There was no weather disruption at Lord’s, but Day 2 still felt like a continuation of the wicket-fest from the opening session. After 16 wickets tumbled on the first day, another 17 fell on a surface that offered movement and uneven bounce, as England set New Zealand a demanding fourth-innings target of 254. The chase got off to a rough start, with the visitors already down three wickets while still needing 218 more for victory.
Quick facts
- No rain interruption on Day 2 of the Lord’s Test.
- England posted a fourth-innings target of 254 after losing all wickets.
- New Zealand began Day 2 on 61/6, still 79 runs behind England’s first-innings total of 140.
- Josh Tongue removed Glenn Phillips early; Kyle Jamieson struck a key cameo of 38* off 29 balls.
- In England’s innings, Nathan Smith finished with a six-wicket haul.
- New Zealand’s chase ended stumps at 36/3, with Devon Conway 12*.
- Brief scores: England 140 & 226; New Zealand 113; New Zealand 36/3 (set 217-run target deficit in innings context).
New Zealand resumed on their overnight total of 61/6, trailing England by 79 runs after the tourists’ first-innings efforts fell short at 113. The morning started with Josh Tongue making an immediate impact, striking on his very first ball to knock Glenn Phillips’ off stump. Kyle Jamieson then arrived with intent, putting pressure on the England attack with blows aimed at the body as well as the helmet area.
Nathan Smith looked composed at one end, but he soon became the third batter to go out bowled in the Test. This time, he surrendered after shouldering arms, with Tongue getting the ball to nip back viciously. Jamieson countered the damage with a flurry, smashing Ollie Robinson’s short deliveries for a couple of sixes, helping New Zealand claw closer to parity.
Jamieson’s cameo proved pivotal, keeping the chase within reach as he carried the innings to the next phase. He ended unbeaten on 38 off 29 balls and was the visitors’ top scorer, moving New Zealand beyond the 100-mark. England’s field then tightened, especially in anticipation of the short ball.
Gus Atkinson used deception to draw William O’Rourke into a nick that sent the ball to second slip, and Matt Henry followed up by cleaning up Ollie Robinson for a fifth wicket at Lord’s. That made Henry’s first appearance on the honours board at the ground, in a spell that had already shaped the day’s momentum for England.
With a useful buffer already in place—England holding a 27-run lead—the match swung to a more cautious phase in the England innings. The openers began thoughtfully, even as Jamieson was sharp early. Henry, who had only managed four overs in the first innings due to a back issue, did not take the new ball this time, though Nathan Smith offered tidy control.
Still, the deficit widened further due to lapses in the field. Rachin Ravindra dropped his second catch of the Test, putting down a routine chance at mid-wicket that would have changed the complexion of the innings. Duckett and Emilio Gay then rotated strike with regularity, and Duckett found the occasional boundary to keep England ticking over.
England’s innings: from partnership to collapse
Henry returned for a couple of overs before Lunch, but he did not arrive at full tempo immediately, operating just above 125 kmph. Duckett responded quickly, hitting back-to-back boundaries and then adding another boundary by pulling O’Rourke in the next over as a 50-run stand began to take shape. However, it did not last.
Duckett fell off the very next delivery, guiding a full and wide ball to Phillips, who took a low catch at gully. With Henry’s pace settling slightly, Tom Blundell stepped in and England’s plans almost worked again when Jacob Bethell edged a chance. Daryl Mitchell reacted late at slip, and the lifeline kept Bethell at the crease.
There was another near-miss after Lunch: Henry should have had Gay leg before in the first over of that session, but the on-field decision stood as not out and was not reviewed. Bethell then looked uncomfortable against the seaming delivery, with O’Rourke testing him repeatedly with short-ball pressure.
Devon Conway also dropped a sitter at backward point, adding to the visitors’ frustration. But the relief was temporary—Henry struck again when a back-of-a-length ball from around the bowling channel grubbed the stumps in uncomfortable fashion, bowling Bethell after it bounced brutally low. Gay survived at the other end, playing late and choosing his moments more carefully.
Gay did get away with one late glide past gully, yet he still built his innings steadily. He struck two more boundaries in a Nathan Smith over, and in the same spell reached his Test fifty. The breakthrough then arrived shortly after, and the innings began to unravel.
Gay nicked Nathan Smith behind, and shortly after Harry Brook was trapped LBW for a duck by an in-ducker from O’Rourke. England slipped further when Nathan Smith delivered another sharp strike—Joe Root was caught leg before as the ball jutted back. In the same over, Smith produced one of the most damaging deliveries of the day, knocking the top of off from around the wicket and sending Ben Stokes back for a duck.
England’s score slid from 126/2 to 127/6, and that sudden collapse made the final total feel harder to reach than it looked at the start. Jamie Smith led England out of the wreckage, with his first two boundaries coming off the outside edge. He then settled into rhythm, striking a clean punch through the covers off O’Rourke.
Jamie Smith’s timing improved as the innings regained purpose, and Atkinson gave him valuable support. After Tea, the pair pushed their stand past fifty, with Jamie continuing to look fluent. Yet a lapse in concentration brought an end to Atkinson’s stay—he hacked a short ball across the line, handing Jamieson an easy return catch.
Robinson then came in to attack, hitting the ball down the ground and even finding a top-edge that sailed away safely. He added some runs, but Nathan Smith struck again at the other end. Jamie Smith had no answer to an in-ducker that stayed incredibly low, and with that wicket England’s innings concluded.
Robinson ensured the lead moved beyond 250, before Nathan’s final tally sealed New Zealand’s target. Smith finished with a six-wicket haul as England were bowled out, setting the chase at 254 on a pitch that had plenty of demons left in it.
New Zealand chase: early shocks at stumps
The reply could not have started more harshly. Atkinson removed Tom Latham with the batter fishing well outside off stump, sending him back for a duck. Kane Williamson then faced Tongue’s probing pace—his outside edge was tested, and he gradually grew steadier with solid defence, including an off-drive that looked especially pleasing.
At the other end, Conway looked edgy and struggled to time the ball. An uppish attempt fell short of cover, giving England encouragement that the early pressure could become a full collapse. England’s quicks kept operating with accuracy, and Tongue finally pinned Williamson in front—beaten on the outside edge and forced onto the back foot.
Williamson opted for a review, but the decision stood. With O’Rourke on night-watchman duties, the final blow came right at the stroke of Stumps: he was bowled, leaving New Zealand needing 218 more runs to win with seven wickets in hand. At the end of play, New Zealand were 36/3, with Devon Conway unbeaten on 12.
Brief Scores: England 140 & 226 (Emilio Gay 57, Jamie Smith 39; Nathan Smith 6-70, William O’Rourke 2-45) lead New Zealand 113 (Kyle Jamieson 38*, Ollie Robinson 5-39, Josh Tongue 3-40) & New Zealand 36/3 (Devon Conway 12*; Gus Atkinson 2-10) by 217 runs.
