England looked set to banish memories of their Ashes blowout in Perth as they traded blows with Recent Zealand on a frantic second day at Lord’s.
The primary Rothesay Test of the summer became eerily familiar as England suffered a drastic collapse after reaching the lunch break 99 runs ahead with only one wicket down.
That was the precise position they tossed away on the Optus Stadium in November, a defeat which paved the best way for a demoralising tour, and history was threatening to repeat itself as they lost 4 wickets for one run in 11 game-changing deliveries.
They veered from 126 for 2 to 127 for six on a fiendishly difficult pitch, debutant Emilio Gay falling for a hard-fought 57 before Harry Brook (nought), Joe Root (eight) and Ben Stokes (nought) followed in a whirlwind of activity.
For exclusive stories and all of the detailed cricket news you wish, subscribe to The Cricket Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day
FOLLOW OUR LIVE SCORES CENTRE
Commanding position
In Perth they were beaten by stumps but this time had Jamie Smith to thank for a plucky 39, lifting them to 226 all out and setting the tourists a troublesome goal of 254 to win.
Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue then left the Black Caps 36 for 3 on the close, handy the house side a commanding position after a dizzying 17-wicket day.
It began with England turning Recent Zealand’s overnight rating of 61 for six into 113 all out – enough to guide a low-scoring contest by 27.
Tongue set the tone for one more bowler-friendly day by knocking over Glenn Phillips’ off stump along with his first ball of the morning then jagging one dramatically off the pitch to bowl Nathan Smith.
PICTURES: Ben Whitley/PA
Error count
Some ill-judged short balls allowed the 6ft 8in Kyle Jamieson to thrash 38 however the Kiwis still lasted lower than 30 overs, Ollie Robinson bowling last man Matt Henry to secure a spot on the honours board with career-best figures of 5 for 39.
By lunch, England had carved a robust position for themselves at 72 for one, perfectly recreating their position six months earlier in Western Australia.
Ben Duckett, dropped on 12 by the wasteful Rachin Ravindra, was the person to go for 33 but Gay showed admirable nerve to navigate a troublesome new-ball examination.
He would have been out for twenty-four in the primary over of the afternoon had Recent Zealand reviewed an lbw shout and the error count ratcheted up when Devon Conway spilled Jacob Bethell on eight, his second drop and Recent Zealand’s fourth of the match.
Dramatic twist
Bethell’s good luck didn’t last, though, bowled by a grimy shin-high grubber from Henry before he had a probability to money in.
Gay never looked entirely comfy but eked out the best rating of a bowler-dominated match in addition to the longest knock of 95 balls.
The following dramatic twist was just across the corner, though, starting when Gay nicked a beauty as he tried to cover off stump.
Mayhem followed close behind, with England’s experienced engine room worn out in fast forward.
Brook overbalanced as O’Rourke had him lbw for a four-ball duck, Root was clipped in front of leg by the subsequent ball from Nathan Smith and Stokes’ lean streak continued as he was clean bowled past his outside edge without scoring.
Cool heads
The sport was slipping away and it took cool heads, from Jamie Smith and his Surrey team-mate Atkinson, to halt Recent Zealand.
They rebuilt soundly either side of the tea break, Smith with the occasional flourish, to tease out 57 runs – the best stand of the match.
Nathan Smith accounted for each as he finished with six for 70, Jamie Smith the newest to fall foul of 1 kept low.
Chasing the largest rating of the match all the time looked a protracted shot for Recent Zealand they usually couldn’t keep their heads above water.
Letting the pitch do the work, Atkinson picked off skipper Tom Latham and nightwatcher O’Rourke, while Tongue rapped the experienced Kane Williamson.
READ MORE: Ollie Robinson takes five wickets as England seize control against Recent Zealand on day two
