Harry Brook yesterday smashed a century and England took five New Zealand wickets in the final session to put the visitors on top after the first day of the second Test in Wellington.
The Black Caps were 86-5 in response to England’s 280, with Brydon Carse capturing the key wicket of Kane Williamson soon before stumps to cap an enthralling day.
At the close Tom Blundell was on seven and nightwatchman Will O’Rourke was yet to score.
Photo: AFP
It was a fast-moving opening day, in a similar vein to the first Test in Christchurch, which England won by eight wickets in three-and-a-half days.
Brook set the tone with his brilliant 123 off 115 deliveries, following on from his match-winning 171 at Hagley Oval.
He again rescued England, who had crumbled in the first hour to 43-4 after being sent in on a green Basin Reserve pitch.
Photo: AFP
Brook described it as the “favorite” of his eight centuries in 23 Tests, surpassing even his 317 against Pakistan on a friendly batting surface in Multan in October.
With England in trouble, he took the fight to the home seamers by charging down the pitch to put them off their line.
“Just the circumstances really. The pitch was doing quite a bit, seaming and swinging, and I put my attacking mode on, really took it to them,” Brook said.
“In the situation of the game, and the way I played, I felt I was really putting them under a lot of pressure,” he added.
New Zealand’s top order had no answer against seam and bounce through an intense last 26 overs of the day.
Devon Conway was caught behind off Gus Atkinson for 11 before fellow opener Tom Latham was bowled by Ben Stokes for 17.
Rachin Ravindra departed for three, caught by a diving Carse in close off Chris Woakes. Carse (2-28) then claimed danger man Williamson, caught by diving wicketkeeper Ollie Pope for 37.
Daryl Mitchell, on six, snicked a second catch to Pope, down the leg side off Carse.
In Australia, the hosts bowled out India for 180 in the second Test.
Australia paceman Mitchell Starc took 6-48 on day one of the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval.
After captain Rohit Sharma won the toss on an overcast day, the visitors were dismissed on the cusp of tea.
Scott Boland and Pat Cummins grabbed two wickets each, while Nitish Kumar Reddy top scored with 42.
At stumps last night, Australia were 86-1, trailing by 94.
In Gqeberha, South Africa, Kyle Verreynne and Ryan Rickelton made centuries as South Africa were dismissed for 358 on day two of the second Test against Sri Lanka at St George’s Park.
Rickelton scored 101 before being dismissed on day one on Thursday, while Verreynne smashed his way to 105 not out, completing his ton shortly before No. 11 Dane Paterson was the final man out yesterday.
At lunch on day two, Sri Lanka were 19-0.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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