December 22, 2024
England lose three quick wickets in reply to New Zealand’s 348

England lose three quick wickets in reply to New Zealand’s 348

New Zealand's Nathan Smith (C) celebrates dismissing England's Jacob Bethell (Sanka Vidanagama)

New Zealand’s Nathan Smith (C) celebrates dismissing England’s Jacob Bethell (Sanka Vidanagama)

England lost two wickets in the final match before lunch, including Joe Root for a duck, to make it 45-3 in response to New Zealand’s 348 on the second day of the first Test in Christchurch on Friday .

Debutant seamer Nathan Smith did the damage, marking Jacob Bethell for 10 and Root scoreless, leaving Ben Duckett not out for 32.

Bethell, 21, was called into action in the fourth when Zac Crawley was trapped underweight by Matt Henry without scoring.

Bethell faced 12 deliveries before taking off with a single from Henry, who had Duckett dropped at second slip by Tom Latham with his next ball.

When Smith was introduced into the attack, Bethell showed his promise with two boundaries in his first over.

But with the first ball of his second over, he had Bethell caught by Tom Blundell and then bowled to Root, who is playing his 150th Test.

New Zealand resumed the day at 319-8 and added 29 more runs, most of them from Glenn Phillips.

Phillips, who was dropped without scoring and again on 42, finished on an unbeaten 58, his fifth half-century and New Zealand’s second-highest score behind Kane Williamson’s 93.

Brydon Carse finished with 4-64, the best figures for England, after taking both wickets on the second morning.

With his first ball of the day, he had Tim Southee caught at the boundary for 15, then ended the hosts’ innings by bowling Will O’Rourke for a duck.

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