Third Rothesay Test, Trent Bridge (day one of five)
New Zealand 361-4: Conway 157, Latham 151
England: Yet to bat
New Zealand won the toss
England took two late wickets to hang in their decider against New Zealand on a brutal opening day of the third Test.
Openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway each made big hundreds in a partnership of 317.
But after New Zealand’s highest stand for any wicket against England ended, Gus Atkinson and Jofra Archer removed Rachin Ravindra and Henry Nicholls respectively with the final two balls of the day to leave the Black Caps 361-4.
On his return to leading England, captain Ben Stokes lost a vital toss in the extreme heat of Trent Bridge, and the Black Caps cashed in on the flattest of flat pitches.
Captain Latham and fellow left-hander Conway were superb and England’s bowlers did little wrong, but the home side were made to pay for missing the chances that came their way.
On 71, Conway looked to have defended the off-spin of Shoaib Bashir. Replays showed the ball hit his front pad first and would have gone on to hit the stumps, yet England did not appeal.
Worse was to come. Latham, who edged through a vacant third slip on eight, had 129 and went for a pull at Atkinson. It was a simple chance down the leg side and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith barely got a glove on it.
Stokes, back after the nightclub controversy that caused him to miss the second Test, eventually got Latham to feather behind on 151, then Conway was caught at long-on off Joe Root for 157.
The late wickets were a huge bonus for England, celebrated with delight. Ravindra needlessly skied Atkinson and Nicholls edged Archer, keeping the home side in the contest.