England grab initiative with late wickets after Gay half-century proves pivotal

• First Test, D2: England 140 & 226; New Zealand 113 & 36-3

• Tourists toiling in pursuit of 254 victory target

Sixteen wickets on the first day were followed by 17 more on the second, though like the bounce on this mischievous wicket nothing about it felt at all predictable. The day ended in glorious evening sunshine, shadows stretching as England’s lead was slowly, awkwardly reduced. But still the wickets fell, even if in a trickle rather than the torrent that started New Zealand’s first innings, and at 36 for three their target of 254 still feels very distant.

The run chase started terribly, with Tom Latham edging the third ball high to Harry Brook at second slip. Thereafter Kane Williamson and Devon Conway were resolute – and, in the latter’s case, on the right side of an umpire’s call – as they clung on until the final minutes of the day, when Williamson was trapped lbw by Josh Tongue and Will O’Rourke, the nightwatcher, was bowled by Gus Atkinson. In the end the only thing that effectively stemmed the stream of dismissals was stumps.

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