MOUNT MAUNGANUI: England’s Stuart Broad blitzed New Zealand’s prime order in a stunning spell below the Bay Oval lights to go away the hosts reeling on 63 for 5 after the third day of the primary Check on Saturday, 331 runs shy of their unlikely victory goal. England had earlier ridden half centuries from Joe Root, Harry Brook and Ben Foakes to achieve 374 all out of their second innings and set the Black Caps a mammoth 394 to win. Seamer Broad (4-21) drove residence the benefit in gorgeous vogue by bowling Devon Conway, Kane Williamson and Tom Latham by way of the gate briefly order earlier than returning to take away first innings centurion Tom Blundell for 15 in the identical fashion.
Ollie Robinson chipped in with the wicket of Henry Nicholls for seven and Daryl Mitchell (13 not out) and Michael Bracewell (25 not out) will resume on Sunday with two days of the match stretching out in entrance of them. The vacationers had began the day on 79-2 however have been quickly unleashing one other onslaught of “Bazball” cricket on their hosts below sunny skies in Tauranga. Fast Neil Wagner (2-110) got here in for specific punishment within the opening session as first Ollie Pope (49) after which Brook (54) flayed his bowling with a flurry of sixes and fours and England added 158 runs to their in a single day tally.
Root seemed much less comfy with the attacking fashion however labored his approach neatly to 57 earlier than an ill-judged try at a reverse sweep resulted in a prime edge which was caught within the slips off the wicketkeeper’s gloves. That introduced up the primary break and on the resumption Foakes and his skipper Ben Stokes, maybe fearing England have been getting too far forward of the sport, slowed the tempo of the assault. Stokes’s pure inclinations couldn’t be contained for lengthy and he unloaded a sequence of boundaries earlier than offspinner Bracewell foxed him with a dipping supply to go away Blundell with the best of stumpings. The England skipper’s 31 included his 108th six to take him previous his coach Brendon “Baz” McCullum as probably the most prolific scorer of the utmost in Check cricket historical past.
Wagner might have dismissed him on the following supply however his depressing day continued when he caught the England skipper on the boundary solely to fall over the rope and provides Stokes his 109th Check six. Woakes, promoted above Stokes within the batting order, caught to his activity and made 51 off 80 balls earlier than he was caught behind off debutant Blair Tickner (3-55). Robinson supplied some starch within the England tail with 39 and Jack Leach (12) was the final wicket to fall with a slog and a miss to provide Bracewell (3-68) his second wicket by stumping on the day. England would maybe have hoped for a few wickets within the last session however Broad had different concepts and his magical spell put them inside touching distance of a tenth win in 11 Exams below former New Zealand skipper McCullum.