Hamilton Test: England bowlers bounce back after strong NZ start
England bowlers made a strong comeback on Day 1 of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Hamilton. The match, being held in Hamilton, saw England captain Ben Stokes second-guess his decision to bowl first after winning the toss. New Zealand's openers, Tom Latham and Will Young built a solid opening stand of 105 runs. However, the middle-order batters threw away their starts. Hence, the hosts were 315/9 at stumps.
England's bowlers made significant breakthroughs
Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, and Brydon Carse made notable breakthroughs post-lunch after NZ openers dominated the morning session. Young was caught at slip for 42 runs on his return to the Black Caps's lineup. Latham was dismissed for 63 after being caught down the leg side. Rachin Ravindra (18) was out just before tea. Kane Williamson (44) was another batter who couldn't convert his start as the hosts went from 172/2 to 231/7.
Fifty for Santner
While the middle order batters faltered, all-rounder Mitchell Santner showcased remarkable resistance. He returned unbeaten on 50 off 54 balls. Tim Southee complimented him with a quick-fire 23. Notably, England have already won the series with victories in Christchurch and Wellington but would be hoping for a whitewash. Stokes chose to bowl first considering the early cloud cover at Seddon Park, but the pitch was more inclined toward batting.
How did England bowlers fare?
Pacer Matthew Potts, who replaced Chris Woakes in the XI, starred with the ball on Day 1. He finished with 3/75 across 21 overs. Young pacers Atkinson (3/55) and Brydon Carse (2/78) also made significant strikes. Stokes claimed a solitary wicket (1/86 from 23 overs). Spinner Shoaib Bashir is yet to bowl in the game.
Southee's final Test appearance for New Zealand
Meanwhile, the match is also special as it will be fast bowler Tim Southee's last Test for New Zealand on home soil. Southee, who will retire after this three-Test series at 36, has taken 389 wickets in Tests. He is second only to Richard Hadlee's 431 for New Zealand. He made his Test debut against England in 2008 with a memorable debut of 77* and 5/55.
1,000 runs for Young
Young's 42 from 92 balls had 10 fours. He went past 1,000 Test runs during his stay. In 20 matches (35 innings), Young now owns 1,003 runs at 30.39. He has registered nine fifties with 89 being his best score. 275 of his runs have come against England at 25, as per ESPNcricinfo. This includes two fifties.
Latham joins these names
Latham was dismissed for 63 from 135 balls, having slammed nine fours. As per ESPNcricinfo, he has now raced to 5,815 runs from 88 Tests at 38.50. This was his 31th fifty in Tests (13 tons). In 16 matches versus England, Latham has amassed 881 runs at 31.46. During his stay, Latham became just the fifth batter after Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, and John Wright to complete 3,000 Test runs at home.
Atkinson gets to 50 Test wickets
The opening day also saw Atkinson complete 50 Test wickets. He has now raced to 51 scalps at 22.06, having finished Day 1 at 3/55 (19 overs). The 25-year-old took his 50th Test wicket in just his 11th match. Atkinson now stands as the fifth-fastest England bowler to achieve the milestone since World War II. He also became just the second bowler in Test history to pick 50 wickets in their debut calendar year.
