England close on victory in first Test against New Zealand
England are on course for victory in the first Test against New Zealand after Chris Woakes’ crucial two wickets in two balls on the third day in Christchurch.
First Test, Christchurch (day three of five)
New Zealand 348 (Williamson 93) & 155-6 (Williamson 61; Carse 3-22)
England 499 (Brook 171, Stokes 80, Pope 77; Henry 4-84)
New Zealand lead by four runs
England are on course for victory in the first Test against New Zealand after Chris Woakes’ crucial two wickets in two balls on the third day in Christchurch.
The tourists had built a first-innings lead of 151 and threatened to overrun the Kiwis by reducing them to 64-3 before Kane Williamson launched a rescue act.
Williamson looked immovable and ominous for his 61, only for Woakes to deliver a potentially decisive blow.
A nip-backer earned a marginal lbw decision and, next ball, Tom Blundell feathered to Ollie Pope.
When Brydon Carse got his third wicket, Glenn Phillips lbw, New Zealand were left 155-6, just four runs ahead.
The Black Caps are in a mess of their own making. They took their total of dropped catches to eight with another two on Saturday.
Harry Brook was put down for a fifth time on his way to 171, the highest score by an overseas batter in a Test at Hagley Oval. His average of 89.40 in away Tests is bettered only by Sir Donald Bradman.
Brook added 159 with Ben Stokes, the England captain’s 80 his best in Test cricket since the summer of 2023.
Stokes played a supporting role as he shared 63 and 40 with Gus Atkinson and Carse respectively, taking England to 499.
England squeeze wasteful New Zealand
Where might this Test be had New Zealand not wasted wickets in their first innings and, more importantly, held at least some of their catches? It has been an unusually sloppy performance from the Kiwis.
Williamson, who became the first New Zealander to reach 9,000 Test runs, was promising a repeat of Wellington 2023, when his 132 engineered a historic one-run win after England made New Zealand follow on.
Woakes seemed an unlikely source of English inspiration. To that point he endured a poor match: wicketless in the first innings, out second ball and then watching Atkinson and Carse show they can provide lower-order runs.
His intervention was high in both drama and skill. Instead of the end of the day being a chance for New Zealand to build a handy lead, it became a battle to survive.
England still have work to do with the ball. When they do eventually come to a run-chase it will be on a surface that is getting better for batting.
New Zealand-England contests are rarely straightforward and this one may have more twists, but the tourists are heavy favourites from here.
Stokes in the slipstream
England were 319-5 overnight, 29 behind, and faced the second new ball six overs into the day. Stokes charged at Tim Southee when he sent down the first delivery with it, then settled into the slipstream of Brook, Atkinson and Carse.
Even before the new ball, Brook had been dropped again. On adding 15 to his 132, he was missed by gully Phillips off Will O’Rourke and threw his eyes to the heavens in disbelief.
Reprieved, Brook hit Southee on to the roof of the pavilion then played a tired poke at Matt Henry. Woakes’ wafted drive at Southee left England seven down and only 34 ahead.
While Stokes was steady – his strike-rate of 54.8 was the third-slowest score of 80 or more by any England batter since he became captain – Atkinson and Carse were explosive.
Atkinson clobbered anything short in his 48 from 36 balls. Carse, one of the most capable number 10s England have had, belted 33 not out after giving the eighth and most difficult chance to a diving Phillips running back from point.
Stokes and Shoaib Bashir left Henry with 4-84, Stokes falling 20 short of becoming the first England captain to make a century in the city of his birth since Michael Atherton in Manchester in 1994.
Wizard Woakes winkles Williamson wicket
New Zealand captain Tom Latham shelled three of the drops and his fortune did not improve with an edge off Woakes to second slip Brook for one. Atkinson rubbed salt into Kiwi wounds with a fine swoop at mid-on to pouch Devon Conway’s miscued pull at Carse.
Carse has been exceptional since making his Test debut in Pakistan. Pacey and capable of generating awkward bounce, he is reminiscent of fellow Durham man Steve Harmison.
From Carse’s first ball after tea, Rachin Ravindra was suckered into a pull, only finding Jacob Bethell at deep mid-wicket. Stokes, the architect of the plan, was celebrating before the catch was taken.
Despite the peril, the unflappable Williamson continued from his 93 in the first innings. He toyed with the field by delicately dabbing to third man and, along with Daryl Mitchell, got after Bashir.
New Zealand’s momentum was building, Woakes was summoned. Wide of the crease, he got enough movement in for Williamson to fail in the tightest review. Next ball, delivered from close to the stumps, nipped just enough for Blundell to tickle.
Phillips survived the hat-trick ball only to be pinned to the crease by Carse for another marginal lbw. Mitchell, 31 not out, appears to be New Zealand’s last hope.
