New Zealand cricket captain Kane Williamson made his comeback with a bang as he slammed his 33rd Test century in the ongoing New Zealand vs England 3rd Test at Seddon Park, Hamilton. His knock of 156, along with help from his team, put up a daunting target of 658 runs against England in the fourth innings. Williamson also became the first New Zealand player to reach 5000 runs in Test cricket, placing him among top players like Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, and Steve Smith.
As New Zealand dominated England's batting lineup, England were dismissed for a dismal 143 on day two of the third Test. New Zealand then built a commanding lead of 340 runs, reaching 136-3 in their second innings with seven wickets remaining. Mitchell Santner took three wickets for just seven runs, while Matt Henry claimed four wickets for 48 runs to put the hosts in a strong position heading into day three. England's Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes managed to add 52 runs for the sixth wicket, but both were eventually dismissed by Santner.
On the second day of the third Test, New Zealand proved their dominance over England as the hosts ran through their lineup and dismissed them for a disappointing 143 runs. With their first innings ending at 347, New Zealand took control of the match with a lead of 340 and only seven wickets in hand. An impressive performance by Matt Henry (4-48) and Mitchell Santner (3-7) prevented England from making a comeback, as Joe Root (32) and Harry Brook (0) were dismissed early.
England's pace bowlers dominated the first day of the third and final Test against New Zealand, with Gus Atkinson reaching his 50th Test wicket in just 10 appearances. Tim Southee provided some entertainment for the home crowd with a quickfire 23 off 10 balls in his final Test innings, but it was not enough to stop England from reducing New Zealand to 315-9 by the end of the day. Despite a promising start from the hosts, England's Matthew Potts and Atkinson, along with a stunning catch from Harry Brook, triggered a collapse that saw New Zealand slip from 105-0 to 315-9 at stumps.
Durham's Matthew Potts and Surrey's Gus Atkinson led the way for England's seamers as they reduced New Zealand to 315-9 on the first day of the third Test. Potts, 26, impressed on his return to the Test side with three wickets, while Atkinson, 26, claimed his 50th Test wicket in only his 10th appearance. Former England captain Nasser Hussain praised the young duo's performance and their ability to step up in the absence of veteran James Anderson.
England dominated day one of the third and final Test in Hamilton as they reduced New Zealand to 315-9 before stumps. Despite a strong start from New Zealand's openers, England's pace attack, led by Gus Atkinson's five-wicket haul, managed to take regular wickets and cause a batting collapse in the evening session. Tim Southee, playing in his final Test, provided some entertainment for the home crowd with a quick-fire knock of 23 runs off 10 balls before being dismissed by Atkinson. Mitchell Santner's half-century helped New Zealand reach 315, with Will O'Rourke remaining unbeaten at the crease.
On day one of the third and final Test in Hamilton, England's pace attack shone as they reduced New Zealand to 315-9, with notable performances from Matthew Potts and Gus Atkinson. New Zealand's captain Tom Latham and Mitchell Santner put up a good fight, but England's aggressive bowling led to a late collapse for the hosts. Tim Southee, playing in his final Test, scored a quick 23 runs before being dismissed by Atkinson, who reached the impressive milestone of 50 wickets in just 11 appearances for England.
Both the India vs Australia and New Zealand vs England Test matches had a slow start due to rainy weather conditions. The subscribers of Sportstar, the official coverage platform, were eagerly waiting to see their favorite teams in action but were disappointed as rain continued to disrupt the matches. With the possibility of a shortened game, fans are hoping to catch at least a few overs in the final session.
After dominating the series against New Zealand with two big wins, England have made one change in their squad for the third and final Test match. Young seamer Matthew Potts has been recalled, taking the place of Chris Woakes in the squad. Potts, who made his Test debut in 2022, has a chance to solidify his place in the team with a strong performance against the Black Caps in the upcoming match.
In a dominant display, England took full control of the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington, thanks in part to Gus Atkinson's hat-trick on the second morning. New Zealand's final five wickets were fired out for only 39 runs, while England built a huge lead of 533 runs by the end of the day. England's Jacob Bethell was denied a maiden first-class century, falling just four runs short, but the team's impressive batting display sets them up for a possible overnight declaration.