Latham, Conway lead New Zealand fightback to frustrate England

AFP - New Zealand are contemplating the possibilityofarareTestwin after following on, having duginwiththebatyesterday to set up an absorbing last two days of the second Test againstEngland.

The Black Caps unearthed some muchneeded tenacity to reach 202-3intheirsecondinnings at stumps on day three in Wellington, closing within 24runsofthetourists.

Their gritty response after being asked to follow on was founded on halfcenturies by openers

Tom

LathamandDevonConway

Kane Williamson was a patient 25 not out at the close,needingjustfourmore runs to surpass Ross Taylor as New Zealand’s greatest Testrun-scorer

The former skipper will resume on Monday alongside Henry Nicholls (18 not out) with New

Zealand harbouring slim hopes of squaring the twomatch series on a Basin Reserve pitch starting to offer turn and variable bounce.

Only England (twice) and India have achieved the feat of winning a Test after followingon.

Latham says his team have belief they can topple the tourists if they can carry momentumintodayfour

“Absolutely, you’ve alwaysgottolookatwaysto winaTestmatch,”hesaid.

“We certainly know there’salotofworktodoto reach that point but whether it’s 200 or 250 (target), you neverknowwhat’senough.

“We’ve seen with the wicket, whether it’s the old ball or the new ball, there’s plentyofturnthere.

“To be close to parity at thispointisreallypleasing.”

-‘Aggressiveapproach’A New Zealand victory looked a distant prospect when dismissed for 209 in their first innings midway throughthemorningsession, 226 runs behind England’s 435-8declared.

Latham (83) and Conway (61) combined to frustrate England for 149 runs before the first wicket fell, unveiling combative qualities that had been absent in a series dominated by England’s impressive seambowling.

New Zealand’s foothold in the game loosened when bothopenersandWillYoung (8) fell in the space of 18 runs, all to spin, to leave them 167-3 before Williamson and Nicholls dugin.

“For me and Dev to set the tone, that was important,”Lathamsaid.

“We lost a couple of wickets but the work Henry andKanedidatthebackend of the session was really important.Whoknowswhat tomorrowwillbring?”

England assistant coach Paul Collingwood defended captainBenStokes’decision to enforce the follow-on, when instead putting the Black Caps back out in the field could have shut them outofthecontest.

“Themantraofthisteam is to take the aggressive approach,” Collingwood said.

“There was no doubt in Stokesy’smind,ifwethegot opportunity, that that was how we were going to go aboutthings.

“Likewe’ve said before, we’re not scared of losing andwewanttogetourselves intopositiontowingames.”

Jack Leach was the pick of England’s attack, taking 2-59 off 31 overs, with his ball to bowl Young a textbook delivery for a leftarmspinner England are still well placed to notch a seventh straightTestwinandsecurea 2-0 series sweep after their 267-run firstTest triumph at MountMaunganui.

The key will be removing Williamson, who has been well short of his best form in the series, tallying 10 runs from three previousinnings.

However, the 32-yearold unleashed a typically frill-free knock, taking few risks from 81 balls faced to keephissideinthecontest.

Fourmorerunswillcarry him past the New Zealand record of 7,683 runs scored by long-time team-mate Taylor,whoretiredlastyear

A grinding finish to the daywasincontrasttoalively first hour, when New Zealand lost their last three first-innings wickets for 71 runsoffjust11.2overs.

Seamer Stuart Broad claimed all three wickets to finish with 4-61, his introduction halting a New Zealand charge led by Tim Southee.

The New Zealand captainwasdismissedfor73 after blazing 50 runs off 30 balls yesterday morning, his free-wheeling knock laced with six sixes, including threefromoneLeachover Scores: New Zealand 209 (Southee 73, Broad 46 1 ) a n d 2 0 2 f o r 3 (Williamson 25*, Nicholls 18*) trail England 435 for 8 decby24runs.

Nicholas Walters won by unanimous decision on his return to the ring in Colombia Saturday. (February 25, 2023). (The Ring)