Aisha Tukur
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.
