England struggle in Hamilton as Latest Zealand dominate third Test

England’s hopes of ending the yr with a whitewash over Latest Zealand faded fast on the second day in Hamilton, where an error-strewn batting collapse left them adrift within the third Test.

The tourists disintegrated for 143 all out in only 35.4 overs at Seddon Park, looking a shadow of the side that had bossed their option to wins in Christchurch and Wellington to secure the series.

With the Black Caps having stretched their first-innings total to 347 with a stubborn last-wicket stand, England didn’t even clear the follow-on mark.

They were spared the ignominy of being sent in again but struggled to remain competitive by the close, Latest Zealand easing their result in 340 as they placed on 136 for 3.

England have endured worse days with the bat in 2024 – skittled for 112 in Rawalpindi and 122 in Rajkot – but rarely have they underperformed so markedly in gentle conditions. The sun was shining overhead, the pitch manageable and there have been scores available for those with the needed resolve. As an alternative, they were bundled out all too easily, Joe Root’s 32 the high watermark on an underwhelming card.

From 77 for 2 they collapsed with no trace, Surrey-born seamer Will O’Rourke kickstarting a chaotic afternoon with three wickets within the space of eight deliveries. He ripped the guts out of the center order, working over Jacob Bethell, inflicting Harry Brook’s first golden duck in international cricket and capping his work with the important thing dismissal of Root.

Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes flirted with a fightback in a stand of 52 but England let themselves down badly as they lost their last five for the addition of just nine runs. Matt Henry wrapped up a well-deserved four-for and spinner Mitchell Santner mopped up three low cost wickets in as many overs.

The left-armer had began the day with bat in hand, joining O’Rourke in a stubborn 10-wicket partnership that totalled 44. Stokes and England were unusually passive but, after 15 joyless overs and an hour of unproductive toil, Matthew Potts finally bowled Santner for 76.

The change of innings turned attention immediately to Zak Crawley, whose struggles at opener have turn into acute in recent weeks. He began brightly, lashing 4 driven boundaries in Tim Southee’s first over to present himself a much needed lift on the retiring veteran’s expense.

But his troubled tour continued as Matt Henry dismissed him for the fifth time in five attempts, pouncing athletically to grab a forefront in his follow-through. An unfulfilled 21 took his series tally to 47, along with his average hovering at a lowly 9.40.

Henry soon added Ben Duckett, lbw to a textbook seaming delivery, leaving England up against it. Bethell and Root placed on 44 either side of lunch, the team’s least and most experienced players briefly dovetailing before all of it turned sour.

O’Rourke was the catalyst, sweeping the rug from beneath England’s feet with a formidable burst. He worked over Bethell with a sequence of short-pitched deliveries before tossing one fuller and allowing the 21-year-old to carve obligingly to backward point. Bethell has shown glimpses of his wealthy talent in his initial outings at the best level, but first-innings scores of 10, 16 and 12 mean his case at number three stays unproven.

Brook arrived on the crease because the newly-installed primary batter on the planet and got here crashing back to earth a number of seconds later as he diverted his first ball back into the stumps.

O’Rourke’s inspired work continued with key dismissal of Root, the person Brook usurped within the rankings. He was cramped by a ball that rose sharply and jagged back in but, relatively than taken evasive motion, Root shaped to steer towards deep third and picked out Glenn Phillips.

Pope (24) and Stokes (27) briefly ended the chaos, sharing 10 boundaries as they tried to land some blows of their very own, but Santner foxed each men as things finished in a blur.

Pope pushed on the spinner uncertainly, prodding straight to slide, while Stokes was lbw as he lost his footing on the sweep. Unlike Latest Zealand’s, the tail was blown over in a rush as Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Potts got here and went in quick succession.

There was never any realistic likelihood of the follow-on, meaning the bowling boots were soon being strapped back on. Despite some hard-earned weariness, they charged in gamely, Atkinson bowling Tom Latham for 40 off an inside edge and Stokes picking up Will Young for 60 with a bouncer.

Stokes added a second when O’Rourke was sent out to nightwatch and nicked off for nought, but England trudged off in deeper trouble than they may have imagined at first of the day, Kane Williamson coasting an unbeaten 50 with the promise of plenty more to come back.

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