On a sun-drenched Thursday morning at London’s iconic Oval cricket ground, New Zealand pulled off a stunning lower-order batting performance, headlined by Glenn Phillips’ first career test century, that pushed the Black Caps to a far higher first innings total than most analysts predicted against England.
Resuming day two at 291 for seven wickets – a position where New Zealand’s coaching staff privately targeted 350 runs as a strong outcome, with the tail exposed and England poised to take the new ball – the visitors compiled an overall total of 391 all out. Phillips was the final wicket to fall, finishing unbeaten? No, out for an even 100, capping a remarkable comeback for the lower order.
England’s chances of a swift wrap-up of the New Zealand innings were derailed by two key factors: an over-reliance on short-pitched bowling that failed to trouble the New Zealand batters, and the delayed return of their most potent fast bowler, Jofra Archer. Archer, playing his first test match since December, had delivered a blistering spell of eight consecutive overs on day one that left spectators breathless, but the effort left him fatigued heading into the second morning.
Archer did not appear until the 19th over of the morning, just before the lunch break. By the time he entered the attack, Phillips and tailender Kyle Jamieson had already turned the game on its head. The pair shared an 87-run partnership from just 96 balls, with 74 of those runs coming in 12 overs in the first hour of play that saw New Zealand sail past the 350 benchmark.
Jamieson, New Zealand’s 2.07-meter tall pace bowler, capitalized on a dropped catch when Ben Duckett, fumbling into bright sun with sunglasses perched on his cap, put him down at 15. Despite being hit twice on the helmet by short deliveries, Jamieson batted with remarkable confidence, growing his overnight score of 6 to 41 off 48 balls – his highest test score in six years of international cricket. He struck six new boundaries after play resumed, including two beautifully timed cover drives, before being bowled by part-time spinner Jacob Bethell, who finished with England’s best bowling figures of three wickets.
Phillips, who resumed the day on 49, brought up his half-century from just the second delivery of the morning with a top edge that cleared the wicketkeeper. With Archer resting on the sidelines, Phillips ruthlessly punished wayward short deliveries from England’s seamers Sonny Baker and Josh Tongue. He surpassed his previous highest test score of 87, set against Bangladesh in 2023, and brought up his milestone century off 133 deliveries, decorated with 18 boundaries, adding to his existing record of two centuries each in ODI and T20 international cricket.
In a moment of good sportsmanship, Phillips reached his hundred with two runs and a single off the returning Archer, who responded with a warm congratulatory tap on the back. Shortly after, Archer claimed the wickets of Matt Henry and Phillips to end the New Zealand innings. In the three overs remaining before lunch, England moved to 15 without loss, setting the stage for an absorbing second innings battle.