Jack Leach left high and dry by an England spinner’s thankless tasks | Jonathan Liew

Bowler retains the faith of his captain against New Zealand but is neither a positive attacking option nor able to tie down an end

Being a Test spinner is a little like being a guitarist in Radiohead. There are times when you are absolutely essential to the success of the enterprise. Then there are the times when you are so peripheral you may as well have stayed at home. You’re never quite in, but by the same token you’re never quite out. If Chennai and Sharjah are The Bends, then Trent Bridge on a cloudy early summer’s afternoon is probably analogous to one of the more ambient cuts off Kid A.

When you are an English spinner, the contrast is even sharper. On helpful surfaces, or in the Asian subcontinent, you are frequently expected to run through sides all by yourself. At home, meanwhile, the requirement is for immaculate control, unless the conditions are particularly seamy, in which case you will not be required at all. There are few roles in cricket whose demands are more varied and less reconcilable, where the margins for error are so unforgiving.

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