Lunch New Zealand 132 and 38 for 3 (Conway 6*, Mitchell 2*, Potts 2-11, Anderson 1-14) lead England 141 (Crawley 43, Southee 4-55) by 29 runs
But despite scrapping their way back into the contest, taking all ten England wickets for the addition of 82 runs, ball continued to dominate bat when New Zealand began their second innings. They were still in arrears when, for the second day in succession, James Anderson found Will Young’s outside edge, with the first ball of his second over – Ben Foakes this time completing the dismissal with a diving grab.
New Zealand needed something from their two most experienced batters, Williamson and Tom Latham. The pair briefly drew the sting of the opening spells from Anderson and Stuart Broad, but the introduction of Potts sent those in the visiting dressing room scrambling once again.
Williamson was fortunate when an edge off Anderson landed inches short of second slip, but he soon fell to Potts’ nagging examination outside off. The Durham seamer struck with his fifth ball in the first innings, but this time was made to wait until his eighth, Williamson taken comfortably by Jonny Bairstow at third slip aiming a back-foot punch. Potts then removed Latham in his next over, grazing the outside edge so gently that neither the batter nor Foakes behind the stumps were convinced – but DRS confirmed the decision.
England resumed on Friday still 16 runs behind on first innings, having suffered a dramatic collapse on the first evening after making a stellar start to the international summer by bowling New Zealand out for 132. They were eight down in the second over the day, Broad bowled by Southee two balls after pumping him for four down the ground.
Anderson was promoted to No. 10, following Matt Parkinson’s arrival for a debut as a concussion substitute, and he looked to hang around in partnership with the senior batter, Foakes. But England were still two runs short of parity when Foakes was lured into dabbing at Southee outside off, sending a thick edge to slip.
Anderson brought the scores level with a push down the ground off Trent Boult, and there were ironic cheers when Parkinson’s flick for two put England into the lead, as well as earned him his first Test runs.
The Lancashire legspinner, who was handed his cap in the dressing room before play by Jeetan Patel, managed one nicely timed drive down the ground for four before steering Boult to first slip. That seemed to leave the momentum with New Zealand, having fought back themselves from the perilous position of 45 for 7 shortly after lunch on day one.