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Lunch England 141 and 31 for 1 (Crawley 9*, Pope 0*) need 246 runs to beat New Zealand 132 and 285 (Mitchell 108, Blundell 96)
Stuart Broad sparked a New Zealand collapse which left England with an attainable target by lunch on the third day of the first Test at Lord’s.
The last time these sides met at this ground,
exactly one year ago, England held out for a draw after being set 273 off 75 overs on the final day. With time of no concern on this occasion, their latest encounter looks set to hold its entertaining storyline to the end after New Zealand were bowled out inside the first hour-and-a-half amid a scintillating spell from Broad with the second new ball which helped restrict them to a lead of 276.
There was to be another twist before the lunch break, however, when Alex Lees, who had looked in decent nick as he stroked four boundaries on his way to 20 from 32 balls, left a Kyle Jamieson delivery which nipped back to crash into the top of off stump. At the end of the morning session, Zak Crawley was unbeaten on 9 with Ollie Pope yet to score.
Daryl Mitchell scored a century to bump up the New Zealand lead marginally, while
Tom Blundell fell four runs shy of his own century, as England’s blend of experience and youth joined forces to pluck out six wickets for the morning.
Despite the dreary prelude of a 30-minute delay to the start because of rain and general gloom, the match resumed its highly entertaining narrative as soon as the cloud cover gave way to bright skies. Mitchell and Blundell both resumed in the 90s, with their side 236 for 4, and Mitchell brought up his century off the first ball he faced, running three after driving Broad crisply through the covers.
Just over a quarter of an hour passed before Broad’s spell tore the lid off the morning session, starting with the wicket of Mitchell, drawn into offering a thick outside edge to
Ben Foakes by a length ball outside off to perish for 108, ending his partnership with Blundell at 195 in the fifth over of the day.
Next ball, Broad unleashed a huge appeal for lbw against
Colin de Grandhomme, which was turned down. But, in an enthralling subtext, Pope fired the ball at the stumps from fourth slip as de Grandhomme – who had wandered down the pitch – was sluggish getting back with his back to the action and seemingly oblivious to the urgency required to be run out for a duck.
Broad waved his arms furiously in a successful attempt to rev up the Lord’s crowd, which went wild when he ripped out Jamieson’s off stump to make it three New Zealand wickets to fall in as many balls and, all of a sudden, the tourists had gone from 251 for 4 to 251 for 7.
Blundell remained stranded in the 90s for what seemed like an eternity as wickets tumbled around him, and
James Anderson sealed his fate with a nip-backer that struck the front pad in line with middle and leg. A hopeful review by Blundell only prolonged his agony and he was left to trudge off on 96.
Tim Southee started swinging with consecutive fours off Broad, over mid-on and to fine leg, but when Ben Stokes reintroduced Matt Parkinson –
a concussion substitute for Jack Leach – and Matthew Potts to the attack, the New Zealand tail fell away.
Potts struck with his second ball of the day, Ajaz Patel failing to overturn his lbw dismissal, and Parkinson claimed his maiden Test wicket when he looped the ball up outside off stump and Southee sent a catch to Joe Root at slip as the visitors were all out for 285.
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