Riding on Kane Williamson‘s splendid century, New Zealand fought back on Day 4 of the ongoing second and final Test after having the follow-on enforced by England. The hosts finished all out for 483 and set a target of 258 runs for the visitors to win the contest at Basin Reserve in Wellington.
The Black Caps resumed their second innings on Monday, trailing by 24 runs at 202/3. Williamson led the fightback by smashing his 24th Test century. The stylish right-handed batter smashed 132 and formed a game-changing 158-run partnership with Tom Blundell, pushing the home team from 297/5 to 455/6.
However, Williamson’s departure triggered a collapse as New Zealand could only add 28 runs more to the total. During the Kiwi innings, all-rounder Michael Bracewell‘s run out grabbed maximum eyeballs as the batter was dismissed in an embarrassing manner.
It all happened during the 159th over of New Zealand’s second innings when Tom Blundell whipped English left-arm spinner Jack Leach to deep mid-wicket. Blundell and Bracewell went for the third run. However, Bracewell looked too much casual on his way to complete the third run, as he did not attempt to drag his bat in.
England skipper Ben Stokes chased the ball from mid-on and fired in a perfect throw. Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes showed some sharp keeping skills and took the bails off at the right time to catch Bracewell off-guard. Interestingly, the New Zealander was past the crease, but his bat and foot were in the air, leading to his dismissal.
Here is the video:
This is why you run your bat in 😬
A wicket manufactured from out of nowhere! #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/i52FQVyw2H
— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) February 27, 2023
In response to the target of 258 to win the second Test, the touring party has managed to reach 48/1 in 11 overs at stumps on Day 4. England now need 210 runs to win the contest with an entire day left in the match. Notably, the visitors are already leading the two-match series 1-0 after registering a dominant victory in the opening Test.
