HAMILTON, New Zealand — New Zealand demonstrated its likely future bowling duo as they assumed control during the second day of the third test against England on Sunday.
Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke proved formidable, capturing a total of seven wickets and bowling out England for just 143 runs in less than two sessions, which allowed New Zealand to establish a commanding 205-run lead in the first innings.
Later in the day, O’Rourke had to step up as a nightwatchman after Will Young was dismissed for 60 within just 20 minutes before stumps. At the close of play, New Zealand was at 136-3, further extending their lead to 340 runs. Kane Williamson marked his 38th half-century just before day’s end, finishing the day at 50 not out, while Rachin Ravindra remained on 2.
The duo of Henry and O’Rourke is poised to become the new ball attack for New Zealand in the near future, especially as Tim Southee approaches retirement at the conclusion of this match, which marks his 107th test appearance. Henry delivered an impressive performance, taking 4 wickets for 48 runs, while O’Rourke followed suit with 3 wickets for 33 runs, showcasing an exceptional effort from the New Zealand bowling lineup.
Mitchell Santner, a left-arm spinner, also contributed with 3 wickets for just 7 runs, including dismissing prominent batsmen Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes during a gritty last-wicket partnership with O’Rourke, which consumed the first hour of the day until New Zealand’s final wicket fell at 347 runs.
O’Rourke, who is largely considered a classic No. 11 batsman with only 13 runs across nine tests at a strike rate of eight, provided steadfast support for Santner, managing to frustrate England for an impressive 77 minutes as they extended New Zealand’s total from 303-9 to 347.
Santner, who reached his fourth half-century with a six on the final ball of the first day, led most of the strike until being bowled by Matthew Potts right after the morning drinks break. O’Rourke faced 30 deliveries, eventually scoring five runs, having taken 25 balls to make his first run, and hitting his initial boundary in international cricket—a leg glance off Gus Atkinson’s bowling.
The partnership between Santner and O’Rourke was detrimental to England, lifting New Zealand’s score significantly, and providing the momentum needed to effectively dismantle England’s first innings in just 35.5 overs. O’Rourke showcased his speed and ability to generate unpredictable bounce on a drying pitch at Seddon Park.
He quickly took care of Jacob Bethell (12) and Harry Brook (0) with consecutive deliveries, and followed that by dismissing Joe Root (32) in his next over. O’Rourke expertly pressured Bethell with a series of short deliveries before tempting him with a full ball outside off stump, which led to an edge caught in the gully by Glenn Phillips.
Then he bowled Brook with a sharp delivery clocked at 148 kilometers per hour (93mph), a notable feat considering Brook had been a formidable adversary for New Zealand in the prior matches, having scored 171 and 123 runs in the first two tests. Finally, he managed to outdo Root with a fast ball that forced a leading edge to Young in the gully, leaving England reeling at 82-5.
With a 2-0 series lead after winning the first test by eight wickets and the second by 323 runs, England faced a challenging path. The innings commenced with an explosive performance by Zak Crawley, who struck 16 runs within the second over before being dismissed for 21 off 14 balls, which included five boundaries. This marked the largest opening partnership for England in the series, as their previous stands had only yielded 12, 9, 9, and 1 runs respectively.
Henry showcased his skills by diving and catching Crawley during his fifth over, soon after trapping Ben Duckett (11) lbw just four balls later. Following O’Rourke’s triple strike, Santner continued to dominate, taking the critical wickets of Pope (24) and Stokes (27) in back-to-back overs, leading to England’s eventual collapse as they fell short of the follow-on mark—New Zealand choosing not to enforce it.
In their second innings, New Zealand faced an early setback, losing Tom Latham for 19. However, Young and Williamson managed to combine for a 89-run partnership for the second wicket, leaving Young still in pursuit of his first century in 20 tests.
