Third Rothesay Test, Trent Bridge (day three of five)

New Zealand 438 (Conway 157, Latham 151; Stokes 4-70) & 120-3: Ravindra 60*

England 354: Duckett 113, Bethell 74; Smith 4-91

New Zealand are 204 runs ahead

Scorecard

England’s deciding Test against New Zealand – and perhaps the future of the hosts’ management – hangs in the balance after a dramatic and fluctuating third day at Trent Bridge.

As a previously flat pitch began to break up and play tricks, England first surrendered the initiative with the bat, then tried gamely with the ball to hang in the contest.

At the end of it all, New Zealand moved to 120-3, a lead of 204 looking sizeable given the unevenness in the surface that became apparent on Saturday.

The Black Caps had been 12-2 and 51-3, but Rachin Ravindra’s unbeaten 60, alongside 26 not out by Daryl Mitchell ensured the tourists remain in the driving seat.

England began the day with an opportunity to get close to New Zealand’s first-innings 438, only to lose three crucial wickets for 10 runs inside the first six overs.

Joe Root was out for 21 and Jacob Bethell 74 – neither man adding to his overnight score – before Jamie Smith managed only one.

Harry Brook made a calm 58, but when England lost their last three wickets for four runs, the home side were left 354 all out and 84 behind on first innings.

New Zealand seamer Zak Foulkes, who only came into the game on Friday as a concussion sub for Blair Tickner, took three of the wickets to fall on Saturday, including Brook and England captain Ben Stokes.

This was a day when the match accelerated at an unexpectedly swift rate. When the pitch was benign on the opening two days, only 12 wickets fell. Baked in the intense heat, the surface has deteriorated and 11 wickets fell on Saturday alone.

The pitch is the prime reason why England are in such a precarious position. The run chase could be devilishly difficult, even against a depleted New Zealand attack. Still, in the slower seam of Foulkes, the Black Caps look to have gained an important weapon.

If England lose this match and the series, there could be severe consequences. It would extend their poor run to only two wins in 10 matches, set against a backdrop of off-field controversy.

Given the circumstances, skipper Stokes said before this game that his team is under the “highest pressure” when compared to any other point in his four years in charge.

Stokes’ team then came up against a New Zealand side without three key players – Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson and Glenn Phillips – but still find themselves right up against it.

England have memories on 2022, a remarkable win against New Zealand on this ground, albeit on a very different pitch. That was the birth of Bazball. This might be the end.

Given the first-innings deficit, England had no choice but to find early inroads into the New Zealand top-order. Jofra Archer did just that, galvanising the crowd after tea on a steamy afternoon in Nottingham.

With the final ball of the first over, Archer pinned New Zealand captain Tom Latham on the shin and barely turned around to appeal.

Bowling an immaculate line and using the demons in the pitch, Archer unnerved Devon Conway with a blow to the helmet and, four balls later, had the left-hander fend to second slip.

Ravindra entered at number four, intent on counter-attacking. At the other end, Henry Nicholls was given a torrid time by Josh Tongue. Nicholls edged and Brook failed to react at a wide slip, but Brook made no mistake in the next over when Gus Atkinson induced a nick.

New Zealand were 135 ahead, with seven wickets in hand, the match in the balance. Mitchell arrived to dig in alongside Ravindra, whose scoring slowed. Stokes launched into a six-over spell, to no avail.

Shoaib Bashir almost got Mitchell to sweep to Archer, who cranked up for a final spell before the close. New Zealand got through unscathed, the Ravindra-Mitchell partnership is worth 69, with the opportunity to put the match and series beyond England.

England began with the chance to bat themselves into a strong position, yet were left in peril by a Black Caps’ opening burst that ripped the guts out of the home middle-order.

Eight balls into the day, Root was lbw to Nathan Smith, yet again with wicketkeeper Tom Blundell up the stumps. The ball jagged back and Root shook his head as the review revealed an umpire’s call, but it is the third successive innings when Root has been leg before to a seamer operating with the keeper up.

In the next over, Bethell prodded at one from Will O’Rourke he could have left and edged to second slip. Jamie Smith was sucked into driving namesake Nathan to continue his poor match – the England keeper is dropping catches and not making runs.

Stokes, batting for England for the first time since he was made unavailable for the second Test, was given a standing ovation on arrival. The captain added 56 with Brook before becoming Foulkes’ first victim, bowled by one that ripped back into the stumps.

England were 148 behind and hopes rested on Brook. He played sensibly, taking 80 balls over his 58, until he was bowled by a wicked delivery from Foulkes that angled in, then straightened.

Atkinson batted for two hours, first with Brook, then with Archer. When Archer fended the second new ball to slip off Smith, England quickly subsided.