Summary

  • Second Test, day two, The Oval

  • England close on 222-6: Gay 53, Root 46; Henry 2-57, O'Rourke 2-61

  • Hosts trail by 169 runs

  • Phillips makes first Test century as NZ dismissed for 391

  • England lead three-match series 1-0

  • Watch highlights on BBC Two and iPlayer from 19:30 BST

Have your say on England men this summer

Live Reporting

by Timothy Abraham & Mike Peter

  1. Sir Alastair Cook
    Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    England's calm has come from Emilio Gay. He is just a real traditional opening batter. He scores runs where you expect him to score runs.

  2. Eng 116-2

    England on 111 but Nelson will not blight Emilio Gay, who plays a defensive stroke with soft hands and the edge runs away through third for four.

    Gay keeps the strike and closing in on a Test half-century. He's 46 off 86 balls.

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    Gus in Oxford (15.08) is the harshest selector. Three low scores by Jacob Bethell after a 150 at the SCG, and he's dropped for Jordan Cox and Ben Stokes. Chaotic.

    Jack Counsell, Balham

    Century in Sydney, "Bethell is the future". Literally two Tests later, "he should be dropped". Amazing just how fickle the England fan base is.

    Ian, Leighton Buzzard

    Regarding Jacob Bethell, I do agree that he would be better suited to lower down the order, but I don't think there are any better options for number three, so he should stay there for the moment. I would have Root there, but I know that won't happen!

    Ben H, London

  4. Eng 109-2

    Kyle Jamieson returns.

    He serves up a short wide one with his second delivery and Root cashes in - cutting it through the New Zealand slip cordon.

    A bit toe-y for Root who inspects his bat between deliveries.

  5. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    It does feel like good bowling conditions at the moment, the lights just flickering into action.

  6. Eng 105-2

    Joe Root's turn to work one off his shins for a four through fine leg with a deft flick off Matthew Henry.

    New Zealand have a leg slip in situ, but it's pretty much all along the floor for England's all-time leading runscorer.

  7. How's stat?!

    Ben Jones
    CricViz analyst

    Will O'Rourke is almost always round the wicket to left-handers (80% of the time).

    However, he actually averages better (17.75) from over, compared to round (25.50).

  8. Eng 100-2

    Will O'Rourke's spell is over as Matthew Henry is tossed the ball by New Zealand skipper Tom Latham.

    England have just under 20 minutes to get through until tea.

  9. Jonathan Agnew
    BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

    That's a better look than it was after that first hour of utter chaos this morning. A bit of calm has been restored.

  10. Eng 100-2

    Emilio Gay moves to 40, and England reach three figures.

    A lovely little flick off his legs which races through fine leg for four.

  11. Sir Alastair Cook
    Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    It's amazing how the conditions change over the a couple of hours and have such an impact on the game. If you're an England batter now, it is hard work.

  12. Eng 95-2

    Emilio Gay gesticulates that the ball is swinging away after he plays and misses at one from Will O'Rourke.

    Gay is inclined to leave much of the remainder of the over from the Kiwi quick before stoutly defending the final delivery.

  13. Eng 93-2

    Emilio Gay and Joe Root content to nudge an over of Nathan Smith into the gaps to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

    Gay has progressed to 34 off 68 balls. Root has eight off 10 balls.

    Very dark over The Oval now. Threatening clouds are lingering as the floodlights kick into life.

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    Jacob Bethell isn’t a Test standard number three. He’d be better deployed as a seven or eight Moeen Ali type batting all-rounder, it would balance the team better.

    Liam S, Derbyshire

    My hot take is that when Ben Stokes comes back, he should bat at three and Jordan Cox should stay at seven with Jacob Bethell making way. I fear that his lack of experience will catch up with him and he doesn’t have anything close to Cox’s run scoring history.

    Gus, Oxford

    Joe Root's had a horrible morning with the captaincy and has seen the top order throw away wickets on a good pitch, and needs to dig them out of a hole. So in other words, he's right back where he's used to!

    Josh, Cheadle Hulme

  15. Eng 88-2

    Classic Joe Root. The England batter is absorbing a bit of pressure, and rotating the strike when he needs to.

    England's run-rate is 4.40.

  16. Jeremy Coney
    Former New Zealand captain on BBC Test Match Special

    New Zealand won't want Emilio Gay to feel comfortable on that front foot. He loves to get there so you don't want to offer drives.

  17. Eng 83-2

    Nice to see George Lohmann's name crop up.

    He is most well known for having the lowest Test bowling average in cricket history.

    Lohmann took 112 wickets at an average of just 10.75.

    Back at The Oval, Emilio Gay picks up another boundary with a clip through mid-wicket off Nathan Smith.

  18. How's stat?!

    Ben Jones
    CricViz analyst

    Jacob Bethell now averages 8.75 in the first innings of Tests.

    Only two men have batted as often in the top seven and averaged less for England: George Lohmann and Matthew Hoggard.

  19. Eng 79-2

    Emilio Gay has judged length pretty well today.

    He opens the face again and guides a ball from Will O'Rourke through third for four.

  20. How's stat?!

    Ben Jones
    CricViz analyst

    Joe Root captaining the side on day 2 vs New ZealandGetty Images

    Joe Root's record:

    • As captain: 46.44 average, 14 centuries
    • Not as captain: 53.77 average, 27 centuries