England set NZ 254 at Lord's, close day two 36-3
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- Ollie Robinson claimed a five-for (5-39) to bowl New Zealand out for 113 in the first innings, then added 29 not out in England's second-innings 226 after a collapse of four wickets for one run in 11 balls.
- Nathan Smith took 6-70 to tear through England's middle order, removing Emilio Gay, Joe Root (8) and Ben Stokes (0) in a spell that turned 126-2 into 127-6.
- Emilio Gay marked his Test debut with a composed fifty, sharing a 52-run opening stand with Ben Duckett before edging Smith behind on 50-plus.
- New Zealand struck early in their chase as Tom Latham fell first ball to Gus Atkinson and Kane Williamson was lbw to Josh Tongue for 18, with Devon Conway (12no) surviving a tight lbw review.
- A 17-wicket day two followed a 16-wicket opening day, and Saturday's grim forecast now stands as the likeliest obstacle to a three-day finish.
- New Zealand's fielding compounded their collapse, with five drops in the match including Duckett reprieved on 12 and Jacob Bethell on 8 before both were dismissed anyway.
- Kyle Jamieson added 38 to New Zealand's overnight 61-6, clubbing two sixes off Robinson and another off Tongue, but Robinson polished off the innings by cleaning up last man Matt Henry for a two-ball duck.
Why it matters: England head into the third day as firm favourites to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series ahead of the second Test at The Oval from June 17, with New Zealand's top order already three down and the pitch still rewarding the bowlers. Robinson's fourth Test five-for and Gay's debut fifty gave England control on a chaotic day, though rain on Saturday could yet deny a result.
