Black Caps Look to Reverse Catching Woes Against England

The New Zealand cricket team is facing a challenge in the second test against England, having been outperformed by the English batsmen in their first test loss at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Black Cap Daryl Mitchell says he has faith that they will reverse their catching woes and “take some screamers” in the upcoming match.

A Lackluster Performance

The New Zealanders had a shocker in their first test loss, shelling eight chances in England’s first innings, including top scorer Harry Brook five times in his 171. The Black Caps’ catching record this year is among the worst of test playing nations bar Bangladesh, with a success rate of just 74.8%.

“Fielding is something we do pride ourselves on and we will keep trying to make sure we throw ourselves around and do everything we can to try to take those catches and hopefully they stick this test,” Mitchell said. “We won’t go about doing more catching because of the result that happened. We’ll make sure we prepare the way we do, it’s something we pride ourselves on, and we’ll tick those boxes …and we will be ready to go for this test match.”

A Statistical Reality

Mitchell said he was unaware of statistics compiled by the cricket.com website that show New Zealand’s catching rate in tests this year is the worst of test playing nations bar Bangladesh. The Black Caps have spilled 35 of their 139 chances, a success rate of 74.8 per cent, compared with Bangladesh’s 73.70 per cent.

“It’s the game of cricket. I’m sure we have all dropped catches at times throughout our career. It’s not done on purpose, I have full faith in everyone who is in the squad can go out there and throw themselves around and take some screamers.”

A Promising Performance from Mitchell

Mitchell topscored in New Zealand’s second innings in Christchurch with 84. He is fifth on the world test batting rankings, two places behind team-mate Kane Williamson, who scored 93 and 61 in Christchurch.

Mitchell has a great record playing England, notching three centuries and averaging 70 against them. He said he was looking forward to playing at the “iconic” Basin Reserve, where New Zealand’s dramatic one-run victory over England took place last year.

The Challenge Ahead

“For us as Black Caps we love playing at the Basin. To hear that it is pretty much sold out across the days it’s pretty cool, and then you add the Barmy Army as well it will be an amazing experience,” Mitchell said.

“We know traditionally it’s got good bounce and good pace, the weather plays a factor here with the wind, so it’s just adapting on the fly with that.”

A Focus on Winning

The Black Caps’ chances making the World Test Championship final suffered a blow in Christchurch, not only with the loss but also with a points deduction and fine for slow over rates. However, Mitchell says their focus would be on winning the Wellington test.

“I think we know with test cricket how hard it is to win every single test, so you don’t want to look too far ahead. For us it is making sure we control being out here at the Basin this week and try and win this test match and hopefully it keeps flowing on from there.”

A Conclusion

The Black Caps will need to work hard to reverse their catching woes and secure a win against England in the upcoming test. With Mitchell’s skills and experience, the team is well-placed to take on the challenge.