England vs New Zealand: Kane Williamson's struggles, Jack Leach returns

The home side won the first match at Lord's but were far from convincing

Cricket - New Zealand Practice Session - Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Britain - June 9, 2022 New Zealand's Kane Williamson and head coach Gary Stead during practice Action Images via Reuters / Andrew Boyers

England's Jack Leach, right, who returns from a concussion injury for the Second Test against New Zealand, during a nets session at Trent Bridge on June 9, 2022. PA

New Zealand's Kane Williamson during a nets session at Trent Bridge. PA

New Zealand's Ajaz Patel during training at Trent Bridge. PA

England captain Ben Stokes bowls ahead of the Second Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. Getty

England batsman Jonny Bairstow takes a penalty during a football penalty shootout during nets ahead of the Second Test. Getty

England players Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Alex Lees and Jonny Bairstow during nets at Trent Bridge. Getty

England's Ben Stokes during batting practice. Reuters

England coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes chat during nets at Trent Bridge. Getty

England's Joe Root during practice at Trent Bridge. Reuters

England captain Ben Stokes bowls during nets. Getty

England's Joe Root with Craig Overton, Zak Crawley and teammates during practice. Reuters

New Zealand's Kane Williamson and head coach Gary Stead with players and coaching staff during practice. Reuters

England’s new era started with a win over New Zealand at Lord’s last week, but it would be inaccurate to say they were convincing.

They required a fourth-innings classic from Joe Root to drag them to it, and plenty of questions remain for both sides ahead of the second Test at Trent Bridge on Friday. Here are a few of the talking points ahead of that game.

England unchanged

England have opted not to change a winning formula, and retained the same XI for the second Test – sort of.

Jack Leach started the game at Lord’s, but missed most of it because of concussion.

He has been passed fit to return to the line-up, meaning Matt Parkinson – who bolted from a barbecue to Lord’s to make his debut – slips back out of the side.

Trent Bridge is not generally regarded as favouring spinners, but Leach does have good memories of the ground.

He has only played there three times – and never in a Test – but the last time he did so, for county side Somerset, he took six for 36, which is among his best ever returns in first-class cricket.

England captain Ben Stokes, centre, and bowlers Stuart Broad, right, and Jimmy Anderson. left, take part in a nets session at Trent Bridge on June 8, 2022. PA via AP

The Broaderson test

Whether England’s revival is going to be sustained depends largely on their batting line up discovering more of a backbone.

The seam attack was in good working order in the opening Test. It hardly seemed as though James Anderson and Stuart Broad had been away, given how seamlessly they slipped back into the old routine.

If New Zealand’s batters found the task of facing them at Lord’s tough, they might find it even more exacting this week.

Trent Bridge is Broad’s home ground, and some of his greatest moments in an England shirt – a hat-trick against India, eight for 15 in the Ashes – have come there.

And yet Anderson’s record at the ground is even better. Broad has taken 41 Test wickets at 23.80 there, while his new-ball partner has 68 at 19.44.

Captain’s struggles

Class is permanent, so it is safe to assume Kane Williamson will return to his best at some point.

But will it be soon enough to play a role in turning around this series for his side?

New Zealand’s captain has only passed 50 once in his past eight innings in Tests.

That is hardly the longest extended rut in history, but given what went before that, it definitely represents a cooling off.

In his four innings preceding this run, he made two doubles centuries, and another single one besides.

Having been dismissed cheaply twice by debutant Matthew Potts at Lord’s, Williamson needs to bounce back.

New Zealand's Ajaz Patel during a nets session at Trent Bridge on Thursday, June 9, 2022. PA

Patel’s fall

Williamson is not the only New Zealander to follow boom time with woe.

Ajaz Patel became just the third player in history to take 10 wickets in a Test innings, on tour in India back in December.

His reward was to be dropped. The Test match at Lord’s was his first since then, but he, too, came back down to earth with a bump.

Patel was given just two overs to bowl in the match, and was taken apart in those by Ben Stokes.