New Zealand were left to rue a lack of clinical finish after England's lower order mounted a spirited recovery on the opening day of the first Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
England's tail wags after early collapse
England were reeling at 167 for 7 shortly after tea, but a counter-attacking partnership of 89 runs for the eighth wicket between Chris Woakes and Ollie Robinson lifted the visitors to 256 for 7 at stumps. Woakes remained unbeaten on 64, while Robinson contributed a gritty 42.
New Zealand's bowlers had worked hard to reduce England to a precarious position, but the late partnership swung the momentum back in England's favour. "We let ourselves down in that last session," New Zealand captain Tim Southee said. "We had them on the ropes and didn't finish them off. We need to be more clinical."
New Zealand's bowling effort goes unrewarded
Matt Henry was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers, finishing with 3 for 52, while Tim Southee and Neil Wagner took two wickets each. However, the home side were unable to break the eighth-wicket stand, which came from just 112 balls.
The lack of wickets in the final session was a source of frustration for New Zealand, who had dominated the middle overs. "We created enough chances, but we just couldn't take them," Southee admitted. "We need to be better tomorrow."
England's resilience pays off
England's late rally was built on the foundation of a patient 68 from opener Zak Crawley, who batted for over four hours. However, it was the lower-order fightback that gave England the edge at the close.
Woakes, playing his first Test of the series, played with composure and aggression, hitting nine boundaries in his innings. Robinson, meanwhile, provided solid support, showing excellent temperament under pressure.
"It was a crucial partnership for us," England captain Ben Stokes said. "Chris and Ollie showed a lot of character to get us to a competitive total. We know we have a lot of work to do, but we are happy with where we are."
Day two promises more drama
New Zealand will need to strike early on day two to prevent England from posting a formidable total. The pitch is expected to offer assistance to the bowlers throughout the match, but the home side will be wary of allowing England to build on their current position.
"We have to come back tomorrow and show more discipline," Southee said. "If we can get a couple of early wickets, we can still restrict them to a manageable total."
The match is the first of a two-Test series between the two sides, with the second Test scheduled to be played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
