A century by Tom Latham in a 116-run partnership with Ross Taylor, an injury to allrounder Ben Stokes and a lack of success with the Decision Review System put England on the back foot today on the first day of the second Test against New Zealand.
Latham was unbeaten on 101 as New Zealand reached tea at 173-3. Taylor was out 20 minutes before the break for 53 and Latham had been joined by Henry Nicholls, who was 5.
New Zealand added 87 runs for the loss of only Taylor's wicket during the second session, indicating England captain Joe Root may have been mistaken when he elected to bowl on winning the toss.
England took five seamers and no specialist spinner into the match and those bowlers were made to work hard on an unresponsive pitch at Seddon Park.
Stokes came into the match with a knee injury and was in pain as he bowled only two overs in the first two sessions. He seems unlikely to be able to bowl again the first innings, seriously depleting the England attack.
Latham appeared comfortable from the start of play and reached his 11th test century from 159 balls with 15 fours to rise to 10th on New Zealand's all-time test scoring list.
He was particularly strong off his pads and the England bowlers fueled his run-scoring when they strayed too often onto his leg stump. The tactic of right-armers Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer bowling around the wicket to the left-hander was unsuccessful.
Taylor reached his 32nd test half century from 98 balls and was out immediately afterwards, caught by Root at slip from the bowling of Chris Woakes. All three New Zealand wickets to fall went to catches by Root, who did his best to back-up his decision to field first.
He previously caught Jeet Raval (5) and Kane Williamson (4).
Latham and Taylor had several reprieves in the first two sessions, thanks to the DRS. Latham was judged lbw to Woakes when he was 49 but overturned the decision on review.
Taylor, on 25, successfully challenged an lbw decision which went in favor of Broad and replays showed the faintest of inside edges.
England then reviewed the umpire's rejection of an lbw appeal by Woakes when Taylor was 47 and the replay showed the ball pitching outside leg.
The only moment to celebrate for England came close to tea when Taylor drove at a ball from Woakes and edged a catch to Root at first slip. Latham had earlier been dropped when he offered a sharp chance to Stokes at second slip.
Continue reading below for 1 NEWS Now's hour-byhour updates of the day's play.
NZ 173/3 (Latham 101, Nicholls 5) after 54.3 overs
5:25pm - The day's play has been called off after heavy rain. Latham has put New Zealand in a strong position which they will look to build from tomorrow. We'lll have video and more reaction shortly.
4.03pm - The players have come off and the ground staff are bringing the covers on. It's raining heavily and there are thunderstorms in the area. Hopefully the delay won't be too long.
3.40pm – tea
New Zealand’s Tom Latham has bought up his 11 th Test match hundred in the over before lunch.
The opener bought up his century off 159 balls by hitting his 15 th boundary, a delivery from Joe Root that he turned into a low full toss with some nice footwork before dispatching it down the ground.
He gave one chance on 66 but Ben Stokes put him down at second slip off the bowling of Jofra Archer.
The Black Caps lost Ross Taylor in the hour before tea, the veteran going for 53 after driving loosely at Chris Woakes.
The edge gratefully taken by Joe Root at first slip, where the England captain had already taken two catches.
NZ 124/2 (Latham 69, Taylor 41) after 41 overs
2.40pm – drinks in the afternoon session
Tom Latham and Ross Taylor moved their partnership along to 85 in the hour after lunch, but they certainly rode their luck in doing so.
Taylor had an LBW overturned when on 25. The veteran was hit plumb in front as he tried to work a straight delivery square of the wicket on the leg-side.
He elected to review the decision after a short chat with Latham and would survive thanks to a tiny inside edge picked up by snicko.
Four overs later, it was Latham who would give a chance, edging a back-of-a-length delivery from Jofra Archer that seamed from around the wicket and caught the outside edge.
It presented Ben Stokes at second slip with a relatively straightforward chance but the all-rounder put it down, diving to his left with his fingers pointing up.
NZ 86/2 (Latham 51, Taylor 21) after 28 overs
1.00pm – lunch
New Zealand survived a scare on the stroke of lunch with Tom Latham reviewing an LBW decision that had been given out.
After being given out by umpire Kumar Dharmasena in the final over of the session, Latham immediately reviewed, with DRS finding that the delivery from Chris Woakes pitched outside leg.
The opener bought up a well-made half century shortly after before the players left the field for lunch.
Latham and Ross Taylor combined for a 47-run stand after Kane Williamson was dismissed by a beauty from Woakes to leave New Zealand 39/2.
NZ 39/2 (Latham 30, Taylor 0) after 14.2 overs
12.00pm drinks in the morning session
New Zealand’s top order is once again wobbling after Kane Williamson fell to a beauty from Chris Woakes on the cusp of the first drinks break.
The NZ captain reached 4 off 19 deliveries before copping a brilliant delivery from Woakes that straightened, caught the outside edge and flew to Joe Root at first slip, where the England captain dived to his right to take his second catch.
SQUADS
NZL: Kane Williamson (c), Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling (wk)
ENG: Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wk), Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes
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