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New Zealand Recover To Post 315/9 On Day 1 Of Third Test Against England (image courtesy Deposit Photos)

The first day of the third Test between New Zealand and England at Seddon Park ended with the hosts recovering from 212 for 6 to post a competitive total of 315 for 9. England’s bowlers were impressive for most of the day, but a late flourish from the New Zealand lower order, particularly Mitchell Santner, added valuable runs to the total.

Matthew Potts and Gus Atkinson were the standout performers for England, picking up three wickets each, while Brydon Carse chipped in with a brace. Skipper Tom Latham and Santner were the top scorers for New Zealand, both registering half-centuries, with the latter remaining unbeaten at stumps.

New Zealand found themselves in a strong position at 173 for 3 at the Tea break, with Kane Williamson playing some elegant drives. However, his innings was cut short when he chopped one back onto his stumps. Daryl Mitchell, who took 19 balls to get off the mark, fell soon after, caught by Ben Stokes off Atkinson. With this wicket, Atkinson became only the second player to pick up 50 wickets in his debut Test calendar year.

The hosts’ middle order crumbled as Glenn Phillips and Tom Blundell both fell to the trap of chasing wide deliveries, leaving New Zealand reeling at 212 for 6. It was then that Santner began his counter-attack, finding the fence with drives through cover and down the ground. Tim Southee, playing in his last Test match, also contributed with a quickfire 23 off 10 balls, including three sixes, taking his career tally to 98 Test sixes. Santner ended the day with a maximum over mid-off, bringing up his half-century off just 54 deliveries.

Earlier, England had won the toss and opted to bowl first under overcast conditions on a greenish surface. New Zealand made a change at the top of the order, bringing in Will Young for the struggling Devon Conway. The move paid off as Young and Latham got the hosts off to a positive start, reaching 93 for 0 at Lunch.

The second session saw Atkinson remove Young for a well-made 42, while Potts accounted for Latham, who was caught down the leg side after scoring a half-century. Rachin Ravindra looked in good touch, hitting four boundaries in his brief innings of 17 before falling to the same trap that has seen him dismissed throughout the series, edging a wide delivery to Ben Duckett at wide gully just before Tea.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 315/9 (Tom Latham 63, Mitchell Santner 50*; Gus Atkinson 3-55, Matthew Potts 3-75) vs England

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