Glenn Phillips stayed unbeaten on 49 as New Zealand clawed back to 7-291 at stumps on the opening day of the second Test at The Oval on Wednesday. The recovery came after a slump to 4-107, with Jofra Archer finishing the day by testing Phillips in a fiery late spell.
The Oval recovery
Tom Blundell made 51 and set the tone for New Zealand's rebuild, hitting the first fifty of the series before sharing an 81-run stand with Daryl Mitchell. Phillips then added 75 with Blundell's earlier partner in the innings, and his unbeaten 49 left New Zealand in a far better position than the one they faced at 4-107.
Mitchell made 44 and said the pair's work with Blundell was central to the day. “It’s nice to contribute in partnerships.” He added: “I think the way Tom Blundell and GP (Phillips) built another partnership at the back end there and kept finding ways to put pressure back on them was really important in the context of the day’s play.”
Archer's late spell
Archer returned for the injured Ollie Robinson and sent down a spell that drew sharp reactions late in the day. Jonathan Agnew described it this way: “What a spell this has been from Archer. It’s like a switch has been flicked. He’s bowled a terrific spell here, it’s been fast, it’s been aggressive. Some ugly balls that Phillips has had to dive out of the way of.”
Daniel Norcross added: “I don’t know how many times he’s ended up on his bottom as a result of Archer.” Phillips had already hit Sonny Baker for two boundaries off successive deliveries, but Archer’s pace was the final resistance New Zealand had to manage before stumps.
England debut pressure
England also got two wickets from Sonny Baker on debut, and his first Test spell included Rachin Ravindra's maiden Test wicket. Baker finished with 2-63 in 15 overs and topped speeds above 90 mph, while Jacob Bethell took 2-8 in five overs after dismissing Tom Blundell with a flighted delivery that Blundell miscued to Joe Root at short mid-wicket.
New Zealand's 115-run defeat at Lord's earlier in the series had already set the tone for a difficult tour, but Wednesday's total was a stronger reply after the early collapse. Phillips will resume with the innings still open, and New Zealand have a platform that was missing when they were 4-107.
