NOTTINGHAM, England – The third and final Test of England’s summer series against New Zealand at Trent Bridge delivered a dramatic second day on Friday, turning the tide of momentum after the Kiwis had dominated the opening session. A blistering 317-run opening partnership between Tom Latham and Devon Conway on Day One had left the home side reeling, with New Zealand posting a mammoth first-innings total of 438 before being bowled out shortly after lunch on Day Two. What followed was a disciplined England fightback, headlined by a major career milestone for all-rounder captain Ben Stokes and a rapid counterattack from opener Ben Duckett heading into the tea break.
On a sweltering afternoon where temperatures peaked at 34 degrees Celsius (93 Fahrenheit), Stokes picked up where England’s bowlers left off on Thursday evening, when the side had clawed back four late New Zealand wickets to stem the visitors’ momentum. The captain claimed the first wicket of the day, forcing Daryl Mitchell to edge a catch behind to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith for 11 runs. He followed that up by dismissing Will O’Rourke, who sliced a catch to Emilio Gay at point, before notching his long-awaited 250th Test wicket. The milestone came via a fiery bouncer to Mitchell Santner, who feathered a catch to Jacob Bethell in the gully. Santner immediately called for a Decision Review System (DRS) challenge, but television replays confirmed the ball had brushed his glove, upholding the on-field umpire’s decision.
Spinner Shoaib Bashir picked up two more wickets for the home side: he secured a return catch at the second attempt to remove Nathan Smith for 6, then dismissed Tom Blundell via lbw on review after the New Zealand wicketkeeper missed a reverse sweep. Jofra Archer wrapped up the innings by trapping Ben Sears lbw for a duck, leaving New Zealand all out for 438. Stokes finished with match figures of 4 for 70, pushing him to ninth place on England’s all-time list of leading Test wicket-takers. The 35-year-old’s standout performance comes just one week after he was recalled to the side alongside fast bowler Gus Atkinson, following their suspension from the second Test for disciplinary reasons.
With New Zealand’s innings closed, England stepped out to bat needing to respond to the huge total, and got off to a flying start despite an early setback. Opener Emilio Gay became England’s only wicket to fall before tea, caught down the leg side by Blundell off O’Rourke’s bowling without scoring a run. That brought Duckett to the crease, who entered the Test having struggled for runs throughout 2024. The left-hander was gifted a second chance early on, when New Zealand third slip Henry Nicholls dropped a catch off Nathan Smith’s bowling when Duckett had only scored 8 runs. He made the visitors pay immediately, playing with characteristic aggression to reach an unbeaten 52 off just 37 balls by the tea interval. At the other end, debutant batter Jacob Bethell was also not out on 16, leaving England 73 for 1 from 14 overs at the break, with the home side well placed to build on its early fightback. Heading into the weekend, the three-Test series remains level at 1-1, with the winner of this final match set to claim series bragging rights.