Harry Brook fifty carries England fight after New Zealand land early blows

Lunch England 101 for 3 (Brook 51*, Root 23*) vs New Zealand

With Brook extending his imperious start to life as a Test cricketer and Root ticking over at the other end, it was arguably the tourists who walked off the happier, the fourth-wicket pair having held firm against the new ball on a green Basin Reserve deck to reach the break intact.

Such a position did not seem likely early on. Having inserted England after winning the toss for the second week running, Southee was immediately rewarded with a display of far-greater venom from his reshaped attack. Henry, back in the side after missing the first Test to attend the birth of his child, beat Duckett with a beauty in his first over, although New Zealand’s review was wasted as replays proved the ball had missed the outside edge and flicked the opener’s trouser pocket.

There had only been four scoring shots inside the first 21 balls of the innings as conditions dictated England temper their Bazball instincts, and the 22nd resulted in a wicket. Crawley had been beaten once in the over by Henry, but could not stop himself from feeling at a wide line – albeit on a perfect length – to be dismissed for his fourth single-figure score in six knocks.

Pope fired off a volley of attacking shots in response, clipping Henry off his front pad for the first boundary of the morning and then stroking four more through the covers. But he was soon gone, for 10 off six balls, as Henry jagged one away on an off-stump line to find the edge with Pope looking to turn it leg side.

Bracewell held the sharp chance at third slip, and then took an even better catch in the following over to leave England 21 for 3. Duckett was again looking to be proactive, driving hard at one in the channel from Southee, and the edge flew to the left of Bracewell, who threw himself full length for a one-handed take, even managing to juggle it safely as the ball threatened to pop loose after his arm hit the turf.

England were on the back foot, but soon began landing their punches in a familiar counterattack. Brook’s first boundary was edged wide of the cordon as Henry got the ball to kick from a length, but England’s form batter launched into Southee next over, clattering three consecutive fours in the arc from extra cover to backward point.

Root was more circumspect, and briefly looked like he might be discombobulated by the introduction of Daryl MItchell, promoted to fourth seamer by the omissions of Blair Tickner and Scott Kuggeleijn for Henry and top-order batter Will Young, as first change. But Brook clubbed Mitchell’s medium pace disdainfully through long-off to bring an end to a three-over spell.

There was time for Brook to rejoin battle with Neil Wagner, who induced a miscue that fell short of Southee at midwicket but was also taken for four belligerent boundaries during another bruising encounter, and England’s No. 5 then brought up his seventh 50-plus score in nine Test innings with a square drive for four off Bracewell’s offspin in the over before lunch.