England vs New Zealand: Debutant Jacob Bethell faces a tough challenge as England takes on New Zealand in the first Test match at Hagley Oval. On the second day of play, New Zealand was able to secure an early advantage after Nathan Smith dismissed Joe Root for a duck and Jacob Bethell for 10. England’s innings started poorly with Zak Crawley getting out lbw for a duck to Matt Henry. Ben Duckett stood strong with 32 runs, but wickets continued to fall around him.
At lunch, New Zealand had taken control of the session with England at 45-3. Glenn Phillips impressed with a half-century as New Zealand posted a total of 348 in their first innings. The England bowlers, led by Shoaib Bashir and Brydon Carse, put in a solid performance to limit New Zealand’s total.
As play resumed, Tim Southee and Phillips put together a solid partnership before Southee was dismissed for 15 by Brydon Carse. Phillips continued to anchor the innings for New Zealand before ultimately being unbeaten on 58 when the last wicket fell. England will now look to chase down New Zealand’s total in their first innings, with Bethell and Duckett at the crease.
The match promises to be an exciting contest with both teams fighting hard to gain the upper hand. Fans can look forward to a competitive battle between bat and ball as the Test match unfolds. Stay tuned for more updates from Hagley Oval.
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Photo credit www.theguardian.com
