Kiwis frustrate England after Stokes enforces follow-on

27 February, 2023

LEEDS         -          England’s dominance of New Zealand stalled on day three of the second test in Wellington on Sunday as the hosts batted with defiance after being asked to follow on by visiting captain Ben Stokes. Bowled out for 209 in the morning, New Zealand were 202 for three at stumps in their second innings at the Basin Reserve on the back of a 149-run opening stand by Devon Conway and Tom Latham.

The Black Caps need only 24 runs to make England bat again, and the task falls to number three Kane Williamson (25 not out) and number five Henry Nicholls (23 not out) to return on Monday and help set England a proper fourth innings chase. It was a boost for most fans in the sold-out home crowd following two days of English domination in this test after defeat in the series-opener in Mount Maunganui.For all that, Stokes’s team remain ahead of the game, even if their lead was pegged back considerably after a full day of toil in the field. England assistant coach Paul Collingwood defended Stokes’s decision to enforce the follow-on.

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