England take mammoth lead after a dominating day in Wellington
Bowlers got England off to the perfect start to the day, while the batters took it a notch higher to keep the visitors in a dominant position at the end of day 2.
Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, and Harry Brook all smashed blistering half-centuries as England raced to 378/5 at stumps on the second day’s play in Wellington. Their lead over New Zealand has now bloomed to 533.
The Kiwis began the day at 86/5, but could add only 39 runs to the total as England’s rampant bowling display saw them pick up the remaining five wickets quickly.
A 5️⃣3️⃣3️⃣-run lead at the end of day 2 has England firmly in control 🔥#WTC25 | 📝#NZvENG: https://t.co/tW1Qj9rLqe pic.twitter.com/MVqL4zcJtC
— ICC (@ICC) December 7, 2024
Gus Atkinson starred on the morning of day 2 with a stunning hat-trick - first one in Tests at Wellington. Atkinson was the 14th England Men's player to achieve the feat.
Atkinson (4-31) and Brydon Carse (4-46) shared eight scalps to give the visitors a commanding 155-run lead heading into their second innings.
England Men's Test Hat-tricks
| Bowler | Opposition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Bates | Australia | 1882/83 |
| Johnny Briggs | Australia | 1891/92 |
| George Lohmann | South Africa | 1895/96 |
| Jack Hearne | Australia | 1899 |
| Maurice Allom | New Zealand | 1929/30 |
| Tom Goddard | South Africa | 1938/39 |
| Peter Loader | West Indies | 1957 |
| Dominic Cork | West Indies | 1995 |
| Darren Gough | Australia | 1998/99 |
| Matthew Hoggard | West Indies | 2003/04 |
| Ryan Sidebottom | New Zealand | 2007/08 |
| Stuart Broad | India | 2011 |
| Stuart Broad | Sri Lanka | 2014 |
| Moeen Ali | South Africa | 2017 |
| Gus Atkinson | New Zealand | 2024/25 |
While England lost Zak Crawley (8) early in the second innings, Jacob Bethell joined Ben Duckett in the middle and the duo shared a massive 187-run stand putting the tourists right back in the driver's seat. Bethell however couldn't get to a maiden Test ton, falling to Tim Southee in the 38th over.
Duckett, 92, soon followed him to the dugout as Southee struck once again four overs later. Harry Brook joined in and went on offense from the get-go as the world no. 2 Test batter added another sizzling half-century to his growing list of accolades.
With Glenn Phillips dismissing Brook (55), Joe Root, unbeaten on 73, and Ben Stokes (35*) added to Kiwis’ worries as the duo forged a quick 51-run partnership before play concluded.