Daily Times

NOTTINGHAM: New Zealand collapsed to 224-7 as England gave themselves a chance to chase a dramatic series victory by close of play on the fourth day of the second Test. The Kiwis lost five wickets for 110 in a tense evening session at Trent Bridge and head into the final day with a lead of 238. With three wickets left, New Zealand face a difficult period on Tuesday morning as they try to bat their way to safety. Daryl Mitchell is on 32 not out, with Matt Henry on 8, and if England can rattle through the tail, they will fancy themselves in a thrilling run chase. England chased down 277 to win the first Test at Lord’s thanks to a Joe Root century. A second successive victory over the Test world champions would give England their fist series triumph since January 2021.

While England will be confident, they must heed the lesson of New Zealand’s sloppy second innings, which featured a succession of tame dismissals and needless run outs. On a memorable day at Trent bridge, England’s James Anderson reached 650 Test wickets when New Zealand opener Tom Latham left a straight ball that clattered into his stumps. The 39-year-old fast bowler is just third man ever to reach the landmark after spin legends Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan. Anderson’s milestone came just months after he admitted he was “praying” his international career was not over following the decision to drop him for the West Indies tour. England had been dismissed for 539 in Monday’s morning session.

Root scored a majestic 176 and Ben Foakes added a lively 56 to ensure New Zealand held only a 14-run lead following their own mammoth first innings total of 553. Root resumed on 163 and Foakes on 24, while New Zealand suffered a blow when Kyle Jamison was ruled out of day four while the pace bowler awaited the results of scans on the back injury he sustained on Sunday.

Trent Boult finally stemmed the bleeding as he dismissed Root, who chipped to Southee at cover after chasing a wide delivery. Slamming the bat against his pads in frustration, Root departed to spark a collapse of five wickets for 23 runs as Trent Boult finished with 5-106. England made a flying start to New Zealand’s second innings when Latham bizarrely left a straight ball from Anderson. Will Young (56) and Devon Conway (52) looked to have put New Zealand in pole position with a 100-partnership for the second wicket. But, after sustaining heavy punishment, England spinner Jack Leach had the last laugh as Conway top-edged a sweep towards Jack Bairstow, who ran in from the square-leg boundary to take the catch. Henry Nicholls (3) fell to Matthew Potts when he slashed straight to Alex Lees.

New Zealand looked anxious and Young departed run out after hesitation between the opener and Mitchell proved fatal. That brought Mitchell and Tom Blundell together again after they shared partnerships of 195 at Lord’s and 236 in the first innings in Nottingham. Michael Bracewell’s brief flurry of boundaries ended when he miscued to Broad off Potts for 25.