06/18/26 01:44:00
Printable Page
06/18 13:42 CDT New Zealand on top after reducing England to 222-6 and a
169-run deficit at The Oval
New Zealand on top after reducing England to 222-6 and a 169-run deficit at The
Oval
By FOSTER NIUMATA
Associated Press
LONDON (AP) --- England was pegged back to 222-6 in reply to New Zealand's
bonus 391 on day two of The Oval test on Thursday.
New Zealand's all-pace attack relentlessly chipped away at England to retake
the momentum and leave the home side trailing by 169 runs with the tail exposed.
Debutant Jordan Cox, England's last recognized batsman, was on 22 at stumps
with Jofra Archer yet to score.
New Zealand was all out just before lunch for a bigger total than it would have
expected thanks to Glenn Phillips' maiden test century, an even 100.
England was propped up by opener Emilio Gay's 53, his second consecutive fifty
in his second test, and Joe Root's 46. Root was trapped two runs shy of
becoming the second man to 14,000 test runs.
Fast bowler Matt Henry, hampered by back spasms in the defeat at Lord's, led
New Zealand by pinning England captain Root and vice captain Harry Brook in
front of their middle stumps.
Nathan Smith featured with a wicket and a brilliant run out of Ben Duckett with
a low side-arm throw on the run. And 10 minutes before stumps, Will O'Rourke
broke a burgeoning 40-run partnership between two of England's three debutants,
Cox and James Rew.
Rew gloved to slip on 24, limiting the damage of a spilled catch by Rachin
Ravindra just minutes beforehand.
New Zealand began the day in sunshine on 291-7 and would have thought 350 a
bonus with the new ball imminent.
But England's own valid hopes of cleaning up the tail quickly were undermined
by overdoing the short balls and holstering its most potent weapon, Archer.
Archer didn't appear until close to lunch, the 19th over of the morning. His
barrage of venom against Phillips' resilience on Wednesday night was the
highlight of the first day.
But by the time Archer reappeared on Thursday, Phillips had cruised from 49
overnight to 97. Maybe fittingly, Phillips hit two runs and a single off Archer
to complete his first test hundred. Archer gave Phillips a congratulatory tap
on the back.
Phillips and tailender Kyle Jamieson cashed in on England's misplaced
short-ball tactics. They scored 74 runs together in the 12 overs in the first
hour and New Zealand flew past 350.
Jamieson was dropped on 15 by Duckett looking into the sun with his sunglasses
on his cap. From 6 overnight, Jamieson reached 41 off 48 balls, his highest
test score in six years. He was bowled by part-time spinner Jacob Bethell, who
took a team-leading three wickets.
Jamieson's exit ended an entertaining partnership with Phillips of 87 from 96
balls.
Without Archer to worry about, Phillips passed his previous highest test score
of 87 against Bangladesh in 2023 and comfortably reached 100 off 133 balls with
18 boundaries, following two centuries each in one-day internationals and
Twenty20s. He was the last man out, holing to deep midwicket.
England scored 103 in 24 overs under leaden skies in the middle session for the
loss of Duckett and Jacob Bethell. Both batters were removed by Smith, who ran
out Duckett and got a thick edge from Bethell trying to defend on 9.
Gay was at fault for Duckett, his opening partner, while trying to get his
first run about 25 minutes into the session. Gay, on 8, called for a tight
single but Smith was faster than Duckett, who had been steadfast and fluid for
36 off 25 balls.
Gay held his head in his hands but proved unflustered beside the busy Root as
the floodlights came on. Gay judged length well, left the ball well, and picked
his shots. He was 48 at tea then weathered a half-hour rain delay and sat on 49
for 14 balls as the clouds began to part.
Gay got his fifty off 112 balls with his ninth boundary. O'Rourke had gone
round the wicket but then the bowler went over the wicket and Gay took his eye
off the ball and his hand off his bat which he didn't pull out of the way. New
Zealand didn't react but reviewed just in time to reveal a nick.
Then Henry took the spotlight when he pinned Root and Brook in an 11-minute
span. Root reviewed in vain and Brook walked.
That brought together Rew and Cox. Cox was picked ahead of Rew due to a more
prolific County Championship season but Rew joined the lineup on Tuesday after
Jamie Smith went on paternity leave. They looked like they would see out the
last 75 minutes together of an extended session but O'Rourke had a different
plan.
___
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
|
