Daily Times

LONDON: New Zealand’s Devon Conway made exactly 200 on his Test debut before England captain Joe Root helped the hosts recover from a top-order collapse on the second day of the series opener at Lord’s on Thursday. Opening batsman Conway was last man out in a first-innings total of 378. England, who slumped to 18-2, ended the day on 111-2, a deficit of 267 runs. Burns was 59 not out and Root unbeaten on 42, with their partnership worth 93 runs. Earlier, South Africa-born left-hander Conway was in sight of becoming the very first batsman in the 144-year history of Test cricket to carry their bat throughout the entire innings in their first knock in the format when he was run out to end a stay of more than nine-and-a-half hours. Nevertheless, it needed a review of a close call before it was confirmed Root had taken the bails off in time. Even so, Conway was only the seventh batsman to make a double hundred on Test debut. He faced 347 balls, with 22 fours and went to 200 in style when he hooked fast bowler Mark Wood for the only six of his innings.

New Zealand No 11 Neil Wagner, also born in South Africa, made 25 not out off 21 balls that included a superb straight six off Stuart Broad during an entertaining last-wicket stand of 40. Sussex paceman Ollie Robinson, like Conway making his Test debut, led England’s attack with four wickets for 75 runs in 28 overs. But New Zealand then struck twice despite being without left-arm spearhead Trent Boult. Towering paceman Kyle Jamieson had Dom Sibley lbw for a duck with a ball that straightened the decision upheld on ‘umpire’s call’ after a review. But there was no room for doubt when Zak Crawley was caught behind off Tim Southee for two. Burns and Root, however, then held firm in an often attritional stand, although left-hander Burns did go to fifty in 90 balls.