Tom Latham and Devon Conway gave New Zealand a commanding start in the deciding Test against England, taking the visitors to 213-0 by tea on the first day at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Latham, the New Zealand captain, made an unbeaten 109 and reached his 17th Test century from 149 balls. Conway was 94 not out at the interval, six runs short of what would be his eighth Test hundred.
The opening pair made England work through difficult conditions on a flat pitch in Nottingham. With the series level at 1-1, Latham won the toss and New Zealand made full use of the chance to bat first.
Latham ends lean run with a hundred
Latham came into the match after scoring only 34 runs in four previous innings in the series. His response was a patient and controlled innings that gave New Zealand the early advantage in the deciding Test.
He brought up his century with his 10th four of the day. By tea, he had faced England’s attack without giving them the breakthrough they needed, while Conway kept pace at the other end.
The partnership was already a record for New Zealand in a Test match in England. It was also New Zealand’s first opening stand of this scale against England since 1930, according to the match report.
For New Zealand openers, it became only the seventh stand of 200 runs or more in Test history. Latham and Conway have already shown they can build large partnerships together, having put on 323 for the first wicket against the West Indies at Mount Maunganui in December.
England struggle for a breakthrough
England found little help from the surface during the first two sessions. The pitch was described as flat and docile, and the home bowlers struggled to create clear wicket-taking chances.
Captain Ben Stokes returned to the England side for this match, along with Gus Atkinson, after both were dropped for the second Test. Stokes bowled 11 overs and had figures of 0-51 by tea.
The match also saw an early role for off-spinner Shoaib Bashir. He was brought into the attack in the 11th over. The BBC reported that only once since 1961 had an England spinner bowled so early in a home Test.
Bashir came close to giving England their first wicket after lunch. With Conway on 71 and the score at 157-0, the ball struck Conway’s pad before the bat in front of the stumps. England did not review for lbw, and replays later showed the decision would have gone in their favour.
Heat adds to England’s problems
The conditions added to England’s discomfort. Temperatures in Britain reached up to 31 C (88 F), unusually hot for the country, and the New Zealand openers made the home side stay in the field through the heat.
By tea, New Zealand had not lost a wicket and had placed England under pressure in a match that will decide the series. Latham was settled, Conway was close to a century, and England were still searching for a way into the innings.
The first two sessions belonged almost entirely to New Zealand. England’s missed review on Conway was the clearest chance they had, and the cost of that moment grew as the partnership moved beyond 200.
Source: The Hindu Cricket.