CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — Kane Williamson completed his second half century of the match and passed 9,000 test runs Saturday as he led New Zealand’s faltering resistance to England’s control on the third day of the first test.
Williamson followed his first innings 93 with 61 and was one of five batsmen to fall before New Zealand erased England’s 151-run first innings lead.
At stumps, New Zealand was 155-6, four runs ahead and with only bowlers yet to bat. Daryl Mitchell was 31 not out and Nathan Smith was on one. Brydon Carse had 3-22 and seven wickets for the match.
England applied ‘Bazball’ principles to take charge of the match almost from the resumption Saturday, dashing past New Zealand’s first innings of 348 and building a commanding first innings lead at almost six runs per over.
Harry Brook resumed at 132 and went on to 171 in a 159-run partnership with Ben Stokes who was 37 not out overnight and finished with 80.
Dashing late contributions from Gus Atkinson who made 48 from 26 balls and Carse who made 33 from 24 with three monstrous sixes piled more pain on New Zealand late in its innings as it made 499 all out.
In total, England added 180 runs in 33 overs Saturday at a tempo set by Brook who posted his seventh century and third-highest score in tests and Stokes who reached his 35th half century from 105 balls, then added his next 30 runs from 41 deliveries.
New Zealand then lost both openers, Tom Latham (1) and Devon Conway (8), with only 23 runs on the board and Rachin Ravindra (24) with 46 runs still needed to erase England’s lead. Ravindra continues to show enormous promise but was out to rash shots in both innings.
Williamson provided an example of application to the rest of the New Zealand top order, continuing in his usual unflappable manner even after he was struck on the helmet by Stokes when on 26.
In contrast, Ravindra was lured into an unnecessary shot at a short ball by Carse, knowing that the trap had been set and was sprung when he was caught in the deep by Jacob Bethell.
Williamson passed 9,000 test runs in his 103rd test at an average of 54 when he reached 26. He went on to a half century from 74 balls when New Zealand was 117-3.
He was out with the total at 133-4, trapped lbw by Chris Woakes, and wicketkeeper Tom Blundell was caught behind next ball as New Zealand slumped to 133-5, still 18 runs behind England.
Mitchell and Phillips finally erased the England lead in the 45th over, 20 minutes before stumps. But Phillips fell for 19 shortly before the close of play when New Zealand was 153-6, its lead only two runs and with only the bowlers to come.
Earlier, Brook was helped again Saturday by New Zealand’s poor catching. He was dropped for the fifth time in his innings, by Glenn Phillips at gully from the bowling of Will O’Rourke, when he was 132.
Brook was dropped four times on the second day: on 18 by Phillips in the gully, on 41 by Tom Latham at first slip, on 70 by Devon Conway in the deep and on 112 by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell off Matt Henry.
He was finally out, caught by Blundell from the bowling of Matt Henry, in the sixth over of the second new ball when England was 381-6. Brooks had come to the crease when England was 45-3 before lunch on day two.
He turned around England’s innings in a 151-run partnership with Ollie Pope (77) and led his team into a dominant position with Stokes.
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