Boult strikes as England collapse
Leeds. June 24: Trent Boult took three wickets as England slumped to 91-6 at tea on the second day of the third Test on Friday, with their previous batting frailties returning to haunt them.
England last week went 2-0 up in the three-match series playing bold and aggressive cricket under their new leadership pair of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, a former New Zealand skipper.
But replying to Test world champions New Zealand's first innings score of 329, England lost six wickets within 12 overs at Headingley, most of them due to good bowling rather than cavalier batting. Left-hander Alex Lees, dropped in the slips off the first ball of the innings, was bowled by a superb Boult leg-cutter four balls later.
Ollie Pope, fresh from a hundred in the second Test at Trent Bridge, was also cleaned up by Boult to leave England 14-2.
The out-of-form Zak Crawley was next to fall, bowled middle stump by Boult, who had 3-43 in eight overs at tea, before Tim Southee had star batsman Joe Root caught behind for five on his Yorkshire home ground.
That left England 21-4 and although Stokes counter-attacked by going down the pitch to drive Southee for six, he could only chip recalled left-arm quick Neil Wagner to mid-off trying to play a similar shot.
Earlier, Daryl Mitchell became only the fifth New Zealander to score hundreds in three successive Tests after the visitors resumed on 2255.
He put on 120 with Tom Blundell, who made 55 before Blundell was lbw to Matthew Potts.
— AFP Brief scores (Day 2, at
tea): New Zealand (Daryl Mitchell 109, Tom Blundell 55, Jack Leach 5/100) vs England 91 for six in 20 overs (Jonny Bairstow 33 (batting), Trent Boult 3/43, Neil Wagner 2/17).