AUCKLAND: Trent Boult grabbed two wickets as New Zealand reduced England to 50 for two and seized the advantage at the end of the second day of the deciding third Test at Eden Park yesterday.
Boult had England captain Alastair Cook caught behind for four then trapped Jonathan Trott in front for 27 as England slumped to 44 for two and handed the momentum back to the hosts.
Nick Compton was on 12, while Ian Bell was six not out and the visitors will head into the third day 393 runs behind, having dismissed New Zealand for 443 after tea following a feisty knock by Tim Southee. Pace bowler Southee, who had been criticised for his cavalier approach to batting throughout the series, persisted with his attacking tactic and belted 44 runs in 33 balls to grab the initiative back for his side.
Steven Finn then raced through the tail after Southee was caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior to finish with six wickets for 125, matching his career best figures against Australia in 2010.
Prior ended the innings with five catches.
“I felt as though I’ve bowled better in this game than I did in the previous two games,” Finn told reporters. “My lengths have been better, I’ve been fuller, making the batsman come forward more often than I have done in the previous games.
“But again that was a little bit of a rhythm thing, and I’ve felt good in this game so far.
“I was fortunate to get a couple of wickets today, but as a team we felt as though that we deserved some fortune.”
New Zealand, however, negated that opportunity when Cook got a faint edge down the leg side from a Boult delivery and he was caught by wicketkeeper BJ Watling. Trott and Compton, who had combined for a 210-run partnership in the drawn second Test at the Basin Reserve, looked in control as they were barely Tested by New Zealand’s pace attack.
The introduction of left-arm spinner Bruce Martin, however, created some pressure at the northern end of the ground and Boult was switched to the southern end and got a ball that pitched on middle to seam back and hit Trott in front.AFP
