New Zealand Take Three Wickets in Five Balls
First Rothesay Test, Lord's (day two of five)
England 140 (Brook 56; Jamieson 5-62) & 226 (Gay 57; N Smith 6-70)
New Zealand 113 (Jamieson 38*; Robinson 5-39, Tongue 3-40) & 36-3 (Atkinson 2-10)
New Zealand require 218 runs to win, England need seven wickets
England hold a significant chance of victory in the first Test against New Zealand despite a dramatic collapse of four wickets for one run in 11 balls on day two at Lord's.
Following 16 wickets falling on day one, an additional 17 wickets fell on Friday on a challenging pitch that has developed severe uneven bounce combined with sideways movement, making batting extremely difficult.
At stumps, New Zealand were 36-3 chasing a target of 254. Captain Tom Latham was dismissed on the third ball of the innings, and crucially, Kane Williamson was given out lbw to Josh Tongue. Gus Atkinson then removed nightwatchman Will O'Rourke.
Despite poor weather forecasts for Saturday and Monday, a result is expected in this match, with England strong favourites to claim a morale-boosting win following their heavy Ashes defeat.
Ollie Robinson marked his return with career-best Test figures of 5-39, taking the final wicket as New Zealand were bowled out for 113 in their first innings, giving England a 27-run lead.
England, aided by Emilio Gay's half-century on debut and several dropped catches by New Zealand, steadily built what appeared to be a commanding lead. Gay was dropped and could have been out lbw on 57.
When Gay was eventually dismissed, a collapse ensued. Harry Brook, Joe Root, and Ben Stokes all fell within two overs. While England's batting collapse was familiar, only Stokes's dismissal appeared to be due to an error on his part.
England's lead stood at 154 with four wickets remaining. The team was at risk of ceding momentum to New Zealand, but valuable runs from the lower order helped. Jamie Smith scored 39, Atkinson 14, and Robinson contributed 29.
The hosts were eventually bowled out for 226, with New Zealand's Nathan Smith outstanding, taking six wickets.
England Battle Through Perth Memories
Williamson was trapped lbw by Tongue.
In their effort to move past the Ashes, England faced a troubling reminder of their previous collapse in the first Test in Perth.
Similar to the Optus Stadium scenario, England reached lunch on day two at Lord's with a 99-run lead and only one wicket down in their second innings.
In Perth, England lost three wickets for one run in six balls and were defeated inside two days. Here, another two-day finish seemed possible until England managed to set a target likely to produce a result. The pitch at Lord's is considerably more difficult to bat on than the one in Perth, and New Zealand lack a player of Travis Head's caliber.
England have benefited from some fortune. New Zealand have dropped five catches throughout the match and have been hindered by a back injury to key bowler Matt Henry. Conversely, England have suffered from erratic ball behavior, with Smith and Jacob Bethell both bowled by deliveries that bounced unpredictably.
Regardless of the outcome, drawing firm conclusions about England's progress since the Ashes will be challenging due to the difficult conditions.
Nevertheless, given their recent struggles, England will welcome any form of victory. If Williamson had remained at the crease with Devon Conway at the close, the Test would have been finely balanced, but England's late double strike has placed them in a commanding position.
Gay Benefits to Make Immediate Impact
Gay reached a half-century for England.
In a match where runs have been hard to come by, every contribution is significant. In England's first innings, Harry Brook scored a half-century, followed by Emilio Gay in the second innings.
The debutant returned to the crease for the second time in two days after New Zealand added 52 runs to their overnight score of 61-6. Kyle Jamieson hit three sixes in his unbeaten 38 and was left stranded when Robinson dismissed Henry, securing his fourth five-wicket haul in Tests.
The match might have looked very different had New Zealand taken their chances. Ben Duckett was on 12 when Rachin Ravindra dropped a straightforward catch at mid-wicket off Jamieson's bowling. Duckett went on to score 33.
Gay was on 20 when he edged a ball towards first slip, but Daryl Mitchell was late in moving to the catch. Gay also could have been given out lbw to Henry on 24, but New Zealand chose not to use a review.
After being reprieved, Gay's innings featured drives square of the wicket on the off side. The Durham batsman justified his selection as a replacement for the dropped Zak Crawley by becoming the first England opener to score a half-century on Test debut at home since 2004.
Gay's composed innings ended just as the match began to spiral rapidly towards its conclusion.
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