NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport

Cricket: Young Root growing into a problem

By David Leggat
Reporter·NZ Herald·
21 Feb, 2013 04:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The Herald cricket team of David Leggat and Andrew Alderson review the current England tour of New Zealand and look ahead to the deciding ODI at Eden park, all with an eye towards the looming Test series.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It was a remark which almost slipped by unnoticed.

Ross Taylor, looking to the task ahead of New Zealand's bowlers at Eden Park tomorrow, stressed the need for early wickets to put England's highly regarded batting lineup under some pressure.

"In saying that, we don't want Root to get [in] early," he said. "He's been batting really well."

Had Taylor said Cook, Bell, Trott or Morgan it would have resonated louder, they being established top-class operators in the England order. But Joe Root?

It says something for the immediate impact the young Yorkshireman has made on tour.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

First it was Jos Buttler who has been putting the hurt on New Zealand's bowlers since the tour began in Whangarei this month.

Now in the two ODIs of the ANZ international series Root has also cleared his throat, announcing himself to New Zealand audiences with classy half-centuries at Hamilton last weekend and in Napier on Wednesday night to continue a fine introduction to international cricket.

The pair are no strangers to New Zealand. Both were in England's team at the under-19 World Cup here in 2010.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

England were eliminated by the West Indies in the quarter-final and Root's 138 tournament runs at 27.6 were far outshone by, among others, New Zealand team members Harry Boam and Jimmy Neesham. Funny old game.

But Root, who hails from Sheffield, is making rapid progress. He's 22, looks a few years younger, but is attracting glowing talk as English batting's next big thing.

His first-class debut also came in 2010, he's done his time in the England Lions, before being chosen for the tour to India before Christmas. Root has also been analysed to a high degree by England's management: technical, mental, physical, all bases being ticked.

India was to be a learning experience, but Root was chosen for the final test at Nagpur, where a draw was needed for a series win. Root did his part with 73 over 289 minutes and 222 balls, the sixth-longest debut innings for England in terms of balls faced.

Discover more

Sport|cricket

Cricket: Sodhi's leg-spin gets nod

19 Feb 04:30 PM
Sport|cricket

Vincent happy to be a watcher

19 Feb 04:30 PM
Sport|cricket

Rutherford's ball watching

19 Feb 04:30 PM
Sport|cricket

Scene set for Eden Park decider

20 Feb 04:30 PM

The ODIs have shown a different side of his game which has continued in New Zealand.

In seven ODIs, he's never gone below 30, the first batsman anywhere to do so, and averages 74.5. But the key part has been the manner in which he's making his runs.

Where once former England batting great Geoff Boycott likened him to himself for his patience and resolution, he's donned a different set of clothing, in more than one sense, for the shorter form.

Quick-footed and able to get runs through 180 degrees - a frequent user of the scoop and reverse angle shots - he has proved a headache for New Zealand, with 56 in 64 balls at Hamilton, then an unbeaten 79 off 56 at Napier on Wednesday night where he made full use of a terrific batting strip.

He was dropped twice, by Taylor and New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, an awkward skier, but for all that it was a cracking innings, full of enterprise.

"He's busy," McCullum said. "He's almost Australian-like in his presence at the crease [this, by the way, intended as a huge compliment]. He calls very loud, puts pressure on the field.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"His role in the lineup is to try and create some momentum for those guys to come in after. He's played well so far and we've got to come up with some strategies to counter him."

Even England's ODI coach, former test spinner Ashley Giles, has been pleasantly surprised by Root's rapid progress.

"I didn't know he could bat as well as he has," Giles said after the Indian trip. "He just looks at home and he's the sort of player with which English cricket is in good hands."

Root's captain, Alastair Cook, reckoned in Napier Root "played shots which I didn't know he could play. He's got all the right things to make him a really good player."

No pressure, then, but the early signs are hugely encouraging for England.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Sport

'The Premier League has always been my dream': All Whites ace chases EPL goal

04 Jul 10:30 PM
Tennis

Alcaraz continues Wimbledon title defence

04 Jul 09:40 PM
Premium
Opinion

Opinion: Women's rugby steps forward with boots designed just for them

04 Jul 09:01 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

'The Premier League has always been my dream': All Whites ace chases EPL goal

'The Premier League has always been my dream': All Whites ace chases EPL goal

04 Jul 10:30 PM

Stamenic gave a timely reminder of his class last month with his All Whites displays.

Alcaraz continues Wimbledon title defence

Alcaraz continues Wimbledon title defence

04 Jul 09:40 PM
Premium
Opinion: Women's rugby steps forward with boots designed just for them

Opinion: Women's rugby steps forward with boots designed just for them

04 Jul 09:01 PM
Premium
'Exceeded my expectations': Barrett on transformative Irish rugby journey

'Exceeded my expectations': Barrett on transformative Irish rugby journey

04 Jul 09:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP