3rd Test
Day-1 Highlights:
Both Tom Latham and Mitchell Santner got to their half centuries on Day-1
At The Stumps of Day-1:
New Zealand scored 315/9 (1st Innings) vs England.
An evenly contested day of Test cricket came to a close at Seddon Park on Day 1 as New Zealand reached 315 for 9, having been 212 for 6 at one point.
England bowled excellently for the majority of the day, but their final eight overs cost 76 runs, with Mitchell Santner contributing a valuable fifty to boost the hosts’ total.
Matthew Potts and Gus Atkinson each claimed three-wicket hauls, while Brydon Carse picked up two wickets.
Skipper Tom Latham and Santner both scored fifties, with Santner unbeaten heading into Day 2.
Several other New Zealand batters got starts but failed to convert them into big scores.
The hosts were 173 for 3 at Tea, with Kane Williamson playing some crisp drives before an untimely dismissal, chopping one onto his stumps.
Daryl Mitchell, after a 19-ball wait for his first runs, struck back-to-back boundaries before falling to an uppish drive, safely caught by Ben Stokes off Atkinson.
Atkinson also became only the second player to take 50 wickets in his debut Test calendar year.
Glenn Phillips and Tom Blundell both fell victim to wide deliveries, their shots easily caught at backward point, as New Zealand slumped to 212 for 6.
With England in control and seemingly heading towards a dominant position, Santner, initially watchful, counter-attacked with drives through cover and straight down the ground.
Tim Southee then played a cameo, smashing 23 off 10 balls, including three sixes, as he reached 98 Test sixes in his career.
Santner ended the day with a maximum over mid-off, bringing up his fifty off just 54 balls.
Earlier, under overcast skies and on a greenish pitch, England chose to bowl first.
New Zealand made a change at the top, bringing in Will Young for the struggling Devon Conway.
Latham and Conway had averaged just 17 as an opening partnership this year, and the move to bring in Young immediately paid off.
Latham and Young made a positive start, with both players finding the boundary, while England conceded eight extras, including boundaries.
The hosts continued to find the fence throughout the first session, either through elegant drives or fortunate edges.
England also wasted a review against Latham for a caught behind, as the ball straightened slightly.
New Zealand ended the session at 93 for 0 at Lunch.
The pattern continued into the next session, with Latham driving Carse for three boundaries.
However, Atkinson managed to get one to swing away from Young, who nicked it to slip after a well-made 42.
Latham soon brought up his fifty, and Williamson looked in good form once more.
Stokes and Potts then tightened the pressure, with Potts claiming the key wicket of Latham, strangled down the leg side.
Rachin Ravindra came in and played aggressively, hitting four boundaries to race to 17 off just 12 balls.
However, he fell into the same trap that had seen him dismissed throughout the series, chasing a wide delivery and edging to Ben Duckett at wide gully just before Tea.
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