New Zealand have the edge in first Test despite Rory Burns century for England
Tim Southee’s six wickets gave the tourists the upper hand.
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Your support makes all the difference.Rory Burns made a battling hundred for England but Tim Southee’s six for 43 helped New Zealand gain the upper hand on the penultimate day of the first Test at Lord’s.
England captain Joe Root departed to the first ball of Saturday morning while Southee used his guile and a hint of movement to snare Ollie Pope, Dan Lawrence and James Bracey – all of whom fell within the space of 21 deliveries.
A position of 140 for three became 140 for six in response to New Zealand’s 378 but Burns made use of let-offs on 77 and 88 to post a gritty 132 from 297 balls in England’s 275 all out – a first-innings deficit of 103.
Burns and Ollie Robinson had earlier ensured England avoided the follow-on but the latter was caught in the deep to give Southee his place on the Lord’s honours board.
A third day washout seemingly increased the prospect of a draw in the first of two Tests between the teams, although the tourists boosted their hopes from the off on Saturday morning.
Kyle Jamieson, in his first overseas Test, produced a fantastic delivery, angling one in to Root (42) which caught the edge and was taken low down by Ross Taylor, ending a 93-run stand between the home skipper and Burns.
Pope got under way with a couple of streaky boundaries as Jamieson continued to probe away in the channel, but the Surrey batsman gradually gained in fluency, until he overbalanced against Southee and was trapped in front for 22, the not out decision overturned on review.
Lawrence wafted at his second ball and was caught in the cordon from a thick edge off Southee, who crowned a sensational morning spell of 9-4-18-3 by bowling Bracey between bat and pad.
Burns showed admirable resolve in his first innings back – he was dropped for the final two Tests in India last winter – amid the tumble of wickets at the other end, even if he added just 13 runs to his total in the session.
Robinson overturned a bat-pad decision off Mitchell Santner in the final over before lunch, after which the lower order batsman, who has had a turbulent week on Test debut after apologising for historical racist and sexist tweets, and Burns stabilised England’s position.
There were few alarms until the final over before the second new ball, when BJ Watling missed a simple stumping to reprieve on Burns, on 77, while the England opener was also given a life on 88 when Southee shelled a chance at second slip off Neil Wagner.
Robinson fell for 42 after hooking Southee to long leg, Mark Wood inside-edged Jamieson behind to become the fourth England batsman to fall for a duck in the innings while Stuart Broad (10) was bowled by Wagner the ball after despatching the left-armer into the stands for six.
Broad’s dismissal left England nine down and Burns still needing nine to reach three figures. But last man James Anderson withstood a couple of nervy moments to allow Burns to bring up his third Test ton.
Having batted at a glacial pace for most of the day, Burns upped the tempo after going past his hundred, unfurling some glorious drives and a slog sweep off Wagner for six.
Burns contributed 41 from 35 balls in a priceless last-wicket stand of 52 before nicking to Watling off the returning Southee ended England’s innings.