25 February 2023

New Zealand follow on after Stuart Broad takes four wickets

25 February 2023

Ben Stokes enforced the follow-on after Stuart Broad mopped up the New Zealand tail to give England a 226-run first-innings lead in the decisive second Test at Wellington.

Stokes decided to bowl again after dismissing the Black Caps for 209 at the Basin Reserve.

Home captain Tim Southee launched a bold counter-attack on the third morning, resuming in a perilous position of 138 for seven, smashing 50 runs in 31 balls.

That included a run of three sixes in one over from Jack Leach, with another one following as he hooked Ollie Robinson into the crowd.

He was four short of his career-best 77, made on debut against England 15 years ago, when the introduction of Broad ended his fun. One ball after being dropped by Leach at fine-leg he swung hard again and skied straight to Zak Crawley at midwicket.

Broad swooped on his chance to bank some tidy figures, ending Tom Blundell’s defiant stay on 38 when he middled a cross-bat shot straight to mid-on.

Matt Henry was then thoroughly beaten by a short ball that he fenced to backward point, leaving Broad with four for 61 despite not taking any of the first six wickets to fall.

Stokes had not used James Anderson in the morning session, a tell-tale sign that the follow-on was incoming. He duly informed the umpires, before tossing the new ball to his record wicket-taker.

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