England 45-3 in reply to New Zealand’s 348 at lunch on the 2nd day of the 1st cricket test

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — Glenn Phillips completed a half century before New Zealand’s first innings ended at 348 Friday on the second day of the first test against England.

At lunch England was 45-3 in reply, with Ben Duckett 32 not out.

England lost Zak Crawley early in its innings, then fast bowler Nathan Smith, on debut, dismissed Jacob Bethell for 10 and Joe Root for a duck within three balls before lunch.

Smith first dismissed Bethell, who is also on debut, with the first ball of his second over in test cricket and Root with the third ball.

Bethell had taken 13 balls to get off the mark and had progressed to 10 from 34 balls when he edged a ball from Smith to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.

Root, in his 150th test, received a shorter ball from Smith which cut back and cramped him as he tried to dab it behind point. The ball came off the inside edge onto the pad and then onto his stumps.

Lunch was taken on Root’s dismissal and Duckett, who had played confidently in difficult conditions, was due to be joined by Harry Brook.

New Zealand resumed at 319-8 after an even first day with Phillips 41 not out. Kane Williamson led New Zealand’s scoring with 93 after it lost the toss and was sent in.

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Conditions could hardly be more different between the first and second days. The first day was warm with a blustery north-easterly wind which made the job of the England bowlers difficult at times.

Conditions Friday were cool, around 15 degrees Celsius (59 Fahrenheit), with a light easterly breeze. The ball, which hardly swung at all on the first day, oddly swung considerably on the second.

England’s second new ball was only three overs old when New Zealand’s innings resumed. The partnership between Phillips and Tim Southee which was worth 21 runs at stumps Thursday produced another six runs before Southee holed out to Gus Atkinson from the bowling of Brydon Carse.

Phillips then farmed the strike in his partnership with New Zealand’s last man Will O’Rourke. By that method, Phillips added another 23 runs for the last wicket while O’Rourke remained scoreless.

Phillips reached his fifth test half century from 77 balls with five fours and a six before O’Rourke was out in the eighth over of the day, bowled by Carse who finished with 4-64.

The England top order faced a testing time with the ball still swinging. Southee and Matt Henry hit good lines which took advantage of the movement on offer.

Henry trapped Crawley lbw in the fourth over.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket