Cricket-England edge first day as debutant Baker takes two wickets
England's new-look pace attack shines on opening day of second test
By Martyn Herman
June 17 (Reuters) - New Zealand battled back to end an absorbing first day of the second test on 291 for seven after England's new-look pace attack held sway early on with Sonny Baker taking two wickets on his debut at The Oval on Wednesday.
New Zealand's early struggles and key partnerships
Following their chaotic 115-run defeat at Lord's in the opening test, New Zealand were wobbling on 107-4 having been put in but Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips gave them a foothold in a game they cannot afford to lose.
Blundell made 51 as he shared an 81-run fifth-wicket partnership with Daryl Mitchell and then a sixth-wicket stand of 75 with Phillips who was 49 not out at the close, although New Zealand are some way short of an adequate total on a good pitch.
England's debutants make an impact
Baker, one of three debutants in an England side showing five changes from Lord's, seized his chance in style while fellow quickie Matthew Fisher marked his return, four years after his only other test, with a wicket.
"It was awesome to make my debut," Hampshire's Baker, in for the injured Ollie Robinson, said.
"It was good graft today but looking forward to getting back tomorrow. "The wicket was a little bit tennis-bally at the start and we beat the bat a bit. Hopefully they won't get much more than 300."
Pre-match drama and England's tactical changes
The build-up to the second test of the three-match series was dominated by England captain Ben Stokes and bowler Gus Atkinson being left out amid an investigation into a nightclub incident.
England's record test run scorer Joe Root, back as captain for a record-extending 65th time having stepped down in 2022, won the toss on an overcast morning and put New Zealand in on a wicket offering early movement.
Key moments of the day
Fisher broke through with the last ball of the sixth over as Devon Conway tickled an attempted pull shot down the leg side to debutant wicket keeper James Rew.
After 16 wickets fell on day one at Lord's, the Oval pitch offered a far fairer contest between bat and ball but New Zealand crawled to 21-1 after 11 overs as England's bowlers showed great control.
New Zealand captain and opener Tom Latham fell shortly before lunch, getting a leading edge to a ball by Jofra Archer with Jacob Bethell pouching a sharp rising catch.
Having reached 75-2 at lunch, New Zealand added only four runs after the interval before Henry Nicholls chopped a rising delivery from Josh Tongue on to his stumps for 24.
Rachin Ravindra also got a start, playing positively, but having struck six boundaries to reach 33 he became Baker's first test victim, edging to Bethell at gully.
Middle and late order resistance
Mitchell was joined by Blundell and the pair took advantage of a relatively docile wicket to seize the initiative with a flurry of boundaries before and after tea.
Just as the pressure was mounting on England, Mitchell fell for 44, pulling straight to Emilio Gay at short mid-wicket to give Baker his second wicket and leave New Zealand on 188-5.
Blundell was reprieved on 34 when he glanced a Tongue delivery off his hips to Rew but having walked almost to the boundary rope he made a u-turn as the catch had been grounded.
Blundell reached his half century with a four off part-time spinner Bethell, but his rash dismissal two balls later summed up New Zealand's day. Looking to smash Bethell over the ropes he heaved the ball straight to Root at mid-wicket who parried it up before taking a catch.
England's late surge
Archer produced a ferocious late burst of short-pitched bowling to have Phillips ducking and diving but it was a Bethell full toss that gave England a bonus seventh wicket as Nathan Smith ballooned up a catch to Jordan Cox.
Reporting and editing
(Reporting by Martyn Herman in London; Editing by Alex Richardson, Toby Chopra and Pritha Sarkar)
