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The Blues' top scorer has been tearing Women's Super League teams apart this season – and now her country needs her to produce too

Just before the hour mark at Kingsmeadow on Sunday, Lauren James darted onto a perfectly-weighted Fran Kirby through ball. Bearing down on goal, Leicester City goalkeeper Janina Leitzig rushed out to meet her, while Foxes centre-back Julie Thibaud tried halting her progress with a crunching tackle.

But James was unmoved, channeling Hernan Crespo in the 2005 Champions League final by nonchalantly lifting the ball over Leitzig and into the back of the net. The goal was the 22-year-old's second of the 5-2 win, a performance which followed up a stunning hat-trick at Stamford Bridge against Liverpool and a sumptuous assist in the Champions League victory over Paris FC.

James has always been eminently watchable; no Women's Super League player justifies the punters' entrance fee more regularly than her. But now she's becoming truly terrifying: an absolute killer in front of goal.

Getty ImagesA generational talent – but a bit wasteful?

Of course, James has always threatened to become this effective. This is someone who was training with Arsenal's senior side at the age of 14, was featuring for Manchester United's relaunched women's team just over two years later and signing a unprecedented four-year contract at Chelsea before her 20th birthday.

After a string of niggling injuries kept her sidelined for extended spells during her maiden 2021-22 campaign with the Blues, James finally got to show her new club what she was all about last season. The anticipation was palpable and she did not disappoint, delighting the Kingsmeadow faithful with her unique ball-carrying abilities and creativity.

The hype was real, with the only criticism being James' lack of goals and assists. It took until Chelsea's sixth game of the season for her to break that duck, but she did it in some style, netting a brace and laying a goal on for Sam Kerr in a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa.

However, although there were plenty more magic moments that followed in a blue shirt, the questions over James' ability to consistently find the back of the net and register assists continued as the campaign progressed.

At times, she was holding onto the ball for too long to the visible frustration of her team-mates, while her finishing was far from elite. During the 2022-23 campaign she averaged 0.12 goals per shot, with over 50 players managing better figures, while less than 30 percent of her efforts ended up on target.

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes provided an honest assessment of James' development early in the season: "Her talent is clear, but most importantly we must keep doing the right things. If we all want her growth to continue in the direction it’s going – trust me, I’ve coached footballers for such a long time – you have to keep nailing the things around them, the habits. She’s still a young player and we’re still nailing those habits. I urge everybody to be calm with her. It’s important for us to nurture her in the way we do, but also without massive pressures and expectations, which I know is hard to avoid."

AdvertisementGettyCareer-defining tournament Down Under

In the end, James would finish the season with five goals from 18 WSL games, more than enough to earn her a place in Sarina Wiegman's England squad. And after the Lionesses underwhelmed going forward in their group-stage opener against Haiti, Wiegman played her trump card, introducing James to the starting XI on matchday two.

Denmark were England's opponents and the Chelsea star didn't take long to make an impact, netting a superb opener just six minutes into her World Cup debut. That goal turned out to be the winner too.

Things got even better when England faced China, with James dropping an all-time great Women's World Cup display. By the time the dust had settled on an astounding 6-1 victory, she had two goals and three assists to her name, and Wiegman was understandably delighted with her "special" talent.

By this point, LJ-mania was very much running wild back home. But things got hairy in the round of 16 when James was sent off for stamping on Nigeria's Michelle Alozie. The Lionesses did eventually triumph on penalties, but the naive moment derailed the hype train. "Obviously what we she did was wrong and she knows it was wrong and apologised for it publicly and now she faces the consequences," goalkeeper Mary Earps said at the time.

James' resulting two-game suspension kept her out until the final, and she could not atone for her error after coming on as a half-time substitute, with Spain triumphing 1-0 thanks to Olga Carmona's goal. It was a damp squib of an ending for James when it had seemed like being World Cup. But red card aside, her match-winning ruthlessness in front of goal in the first two games hinted at her growing maturity.

Getty ImagesDominating the WSL

And this trend has accelerated at Chelsea during the current season. After waiting so long to find the net in the WSL in 2022-23, James rose to the occasion in the Blues' curtain raiser against Tottenham, latching onto Niamh Charles' cross to double her side's advantage at a time when Spurs were threatening to rally.

It wasn't just her goal that was notable, though. With Kerr injured and Fran Kirby still not fully fit despite a cameo from the bench, James completely ran the game for the Blues, drifting all over the pitch to carve out her side's best opportunities.

There was a slight drop off in the two WSL games that followed against Manchester City and West Ham, with the caveat that hardly any Blues players impressed during those matches, which resulted in James being rotated out of the side for her side's trips to Everton and Real Madrid.

And if Hayes was looking for a reaction, James provided one against Liverpool in front of the Stamford Bridge crowd. Her hat-trick was the most compelling evidence yet of her growing composure in front of goal. All three were expertly-taken strikes, showcasing her world-class ability to beat defenders and newfound poacher instincts, and she further bloated her goal tally against Leicester with two more calm finishes.

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Getty Images'Everything I do I am thankful to Emma'

This recent glut of goals is an expression of James' development in the final third. This season, she's been far more clinical than in 2022-23, averaging a WSL goal for around every five shots she takes, while just under half of her strikes are going on target. This form has seen her rise to the top of the Golden Boot rankings, level on six goals with Manchester City's Bunny Shaw.

This emerging ruthless streak is bad news for Chelsea's WSL rivals and also a credit to the transformative effect Blues boss Hayes has had on James' career. Throughout her meteoric rise, the soon-to-be United States women's national team manager has been there to temper expectations, constantly reminding English football's most talked about starlet of the need to remain grounded and improve her game.

This tough love has not damaged the pair's relationship, though. Ahead of the World Cup in the summer, James paid tribute to Hayes for her role in getting her back back to her best following her injury struggles.

"Emma is always helpful, she’s played a massive role in just getting me back to being myself again. She just says ‘enjoy it’, like ‘start enjoying the moments’," she said. "I had two years of just like constant injuries. She managed me well and it’s allowed me to find my feet again. In the moment, everyone is like ‘why is Lauren not playing?’ and I want to be playing on the pitch, but in the long run it’s obviously paid out and it’s kept me on the pitch this season."

And when James scored that iconic Liverpool hat-trick, she immediately gave Hayes some of the credit. "Amazing, I think even better to do it at the Bridge. Obviously with the news of Emma [Hayes] leaving, everything I do I am thankful to her."

Adam Voges are at opposite ends of their careers but their brace of 90s held Middlesex together against Somerset at Taunton

Alex Winter at Taunton27-Apr-2015
ScorecardGetty ImagesAdam Voges and Nick Gubbins are at opposite ends of their careers but they combined to move Middlesex back into the contest on the second day at Taunton. Both were dismissed in the 90s and both will reflect on opportunities missed for their first centuries for Middlesex. Their stand of 139 for the third wicket helped the visitors mount a steady reply but fears over the solidity of their batting line up were renewed as they lost five wickets after tea to close facing a first-innings deficit.Jamie Overton, at 21, is tipped among the next generation of England fast bowlers. He is used in short bursts and after an initial quick four-over spell in the evening session where he removed Gubbins, he returned in the last knockings of the day to clean bowl both John Simpson and Ollie Rayner to tip the balance of the match back to the hosts.For much of the day, with the weather and entertainment value of the second afternoon in stark contrast to the first, a 38-over partnership between Voges and Gubbins did justice to the work of their bowlers on the first evening. Their defiance was welcome for Middlesex, who were bowled out for just 181 in the first innings against Durham, entailing a lengthy rearguard from the lower order on the final day to rescue a draw.Voges’ plans for 2015 were dramatically altered by his call up to the Australian Test squad but he was determined to honour as much of his deal with Middlesex as was possible. It only amounts to four matches but he has began well with 75 to contribute to a battling draw against Notts and 98 here.Gubbins, the 21-year-old left-hander, impressed during four Championship matches last season with three half-centuries in his first four matches, including 95 against Somerset at Uxbridge, when he ran himself out. But after a composed innings here, was dismissed in the 90s again, having cruelly been forced to resume after a lengthy delay for rain and bad light only nine short of a century.He faced another exciting youngster in Overton who steamed in from the pavilion end for a sharp four-over spell on resumption. He put Gubbins on his backside avoiding a sharp bumper, then hit him, painfully it appeared, on the thigh before forcing an edge to second slip with a rising delivery, caught low by Marcus Trescothick. Gubbins hung his head in disappointment. He said it was the quickest spell he has encountered since facing Tymal Mills.Voges dealt more comfortably with Overton, smartly fending off a short ball past gully and cutting another boundary backward of square in the manner of James Hildreth on day one. Middlesex looked to be closing the second day in good shape to reach parity but Overton changed ends and took the second new ball to take out Simpson and Rayner.Their position would not have been as strong had either set batsman advanced their strong positions. Voges also fell narrowly short of a century, lbw to Lewis Gregory, one of his four wickets. Gregory impressed last season with 43 Championship wickets at 26.06. In the morning he also had Sam Robson caught at second slip to the second ball of the day and Nick Compton, who edged behind and looked very unhappy with the decision by Alex Wharf.Thereafter, Voges and Gubbins ticked over under heavy skies. There were few crashing boundaries of day one but Gubbins did pull two sixes into the Somerset stand off Gregory.The break for poor weather worked in the hosts favour. 17 overs were lost either side of tea which gave way to a competitive final session of 31 overs where Somerset took five wickets to raise hopes of a first innings lead. As Middlesex demonstrated on the first evening, a run of wickets is possible on a wicket offering some assistance to the bowlers. A result remains alive.

Preview of the match between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Ranchi

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran25-Sep-2013Match facts September 26, 2013
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)With heavy dew expected, the batsmen could enjoy the advantage late in the evening•BCCIBig PictureBoth Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad are coming off successful chases in their opening games. Super Kings made a chase of 186 look ridiculously easy in Ranchi, with Titans failing to control a rampaging top order with heavy dew around. The wet ball was a big factor and will continue to be so since the forthcoming game between Super Kings and Sunrisers begins late in the evening. Chasing might not be a bad idea and as allrounder Albie Morkel said on the eve of the game, the toss will be a big factor.Sunrisers’ chase against Trinidad and Tobago wasn’t as clinical, since it went down to the final over. Shikhar Dhawan played only a minor role though it was good from Sunrisers’ perspective that the lower order proved themselves when a challenge presented itself. Thisara Perera’s fearless hitting made the difference and Super Kings would have to strategise how to contain the big hitters like Perera and Darren Sammy. However, Sunrisers weren’t their sharpest in the field on Tuesday and that’s an area they need to improve on.Super Kings will be concerned that their bowlers leaked 185. They have relied on spinners to pull the run-rate back but against Titans, seven overs of spin cost them 85 runs.In the spotlightDwayne Bravo’s cameo 38 off 26 balls helped Super Kings edge closer to victory against Titans and he picked up two wickets as well as Titans looked to accelerate towards the end. However, he has struggled as a death bowler in recent one-dayers for West Indies, something he had admitted needed plenty of improvement. His first two overs against Titans went for 23, but he came back well in his next two, conceding 11 and taking those two wickets. He could use the ongoing T20s to sharpen his death-bowling skills.Sunrisers’ younger Indian batsmen have yet to shine in this tournament, starting from the qualifiers. Biplab Samantray, batting in the top order, was dropped after scores of 0 and 8; Hanuma Vihari made a cautious 18-ball 13 against T&T, and in the same match Ashish Reddy was out for a first-ball duck. Teams that aren’t overdependent on overseas players and bigger names tend to be more successful than others. If the younger players can click, it could help Sunrisers in a big way.Quotes “This is probably the most dew I’ve seen on a cricket field.”

South Africa U-19 halted Pakistan U-19’s three-match winning streak with a 42-run victory in Cape Town

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2012
ScorecardSouth Africa U-19 halted Pakistan U-19’s three-match winning streak with a 42-run victory in Cape Town.Batting first, South Africa overcame an indifferent start through a 98-run fourth wicket stand between Shaylin Pillay and Theunis de Bruyn. The latter was the mainstay of the innings, contributing 73 off 76 balls. No. 7 batsman Prenelan Subrayen chipped in with 25 at nearly run-a-ball as South Africa surged to 240 for 7. Zia-ul-Haq and Usman Qadir impressed with two wickets each for Pakistan.Opening bowler Corné Fry dismantled the chase early, removing both Pakistan openers before they could settle in. The support cast backed up Fry and left Pakistan in trouble at 107 for 6 in the 28th over. No. 8 Qadir resisted with a fifty, but it was only a matter of time before Pakistan subsided. They were 42 runs short when they were bowled out in the 44th over.

England’s preparation for their second five-match ODI series against India in under a month will open with two practice matches against a Hyderbad squad, the BCCI has confirmed

Sharda Ugra05-Oct-2011England’s preparation for their second five-match ODI series against India in under a month will open with two practice matches against a Hyderbad squad, the BCCI has confirmed. England arrived in the city, which is the venue for the first ODI on October 14, on Tuesday and two day-night practice games will form part of their ten-day acclimatisation.The two practice matches will be held on October 8 and 11, with Hyderabad trying to rebuild after a poor 2010-11 Ranji Trophy season in the lower-division of the Indian domestic championship. The team to face England is expected to be selected on Thursday.A BCCI official said England could not face a Board President’s XI or an India A team consisting of the highest rung of domestic cricketers because of the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, a domestic 50-overs tournament featuring India’s elite players.The tournament, featuring India’s top 36 ODI players, will be held in Nagpur from October 10 to 13, with the players divided into three teams – India Blue, India Green and India Red. Gautam Gambhir, who is part of the Indian squad for the first two ODIs, will captain India Red.England underwent their first day of training in Hyderabad on Wednesday,a few players struggling in the 30-degree heat. England captian Alastair Cook was pleased with England’s long warm-up period before the one-dayers. “It is quite unheard of as a one-day preparation period, to have 10 days,” he said. “Normally, you come straight from a Test series. So to have that time is fantastic.”England coach Andy Flower joins the England team on Thursday, after having undergone minor shoulder surgery and receiving his OBE during an Investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle. Wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter is part of the Somerset squad taking part in the Champions League T20 and by Wednesday night will know whether his team will be part of the semi-finals or whether he will be making his way from Bangalore to Hyderabad.

The resumption of bilateral ties between India and Pakistan remains in the balance after inconclusive discussions between the heads of the two boards in Kuala Lumpur

Umar Farooq29-Jun-2012The resumption of bilateral ties between India and Pakistan remains in the balance after inconclusive discussions between the heads of the two boards in Kuala Lumpur. The BCCI president N Srinivasan and the PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf met on the sidelines of the ICC annual conference and agreed on a series in principle, but not on any specific details.”We’d already agreed [in May] to playing each other, which he [Srinivasan] reconfirmed,” Ashraf told ESPNcricinfo. “We will play, that’s for sure, but dates and revenue matters are yet to be finalised.”Ashraf said Pakistan were ready for progress on the series but Srinivasan had said he would only be able to commit after checking with Indian authorities. It is Pakistan’s turn to host a bilateral series, though Ashraf said the BCCI had the prerogative to decide on the dates. It’s understood the BCCI is not keen to play at a neutral venue, and Pakistan are ready to play in India. However, the PCB would want the BCCI to share revenue because it has apparently not yet recovered from the loss suffered when India pulled out their planned tour in 2009.The PCB is currently facing a shortfall of approximately $75 million in its annual budget and is looking at the India series to make up the deficit.Pakistan and India have not played each other in a bilateral series since December 2007, and ties have been frozen since the 2008 Mumbai terrorist strike. Pakistan did, however, travel to India to play the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup.Talks of reviving Pakistan-India cricketing ties began when Ashraf requested Pakistan President Asif Zardari to take up the issue with the Indian government. A meeting between the head of states in Delhi in April indicated that the Indian government had no objections to the resumption of cricket between the two countries. Last month, Ashraf visited India for the IPL final and it emerged that one window for the series could be during the gap in England’s split tour to India at the end of the year.

In the wake of the widespread allegations of embezzlement of the BCCI grants at the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), the Indian board has asked its auditors to investigate the matter and prepare a detailed report on the situation

Nagraj Gollapudi31-Mar-2012In the wake of the widespread allegations of embezzlement of the BCCI grants at the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), the Indian board has decided to take action and has asked its auditors to investigate the matter and prepare a detailed report on the situation.

Even as his name has featured in the alleged financial scam at the JKCA, Muhammad Aslam Goni was in Johannesburg, as the manager of the India team for the one-off Twenty20 played on Friday evening at the Wanderers against South Africa. Though he was appointed to the post by the BCCI, no board official would comment on the appointment.

“We are asking the auditors to check the JKCA accounts and report back to us,” Anurag Thakur, the BCCI joint-secretary, told ESPNcricinfo. According to Thakur there was no deadline set and a final call on the matter would be taken by the BCCI president N Srinivasan once the auditor’s report was ready.The allegations came to light when Muhammad Aslam Goni, the JKCA managing committee chairman, lodged an FIR with the police on March 10 against Ahsan Mirza and Mohammad Saleem Khan – the JKCA general secretary and chief administrative officer respectively – accusing the duo of pushing the BCCI funds into bogus bank accounts created in the name of the association.But on March 21, Goni himself was dragged into the controversy when majority of the 62 JKCA working committee members claimed Goni, too, was involved in the scam and demanded he resign from the chairman’s position. The working committee requested JKCA president Farooq Abdullah to dissolve the current management committee and organise fresh elections at the end of April.

On a triumphant day for N Srinivasan, he was expectedly re-elected BCCI’s president for another year while his allies took over key positions in the board

Amol Karhadkar29-Sep-2013N Srinivasan was re-elected BCCI’s president for another year, as expected, and cemented his hold on the board with the appointment of his allies to key positions. The other big winner at the BCCI’s 84th annual general meeting in Chennai on Sunday was Ranjib Biswal, the Odisha Cricket Association president, who was named the new chairman of the IPL governing council. (Click here for the full list of appointments.)Srinivasan had been under pressure for the past few days, after his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was chargesheeted in the IPL corruption scandal, and there had been question marks over his immediate future following the Supreme Court directive to him to stay away from the job, should he win, till he is cleared by it. However, events in Chennai sent out the unambiguous message that he remained as powerful as ever.”I have won unopposed but I am not taking charge,” Srinivasan told IANS. “I have asked the new office bearers to take charge. I am awaiting the Supreme Court order. There are a lot of things on me now.”New vice-president Rajiv Shukla sounded more triumphant. “Everybody was elected unopposed,” he said. “Mr Srinivasan chaired the meeting. The meeting had to take place with the head (who is the new president). It’s not contempt of court. He will only take charge after the fresh Supreme Court guidelines.”The daily work will be handled by Srinivasan’s close aide, Sanjay Patel, confirmed today as secretary, a post he had been handling on an interim basis since the IPL scandal broke out in June. The job had so far been assigned to Jagmohan Dalmiya but Patel’s ascension to a permanent role makes him eligible for this position.Srinivasan’s re-election came about via the amendment to the BCCI constitution that required any challenger to the presidential post to be supported from the incumbent’s zone – south zone, in Srinivasan’s case. Once he had managed to get all of the BCCI’s six southern units on his side, his election was all but certain and he was the only candidate to have filed his papers on Saturday. After that, it was a matter of pleasing all his supporters who had stood beside him during what has been a tumultuous phase not only for Srinivasan but for Indian cricket as well.Winners and losers after AGM, apart from obvious names

**Winners**
G Ganga Raju – Andhra Cricket Association secretary. Rewarded with finance committee chairmanship for sticking around with Srinivasan
Vinod Phadke – Goa Cricket Association president’s decision not to defect from Srinivasan compensated by the post of media-committee chairman
Anil Kumble – Retained his post of technical-committee chairman, and also got 11 Karnataka representations in various BCCI committees
Anirudh Chaudhary – Son of Ranbir Mahendra, who had been a joint secretary, secretary and president of BCCI in the past. The son, yet another Srinivasan devotee, has been appointed treasurer, thus completing the quorum of all major BCCI posts in the family
Sanjay Patel – His four-month internship as an able administrator and not being outspoken in the media helped him become the most important lieutenant of Srinivasan as the secretary
Amitabh Choudhary – The Jharkhand State Cricket Association president will head two bodies: marketing committee and the newly appointed anti-corruption and security committee
Rajiv Shukla – Irrespective of who is in power, the federal minister has a knack of always ending up as a winner. Replaced Sudhir Dabir as the vice-president from central zone
**Losers**
Ravi Savant – It is murmured that his criticism of MS Dhoni’s conflict of interest was one of the main factors behind his demotion from treasurer to vice-president
Niranjan Shah – Despite admitting that he was considered a part of the “opposition” faction, the Sharad Pawar aide was defiant about retaining the vice-president’s post from west zone but was outvoted in the zonal meeting
Sudhir Dabir – One of the most trustworthy allies of Shashank Manohar, who was portrayed as a possible challenger to Srinivasan. No wonder Dabir couldn’t hold on to his post of vice-president from the central zone
Farooq Abdullah – The Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association president, who headed the marketing committee, was sidelined due to the alleged financial irregularities committed by his state unit

While all the major posts in BCCI – secretary Patel, treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary and joint secretary Anurag Thakur – went to those from the Srinivasan lobby, key personnel from each of the six south zone units were handed an influential position. Anil Kumble (Karnataka) and Shivlal Yadav (Hyderabad) retained their positions as technical committee chairman and vice-president, respectively; G Ganga Raju (Andhra) was appointed the finance committee chairman, TC Mathew (Kerala) replaced Biswal as the NCA board chairman, while Vinod Phadke (Goa) will be headingthe media committee for the next year.The BCCI has traditionally followed a system of appeasing all of its chief’s favourites. However, most of its earlier regimes, including the first two years of Srinivasan, have seen even dissenting voices being accommodated to a certain extent. However, the manner in which Srinivasan has managed to get rid of all those who have opposed him or the board’s functioning during his rule underlines his reputation of being a shrewd operator.Right from Jyotiraditya Scindia, one of the youngest federal ministers, to Niranjan Shah, who has been involved in the BCCI for four decades to Vidarbha’s Sudhir Dabir who was the central zone vice-president, Srinivasan has sidelined all those who had given a hint of opposing him. The BCCI structure in itself allows the four principal office bearers – president, secretary, joint secretary and treasurer – to dictate terms. However, Srinivasan ensured that the likes of Shah and Dabir, who were closer to the opposing Sharad Pawar-Shashank Manohar faction than him, were replaced as vice-presidents despite the post not holding much significance in the BCCI structure.”As per the constitution, the board has conducted the AGM,” Shah said. “Srinivasan chaired it. It is part of the democratic process. It’s all about majority. I hold no grudge against anyone. It’s not necessary [for a vice-president to seek re-election].”With the credibility of the IPL at stake and the next edition likely to clash with union elections, it was a challenge for Srinivasan to rope in an IPL chairman who could understand the game as well as deal with politicians. Besides being in Srinivasan’s good books, Biswal, a former MP and a former India Under-19 captain, fits the bill on both the counts. Through Kumble, Srinivasan also managed to rope in former great Gundappa Viswanath on the IPL governing council to lend it more credibility from the fans’ perspective.A day after his appointment, Biswal told that he wanted to put the focus back on cricket in the IPL: “I’m aware that a lot of things happened in the last edition of the IPL, but I’ve just been appointed the chairman. First, I’d like to meet colleagues on the governing council and get their views. After that, the operational team of the IPL… A road map will be drawn where cricket is the priority.”Thanks to the court rider, the contentious issues, including dealing with the government’s double-taxation policy and India’s South Africa tour, were not even touched upon formally in the minutes.

Steven Finn, excelling in a new role as nightwatchman, struck a maiden Test and first-class fifty to make a huge contribution towards England saving the first Test in Dunedin and saving face in the bargain

The Report by David Hopps09-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSteven Finn reached the first fifty of his first-class career•Associated PressSteven Finn, excelling in a new role as nightwatchman, struck a maiden first-class fifty to make a huge contribution towards England saving the first Test in Dunedin and saving face in the bargain. As Finn walked back to the dressing room with 56 to his name, and perhaps his first experience of pad burn after not far short of five hours at the crease, he was in danger of being rewarded with a full-time appointment to go alongside the gratitude of his team mates.Finn’s marathon resistance stretched until the second over after tea, at which point he succumbed to an ambitious slog-sweep at the left-arm spinner Bruce Martin. Spared Finn’s sudden appreciation of the art of batsmanship, New Zealand might well have triumphed. As their bowlers strove gamely for victory on a docile surface, they will also have rued the rain and bad light which prevented play on the opening day.England lost Nick Compton on a slow final morning, with Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen following in the afternoon. Ian Bell’s senseless run-out of Joe Root, thrown out second ball for nought by a direct hit from cover, kept New Zealand’s interest flickering enough in the final session to take a third new ball, but by then England’s lead was 117 with four wickets and 25 overs remaining. Bell wisely saw the job through until, with the advantage stretched to 128, the match was called off at the final drinks break.Pietersen’s out-of-sorts innings immediately invited conjecture that he might be protecting an injury and, to add to the intrigue, he watched the last rites in front of the dressing room with a large black X on his right knee. To offer such target practice was especially dangerous in New Zealand, who can invent a sport for most things and who even now are probably drawing up the rules for world championship knee archery.Pietersen, Trott and Compton fell to the unflagging left-arm swing of Neil Wagner, who will need every hour of his three days off before the second Test begins in Wellington, but New Zealand never quite got on a roll.Finn could take much credit for that. The wagon wheel, which might one day be framed in his downstairs toilet, showed five boundaries scooting off in the general direction of third man, but he generally made good use of his long reach on a pitch which slumbered to the last. James Anderson, his predecessor, has taken a battering in some of the most threatening situations Test cricket can offer, but Finn got a cushier job and relaxed into it with aplomb. Wagner did test him against the short ball eventually, but only at around 130kph and only when his eye was in.He reached his 50 from 142 balls, angling Wagner through gully, but then decided to take stock, scratched a new guard and did not score for the next hour and a quarter. His next single brought ironic applause from the Barmy Army and a blast from Billy Cooper’s trumpet. It was just as well that he did dig in because Trott fell for 52 in the same over, Wagner taking a good leaping catch in his follow-through from a leading edge, and Pietersen soon followed to an inside edge from a nondescript shot.Perhaps Pietersen was just having one of those days. Just as he is intoxicated by the big occasion, he can run on empty if a game feels flat. If he guested in a club knockabout, there is every chance that somebody would get him out for nought, just as there would be every chance that Finn would get a hundred.Finn escaped a couple of tough chances; in the first over of the day edging very low towards Dean Brownlie at third slip and later, on 37, sending an edge between the slips off Kane Williamson. The middle of the bat often proved elusive, especially when compared to the timing shown by Trott, but his stay was testament to the work England’s bowlers put in their batting.England began the day still 59 runs behind and a couple of early wickets, with the second new ball still new, would have opened the door for New Zealand. However, it took them more than an hour to make the breakthrough which came when Wagner swung one back into Compton’s pads who, for a moment, considered the review before deciding, wisely as replays showed, that it would have been a waste.Compton’s seven-hour innings – 117 from 310 balls – was a study in concentration and determination. He was given a warm ovation as he walked off, his father Richard leading the applause from the crowd, and was safe in knowledge that his Test berth is now secure.Trott’s half-century was effortless, a punchy straight drive off Martin emphasising that there would be no last-day encouragement for the spinner, who instead continued to toil on a dead surface.England made only 53 from 28 overs between lunch and tea and Finn was responsible for 14 of them. But the overs were ticking down and for England, that was all that mattered.

Mitchell McClenaghan will stay back in South Africa for the two-match Test series starting January 2

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Dec-2012New Zealand and Auckland left-arm seamer Mitchell McClenaghan will stay back in South Africa for the two-match Test series starting January 2. McClenaghan replaces Tim Southee, who was ruled out last week due to a thumb injury.McClenaghan, 26, played the two Twenty20 internationals on the current tour, picking up a wicket in each game. “With Tim Southee’s injury and Mark Gillespie being unavailable due to injury we have taken the opportunity to add Mitchell McClenaghan to the Test squad for the two match series against South Africa,” New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said. “Mitchell has been an impressive performer over the past couple of domestic seasons and deserves this opportunity following a promising start to International Cricket during the T20 series in South Africa.”Mitchell is a talented and exciting young fast bowler who has the ability to unsettle batsmen with his pace and bounce. We are confident if the opportunity arises during the tour he will perform well during the Test series.”McClenaghan has played 26 first-class matches, collecting 76 wickets at 39.03. This Plunket Shield season, he’s played four matches and taken 14 wickets at 34.85. He said his raw pace was an asset. “I can definitely feel like I can bowl a good spell of heat and hopefully put them on the back foot.”