England make early inroads in second New Zealand test

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – England captain Joe Root’s decision to take five seamers into the second test against New Zealand and bowl first paid dividends with the hosts 86-2 at lunch on the first day at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Friday.

Tom Latham, who survived an lbw decision upon review shortly before lunch, was on 51, while Ross Taylor was 21 not out as they went about rebuilding New Zealand’s first innings after they had been reduced to 39-2 in the 14th over.

Jeet Raval (five) and captain Kane Williamson (four) were both snapped up by Root in the slips after Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes found some movement off the pitch inside the first hour.

Woakes then had Latham trapped in front in the final over before the break but the opening batsman reviewed and technology showed the ball had pitched just outside leg stump.

Latham brought up his 16th test half century with a flick off his legs for two runs on the final delivery before lunch.

Woakes was brought into the side as the third seam-bowling all-rounder, alongside Ben Stokes and Sam Curran, as England went with five pace bowlers and dropped left-arm spinner Jack Leach.

Wicketkeeper Joss Butler (back injury) was also missing from the side that lost the first match of the two-test series at Bay Oval in Mt. Maunganui by an innings and 65 runs, with middle-order batsman Ollie Pope taking the gloves.

Top-order batsman Zak Crawley was brought in to make his debut.

New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell will also make his test debut as a replacement for the injured Colin de Grandhomme.

Matt Henry replaced fellow pace bowler Trent Boult, who suffered a rib muscle injury in the first-test victory in Mt Maunganui, with fast bowler Lockie Ferguson still waiting to make his test debut.