England staged a dramatic fightback in the final session of the first Test of the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy in Christchurch on Thursday, dismissing Kane Williamson for 93 and leaving New Zealand at 319-8 at the close of play.
After a solid start, with New Zealand at 193-3 at tea, the hosts lost five wickets in the final session, including that of Williamson. His departure, caught by Zac Crawley off Gus Atkinson’s delivery, came after an important 50-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell, and marked a key turning point in the day.
Glenn Phillips (41*) and Matt Henry (18) held off further damage, putting on a resilient 46-run stand for the eighth wicket to stabilize the innings.
Shoaib Bashir, the 21-year-old England debutant and the only specialist spinner in the team, was the standout bowler, taking 4-69 and playing a vital role in England’s late charge.
“It’s a good, fair surface,” Williamson said after the day’s play. “On a surface like that, you ride a bit of luck. I played and missed a bit – that’s just the nature of the beast.”
Bashir, who was surprised to find himself bowling on Day 1, admitted he was in awe of facing New Zealand’s greatest Test run-scorer. “I bowled plenty of bad balls out there but I was still kept on, and that shows how much faith they have in me,” he said.
The day started with England winning the toss and inviting New Zealand to bat on a green-tinged pitch. Atkinson made an early breakthrough, dismissing Devon Conway in the second over. But Williamson quickly settled in, anchoring the innings and leading New Zealand to 227-4 before his dismissal.
Despite a couple of close calls, including being struck on the helmet by Brydon Carse and surviving a loud caught-behind appeal on 51, Williamson remained composed and played an innings full of resilience, hitting 10 boundaries during his 274-minute stay at the crease.
However, Williamson’s departure in the 90s marked a significant blow for New Zealand, with England quickly taking control. Tom Latham, who had been solid in the early stages, fell for 47, while Rachin Ravindra (34) and Mitchell (19) also departed as New Zealand’s middle order faltered.
By the time Williamson was dismissed, the hosts were 252-7, and although Phillips and Henry held firm, New Zealand’s early dominance had slipped away.
England debutant Jacob Bethell bowled a single over of left-arm spin, with his first Test delivery dispatched to the boundary by Williamson.
With two wickets remaining, New Zealand will look to their tailenders to push their total past 350 on Day 2, while England will be confident of wrapping up the innings early.
