New Zealand Beats 347 (Santner 76, Latham 63, Potts 4-90) and 453 (Williamson 156, Young 60, Mitchell 60). uk 143 (Henry 4-48, Santner 3-7, O’Rourke 3-33) and 234 (Bethell 76, Root 54, Santner 4-85) for 423 runs.
It continued New Zealand’s remarkable recent run in Hamilton, where they have won eight of their last 10 Tests since 2012 and halted a run of four successive home defeats since visiting Australia in February.
Bethell’s performance at number three was a bright spot throughout and he added three half-centuries in as many Tests. His partnership with Root suggested England would work hard for New Zealand to push for victory, but both were dismissed before lunch and there was little resistance from the rest of the batting order, who hammered 8 boundaries in 43 not out beyond Gus Atkinson. Ollie Pope, who bowled Matt Henry as he attempted a reverse ramp in the fourth over after lunch, suggested they had little appetite to play.
England resumed play on the morning of the 18th with two wins in hand, conceptually chasing 658. If that was an unexpected goal, so was the two-day batting average for a draw. However, Root and Bethell took positive steps forward by putting together a 50 partnership in the first nine overs.
They both get lucky sometimes. Root was dropped badly at second slip when Tom Latham made 20 off Southee and Bethell cut Henry past his stumps trying to drive. Will O’Rourke in particular had a terrible time getting around the wicket for Bethell, pushing his pace up to 153kph/93mph in his second spell.
After starting a run a ball, Bethell slowed down as he neared his 60-ball fifty. He set the record with a single from Santner, before Root picked a repeat to bring up his half-century a few overs later, their partnership reaching 100 at the same time.
However, it was Santner who made the breakthrough, and Root missed the ball as he tried to sweep it away and was trapped in front. Ahsan Raza was not out, but New Zealand’s review found him astute, with the ball falling under his bat before straightening out on middle and the stump line.
O’Rourke got his deserved reward for his bowling when he dismissed Harry Brook cheaply for the second time in the match. Brook, who made a golden duck in the first innings, attempted to take charge on the fourth ball before being dispatched on the sixth ball and snubbed with no choice but to slip.
Ollie Pope was hit on the arm in the same over as he ducked for a bouncer, but Bethell continued to attack, taking three fours from O’Rourke in the space of five balls. But having previously hit Southee’s first ball of the day over the head of mid-on for four, he tried to repeat the trick in the retired seamer’s second spell when he fell as he sliced ​​a drive out to Glenn Phillips at deep backward point.
Atkinson was in trouble as the fifth wicket fell, Stokes was still in his training kit and he hit four fours from his first nine balls, hinting at England’s lunch attitude. He resumed in the same vein, hitting Santner 6-4-4 before an ugly slam from Pope that ultimately resulted in one slog too many. Santner then finished the innings in the space of five balls in New Zealand’s win over Sri Lanka in Christchurch in 2018.
Alan Gardner is deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick
