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NZ vs ENG: 'Fighter' Conway helps New Zealand avoid follow-on scare


image-le7y52z1Devon Conway slammed a glorious fifty [Source: Twitter]

Despite looking in a complete mess at one stage, hosts New Zealand have avoided the follow-on in the first Test against England, riding on a marvellous half-century from Devon Conway. 

Although the English seamers breathed fire throughout the session, Conway's grit kept the BlackCaps alive in the fascinating contest. 


How the battle panned out? 

The day began with New Zealand reeling at 37 for 3, with Conway holding the fort alongside the night watchman Neil Wagner. The kind of a situation they were in, forget about taking a lead, even avoiding the follow-on seemed like a distant dream for the hosts. 

Meanwhile, England fancied their chances of gaining a substantial lead, as only three more wickets would expose the Kiwi tail to the tricky batting conditions. 

However, the session didn't begin on a happy note for England, as the unbeaten batters went on to add 45 runs before Stuart Broad removed Wagner, who annoyed the visitors through a counterattacking 32-ball 27. 

One brought two, as Daryl Mitchell was trapped plumb in front of the stumps by Ollie Robinson without disturbing the scorers. 

However, the last recognised batting pair of Conway and Tom Blundell showcased enormous patience, preventing the visitors from running through their innings. 

While Conway stroked seven fours and one six for a gorgeous 140-ball 72*, Blundell looked comfortable for his 21*-run knock. 

As a result, the hosts finished on 138 for five at Tea on day 2, as they entered the dugout with a glimmer of hope of getting close to the English first innings total. 


Talking Points

  • The legendary pair of Stuart Broad and James Anderson completed the 1000-wicket landmark in Test cricket. 
  • New Zealand batters have looked more composed in the middle today. As we saw on day 1, the pink ball definitely made their lives difficult under the lights. So, Conway and Blundell should capitalise on batting in the first two sessions, scoring as many runs as possible. 

Brief Scores

New Zealand 1st innings: 138/5 (46)
Devon Conway 72*, Tom Blundell 21*
James Anderson 2/19, Ollie Robinson 2/27