England lose five key batsmen in the morning session
Tuesday 2 June 2015 16:58, UK
England struggled to 102 for five at lunch on day five of the second Test with New Zealand, with only captain Alastair Cook offering any resistance with the bat by making an unbeaten 40.
If England thought they had gone a long way to saving this Test yesterday, after heavy rain had seen two sessions wiped out, then they were quickly forced to reassess things in the morning session.
New Zealand, who knew their only chance of victory would be to take early wickets and make inroads into the home team’s long batting lineup, surprisingly opened up with off-spinner Mark Craig from one end, and not so surprisingly Trent Boult from the other.
And it did not take long for the left-arm seamer to make the first breakthrough as England opener Adam Lyth was once again forced into playing at one outside his off-stump that on second viewing he will wish he had left, with Luke Ronchi doing the rest behind the stumps.
That setback left England on 47 for one, and Boult was soon at it again as the paceman castled Gary Balance in now all too familiar fashion, with the Yorkshire left-hander caught deep in his crease to a full ball as the hosts slipped to 61 for two.
Worse was to quickly follow for England as they lost two wickets in quick succession to Craig, first as Ian Bell’s miserable form with the bat continued, glancing a ball off his legs straight to a waiting Kane Williamson placed at leg-slip.
Two deliveries later and in-form England batsman Joe Root was also on his way, although in truly freakish fashion as the he tucked a short ball from Craig off his hips, only to turn in horror to see Tom Latham celebrating at short-leg.
Somehow the ball had lodged in Latham's midriff as England had lost three wickets for just one run, with that dismissal also completing a miserable match for Root, who has made just one run in this Test in front of his home fans.
The pressure was now well and truly on England, but in resolute opener Cook and all-rounder Ben Stokes they found two batsmen with the technique and temperament to halt New Zealand’s charge to victory.
However, that was until just before the break when Stokes cut loosely at the occasional off-spin of Williamson to leave England facing an uphill struggle this afternoon to save the Test.
Coverage of the second Test between England and New Zealand continues on Sky Sports 2 and across our digital platforms.
