England are closing in on victory over New Zealand in the first Test after Chris Woakes, Brydon Carsey and Harry Brook starred in a dominant third day for the tourists in Christchurch.
The Black Caps are 155-6, leading by just four, with Woakes (3-39) taking the key wicket of Kane Williamson’s (61) wicket before dropping Tom Blundell (0) the next ball.
Woakes’ fellow seamer Carsey also hit three strikes to take his wicket tally to seven in the match, leaving England well on their way to a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Earlier, Brook (171) – dropped for the fifth time after four overs on the second day – and Ben Stokes (80), who posted his best Test score since the 2023 Ashes, plus Gus Atkinson’s lower-order quick responses (48 off ) and Karsi (33 no off 24) took England to 319-5 overnight. 499, first innings lead 151.
Williamson scored a back-to-back half-century in the first Test before falling to Woakes
Carse (3-22) then dismissed Devon Conway (8) and Rachin Ravindra (24) as Woakes, who was largely ineffective in New Zealand’s first over, took Tom Latham (1) for his first wicket of the match.
Williamson, on his maiden 93rd stand to pass 9,000 runs in Tests, and Daryl Mitchell (31no) set New Zealand up with a partnership of 69, only for Woakes’ twin strike and Carse’s Glenn Phillips (19 ) dismissed England.
Latham’s men had mostly themselves to blame, even given Brooke’s brilliance and England’s excellent bowling, when eight catches fell and the hosts also conceded a number of frees when they batted on the first day.
Harry Brook averages over 60 for England in Test cricket after his 171 at Hagley Oval.
Brook adds stunning numbers as Stokes finds form
Brook is the third Englishman, after Joe Root and Walter Hammond, to pass 150 twice in New Zealand, scoring 183 in Wellington in 2023, while his average of 60.05 is second only to Herbert Sutcliffe (60.73) among England scorers. with at least 183 points. 20 tests.
The Yorkshireman now has seven centuries in his first 22 Tests and is the eighth fastest to 2,000 runs in terms of innings (36).
However, Brooke was spared on 18 had Phillips stuck to the gully, England would have been 77-5 and then 41, 72 and 106 on Friday before being bowled out again on Saturday morning for 147 as Phillips fizzed again in the valley.
Phillips was to blame for three of New Zealand’s eight drops, which also dropped Kars for five at deep backward point, but took a one-handed catch on day two to dismiss Ollie Pope for 77 and complete a 151-run stand with Brooke on 71-4. from
Brook and Stokes extended their sixth-wicket partnership from 97 to 159 on day three as England posted 140 runs in the morning session; on a long-term roof.
Ben Stokes hits his highest Test score since his Ashes century against Australia at Lord’s in 2023
Carse fires bat and ball for England
Brook’s luck eventually ran out as he dropped Matt Henry (4-84) to wicketkeeper Blundell, but Stokes, who scored just 53 runs in four innings in Pakistan this autumn, made 63 and 40 with Atkinson and Carse respectively before Henry was out .
Atkinson and Carsey hit 5 sixes and six fours between them, with the former aiming for a fifty to bring up his 118 against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in August, only to be bowled by debutant Nathan Smith at fine leg (3).-141 ).
After Shoaib Bashir (5) was run out in the last over, moving Henry into the middle, England stormed right in with the new ball; ninth.
A forlorn 23-2 became 64-3 shortly after tea when Ravindra was trapped by a short ball deployed by captain Stokes and spooned Carsey to Jacob Bethel at deep square.
Brydon Carrs (right) impressed for England with the ball in Christchurch, taking seven wickets in the match.
When Woakes then sent Williamson and Blundell packing, England looked set for victory at Hagley Oval within three days; New Zealand were 133-5 at that stage and still 18 runs in arrears, but they will now hope to close things out on day four.
England test tour of New Zealand
- First test. November 28-December 2 (Christ Church)
- Second test. December 6-10 (Wellington)
- Third test. December 14-18 (Hamilton)
