Stuart Broad starred with both bat and ball before Mark Wood took two wickets to give England the edge in a see-saw second Test against New Zealand at Headingley on Sunday. Broad ensured first innings parity for England on the third day and then reduced New Zealand to 23 for two in their second innings. But in what is now typical New Zealand style, Martin Guptill (70) and Ross Taylor (48) added 99 for the third wicket.
However, both well-set batsmen fell in quick succession to Wood. At tea, New Zealand were 143 for four, a lead of 143, in a match they had to win to level the two-Test series at 1-1 after their 124-run defeat at lord's. New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was eight not out and BJ Watling two not out. Broad's 46, his highest Test score since he made 47 against India at Trent Bridge last year, helped England make 350 — the same total as New Zealand posted in their first innings.
He then took two wickets for four runs in 12 balls, with Tom latham (three) and Kane Williamson (six) both caught behind. Taylor should have been out for six when he edged a drive off James Anderson. But, not for the first time this series, England dropped a slip catch, with third slip Gary Ballance failing to hold on.
Taylor cashed in with several fine shots, including pulling Ben Stokes's opening long hop for six. Meanwhile opener Guptill drove off-spinner Moeen Ali for six to complete a fine fifty. But the pendulum swung back in England's favour when Taylor chipped the first ball of Wood's second spell to Stokes. Wood was again rewarded for pitching the ball up when Guptill's intended drive flew quickly to Joe Root, who held a sharp catch at third slip.
Earlier, England resumed on 253 for five only to see their middle order fall cheaply as Tim Southee took three wickets for six runs in 17 balls. But Broad led a tail-end revival that saw England's last two wickets add a valuable 83 runs.
Brief Score
New Zealand: 350 & 143/4 (Guptill 70, Taylor 48) lead England: 350 (lyth 107, Cook 75; Southee 4/83) by 143 runs.