England lost their grip on the third Test against New Zealand, and likely the series, as the Black Caps got the better of a thrilling third day’s play that saw 11 wickets tumble at Trent Bridge.
A ferocious Jofra Archer (2-14) spell reduced New Zealand to 12-2 in their second innings, leading by just 96, but a fine fifty from Rachin Ravindra (60no) fired the tourists back on top at 120-3 by stumps, 204 ahead.
Jofra Archer took two early wickets in New Zealand’s second innings, reducing the visitors to 12-2
England had started the day with hopes of batting through and building a sizeable first-innings lead but instead stumbled from their overnight score of 223-2 to 354 all out to see New Zealand up by 84.
New Zealand get the ball talking to tear into England
Much like when England claimed New Zealand’s final six wickets for just 46 runs on the second morning, some disciplined bowling from the visitors early on day three wrestled the momentum back in their favour.
With the pitch now offering more seam movement and variable bounce after being baked by the sun for the first two days, Nathan Smith (4-91) and Will O’Rourke (3-53) accounted for set batters Joe Root (21) and Jacob Bethell (74) in consecutive overs, neither able to add to their overnight scores.
New Zealand claimed three wickets early on against England on day three of the third Test
Jamie Smith (1) swiftly joined them back in the pavilion – three wickets falling across the opening six overs – after an umpire review that his edged drive from Nathan Smith to Daryl Mitchell at slip had carried, which replays confirmed.
Harry Brook (58) and Ben Stokes (15) set about rebuilding the innings, albeit the skipper’s scratchy form with the bat continued as he came close to being caught at gully when on one, the ball only just carrying to Devon Conway who did well to even get a glancing fingertip to it.
Ben Stokes was bowled by a beauty from New Zealand’s Zak Foulkes
Ball begins misbehaving off sun-drenched surface
Brook and Stokes added 56 together to briefly take the sting out of things until, suddenly, Stokes was undone by a brutal nip-backer from Zak Foulkes (3-35), who hugely impressed after being brought in as a concussion substitute for Blair Tickner the previous evening.
Foulkes took his second wicket as he bowled Harry Brook for 58
Brook went through to a 66-ball fifty just before lunch, but he too had his off stump knocked back by Foulkes soon after the interval – England seven wickets down and still some 116 runs in arrears.
Gus Atkinson (23) and Archer (15) ate into that deficit a touch, each benefiting from being dropped – Ben Sears’ miss of Atkinson at mid-on a particular howler – before they too fell foul off some wicked bowling.
Ben Sears dropped a sitter that left bowler Will O’Rourke bemused!
Archer fended a snorter from Smith to slip, while Atkinson’s was a more tentative prod through to Mitchell off O’Rourke, but it came immediately after a brute of a delivery rapped him on the glove.
Once Foulkes claimed Josh Tongue (2) to end the innings, a fired-up Archer appeared to be bringing England firmly back into the contest as he quickly accounted for Tom Latham (4) and Conway (5) inside the first five overs, the same openers who each managed more than 150 in New Zealand’s record 317-run partnership against their hosts in the first innings.
Archer’s dismissal of Conway was particularly striking, a flat-footed fend to slip mere minutes after a brute of a delivery reared up off a length and struck him on the helmet.
Ben Stokes shows his frustration as New Zealand built a decent lead late on day three of the third Test at Trent Bridge
Such misbehaviour off the surface will have England fearful of having to chase too many on days four and five, albeit things did appear to again flatten as Ravindra and Mitchell (26no) put on an unbroken 69 for the fourth wicket through to the close.
Atkinson claimed England’s third, Henry Nicholls nicking one to a relieved Brook at slip, who had inexplicably failed to dive for a near-identical edge from Nicholls in Tongue’s previous over.
Broad: New Zealand in strong position | ‘Tall ask for England’
Sky Sports Cricket’s Stuart Broad:
“Certainly New Zealand’s day. It started with their bowling and how much they made the ball talk. Then we had the intrigue and excitement of what Jofra Archer brought with the new ball and getting early wickets, breaking into that New Zealand batting line-up.
“I think it has been a wonderful partnership [Mitchell and Ravindra]. Ravindra, when he came to the crease, had exactly the right tempo – finding the boundary but solid in defence.
“New Zealand have got themselves in a pretty strong position.
“If I’m in the England changing room, I’m thinking there’s probably 10 balls in this surface that will get us out, so we’ll have to score the runs quickly to make sure those 10 balls don’t come our way.
“I think England need it to be in and around 300, or under 300, which is a tall ask from here.”
England vs New Zealand – results and schedule
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