First came the apprentices and then, with emphasis, came the sorcerer, as England finally looked like a real Test baptism formation playing the dynamic way that was required of them.
There was Alex Lees channeling, as he had said he would, his inner Matthew Hayden and leading the attack on New Zealand in a positive but far from reckless way.
Then there was Ollie Pope justifying the faith shown in him by the new leadership with a century of upper class that reminded us why he was considered, not long ago, the next great test beater in developing England.
Ollie Pope (right) and Joe Root (left) helped each other for a couple of outstanding centuries
Ollie Pope was advancing towards a first century in his home when England was disbanded
Pope (left) and Joe Root (right) drove England for lunch just two ports down
Joe Root plays a distinctive cover as he started his Trent Bridge tickets brilliantly
And then, gloriously, there was the remarkable figure of Joe Root doing a hundred more and doing his business with joy and resilience, but above all with the enormous skill that marks him more and more as one of the greatest who has ever played the game.
Together, the trio was responsible for a very promising third day of this second test, when no less than 383 races flowed and England showed that they were not just trying to save this game after fitting 553. They want to try to win. lo.
Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like Trent Bridge aint for me either. back. But that was a real statement from the “new” England.
It was a statement that captain Ben Stokes may have gone a little too far when he tried to crush debutant spinner Michael Bracewell from the attack and made 46 of 33 balls when there was another great contribution to take.
Root once again demonstrated why he is considered one of the best hitters in the world
But it is clear that Stokes is determined to be ultra-positive at all times and was willing to sacrifice himself in the name of total attack if he provided a selfless example for his team.
The best example, of course, was given by the man replaced by Stokes because Root is taking his game, if possible, to even greater heights now that he doesn’t have to worry about the demands of the captaincy.
Last Sunday, Root made one of the biggest of his 26 hundred tests by winning the first test at Lord’s and now his 27th was the fastest, getting only his 116th ball as New Zealand was seen forced on the defensive after doing the whole race for the first two days.
There were all the classic ingredients of a Root Cent, the sleek and busy punch game almost effortlessly, but also the echoes of two greats of the past.
First there was a touch from Viv Richards on how Root pulled Matt Henry out for four. Then, towards the end of a busy day, there was a bit of Kevin Pietersen on a sensational four-on-drive in front of a desperate Tim Southee.
It wasn’t quite perfect. When Root was 27, he cut Trent Boult and Southee on the second slip could only push the “opportunity” over the “bar”. Then, at 52, Root somehow tried to sweep Southee off a seven-two offside field and thought he had given it away when he threw the ball into Nottingham’s sky. Luckily for him, the ball landed safely as Tom Blundell sprinted to the deep square leg where Jamieson had fatally hesitated.
English players applaud after seeing Root reach his century at Trent Bridge
Otherwise, this was sublime from Root, who is having fun like few times before and even had time to spend the day with a young spectator stopping to sign a bat as he came in for tea.
It was his fourth cent this year, his tenth since early 2021 and his fourth at Trent Bridge. If you keep fit, there is no limit to what Root can do over the next few years.
The biggest compliment that can be made to Pope is that there were times when it was easy to confuse him with Root. Stokes was adamant that he wanted the Surrey man by his side when he became captain and believed so much in him that he asked him to bat where he had never batted before in first class cricket, in the troubled position of three.
In fact, he seemed two places too high before now, but while Pope may have gone on Saturday when he was abandoned at 37 by Daryl Mitchell, this was the perfect demonstration of his enormous Orthodox talent.
Pope was helped when four Mitchell overthrows brought him to the year 95 and then, when he reached his first century since that hundred advances in Port Elizabeth 33 long entries ago, there were joyful celebrations , especially from Root, who hit the air and ran to hug his young teammate.
Lees, in truth, should also have made a hundred and will kick himself to give Henry a blow and give him the 67, while Jonny Bairstow got lost when a reviewer found that he had gloved Boult to Blundell.
But Root is left with 163 of 200 balls and with him is Ben Foakes, dropped again by Will Young while New Zealand continued to have the same problems on the field as England suffered.
England are now just 80 runs away, the ball has started to spin for Bracewell and New Zealand could, perhaps, be under a bit of pressure in the third inning.
A draw is still a big favorite, but weirder things have happened than a win for either side. England only need to remember the 2006 Ashes Test in Adelaide, when both teams made more than 500 in their first innings, but Australia still managed to win to remember it.
More importantly, this is how Stokes and Brendon McCullum want them to play and not even two long days on the field before, the costly missed chances and the considerable pressure of the scoreboard have all affected their positive intention. This can only be encouraging for England.
Alex Lees looks at the sky in frustration after losing his port for 67 on the third day
New Zealand celebrates after Matt Henry made the breakthrough to eliminate first Alex Lees
Alex Lees and Ollie Pope shake hands with their 100-year-old partner on the third day