Notes from the (Bay) Oval #1

Lights, action... lottery. For $ subscribers.

Photosport/ Aaron Gillions

ENGLAND 325-9 dec

NZ 37-3

As a statistic, the following is at once meaningless and beautifully illustrative.

New Zealand bowled their first and only maiden over in the 47th over of England’s first innings of 325-9 declared.

England took one over to match that, they’ve quintupled it after 18.

Yeah, yeah, nobody gets a biscuit for bowling a quick maiden or five but you do get a prize for scoring at 5.57 runs per over - you get to declare after 58 overs, the second earliest in test history and the earliest on a covered wicket, to put your opposition in under lights.

That’s where the lottery comes in.