England got off to a rocky start in their chase of 104 runs to win as opener Zak Crawley was dismissed early. However, Ben Duckett and Harry Bethell tried to steady the ship before Duckett was dismissed. New Zealand’s Todd Henry bowled Crawley out for just one run. England’s hopes rested on chasing down the target, with only once in history have they failed to chase a target of 102 or fewer.
In New Zealand’s second innings, Daryl Mitchell led the charge with a solid fifty, while Brydon Carse impressed with a five-wicket haul. However, the lower order failed to provide sufficient resistance as England chipped away at the wickets. Ben Stokes had to stop bowling mid-over due to a lower back issue, adding to England’s concerns.
Despite some resistance from the New Zealand lower order, England’s bowlers were relentless in their pursuit of victory. The match hung in the balance as New Zealand’s lead was only 43 runs, with Mitchell proving to be a thorn in England’s side with his steady batting.
The match was finely poised as England looked to wrap up the series against New Zealand. With England looking to finish the job and New Zealand fighting to stay in the game, the final day promised to be an exciting conclusion to the test match.
Source
Photo credit www.theguardian.com
