New Zealand 224 for 5 (Watling 45*, de Grandhomme) trail England 353 (Stokes 91, Denly 74, Burns 52, Southee 4-88) by 129 runs
Mount Maungenui’s maiden Test continued to move at a sedate pace, as England and New Zealand vied for supremacy on a glorious day at the Bay Oval. Only one wicket fell during the morning session, with BJ Watling shepherding the innings in unobtrusive fashion as he reached the interval five short of a watchful half-century.
Joe Root, England’s captain, was the man to make an impact with the ball, after each of his five main bowlers had tried and failed to wring life from a pitch that remained on the stodgy side. His removal of Henry Nicholls for 41 left New Zealand 197 for 5, still more than 150 in arrears, but Watling and Colin de Grandhomme averted further mishap to keep the home side’s reply on track.
Having claimed the key wicket of Kane Williamson on the second evening, and seen Nicholls struck on the helmet by Archer in the closing exchanges, England’s ambition would have been to chisel out a couple more during the first hour. But Archer was held back at the start, with Root preferring Sam Curran and Stuart Broad to bowl the opening salvos.
Just 11 runs came from the first eight overs, and even Archer’s introduction did little to alter the course of proceedings – although England did burn a review seeking an lbw verdict against Nicholls, with replays confirming an inside edge. New Zealand’s fifth-wicket pair were happy to accumulate, and it wasn’t until Root decided to investigate the possibilities of spin that things livened up.
First Jack Leach won a leg-before decision against Nicholls, only for DRS to show that the impact was fractionally outside the line of off stump. Root then brought himself on from the other end, saw Watling dropped at slip by Ben Stokes from his second ball, and then trapped Nicholls in front with his fifth. This time the decision brooked no argument from the batsman.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo