‘Women’s squash is the best it has ever been,’ says Serme
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent

The University Club of Chicago’s stunning Cathedral Hall played host to one of the matches of the season as World No.3 Camille Serme overcame Egypt’s Hania El Hammamy in a thrilling 81-minute encounter to reach the quarter-finals of the Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family.

El Hammamy had completed an incredible comeback from two games down when the pair met in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza in the quarter-finals of November’s CIB PSA Women’s World Championship, leaving Serme devastated. But in Chicago, the French star avenged that loss to take a nailbiting 11-7, 10-12, 7-11, 14-12, 11-9 victory. 

This match was an even better quality than that last clash, with a fast-pace right from the off, one that lasted right the way through to the end of the match, some 80 minutes later. It was the 19-year-old that started the stronger, but several errors in the middle part of the first game allowed Serme to cruise into the 1-0 lead.

El Hammamy fought back, with several roars accompanying winning shots. It got her going, and she was able to carry the momentum, taking the second on a tie-break 12-10. The Egyptian then took the third as well, after playing some clever, tactical squash during the middle part of the game to break away.

She held the lead in the fourth game as well, and at one point it looked like she had broken down ‘La Panthere’, but the French No.1  fought back. She saved a match ball to send the clash into a deciding game, taking the fourth 14-12.

The tempo was maintained into the fifth, despite the pair having been on court for more than an hour. El Hammamy showed some great touch at the front of the court to come back from 8-6 into a tie at 9-9, but Serme was able to close the match out by winning the next two points, letting out a scream of emotion, as she booked her place in the last eight.

“I knew it was going to be a battle,” said Serme. “She is top 10 now, but she can beat anyone in the top 10, so I knew it was going to be hard. I was focused on what to do on court, what the right tactics were and trying to play the best that I could. At the end it could have gone either way.

“I tried to forget about the Pyramids, but I tried to remember what I did wrong and what she did well, to try and avoid her playing her best. It has always been amazing, the standard of women’s squash, but now it is the best it has ever been. The top 20, top 30, everyone is so good.”

Serme came into this tournament off the back of beating World Champion Nour El Sherbini to win the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions in New York last month, and she will go head-to-head with Egyptian once again after El Sherbini defeated Australia’s Donna Lobban in straight games.

El Sherbini is appearing at only her third tournament of the season due to a persistent knee injury and she struggled with her movement early, cutting a frustrated figure as Lobban took early control. The World No.4 showcased her immaculate racket skills though in the next three games as she closed out an 5-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-8 triumph.

“I am happy to be through, and maybe I was not like I am usually, but I am very happy to be through to the quarters,” four-time World Champion El Sherbini said.

“Having my coach and Raneem [El Welily] there, their support helped me a lot, and having them there tonight helped me through to win. They [Serme and El Hammamy] had a very tough match, a long one. I am sure she is going to be ready tomorrow as if it was the first match of the tournament.”

World No.21 Rowan Elaraby is into her first ever Windy City Open quarter-final after she defeated England’s Lucy Turmel, and her last eight opponent will be World No.7 Sarah-Jane Perry, who ground out a 3-2 win after a scrappy match against Egypt’s Yathreb Adel.

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Only three matches took place in the men’s event, with World No.14 Mazen Hesham pulling out of his fixture with World No.1 Mohamed ElShorbagy due to a hip flexor injury.

ElShorbagy receives a walkover and a bye into the last eight, where he will come up against New Zealand’s World No.5 Paul Coll, who got the better of World No.24 Declan James by an 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6 margin.

“The first couple of games the ball was really flying around and I was struggling to find my range to the front. I was a bit late on the ball and I was a bit passive,” Coll said.

“He has that big forehand that he winds off and that was pinging off the front wall so it made it very tough for me. I am very happy to get off there in four and I felt very good in those last two games.

World No.4 Karim Abdel Gawad and World No.7 Simon Rösner also booked their quarter-final berths courtesy of wins over France’s Mathieu Castagnet and England’s Adrian Waller, respectively.

Gawad beat Castagnet 11-8, 11-6, 11-8, while Rösner got the better of Waller by an 11-8, 11-4, 11-9 scoreline. The pair met at the same stage of the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions last month, with Gawad winning in five.

“I’ve been on tour for 12 years and never played him [Castagnet],” said Gawad afterwards. “All credit to him, he’s got great spirit on court and off court too. Castagnet makes you run the whole match, he moves you around the court and it’s difficult to find winners. Without seeing it, I was expecting it [his heart rate] to be close to 200bpm, if not above, but I’m really happy to get through in three.”

All eight quarter-finals will take place tomorrow (Monday March 2) and play will get under way at 12:00 (GMT-6). Action will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour.
 

2020 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family, Cathedral Hall, University of Chicago, USA.

Men’s Third Round (Bottom Half): 
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 (43m)
[7] Simon Rösner (GER) bt Adrian Waller (ENG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-4, 11-9 (39m)
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Declan James (ENG) 3-1: 11-6, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6 (63m)
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Mazen Hesham (EGY) w/o

Men’s Quarter-Finals (today, March 2): 
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v [6] Diego Elias (PER)
Borja Golan (ESP) v [3] Tarek Momen (EGY)
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v [7] Simon Rösner (GER)
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) v [2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)

Women’s Third Round (Bottom Half): 
Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bt Lucy Turmel (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-1 (29m)
[8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [14] Yathreb Adel (EGY) 3-2: 7-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9 (84m)
[5] Camille Serme (FRA) bt [9] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) 3-2: 11-7, 10-12, 7-11, 14-12, 11-9 (81m)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Donna Lobban (AUS) 3-1: 5-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-8 (33m)

Women’s Quarter-Finals (today): 
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [15] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA)
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) v [3] Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v [8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[5] Camille Serme (FRA) v [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) 

Pictures courtesy of Steve Line, University Club of Chicago and PSA  

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that failure to qualify for the Champions League for a fourth consecutive season could mean that the club will struggle to attract top talent.

Arsenal's hopes of qualifying for Europe's elite club competition this season were dented after they crashed out of the Europa League at the hands of Olympiakos on Thursday.

"It's a no-brainer," Arteta told reporters when asked if it was easier to sign players with Champions League qualification secured.

"Every player in the world wants to play Champions League and if you talk about having this option on the table, players are much more open to join or renew their contract."

The north London club, who sit in 10th place in the Premier League, have been given a lifeline for Champions League qualification after Manchester City were handed a two-year UEFA competition ban that could mean this season's fifth-placed team could qualify.

"We're in that situation because we haven't performed as well as the other top four clubs. That's the reality and we have to face it," Arteta added.

Arsenal announced last week that the club had made a £27.1 million ($34.7m) in the financial year ending May 31, 2019, and Arteta said that missing out on qualification for another season would have a big financial impact.

"The damage caused by the club not being in the Champions League for the third season is really big," he added.

"The structure of this club is built to be in the Champions League and you can sustain that for a year or two, but then after that you have to start making decisions."

Another wild weekend in the Premier League is done and dusted. We get you caught up on the action with the Weekend Review.

JUMP TO: Wolves contend for Champions League place | Liverpool take their foot off the gas | Henderson gains ground while sitting idle | Alonso shows his worth to Chelsea | Burnley, Palace's water-tight defences | Leicester's form a real concern | Haller comes good for Hammers | Watford, Norwich reveal Premier League depth

Wolves are genuine contenders for Champions League qualification

As the only team in the top half of the table to pick up three points, Wolves were the weekend's clear winners in the race for Champions League qualification. Their 3-2 win at Tottenham saw them leapfrog Jose Mourinho's side into sixth place, level on points with fifth-place Manchester United and three points below fourth-place Chelsea.

The Diogo Jota-inspired victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in which they twice came from behind, showcased both Wolves' self-belief and their attacking menace. Although Nuno Espirito Santo's squad will be stretched by Wolves' ongoing participation in the Europa League, a kind run of fixtures -- home to Brighton and Bournemouth, away to West Ham and Aston Villa -- gives his side a great opportunity to break into the top four.

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If the game showed everything that is good about Wolves, it also showed a lot of what is bad about Spurs -- namely, their chronic inability to defend. Mourinho gambled by leaving Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen on the bench, and it was a gamble that backfired as an unfamiliar back three of Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier and Japhet Tanganga failed to cope with the relentless thrust of the Wolves attack. Beaten 2-1 at Chelsea in their previous fixture and with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min still sidelined, Spurs must make drastic improvements if they are to preserve their status as a Champions League club.

Liverpool pay the price for taking their foot off the pedal

Jurgen Klopp may have allowed himself a little sigh of relief when he woke up on Sunday morning and realised that February had finally come to an end.

February was the month in which his Liverpool side lost to Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie and saw their dreams of an unbeaten Premier League season torn to shreds by Watford, and it is not the first time Klopp's men have lost momentum at this stage of the year. In his first two campaigns at Anfield, Liverpool won only three of the 14 league games they played in January and February, while last season it was a run of four draws in six games between late January and early March that ultimately cost them the title.

The title will not elude them again this season, but Liverpool have not looked themselves since returning from their two-week winter break, having also laboured to narrow wins over Norwich and West Ham. As good as Watford were in their 3-0 win (and they were excellent), Liverpool contributed to their own downfall with an uncharacteristically unfocused and error-strewn display.

As in previous seasons, the squad seems to have struggled to adjust to the change of rhythm caused by the early rounds of the FA Cup. Klopp's side are a formidable machine when at full throttle, but when the engine is left to idle, it can take a little bit of time to warm up again.

Henderson had a great weekend without even putting his gloves on

Dean Henderson has produced some magnificent performances for Sheffield United in recent months, but the most significant match of the season for him could prove to be Sunday's 1-1 draw between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park.

David De Gea and Jordan Pickford were at fault for the game's two goals -- De Gea allowing Dominic Calvert-Lewin to charge down his kick for Everton's early opener, Pickford failing to get a strong enough hand to Bruno Fernandes's low-range strike for United's leveller -- and it was not the first time the goalkeepers had seen their mistakes punished this season. In fact, since the beginning of last season, De Gea and Pickford have each committed seven errors that have led to goals, which is more than any other goalkeeper in the competition.

Within minutes of De Gea's latest gaffe, Henderson's name was trending on Twitter as Manchester United fans talked up the prospect of the 22-year-old taking over between the posts at Old Trafford next season once his loan spell at Bramall Lane has come to an end. England manager Gareth Southgate, meanwhile, was in attendance at Goodison, and with Pickford looking increasingly unreliable, Henderson is being touted as a potential replacement for the former Sunderland shot stopper for the national team.

Alonso shows his worth to Chelsea

Between the end of October and the penultimate weekend in February, Marcos Alonso played a grand total of 90 minutes of Premier League football.

Apparently unimpressed by the Spaniard's application in training, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard seemed determined to forego Alonso's services, but since returning to the starting XI for the 2-1 win over Tottenham, the 29-year-old has proved invaluable, scoring a beauty against Spurs and netting twice in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.

Alonso's defending may leave a little to be desired, but at his best, there are few more dangerous attacking full-backs in the European game.

Burnley and Palace demonstrate benefits of a water-tight defence

Prior to Newcastle's 0-0 draw with Burnley, Steve Bruce expressed a desire to evolve his team's style from the defence-first approach of the Rafael Benitez era, explaining that it was "not the way I want to play."

Set out in a new-look 4-2-3-1 formation, Newcastle mustered 21 attempts at goal to their opponents' seven, but although they could find no way past Nick Pope in the Burnley goal, Bruce would be unwise to underestimate the importance of a parsimonious defence. Backed up by a defence that has registered 11 clean sheets (only Liverpool, with 12, have more in the Premier League this season), Burnley are riding high in ninth place, while Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace, a similarly obdurate team, are now within touching distance of safety after their eighth clean sheet of the campaign helped them to a 1-0 success at Brighton.

Newcastle, too, have recorded eight clean sheets and as much as Bruce might want to make his side more of an attacking force, it is that defensive robustness that has allowed them to remain clear of the relegation scrap up to now.

Leicester's form is now a real concern

When Leicester started dropping points in mid-December, having previously won eight games in a row, it was easy to write off their apparent loss of momentum. There was no shame in losing to Manchester City and Liverpool either side of Christmas, and although back-to-back defeats against Southampton and Burnley in mid-January caused alarm, it seemed only a matter of time before Brendan Rodgers's side got back in gear.

But Friday's 1-0 loss at Norwich means they have now gone four league games without victory, while the only teams they have beaten in their past 12 outings are West Ham, twice, and Newcastle.

Leicester's lead over fifth-place Manchester United has been cut from 14 points to eight during that time. A seemingly benign run of fixtures against Aston Villa, Watford and Brighton offers them a perfect opportunity to get back on track, but if they cannot find a second wind, their hopes of Champions League qualification will be in serious peril.

West Ham reap rewards of giving Haller support

Having spoken recently of the importance of putting players around Sebastien Haller, West Ham manager David Moyes did exactly that in his side's timely 3-1 home win over Southampton.

Whereas in previous weeks he had looked isolated at the tip of the West Ham attack, Haller was in the thick of the action at London Stadium. His 40th-minute goal -- his first in nine matches -- followed a one-two with strike partner Michail Antonio, while it was his flick-on that allowed Pablo Fornals to release Antonio for West Ham's third.

In a mark of his rediscovered confidence, Haller also created an opportunity for Antonio with an audacious rabona pass from the halfway line. If Moyes can keep Haller engaged in this way, the £45 million man could yet score the goals that lead the Hammers away from trouble.

Watford and Norwich show fallacy of theories about a low-quality season

In their desire to ease the pain of watching Liverpool streak to the title, fans of the Merseyside club's rivals have been espousing various theories that supposedly undermine the achievements of Klopp's all-conquering side.

One such theory is that, with Manchester City falling off the pace and the other members of the Big Six all undergoing periods of transition, Liverpool have only been able to amass so many points because the standard of opposition that they have faced has been so poor.

But if you cast your eyes a little further down the Premier League table, there is plenty of evidence that the league is packed with quality. Leicester, Sheffield United and Wolves are all enjoying exceptional seasons, while sides like Burnley and Crystal Palace often prove extremely difficult to beat.

No teams reflect the depth of quality in the division better than Norwich and Watford. Bottom side Norwich have beaten both Manchester City and Leicester, while fourth-bottom Watford had picked up wins against Manchester United and Wolves before brilliantly ending Liverpool's 44-game unbeaten run at a jubilant Vicarage Road on Saturday.

There is huge quality in the Premier League this season. It's just not necessarily in the usual places.

Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson have usually gotten along well on and off the field, and they've often spoken about the respect they have for each other. Last month, when Williamson was facing heat from the media over his captaincy during his team's 5-0 T20I-series loss to India, Kohli publicly backed his opposite number, saying New Zealand cricket was "in the best hands with Kane".

On Sunday, however, Williamson was treated to a fiery send-off from Kohli when he was caught behind off Jasprit Bumrah during New Zealand's first innings in Christchurch. As Williamson walked off the field, Kohli ran towards the bowler from second slip, yelling out loudly while facing the departing batsman. But what he said wasn't clearly audible on TV replays.

During his post-match press conference on Monday, after India had slipped to a seven-wicket defeat inside three days, a member of the local media asked Kohli about the send-off, and whether that gesture had set the right example.

Kohli responded with a question of his own. "What do you think?"

"I asked you the question," the reporter shot back.

"I am asking you the answer," Kohli said. "You need to find out exactly what happened and then come back with a better question. You can't come here with half-questions and half-details of what happened. And also, if you want to create controversy, this is not the right place to do [it]. I have spoken to the match referee, I have no issues with what happened, so thank you."

When India bowled in Christchurch, Kohli was often an animated figure in the slips, involved in frequent chats with batsmen, particularly the opener Tom Blundell, as well as tetchy exchanges with a section of the spectators on the grass banks when they jeered at him. At one point on day two, he responded to a jibe by miming that they had had too much to drink.

Kohli endured a difficult time with the bat during India's 0-2 Test-series defeat, scoring only 38 runs in four innings at an average of 9.50. Before this series, India, under his captaincy, had won each of their first seven Tests in the 2019-21 World Test Championship cycle.

For most of this summer, Georgia Wareham could only have expected the most fringe-dwelling of T20 World Cup roles for Australia. After all, Ellyse Perry and Tayla Vlaeminck were set to blast opponents out with pace, Megan Schutt bewitching them with swing, and Jess Jonassen cleaning up whatever other resistance was left over.

This script was largely followed in Australia's tournament lead-up, as Wareham played only twice against India and England and then in one unofficial warm-up against South Africa before the tournament began. In a further dampener of expectations, the loss of Vlaeminck to a foot fracture saw Molly Strano vault into the team for the opener against India: unlike her key role in the Caribbean, Wareham was looking squarely at a lot of drinks running.

Two things happened to change things drastically. First, Australia lost to India, and then nearly coughed up another defeat to Sri Lanka that would have meant instant elimination. Second, the pitches turned out to be far more suitable to Wareham's art, rewarding spin bowlers who bowl stump to stump while varying their speed and degree of spin, while depriving batters of pace to work with or create angles through the field.

If her first appearance against Bangladesh was not particularly memorable, Wareham produced her most incisive spell of the home season at the precise moment Australia needed it: even more so once Perry had limped out of the match and probably the Cup with a hamstring injury. At 20, Wareham has shown considerable evolution as a spin bowler even from the 2018 World Cup to now, and was too good for New Zealand's key trio of Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine and Maddie Green as they contended with a steepling required run rate.

Asked how she had summoned up this display with so little consistent cricket behind her, Wareham said she had recalled her important contributions to both the 2018 World Cup and last year's West Indies tour, when she plucked four wickets while conceding just 46 runs from 11 overs in three T20Is.

"It's probably something I've looked back on and seen how I did things during that tournament and what worked for me," Wareham said. "I think implementing those little things today helped out, and also I guess knowing that I can play that sort of role in the team because I did that in the last World Cup, it gives me a bit of confidence and it definitely helped out today."

"I think spin's played a massive role across T20 cricket for a long time now and when you are under the pump as batters and you've got to force the issue a bit, it is more difficult to do it against the slower pace" Meg Lanning

Things started to turn for Wareham when she and wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy correctly deduced that Bates was lbw to a skidder after trying a pull shot. "I was confident it was out, but Midge [Healy] had a pretty good say and that usually helps," Wareham said.

The captain Meg Lanning added: "We were talking about it maybe being too high. As soon as we felt that she hadn't hit it, it was worth a gamble I guess and it paid off as well."

Devine's exit, well stumped off a legbreak outside the off stump just as the game was starting to tighten, was the result of a more concerted plan. "It's probably something that's been in the works for a little bit," Wareham said. "Just planning around if I see the batter coming at me just chucking one wide, it worked out for me today, which was good, but it's been tough going and it was finally good to get one."

All this added up to the pivotal spell of the game, and perhaps also a blueprint for Australia to take forward into the semi-final and, if they get there, the final of the tournament they were widely expected to win. Lacking the pace of Vlaeminck and Perry, Lanning will likely need to call on Wareham, Jonassen and maybe even a third spin bowler - Sophie Molineux if fit, or someone like Amanda Wellington coming in from outside the squad - to deny opponents the chance to use pace onto the bat.

"As the tournament goes on I think the wickets are played on a lot more and they become a bit slower and lower, and pace off the ball makes it more difficult for the batters to create it," Lanning said. "So that seemed to work for us today, and I guess it just depends on where you're playing - the SCG we're not really sure what we're going to get, there's been no games on there so far, so we'll have to look at that. But I think spin's played a massive role across T20 cricket for a long time now and when you are under the pump as batters and you've got to force the issue a bit, it is more difficult to do it against the slower pace.

"We've got 15 players here who can do a job and you need a squad to win a World Cup. You can't rely on two players and the same XI each game, and we're going to have to use the depth we have got, we've said we've got a lot of depth, I believe that, and we're just going to have to use it. That's just the reality of it, in elite sport you get injuries and things like that ... I've got full confidence that any player who comes in can play a role and we're just going to have to get through it and play maybe slightly differently, but that's fine, we've got to adapt."

Having finished second best to Wareham to ensure her side's elimination, Devine admitted that it had been a different feeling losing to an Australian side relying so much more on spin than speed. "I think it is, and I think as well the pitch conditions certainly haven't been what we expected when we first came over to Australia," she said. "As soon as we knew the World Cup was here, we thought we'd get nice, fast, bouncy wickets and probably haven't had those, although today's wicket was a lot better, had a bit more carry and bounce in it.

"But spin has played a massive part throughout the tournament and it will continue to do so moving into the finals series. Certainly with Australia losing Tayla early in the competition, I know that was a massive blow fro them, but we also know their depth, spoken a lot about with the bat but certainly with the ball, the way Georgia Wareham stood up today was fantastic.

"Megan Schutt as well - geez, I hate her sometimes! - but they're world-class players and I think that's the great thing about Australia, I don't like blowing them up too much because they've got big enough heads already, but it doesn't matter who on the day, someone always seems to step up for them."

From the moment they lost Vlaeminck, to the opening loss against India, the near-death experience against Sri Lanka and now the loss of Perry, Australia are becoming accustomed to doing things according to plans B and C. Wareham showed that, in her case at least, the back-ups are ready, willing, and most importantly able.

New Zealand won the first Test by ten wickets, and came close to a repeat in the second, but their margin of victory, according to Kane Williamson, didn't reflect how hard they had to fight to beat India.

When New Zealand slipped to 153 for 7 on day two, with India's first-innings total still 89 runs away, the game could have gone either way. A lower-order fightback, followed by a magnificent second-innings display from their five-man seam attack, put New Zealand back on top, but Williamson felt another 50 runs from India could have made the result a whole lot tighter.

"An outstanding performance," Williamson said at his post-match press conference on Monday. "I sort of said it recently, but I don't think the result reflected how competitive the match was. Perhaps another 50 more runs from the Indians' perspective would have made it quite a balanced-looking match, but the surface offered [help for the bowlers] throughout the whole game, so if you were able to put the ball in the right areas for a long period of time, as we saw both teams [do], you create opportunities and get some reward.

"Both games were a really good balance in terms of the surface, between bat and ball, and runs were quite tough to come by. You had to have a little bit of fortune go your way [as a batsman] and then try and put a bit of pressure on the bowlers first. The seamers in particular were trying to hit a hard length and watch the ball react. A great performance over the last two games from the guys. I guess you look at the surfaces and they both were perhaps seam-bowler friendly. But as a batting unit as well, the contributions that were made to get us to parity in the first innings of this game and in Wellington to get competitive totals on the board on these surfaces were really pleasing to see."

Over recent years, pitches in New Zealand have started out green and seamer-friendly before flattening out considerably in the second innings. The pitches for this series were a little different, with spongy bounce in Wellington and pace and seam movement in Christchurch keeping the fast bowlers in the game throughout.

"Yeah, the pace in the surface was perhaps more closely aligned to some of the surfaces in Australia, maybe not so much the sideways movement which we saw throughout," Williamson said. "But that made a sporting balance between bat and ball. That was something that was a little bit new for us as well.

"I think Australia have a phenomenal record at home, and equally, you could say in some ways that we do have that back here as well, and I think to play a team like India, and to be able to beat them 2-0 in our own backyard was a really, really important thing for us to bounce back from what happened in Australia" Gary Stead

"We have seen conditions here in Christchurch but then Wellington as well where it often does a bit early but then it certainly becomes a batting-friendly type surface and then it becomes guys putting in [a big effort] and bowling long overs and trying to create pressure over long periods of time to get that reward.

"Whereas in the last two games, the reward was a little bit quicker because the surfaces were slightly different to what we have had in the past but at the same time, it's great when you see Test cricket where there is that balance, whether it is early, in the back-end of the game or perhaps the added pace meant that with the sideways movement, perhaps it had a ball with your name on it."

New Zealand have had three challenging Test assignments back-to-back-to-back, and they've probably come out of it with their reputations enhanced: they beat England 1-0 at home, then lost 3-0 in Australia, before turning things around with this 2-0 win over India, the No. 1 Test team in the world, moving up to No. 2 themselves in the process.

"Probably the three top Test teams in the world, and we have them all in one go which obviously going into, and was, a very, very tough challenge," Williamson said. "We talk about the quality of the opposition but obviously the difference in conditions as well, that was a factor.

"Disappointing showing in Australia but then at the same time, it was important that when we were playing at home, we continued to play the style of cricket that was important to us and playing well and ultimately trying to get results in our conditions and we saw that against two very, very strong sides. A lot of positives and a lot of learnings from that Australian experience as well."

New Zealand coach Gary Stead said the contrasting nature of his team's results in Australia and then at home against one of the strongest teams in the world reflected a growing trend for home-team dominance in Test cricket.

"I guess they're completely different series, but I think what it does do is it shows how hard it is to play away from home," Stead said. "I think Australia have a phenomenal record at home, and equally, you could say in some ways that we do have that back here as well, and I think to play a team like India, and to be able to beat them 2-0 in our own backyard was a really, really important thing for us to bounce back from what happened in Australia."

Asked why he thought it was getting so difficult for teams to win away from home, Stead pointed to the conditions - the pitches laid out for India in this series, he said, were the polar opposite of what India might roll out the next time New Zealand visit their shores.

"It's something all teams are trying to work out," Stead said. "When you play away, how do you take points off the opposition, and how do you manage to find a way to win, and I guess in my short time in the role, we've been lucky, we've picked up two wins in the UAE, against Pakistan in unfamiliar positions, and we managed to pick up a win in Sri Lanka.

"Those wins, I think, become all the more satisfying when you are away from home, but I think on this Test match, I guess that's the equivalent of us going to India, playing on a turning ragger against [Ravindra] Jadeja and [R] Ashwin. It's just on the opposite ends of the spectrum, and that's why, world cricket and Test cricket is so great, that you can play in so many different conditions, and not everyone's going to be successful in all conditions either."

With 120 points in the bag from this series win, New Zealand are now third on the World Test Championship table, with a solid chance of making next year's final at Lord's depending on how they do in their three remaining series. Stead, though, doesn't want to look that far ahead.

"India were unbeaten coming into this series, so I guess, for us, delighted that we could get over the line there and get two very good wins," he said. "We still have six Test matches to play in the [Test Championship], Bangladesh over the winter, which again is a tough, tough place to go, then West Indies [at home], and Pakistan back home again, so hopefully if we can keep playing the way we did in this series, we give ourselves a chance of getting to Lord's, but I mean, that's a long, long way down the track, and I guess all we can focus on right now is the next game."

Amid the drama of Jofra Archer's baptism into international cricket and the explosive impact made in the fleeting appearances of Mark Wood, it might be forgotten that England have at least one more bowler capable of generating speeds well over 90mph (145kph).

Olly Stone could easily be described as England's forgotten fast bowler. He's only played one Test. He's only taken one ODI wicket. But in those brief opportunities, he has shown he has the pace to complement the threat offered by Archer and Wood. And, right now, he's said to be bowling better than ever.

With a bit of fortune, Stone might already have established himself in the England set-up. It wasn't so much that he struck with his seventh ball in international cricket that made people take notice as much as it was the manner of the dismissal: Niroshan Dickwella caught off the glove as he tried to prevent a searing bouncer from hitting him in the throat. That was October 2018; before Archer's debut and before Wood's resurgence. Stone was, at that time, marked out as something a bit special.

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But injury kept intervening. He was sent home from the Caribbean tour 13 months ago almost the moment he landed due to a stress fracture of the lower back. He returned in July but, after three more first-class games (one of them his maiden Test) the injury emerged once more. Instead of appearing in the Ashes - as seemed likely - he was forced to watch it on TV and he has spent part of this winter exploring opportunities as a football commentator for once his playing career ends.

"There were times, like watching the Ashes, when I felt really down," Stone says now. "To see the other guys out there and to be with that squad at the start of it then to be told you can't take part anymore… that is tough mentally. That taste of Test cricket makes you want more.

"The demands of county and international cricket has taken its toll over the last few years. And being out for so long and so often means it takes your body a bit of time to get used to the demands. My body hasn't adapted to that as much as it needed to."

But, in Graeme Welch's opinion, the injury could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. In the view of Welch, Stone's bowling coach at Warwickshire, the hiatus has given Stone a chance to reassess and improve.

"If we're really honest, he probably wasn't fit and strong enough previously," Welch says. "Yes, he could run in and bowl quick. But he couldn't back it up and he didn't have the skill he has now.

"I look back at the Hampshire game last year: he bowled really well to Ajinkya Rahane [and dismissed him for four on the way to a five-wicket haul; a performance which saw him called-up for his Test debut] but then we played Essex a few days later and he couldn't back it up. His action started to deteriorate and that's when injuries can occur.

"Maybe the latest injury was a blessing in disguise. He had never really had a chance to take a step back and reassess what he was doing. There was always another tour or a rush to regain fitness.

"But he's used this period really well. He's lost some weight [6kg, according to Stone] he's gained some strength and he's worked on his alignment - feet, hips and shoulder - and his wrist position. He is swinging the ball really nicely and really late. And if you swing the ball at his pace, you're going to trouble batsmen. He's a much fitter, much more skilful cricketer and I really do think he can play for England again this summer."

It bodes well for England if Stone has improved. During his spell at Warwickshire, his Championship wickets have cost just 17.03 apiece - he claimed 43 at 12.30, albeit in Division Two, in 2018 - and he has claimed four five-wicket hauls in his 11 matches. Welch even suggests he can "replace James Anderson and be the perfect foil for Archer."

"No, he doesn't have the skills of Anderson," Welch admits. "Anderson might be the best England have ever had. But Olly is still learning - we're working on an inswinger now - and he is quicker. I can't speak too highly of him.

"He's had some really dark days. If you've missed out on a tour of West Indies and the Ashes, it can be hard to drag yourself into the gym at 8am on a Monday morning. And when you've had three major injuries, you worry that every little ache may be another serious injury. But credit to him, he has worked really hard. There's no faulting him there. He has a lot of character."

"If he's bowling as I know he can, everyone will be after him. All The Hundred sides and England, too. He's that good." Graeme Welch, Warwickshire bowling coach

That is a view supported by David Smith, Stone's former chief executive at Northants. "I think people sometimes underestimate him," Smith says. "He's is quietly spoken and likeable. He seems unassuming and easy going. Which he is. But under that, he is quietly ambitious and a bit tougher than many people think.

"He surprised a few at Northants when he left to join Warwickshire. I think they thought he was pretty happy there. And I'm sure he was. But he wanted to get the best out of himself and knew it was time to move to a bigger club. Some players - Ben Duckett is probably a good example - get a bit comfortable at a club and stay a couple of years too long. But Olly knew that, if he was going to improve, he should move to a club with greater expectations.

"I think there was an understanding that, at a bigger club, his workload might be managed a bit better, too. It was a shame to see him move on, but it was the right move for him. He is absolutely the sort of bowler - and the sort of character - who can do well in Australia. I think the ECB have done really well to identify him as a fast bowler who needs looking after. I hope he doesn't play a lot of county cricket."

He probably won't. Underlining the hopes England have in him, Stone was among the three men recently awarded the first round of pace-bowling development contracts. Welch will hold meetings with the ECB in the next couple of days which will outline how often Stone will be available for Warwickshire. It's a tricky balance, though: Stone has only played 37 first-class games and, as Welch says "you learn to bowl by bowling." But England will be very keen to avoid any recurrence of that stress fracture.

All being well, Stone will depart with Warwickshire's other seamers for some pre-season work in La Manga at the end of this week. And while Welch reckons he is currently bowling at something around 80% intensity - and a maximum of 32 overs a week - he is on course to be fit for the first round of Championship matches from April 12. The Ashes will still be 20 months away but Stone admits it remains his aim.

"That would be the dream," he says. "And it would be great to be there with Jofra and Mark Wood. I love seeing people bowl fast. And if there's three of us that can terrorise people it would be great to watch and be a part of."

There's a more immediate aspiration, too. Stone missed out on a place in one of squads for the Hundred's inaugural season, but hopes to earn a late call-up by earning one of the wildcard selections by performing in the Vitality T20 Blast.

"This year's Blast is a real opportunity to show what I can do and maybe get a Hundred wildcard contract," Stone says. "And hopefully I can put myself in the shop window for other T20 tournaments, too.

"And from there, you never know. Maybe I can force my way into England's squad for the T20 World Cup. 'Til the squad is named, I have to have a chance."

"If he's bowling as I know he can, everyone will be after him," Welch says. "All The Hundred sides and England, too. He's that good."

Tickets for all of this summer's Vitality Blast Group Stage matches went on sale at 10am on March 2. Fans have been urged to buy their tickets early via their local county's website ticket page or on the ECB website ticket link: www.ecb.co.uk/vitalityblasttickets