Mitchell, Watling score fifties as New Zealand nose ahead

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England went to stumps on the second day of the Test in Hamilton on 39/2, still trailing by 336 runs.

New Zealand began Saturday, 30 November, sitting pretty on 173/3, with Tom Latham unbeaten on 101*. But the complexion of things changed when the two overnight batsmen, Latham and Henry Nicholls, were dismissed for the addition of just 18 runs.

Stuart Broad got one to seam in sharply, and a misjudged leave from Latham had the ball crashing into the top of off stump, to send the centurion back for 105. Nicholls succumbed to the short ball from Sam Curran, top-edging a pull shot to the man in the deep on 16.

At 191/5, it was advantage England, but New Zealand's crisis-man Bj Watling took charge again and found an able accomplice in debutant Daryl Mitchell. The duo added 124 runs for the sixth wicket to pull things back for the hosts. Watling was his usual gritty self, accumulating runs the tough way, while Mitchell displayed a more fluent brand of batsmanship after an initial period of caution. His cover-drives were silken and frequent and he brought up his fifty with a cracking pull shot off Ben Stokes off his 124th delivery.

But England made sure not to let New Zealand run away from them. Broad, who was England's best bowler on the day, got one to rear up sharply to Watling, who could only fend awkwardly to gully for 55. The experienced bowler then bowled a well-directed bouncer at Mitchell, who mistimed the hook to deep fine leg, falling for 73.

Some pinch-hitting from Tim Southee (18) and Mitchell Santner (23) helped New Zealand go past 350, which had looked improbable when the overnight batsman were dismissed early in the day.

Still, the visiting side would have been happy with their day's work had they not lost two top-order batsmen in Dom Sibley and Joe Denly cheaply. Sibley, playing just his second Test, endured a tough time in the middle, ducking into a short one from Southee to get struck flush on the badge. He was deemed okay to continue, but soon missed a straight one from the same bowler to be trapped in front for four.

Denly played a reckless waft off Matt Henry to be caught behind for 4. New Zealand should have had a third in Rory Burns, who was dropped twice. First, he was let off at first slip by Ross Taylor after edging a drive off Henry. Then Jeet Raval dropped a slightly tougher chance at mid-wicket off a poorly judged flick from the batsman.

Burns (24*) will be joined by Joe Root (6*) on the third day.