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NZ vs ENG 2nd Test Day 1 Highlights: Brook, Pope & Bowlers Give England The Upper Hand In Wellington

Bhargav Dixit

England celebrate a wicket. [Source: @englandcricket/X]England celebrate a wicket. [Source: @englandcricket/X]

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A total of 366 runs were scored across the 80.4 overs that were bowled on the first day of the second Test match between New Zealand and England in Wellington today. With as many as 15 batters getting dismissed, it resulted in being a prototypical action-packed day.

NZ vs ENG Highlights: Matt Henry And Nathan Smith Among Early Wickets

New Zealand captain Tom Latham’s decision of electing to field first after winning the toss was provided instant validation by pacers Matt Henry (2/43) and Nathan Smith (4/86), who picked a couple of wickets each in the first hour to reduce the visitors to 43/4 in the 13th over.

It was on the eighth delivery that he bowled that Henry sent England opening batter Ben Duckett (0) back to the pavilion without him even troubling the scores. Zak Crawley, who hit a six in the first over of the match, soon followed his opening partner to the pavilion after failing to defend a Henry delivery.

Playing only his second Test, Smith accounted for Joe Root (3) and Jacob Bethell’s (16) wickets in successive overs to further dent England in the morning session.

NZ vs ENG Highlights: Another Game-Changing Harry Brook-Ollie Pope Partnership

Having rescued England from 71/4 with a 151-run fourth-wicket partnership in the first Test in Christchurch, England batter Harry Brook (123) and vice-captain Ollie Pope (66) joined hands for a 174-run stand on Friday. With runs being scored at more than 6 per over, the two right-handed were all guns blazing with immense aplomb.

Making the most difficult format look like a joke, Brook continued to punish the Kiwi bowlers in their home conditions. In what was his sixth Test innings in New Zealand, he has now amassed 623 runs at an unbelievable average and strike rate of 103.83 and 102.13 respectively.

New Zealand pacer Will O’Rourke (3/49), who put an end to a stroke-filled Brook-Pope partnership by dismissing the latter, also dismissed England captain Ben Stokes (2) and all-rounder Chris Woakes (18) on either side of the tea break. Smith assisted O’Rourke with two lower-order wickets to bundle out the opposition for 280 in 54.4 overs as they lost their last six wickets for 63 runs.

England, who batted at a run rate of 5.12 on Day 1, executed a similar approach which had seen them amass 435/8d in 87.1 overs after being put in to bat first at the same venue last year. Coincidently, Brook had scored a swashbuckling century back in the day as well.

NZ vs ENG Highlights: England Pacers Join The Party

By the end of the day, four English pacers cumulatively sent half the Black Caps’ side back into the hut. Trailing by 194 runs at Stumps, Day 1, New Zealand will have to put on display a spirited batting performance on Day 2 to avoid lacking behind in the match with over three days to go.

Barring former Test captain Kane Williamson, no other batter from the home side was resilient enough to stand a chance against the English pacers. As a result, Stokes didn’t even feel the need to bowl spinner Shoaib Bashir in the 26 overs that they bowlers in the evening session.