Conway, Young fifties put New Zealand in control

Scorecard

The visitors had to battle hard in the opening session as Dan Lawrence and Mark Wood built upon their partnership from the previous evening. Wood scored an excellent 41 before he was bowled by Matt Henry, as the hosts tried to push their first-innings score past the 300-run mark. An excellent knock of 81* by Lawrence ensured that England achieved this task, as Trent Boult wrapped up the tail by scalping the wickets of Stuart Broad and James Anderson.

England had a perfect start to their bowling charge as Broad trapped stand-in Kiwi skipper Tom Latham in front of his stumps, as they headed to lunch with a vital breakthrough.

Devon Conway, high on confidence after his debut double ton at Lord's, carried forward his good form in Birmingham. Joined at the crease by Will Young, the duo embarked on an excellent partnership in the second session, frustrating the English pacers. Conway brought up his half-century, looking set for another mammoth knock, as New Zealand headed into tea in a strong position at 130/1.

Broad again delivered the goods for the hosts when they needed him the most as Conway flicked one onto the leg-side straight into the hands of the fielder on the boundary ropes, as his excellent knock of 80 came to an end.

A maiden Test fifty for Young soon followed suit, as England sensed an opening with Ross Taylor looking tetchy in the initial phase of his innings. Taylor was adjudged LBW by the umpire off the bowling of Anderson, but successfully reviewed the call as ball tracking showed that the delivery was drifting past the leg stump.

The pair then kept their composure for the rest of the session, edging the visitors closer to England's first innings score of 303. But the part-time spin of Lawrence did the trick for the hosts in the final over of the day, as Young's patient knock of 82 came to an end.

New Zealand will begin day three trailing by 74 runs in the hope of establishing a reasonable first-innings lead, while England will hope for a few quick breakthroughs to swing the contest back in their favour.