CRICKET

England v New Zealand live: Third Test, day one

New Zealand close on 225-5 on opening day at Headingley
Leach looks confused while Foakes celebrates the bizarre dismissal of Nicholls on the stroke of tea
Leach looks confused while Foakes celebrates the bizarre dismissal of Nicholls on the stroke of tea
LEE SMITH/REUTERS

With the sun blazing down, a full house surviving the ravages of the rail strike and putting the cost-of-living crisis to the back of the mind for a while, it was possible for a moment to forget the turbulence over the past year that had almost brought this great club to its knees, and may yet still. The Test that almost didn’t take place, and is vital to the financial survival of Yorkshire, offered enough on day one to hold everyone’s interest.

There was none of the explosive batting that characterised the Nottingham Test, but the tension simmered because New Zealand were always only one wicket away from subsiding. But for another rescue act from Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell, who combine as well as