England are well on top after the completion of Day 3 of the first test against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The Black Caps are at 155/6 and secured a lead of only four runs in the second innings heading into the penultimate day.
The day resumed with the English side at 319/5. Despite overcast conditions, Harry Brook looked in excellent touch and timed the ball beautifully. However, Glenn Phillips failed to pluck an easy catch at the gully region to give a reprieve to him.
The right-hander reached the 150-run mark with an imperious shot towards the extra-cover. He charged down the track against Tim Southee to achieve the milestone. The shots kept coming from Brook and captain Ben Stokes. However, it was Matt Henry, who got Brook caught to keeper Tom Blundell for a well-compiled 171 off 197.
Tim Southee dismissed Chris Woakes for 1 and signaled the end of England’s innings early. However, Stokes (80) got support from Gus Atkinson (48) and Brydon Carse (33*), as the visitors piled on a strong total of 499 in response to Kiwi’s 348. Henry scalped four wickets, while Nathan Smith bagged three scalps.
Woakes and Carse shine as England put New Zealand under pressure
Trailing by 151 runs, New Zealand started their innings on a cautious note. However, Chris Woakes induced an edge of Kiwi captain Tom Latham (1), which was caught at the slips.
Brydon Carse bowled a shortish ball to which Devon Conway tried to pull the ball, but failed to make a crisp connection and it went up in the air. Gus Atkinson dived forward in the mid-on region to take a stunning catch to send Conway packing for 8.
The duo of Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra were looking solid with their odd boundaries and were steering the team well. Interestingly, Williamson became the fourth batter to cross the 9000-run mark in the longest format.
However, Ravindra lost his patience and was holed out at the deep square leg region to provide a second breakthrough for Carse. Then, Williamson and Daryl Mitchell looked on course to get the team back into the contest. With the sun out, it became a little easier for them to score runs.
Out of nowhere, Woakes pinned Williamson in front and dismissed him for 61 off 86 balls. In the very next ball, Tom Blundell departed for a duck.
Then, Glenn Phillips scored 19 off 32, before getting trapped LBW by Carse. In the end, New Zealand closed out Day 3 on 155/6, with Mitchell (31*) and Nathan Smith (1*) at the crease. So far, Woakes and Carse have picked three wickets each.
FAQs
Who is the coach of England red-ball side?
Brendon McCullum
Who served as head coach of New Zealand test team?
Gary Stead
