Tea New Zealand 209 (Southee 73, Broad 4-61) and 128 for 0 (Latham 72*, Conway 53*) path England 435 for 8 dec by 98 runs
Each gamers handed fifty, with Latham the extra fluent of the 2. New Zealand’s vice-captain was sometimes robust sq. of the wicket and picked off common boundaries, though he may need been dismissed on 62 had Jack Leach managed to shut his fingers round a pointy caught-and-bowled likelihood.
Conway had wanted to dig in in the beginning of his innings, with Ollie Robinson troubling him round off stump and quick leg at any time when he closed the face. Leach did discover his inside edge, the ball evading Ben Stokes at leg slip, however he battled by means of to lunch and commenced to search out his vary thereafter, driving Stuart Broad for fours both aspect of mid-off in the identical over.
Leach was lofted down the bottom for six, earlier than the returning James Anderson had Conway fencing an outdoor edge, just for the ball to dip beneath the fingertips of Zak Crawley at second slip.
Latham was the primary to fifty, having earlier change into the seventh New Zealander to 5000 runs in Checks, and he started to play extra expansively as the house aspect lower the deficit to double-figures. Conway reached his half-century an over later, because the pair took the rating on by 88 with out loss within the center session, having seen off a testing passage towards the brand new ball earlier than lunch.
England’s bowlers had taken some punishment, primarily from Southee, on the way in which to knocking over the ultimate three New Zealand wickets and imposing the observe on halfway by means of the morning session.
New Zealand’s first innings had an anaemic take a look at 138 for 7 on the shut on day two, however they nonetheless had an opportunity of taking the choice out of England’s palms with Southee resuming alongside Tom Blundell. Southee duly showcased his six-hitter’s eye on the way in which to a bruising 73 off 49 balls – 4 runs wanting equalling his Take a look at greatest rating, made towards England on debut in 2008 – earlier than Stuart Broad completed the innings with 3 for five within the area of 12 balls.
With a lead of 226, Ben Stokes was in a position to ask New Zealand to bat once more. Overcast circumstances in Wellington hinted at continued help for the seamers, and the potential for the pitch to proceed to enhance for batting inspired England to have one other crack.
The perfect route out of bother, in Southee’s view, was to offer free rein to his pure instincts. After Blundell had edged simply wanting slip in Ollie Robinson’s first over of the morning, Southee charged at his second ball from Jack Leach and nearly acquired away with a toe-ended slog that cleared Stokes working again from mid-on.
One other full-blooded mow down the bottom introduced 4 extra in the identical over, earlier than Robinson was slapped by means of the covers. Leach then felt the total drive of Southee’s world-class capacity to hit sixes, 3 times going the journey in a single over as New Zealand’s No. 9 raced to a 39-ball half-century.
Blundell nonetheless had designs on averting the prospect of the follow-on, however miscued an advance in Broad’s subsequent over to be held by Leach at mid-on. Henry then spliced a catch to backward level to offer Stokes the choice, which he duly took.
Alan Gardner is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick
