New Zealand made a good start to their second effort though, reaching 77 for one to be 134 away from surpassing England’s total.
Peter Fulton returned to the middle with the clear intention of playing his strokes and was aggressive from the outset. It got the BLACKCAPS off to a good start, but unfortunately Hamish Rutherford couldn’t stick around and fell to Monty Panesar for 15.
Thankfully though he would be the only casualty of the day, with Fulton (41*) and Kane Williamson (16*) seeing out the rest of the day’s play. Both looked settled at the crease and will be hopeful of showing more of that composure when they return tomorrow.
Earlier, England had got on top with two quick wickets to see the back of Williamson (42) and Dean Brownlie (18) and take the game by the scruff of the neck. Their momentum was stemmed somewhat by a much needed partnership between Brendon McCullum (69) and BJ Watling (60), but England’s wickets came in bundles and they were soon in the ascendency again.
McCullum was his usual explosive self and for a period got right on top of the English bowling attack, while Watling noodled the ball around to great effect. The pair put on precisely 100 for the sixth wicket, before McCullum fell to Finn in the 70th over.
The final four wickets didn’t last too long after that, with Bruce Martin (21*) the only one to keep pushing the total along. Meanwhile, Stuart Broad was tearing through the rest of the tail at an alarming rate.
The 26 year-old took six for 51, including the final three scalps to finish off the innings. It left the Kiwis short of the follow-on mark, still 211 runs away behind their opponents.
It wasn’t how the BLACKCAPS had envisaged their day three going, but all is not lost and a good performance tomorrow will have them right back in the match.
Peter Fulton returned to the middle with the clear intention of playing his strokes and was aggressive from the outset. It got the BLACKCAPS off to a good start, but unfortunately Hamish Rutherford couldn’t stick around and fell to Monty Panesar for 15.
Thankfully though he would be the only casualty of the day, with Fulton (41*) and Kane Williamson (16*) seeing out the rest of the day’s play. Both looked settled at the crease and will be hopeful of showing more of that composure when they return tomorrow.
Earlier, England had got on top with two quick wickets to see the back of Williamson (42) and Dean Brownlie (18) and take the game by the scruff of the neck. Their momentum was stemmed somewhat by a much needed partnership between Brendon McCullum (69) and BJ Watling (60), but England’s wickets came in bundles and they were soon in the ascendency again.
McCullum was his usual explosive self and for a period got right on top of the English bowling attack, while Watling noodled the ball around to great effect. The pair put on precisely 100 for the sixth wicket, before McCullum fell to Finn in the 70th over.
The final four wickets didn’t last too long after that, with Bruce Martin (21*) the only one to keep pushing the total along. Meanwhile, Stuart Broad was tearing through the rest of the tail at an alarming rate.
The 26 year-old took six for 51, including the final three scalps to finish off the innings. It left the Kiwis short of the follow-on mark, still 211 runs away behind their opponents.
It wasn’t how the BLACKCAPS had envisaged their day three going, but all is not lost and a good performance tomorrow will have them right back in the match.
