OVER 37: ENG 157/4 (Root 62 Rew 7)
Root milks Smith for a couple of singles into the legside, Rew pops a short ball into the onside to take one but then ends the over with a stroke of the highest class, a punch on the up through midwicket for four that seemed to be more about the high elbow than the usual slick wrists to play through there.
OVER 36: ENG 150/4 (Root 60 Rew 2)
O’Rourke tests Rew out with a brute of a delivery that climbs to chest height and nibbles away from the left-hander who can’t help flinching and letting his hands follow the ball. Luckily it moved too far. O’Rourke then manages to make one swing wildly after pitching, flying down the legside before veering and dipping like a drunk wasp towards first slip. Rew ducks the bouncer and, having survived that, may be relieved to see Henry has gone off for a breather and will be replaced by Nathan Smith at the other end.
OVER 35: ENG 150/4 (Root 60 Rew 2)
Henry, the metronome, is human after all, spraying four byes down the legside then normal service is resumed with five nagging dot balls to Root.
OVER 34: ENG 146/4 (Root 60 Rew 2)
Root keeps trucking along, working two off his pads and then crouching back to nurdle O’Rourke’s good length ball to point for a single. The Kiwi quick has men out on the hook for Rew who fell into that trap in the first innings but double bluffs witha full one onhis pads that clips them as Rew misses out on a flick and shoots fine for four leg-byes.