England’s hopes of salvaging the second Test took a hammer blow at the Oval, but Matt Fisher has not abandoned hope of creating a “headache” for New Zealand.
The Black Caps closed day three in a commanding position, boasting a 352-run lead with seven wickets in hand and two days to push for victory.
It is the kind of situation even Ben Stokes, who has salvaged more lost causes than most over the years, might baulk at. And with the temporarily exiled skipper 275 miles away turning out for Durham in Chester-le-Street, England are attempting to fight their way out of trouble with a side packed with newcomers and novices.
But Fisher, winning a second Test cap here more than four years after his first, gave an optimistic assessment after watching Henry Nicholls pound out an unbeaten 119 in the Black Caps’ second innings.
“I don’t think we were far away. In key moments we’ve maybe just not got it right, but you can’t change that and the New Zealanders have capitalised,” he said.
“We just have to come back, front up like we always do. We’ll try to get some early wickets and give New Zealand a bit of a headache with what to set us or try to bowl them out and have a look at seeing what we can do on a pretty flat wicket.”
Despite the tourists’ outright dominance, Fisher even suggested he had sensed an abundance of caution in the evening session. At one stage he did not concede a run for three successive overs, though the floodgates did open when he was taken for 12 off his fourth.
“It’s not easy to keep the scoring down out there. With the field that we set, especially to me, I think they could have put me under more pressure,” he said.
“I was able to just hit my length and create a few maidens. I think in the opposite way, we’d be looking to be proactive and that’s why a couple of early poles tomorrow really gives them a headache, like I said.”
Fisher’s confidence was perhaps bolstered by his earlier efforts with the bat. Having come to the crease without a Test run to his name and with just two half-centuries in his first-class career he helped himself to 50 not out, a knock which reduced the first-innings deficit to exactly 100.
“You don’t really think about that as a bowler, you’re dreaming about wickets, but I came off saying that batting’s a bit more enjoyable than bowling sometimes. I really enjoyed it,” he said.
For Nicholls, it was a day to savour. Recalled to the team in place of Kane Williamson, the country’s record run-scorer who unexpectedly retired after the series opener at Lord’s, he produced a performance worthy of the honour.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play a lot of my Test career with Kane. I certainly knew that I wasn’t going to be able to replace him – he’s such an incredible player – but I’ve just really enjoyed being back in the team,” he said.
“I was glad to contribute. It’s obviously been a great day personally but also from the team’s perspective – to bowl them out with a lead and then be where we are now, it’s exactly what we wanted.”
