England declare and take control of Test against New Zealand
Cricket
New Zealand were 12-2 at lunch on day two of the second Test against England.
Wellington (AFP) – Centurion Joe Root was left unbeaten as England declared their first innings and made a double breakthrough to take command of the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington on Saturday.
Root struck Matt Henry for four to reach 153 before England captain Ben Stokes called the innings over at 435-8, leaving his bowlers about half an hour to attack the Black Caps before lunch.
They did so to lethal effect, with veteran seamer Jimmy Anderson (2-9) obtaining thin edges from Devon Conway (0) and Kane Williamson (4) to leave the hosts languishing at 12-2.
Anderson, reinstated this week to the top of the ICC's world Test bowling rankings at the age of 40, has put England on course for a sweep of the two-match series, having won the first Test by 267 runs in Mount Maunganui.
The tourists lost five wickets and added a further 122 runs in an entertaining opening session at the Basin Reserve after resuming at 315-3.
Harry Brook fell in the third over for 186, having added just two to his overnight score.
His blazing knock formed part of a 302-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Root, the second highest in all their Tests against New Zealand and having rescued England from 21-3 early on day one.
Root was unperturbed, advancing from his overnight 101 to surpass 150 for the 14th time in his career.
His innings was a mainstay, with his middle and lower-order partners prepared to throw their bat at the other end.
Stokes scored 27 off 28 balls while Stuart Broad (14) and Ollie Robinson (18) offered late runs.
Root struck 10 fours and three sixes, including a reverse ramp shot that cleared the boundary rope off the fourth ball he faced on Saturday, from Tim Southee.
Seamer Matt Henry took the key wicket of Brook, holding onto a sharp caught-and-bowled chance, to return New Zealand's best bowling figures of 4-100.
