1st Test, New Zealand vs England Day 5 preview: New Zealand moving ahead after a dominating performance

New Zealand built a mountain of runs before picking up three English wickets in late evening drama to be in the driver’s seat on the 4^th day of the first test at Mount Maunganui. Starting the day with 394/6, BJ Watling and Mitchell Santner took the score to 577 before being separated. In the course of a record 261 runs stand, Santner reached his maiden test hundred and finished with 126. Watling was already on a hundred and continued even after Santner was dismissed and finally reached his maiden test double hundred. He is first ever New Zealand player to score a test double hundred as the designated wicketkeeper of the team.

Watling’s epic innings came to an end on 205 when in search of quick runs he provided a nick to a Jofra Archer delivery to the keeper Jos Buttler. Kane Williamson soon declared the innings on 615/9 with a lead of 262 runs.

England started well and the openers Dom Sibley and Rory Burns batted untroubled till the first drinks breaks. However, the things turned for better for the Kiwis once Santner got the reward of some consistent good bowling. He and Watling came together once again to dismiss Sibley when his nick was pouched by the Kiwi keeper. Burns and the night-watchman Jack Leach were the other players to be scalped by Santner who had a brilliant day and put England under enormous pressure to survive day five.

Joe Denly is currently in the crease and will be joined by Joe Root in the morning as the duo would look to bat for long to reduce the current deficit of 207 runs to as less as possible. They have few more good batting options in Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Buttler, and Sam Curran but surviving the day five on a wearing pitch will be a different ball game.

Key Players:

Mitchell Santner (New Zealand) – Currently Santner’s bowling analysis reads a magical 8.4-4-6-3. He already got his maiden test hundred and will look to get his maiden test five-far to drive New Zealand towards a test win.

Ben Stokes (England) – Stokes already has lots of memories with New Zealand this year. Now it is to be seen whether he can guide England to another rescue act against his favourite opposition.

Brief scores

England 353 and 55/3 (Rory Burns 31, Dom Sibley; Sam Curran 3/119) trail New Zealand 615/9 declared (BJ Watling 205, Mitchell Santner 126; Mitchell Santner 3/6) by 207 runs

Prediction

New Zealand to register victory after some resistance from England.