E shock o! The Black Caps, New Zealand, almost had England on the ropes, but dem fumble the ball. After a strong start, England fought back hard to keep their series win dream alive. Here’s the gist:
- New Zealand started strong, with openers putting on a 105-run stand.
- But then, the wickets started falling like mangoes in harmattan, six for just 89 runs.
- England’s bowlers, Matthew Potts and Gus Atkinson, did serious damage with the ball.
- Mitchell Santner’s late hitting gave the Black Caps some hope.
Make una settle down, make we yarn about the match!
Black Caps Start Strong, Then Wahala Sets In
New Zealand, after being asked to bat, started like fire. Tom Latham and Will Young opened with a solid partnership of 105 runs. Latham scored 63, while Young got 42. It was looking like a big score was on the cards.
England’s Bowlers Strike Back
But as the afternoon sun beat down, England’s bowlers came back with full force. Matthew Potts and Gus Atkinson, in particular, made life difficult for the Black Caps. Potts took three wickets for 75 runs, including the big wickets of Latham and Kane Williamson (44).
Atkinson also took three wickets for 55 runs. In fact, he now has 51 test wickets in his debut year, just shy of the record by Terry Alderman. E shock you?
Middle-Order Collapse
The middle-order batting of New Zealand just scatter, with Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, and Glenn Phillips all falling to catches on the off-side. It was a display of reckless batting, with the team hitting boundaries, but failing to keep the ball down. 228 runs, or 72 percent of their total came through boundaries.
Santner’s Late Fightback
Just when it looked like New Zealand would end the day totally down, Mitchell Santner stepped up. He hit a big six on the final ball to reach his half-century. He’ll resume the next day on 50 not out, alongside Will O’Rourke who is yet to score.
Key Moments
Other notable moments include:
- Will Young falling after lunch, caught at second slip.
- Latham edging down the leg side after surviving two dropped catches.
- Kane Williamson playing on off Potts in a very painful fashion.
- Veteran Tim Southee hitting a quickfire 23 off 10 balls, including three sixes, taking his career tally to 98 sixes.
As Tim Southee nears his 100th six, he is on track to be the 4th player to clear the ropes 100 times in tests.
The match continues to be a fight. England is pushing hard for a series clean sweep. Will the Black Caps bounce back or will England finish the job? Make una stay tuned!
