Rory Burns scores third Test Hundred in Fighting Rally England after Tim Southee helps New Zealand take firm control of Test 1; Ollie Robinson continues his headline debut with two late windows as Black Caps ends Day 4 62-2 with a 165 lead
Rory Burns scored 132 against New Zealand, his third test cent and second against the Black Caps
Rory Burns pulled off a third test out of one hundred to dent New Zealand’s drive to victory over England in Test 1 after Tim Southee’s bowling masterclass put the Black Caps on top at Lord’s.
Burns (132 of 297 balls) took two hits to the head, survived a missed hit from BJ Watling in 77 and Southee dropped him in a slide in 88, but managed to hit three figures of 267 deliveries before it was the last man out, to Southee (6-43), in England’s total of 275 on matchday four.
The starter, who resumed undefeated Saturday morning at 59 after Friday’s washout, helped his team come back from 140-6, avoid continuation and go on for just 103 in the first inning after they looked ready to a much larger deficit after Southee’s three wickets for no runs on nine balls.
England fell 140-3 when Southee fired Ollie Pope for 22 and inflicted ducks on Dan Lawrence and rookie James Bracey, leaving the hosts 238 runs behind with just four wickets remaining.
Burns and England’s other rookie Ollie Robinson (41) stopped the rot with a 63-place finish in the seventh wicket, while Burns then led a final 52-wicket partnership with James Anderson (8), during which time he reached his century with a two ran and hit his first test six.
Anderson and Stuart Broad were excellent with the new unrewarded ball, but the impressive Robinson hit twice before the stumps when first inning double centurion Devon Conway (23) crawled on his stumps and Kiwi captain Kane Williamson (1 ) dropped lbw in review. , a ball after successfully nullifying a similar ejection against the same pitcher.
New Zealand closed 62-2 with a 165 lead – Tom Latham (30th to 73 balls) and night watchman Wagner (2nd to 24) in the fold – and now a draw seems the most likely outcome, although there could still be a chance. grip finish if the Black Caps declare and insert England.
Burns had been eliminated for the last two tests in India after averaging just 9.75 in his previous five games, but Surrey’s solid early-season form (six-fifties-one-century in 10 innings with an average close to 62 ) saw him win a retirement and scored nearly half of England’s runs at Lord’s.
The 30-year-old’s stroke was more delicate than fluid, but he still managed 16 fours and an excellent six from Neil Wagner as he followed centuries against Australia at Edgbaston in August 2019 and then against New Zealand in Hamilton later that day. year.
Burns was eventually fired by outstanding bowler Southee, who completed his second six-course round at Lord’s, having won 6-50 in 2013.
Southee previously shattered England’s middle order once Kyle Jamieson (3-85) opened a finale by having Joe Root (42) caught in a low slip by Ross Taylor from the opening morning delivery, finishing 93rd position. Captain races with Burns. for the third gate.
Pope hit five limits, some streaky, some classy, in a position of 29 with his Surrey Burns teammate, but then was knocked out when Southee pinned him to the platform with a pinch, having previously dragged the batter. out of the stump.
Field umpire Michael Gough did not hit Pope, perhaps feeling that the England batter had gotten ahead of the delivery, but Williamson’s review proved triumphant, and the ball was shown to miss the bat and he was ready to go ahead and make noise in the middle stump.
Southee was also celebrating on each of his next two overs, with Lawrence cutting the second ball that faced Colin de Grandhomme on the slip and Bracey cast six balls in his first test innings as Southee delivered a bat-to-pad delivery. from around the gate. .
Bracey’s firing turned him into three wickets at 21 balls, but New Zealand had to wait 28 overs for his next drive, though it wouldn’t have been that long if goalkeeper Watling had been able to cleanly collect and complete a stump when Burns came off his fold while facing Mitchell Santner.
Robinson, who overturned a Santner bat decision at 16, was ultimately bounced when Southee sealed a five-wicket pitch from Test 12, but Southee’s fielding then disappointed him when he bombed a regulation catch on the slip with Burns 12 runs fewer. than one. ton.
Burns looked in danger of running out of teammates as Jamieson had Mark Wood (0) trapped behind, Wood, the fourth England hitter to catch a duck, and Wagner cleaned Broad a ball after the England tailender had pumped him. over the midwicket for a max.
But Anderson guided the southpaw into his century and Burns became more aggressive thereafter, with three limits on one more Jamieson and those glorious six off Wagner on another before he taunted Southee from behind on the cut.
Then it was the turn of the England bowlers: Anderson (0-22 of 11 overs) and Broad (0-9 of 6) gave Conway and Latham a rigorous examination before Robinson (2-8 of 9) would follow his first four-inning entry. throw and cameo with the bat eliminating Conway and Williamson.
Williamson avoided a layoff from lbw with his review showing an inside rim, but a later delivery was back in the shed, with a ball that at first glance appeared to be heading over the top shown hitting the stump of the leg .
Watch the fifth day of the first test between England and New Zealand, at Lord’s, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Sunday.
