inning break New Zealand Trail 125 (Atkinson 4-31, Carse 4-46) uk 280 (Brook 123, Pope 66, Smith 4-86, O’Rourke 3-49) 155 runs.
Atkinson and Brydon Carse shared five wickets in the 45 minutes of play, both finishing with four fours to help the tourists control a fast-moving Test. After Kane Williamson hit 37 on the first day, no other New Zealand batsman has reached 20.
New Zealand resumed their innings with Tom Blundell batting alongside night watchman Will O’Rourke. Blundell got into good shape off all 12 balls to get Carse to his first boundary of the day, but was extracted on the 13th boundary he faced and Carse produced a beauty hitting the best ball. He got his fourth two balls later when O’Rourke got hopefully forward and was tapped upright in front of centre.
Nathan Smith briefly suggested that this could be a fightback from the New Zealand lower-order side, following up with a full-blooded six at midwicket after Carse was grounded to take the figure for three.
Glenn Phillips added three quick-fire boundaries and Smith drilled Atkinson through covers as the stand reached 29 with more than a throw of the ball. However, Atkinson found an extra bounce on a tight line to beat Smith, who was caught behind at stumps as he attempted to leave.
The end of the innings came when Atkinson had Henry keep a chest-high bumper to the gully, then pushed back down the field and went full straight at the stumps to bluff Tim Southee. Southee traced the ball with a forlorn look and saw that it must have hit the middle and legs. And Atkinson became the first Englishman to score a Test hat-trick since Moeen Ali at The Oval in 2017.
