somerset man, the ball hit the meat of the glove but bounced straight out. Salt, meet Wound. Ravindra clips the next ball for four off his toes. Loud groans here at the Oval as the dropped catch is replayed on the screens.

14th over: New Zealand 48-2 (Nicholls 21, Ravindra 7) Baker resumes from the Vauxhall End. Nicholls collects two with a clip off his hip. He’s looking comfortable out there, New Zealand’s lead up to 148 with an angled guide past point. Baker pushing 90mph here.

13th over: New Zealand 44-2 (Nicholls 17, Ravindra 7) Joe Root saves four with a sharp bit of fielding at midwicket. Tongue is very full once more, pads and stumps very much in play. Nicholls uses the angle to work a single into the leg side. Ravindra goes one better and collects two with a flick through midwicket. Time for a hydration break. Pass the Soleros?

12th over: New Zealand 41-2 (Nicholls 16, Ravindra 5) Baker hurtles in, Ravindra guides a single to the off side, Nicholls picks up a brace through cover and makes it four off the over with a clip behind square.

A New England? writes Billy Bragg Guy Hornsby.

“Afternoon James, afternoon everyone. Despite a familiar feeling of frustration this last few sessions, this is a fascinating glimpse into a bit of England’s future too, and Root 2.0’s captaincy. We lost our way yesterday morning, and last evening, but with Fisher’s batting and this new, exciting attack, it’ll be instructive how we go about this with such a green bowling group. I can forgive a loss if we go about it the right way, both today and when we bat again. There is a lot to like about all the new picks, after all. I doubt Rew will hook again with so much looseness, nor Fisher and Baker be as frenetic.”

11th over: New Zealand 37-2 (Nicholls 13, Ravindra 4) Josh Tongue continues from the Pavilion End. He looks fit and strong, built like the proverbial brick outhouse. Nicholls gets forward and defends, the ball lasering in on his front pad. Another maiden for Tongue. Sonny Baker is replacing Fisher from the Vauxhall End.

10th over: New Zealand 37-2 (Nicholls 13, Ravindra 4) Rew is up to the stumps to Fisher but his somewhat scruffy performance with the gloves continues as he lets four byes through his legs of his finger ends. Shot! Ravindra plays an aesthetically pleasing pull shot that gives off a satisfying crunch, the ball skimming away to the sponge at midwicket.

9th over: New Zealand 28-2 (Nicholls 12, Ravindra 0) Rachin Ravindra joins Nicholls. This is turning into the classic ‘tricky third innings’ for the Kiwis, albeit they are effectively 128-2. Tongue is fast and straight, he hits Ravindra on the front pad and there’s a huge appeal from fielders and the crowd but the umpire is unmoved. England choose not to review, wisely, it was missing leg stump. Excitement building here at the Oval, the match is on the boil. Excellent first over from Tongue, a wicket maiden.

Josh Tongue is replacing Jofra Archer…

8th over: New Zealand 28-1 (Conway 11, Nicholls 12) Fisher gets one to spit like a grouchy camel off a length, Conway does well to glove it straight down into the pitch.

7th over: New Zealand 25-1 (Conway 10, Nicholls 10) Archer into his fourth over, this could be the last of his opening burst. Conway pushes a single to mid on. Nicholls looks compact, he drives a full ball away through cover for four with no fuss whatsoever. Both batters reach double figures.

6th over: New Zealand 17-1 (Conway 6, Nicholls 4) Fisher strays a smidge too straight and is whipped away for three runs by Conway.

5th over: New Zealand 14-1 (Conway 6, Nicholls 4) Archer again, he’s in the channel outside off. Nicholls is watchful, get through this period with the new ball and things get much easier for New Zealand. Easier said than done. Nicholls guides with Andrex soft hands past point for a couple.

4th over: New Zealand 12-1 (Conway 6, Nicholls 2) My oh My! Fisher gets one to swing back to Conway, the batter leaves it but the dramatic late movement sees the ball pass so close to the off bail. The crowd gasp when they see the replay on the big screen. Conway pretends he hasn’t seen it, and anyway, a good leave is a good leave, what are you all worried about?

3rd over: New Zealand 10-1 (Conway 4, Nicholls 2) Archer is steaming in, the crowd clap each step, new batter Henry Nicholls is cut in half first ball! Archer has his hands on his head, he’s well and truly in the hunt here. His next ball pops up off Nicholls thigh pad as the batter is beaten for pace. Close again! Nicholls pokes with no feet movement off the fifth and then gets two with a similar shot off the last. He is lucky to survive the over, Archer finishes his second to loud applause.

2nd over: New Zealand 8-0 (Latham 4, Conway 4) Matt Fisher to start from the Vauxhall End, he’ll be full of confidence on the back of his fifty. Latham tickles a single to leg but Conway is given a much stiffer examination, one ball lifting and wrapping the gloves, could easily have landed on the timbers. Good start from Fisher.

1st over: New Zealand 7-0 (Latham 3, Conway 4) Archer is around the wicket with two slips and a gully in place. His first ball is arrowed into the pads and Latham gladly tucks away for a couple to get New Zealand’s second innings underway. Latham drops a single into the leg side. Shot! Conway drives a full ball past mid off for four. Archer’s final delivery is zippy and angles back in to Conway, who leaves the ball to travel at waist height over the top of the stumps.

The England bowlers go through their motions to a set of plastic stumps on the outfield, they need early wickets in order to get themselves back into this Test match but you couldn’t ask for nice conditions in which to bat. Fisher and Baker showed that there is nothing to fear in the wicket.

Tom Latham and Devon Conway mark their guards. Jofra Archer is announced, here we go.

Lunchtime Quizzing:

83rd over: England 291-9 (Fisher 50, Baker 4) Matt Fisher is four away from a Test half century. He attempts two drives to Matt Henry but misses both. There it is! The crowd stand to Matt Fisher as he clips off his toes for four to bring up fifty. He offers a shy wave of the bat. That’s the fifty partnership too, Fisher and Baker have done sterling work to get the lead reduced to 100.

82nd over: England 287-9 (Fisher 46, Baker 4) Jamieson returns for a burst with the new nut, he fires the first ball down the leg side and Baker gets in line to pat back the rest. It’s a maiden over but the home fans cheer as it’s another over survived and Fisher can continue on his merry way at the other end.

81st over: England 287-9 (Fisher 46, Baker 4) New Zealand take the new ball and summon Matt Henry. England have reduced the deficit to 110 runs and this last wicket partnership is up to 43 runs. Make that 45, Fisher drives uppishly for two into the off side. Make that 49! Fisher steps away and carves Henry over the slips for four.

“Is this the most miraculous total from a Baker and Fisher since the feeding of the 5,000?” asks a Biblical Mark Puttick.

80th over: England 281-9 (Fisher 40, Baker 4) Remarkable field here at the Oval as nearly ever fielder is out on the boundary. Expect short stuff. Smith hares in and Fisher connects with a pull shot, the ball bisecting two fielders and haring away to the boundary! A hearty cheer from the home fans. Shot! Fisher is seeing it well now, he leans back and carves Smith over backward point for four more!

79th over: England 272-9 (Fisher 31, Baker 4) Matt Fisher aims a big mow to Ravindra and misses. Tom Blundell spills a chance. The Keith Astbury jinx! Fisher gets a tickle behind and the chance goes down.

78th over: England 271-9 (Fisher 30, Baker 4) Shot! Fisher rolls his wrists like a sushi master and pulls a short ball from Smith for four. Two more worked into the leg side and the partnership grows to 33 runs.

Greetings from Keith Astbury:

“This is in no way having a go at young Rew on debut. He kept reasonably well in difficult circumstances - there really was some wayward bowling - but the difference between him and Blundell is massive.

Blundell is proof that a high quality keeper makes a difference, not least in the extras total.

To paraphrase the Coen Brothers... Oh Ben Foakes Where Art Thou?”

77th over: England 264-9 (Fisher 23, Baker 4) Fisher clips a single and Baker blocks out the rest of Ravindra. New Zealand are due a new ball in four overs, this partnership just starting to annoy them.

76th over: England 263-9 (Fisher 22, Baker 4) Fisher takes a single and leaves Baker with two ball of O’Rourke to negotiate, which he does. Solid. Rachin Ravindra is coming on to bowl some spin, you can almost hear the sighs of relief from the batters out in the middle. Sweet respite from the peppering.

75th over: England 262-9 (Fisher 21, Baker 4) Loud cheers at the Oval Sonny Baker edges Smith down past the cordon for four runs! There’s his first runs in Test cricket - ‘Look in the book!’

74th over: England 258-9 (Fisher 21, Baker 0) *Timothy Dalton voice* Things are going to get a little nasty. O’Rourke resumes after lunch with a field set for short pitched bowling. Sure enough the chin music begins, Fisher gets inside the line and glances for two, he’s shown plenty of ticker this morning. Ouch! Fisher is clanged on the helmet and we pause for a concussion test, after a few minutes he’s given the all clear and play resumes. Fisher flaps a little at the final ball but doesn’t connect. Baker will be on strike for the next, a first Test run evading him at the moment.

73rd over: England 256-9 (Fisher 19, Baker 0) England survive the first hour of play, just.

Oh, Ben Stokes has just started bowling for Durham. What a strange world.

72nd over: England 255-9 (Fisher 18, Baker 0) O’Rourke replaces Jamieson, Fisher greets a full ball loosener with a flowing blade through cover for four. A leg bye off the final ball sees Fisher pinch the strike. New Zealand lead by 136 runs, every one that this final pair can wipe out might prove crucial.

OBO stalwart Tim de Lisle has been crunching some numbers:

NZ top six:

Highest score 51. Lowest score 9. All the rest between 24 and 44.

Total 188

England top six:

Highest score 53. Lowest score 9. All the rest between 24 and 46.

Total 192

The difference between the sides: Phillips’ and Jamieson’s batting. Or Henry’s bowling and Blundell’s keeping. Or Latham’s captaincy. Take your pick!”

71st over: England 250-9 (Fisher 14, Baker 0) Fisher takes a single off Matt Henry to leave Sonny Baker with five balls to face. The youngster is beaten twice outside off but survives the over, a first Test run still proving elusive.

70th over: England 249-9 (Fisher 13, Baker 0) This is a brave knock from Matt Fisher, Jamieson thunks a short ball into his gloves and it ricochets into his midriff. That will leave a bruise. Fisher then stands tall to glide for two past point and then controls a pull off the final ball for a single to keep strike.

69th over: England 246-9 (Fisher 10, Baker 0) Fun and games between Fisher and Baker, both could have been run out in the attempt to take a non existent second run but New Zealand throw to the wrong end and Blundell then fumbles. Henry bangs a couple in short, Fisher then plays a lovely back foot punch and collects three through the off side. He’s into double figures.

68th over: England 241-9 (Fisher 5, Baker 0) Sonny Baker is England’s last man. I haven’t seen too much of him with the bat but I don’t think New Zealand’s 150 odd lead is in too much jeopardy. Fisher clubs a couple off Jamieson and then takes a single to give Baker his first taste of Test match batting. Baker fences at two balls in a row and is beaten.

67th over: England 238-9 (Fisher 2, Baker 0) “Latham is captaining the Kiwis really well” writes Colum Fordham. “Clever field placings (short mid wicket to get Cox out) ably supported by his fielders and bowlers. England fielded poorly and batted recklessly yesterday. At this rate, New Zealand are going to get a more than decent lead. I hope Stokes gains redemption and comes back for what promises to be the decider at Trent Bridge.”

That would be good, wouldn’t it?

66th over: England 237-8 (Fisher 1, Tongue 1) Jamieson slams down another maiden. You’d hate to face it. You especially.

Tanya Aldred is on Ben Stokes watch at Chester-le-Street:

65th over: England 237-8 (Fisher 1, Tongue 1) Josh Tongue joins Fisher and gets off the mark first ball with a neat clip off his toes. England still trail by 154 runs, which could well be terminal.

64th over: England 236-7 (Archer 8, Fisher 1) An unmistakeable waft of Ambre Solaire hits my nostrils. Delightful. Matthew Fisher has something else up and around his nose, a series of short balls from Kyle Jamieson. He does well to duck and sway, one ball thuds into his right flank as he doesn’t get out of the way quick enough but he survives the over, a maiden.

63rd over: England 236-7 (Archer 8, Fisher 1) Matthew Fisher is the new batter, England still trail by 155 runs. Close! Fisher pokes at his first ball and the edge falls this short of first slip. He’s off the mark next ball with a drop into the off side. Eeeeesht! Archer is very nearly pinned LBW by Henry but an inside edge saves him. Henry has his dander up and looks dangerous every ball.

62nd over: England 235-6 (Cox 27, Archer 8) Jamieson was a bit off the boil yesterday and his fortunes don’t look too much brighter in the early stages of day three. Archer drives solidly and holds the pose as the ball beats the fielder and goes for four and then follows up with a castanet crack of a cut shot for four more. Short and wide from Jamieson, nicht gut.

61st over: England 227-6 (Cox 27, Archer 0) Shot! Cox flicks his wrists on a half volley from Matt Henry and the ball traces away for four across the baking square. Lovely timing on that.

60th over: England 223-6 (Cox 23, Archer 0) It will be intriguing to see how Cox plays this morning, I have a feeling we might see some dashing strokeplay if he can hang around for a few overs and get settled. Jamieson is back of a length, Cox lets one pass by and then defends with a straight bat to mid off. The Oval is thrumming with excitement and plenty of folk can be spied applying a thick layer of sun cream, there isn’t a lot of shade here at the moment. A cheer greets Cox and England’s first run of the day, a guide to point for single off the final delivery.

Righto, here come the players, Kyle Jamieson is going to start with the ball. Jordan Cox on strike. The game on the line. Let’s play.

Just read this beautiful piece from my pal Jon Hotten who watched Rew and Cox make their way for the first time in Test cricket from a lofty perch (lah-di-dah) here at the Oval:

Yesterday at the Oval, James Rew walked out to bat as England’s number six. The score was 170-4, and, disconcertingly, he had to pass Joe Root, who was stomping off having reviewed a marginal leg before decision and not much enjoyed the result. Has there ever, in the history of the game, been such a disparity between outgoing batter and the incoming one? Root had just fallen to the 24,327th delivery he received in Test cricket. Rew, as if he needed reminding, was yet to face a single ball. What would he give, at that moment, for just one of Root’s 13,998 runs?

Tom Blundell remained up to the stumps. Matt Henry switched to around the wicket. It must have been an out-of-body experience for James Rew, that first delivery. No matter how you prepare, how long you have visualised the moment, it can’t have been like this, not 170-4 on a muggy afternoon at the Oval, the captain out, the early serenity of the afternoon’s play broken open, this lifetime’s dream now a visceral reality.”

Today is A Day for Thorpey at the Oval. You can find out all about it here.

What a player. Much missed.

Thorpe’s in” or “Thorpe’s still in” were words that always provided some solace in the back seats. Thorpe was a headbanded and hard-bitten nugget of hope. A zinc-lipped beacon. A “Kookaburra Bubble” stickered mast on which to cling as England found themselves taking on wave after wave of all-time great bowlers. Be it night or day, seam or spin, lost cause, dead rubber or soul stirring victory – Graham Thorpe was batting.

Against a rolling backdrop of Cornhill Insurance, npower girls, spindly gasometers, snow-capped mountains and Tetley Beer hoardings – Graham Thorpe was batting. Against Australia, West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park and the aliens of Independence Day – Graham Thorpe was batting. During Labour landslides, Knebworth singalongs, through BSE, foot and mouth and Millennium Bugs. Somehow, Graham Thorpe was batting the entirety of the decade.”

The players are on the outfield warming up here at the Oval, not that they really need to, it is ‘Scorchio!’

A couple of Kiwi squad members do some sprint training about 80 metres away from my seat in the outdoor press box. Good on them, I’m going to find some coffee.

Could the Ben Stokes saga be nearing a sensible conclusion?

Andy Bull wrote about Sonny Baker’s second day as a Test cricketer:

But the next morning was a lesson, if he needed it, that Test cricket turns on you pretty quick. Root had decided Baker should open the bowling. His first ball flew high and wide for four byes down the leg side, his second shot away off the outside edge of Glenn Phillips’s bat for four more.

His second over started with a ball that was thumped through point by Kyle Jamieson, who bats, nowadays, like Paul Bunyan setting about a forest of Redwoods. The next was another boundary, slashed over the top of the wicketkeeper. And then Baker got him to pull one high out towards deep midwicket.

Baker threw his hands up in celebration at the catch, then dropped them again as he watched Ben Duckett fumble it. Just to rub it in, Jamieson took the single while this was happening, and Phillips carted Baker’s next delivery away square. At this point he had conceded five boundaries in 10 deliveries. The game was running away from him as if it was on a flywheel.”

Catch up on the day two action with Ali Martin’s report: