Having enjoyed a promising opening day of the second Test, England had an awful first hour on Thursday that allowed New Zealand to take control of the game.
Overnight, the game was beautifully in the balance. There was a Test to be grasped. On the first evening, New Zealand felt 350 was par. Thanks to an eighth-wicket partnership between Glenn Phillips and Kyle Jamieson, they breezed past that total, putting England under the pump. By the end of the innings, an overnight score of 291 for seven had become 391 all out, with that eighth-wicket partnership worth 85.
Bowling choices
On his first day as captain for more than four years, Joe Root did pretty well. In conjunction with coach Brendon McCullum on the walkie-talkie and vice-captain Harry Brook, who largely stood next to him at second slip, Root was energetic and busy with his tactics. On the second morning, his choices left plenty to be desired.
Starting with three overs to go until the new ball, England deployed their change quicks, Josh Tongue and Sonny Baker. Then, with the new ball due, Root did not turn back to his opening bowlers from day one, Jofra Archer and Matt Fisher.
Remarkably, after five overs of the new ball, Jacob Bethell was brought on to bowl his left-arm spin. Bethell did not help England’s dreadful over rate, which slipped to -8. Eventually, Fisher emerged for the 89th over. Archer was not seen until the 96th; his first over brought Phillips’s hundred, and the wicket of Matt Henry.
Tactical missteps
Initially, Tongue and Baker were charged with delivering England’s telegraphed bumper barrage. This had been effective enough the night before, when Archer produced an electric spell. This time, it was ruinous. The first ball of the day, from Baker, soared over the keeper James Rew’s head for four byes (by the end of the first hour, he had conceded 22, mainly because of wild bowling). The first three overs cost 27, with a couple of crisp strokes mixed with the sort of streakiness that these tactics invite. The short balls roughed up New Zealand, with Jamieson hit on the helmet and body several times, but did not produce wickets.