19 May 2013

Southee rescues Black Caps on day three at Lords

1:18 pm on 19 May 2013

Tim Southee bowled New Zealand back into contention in the first Test against England with a dramatic burst late on the third day at Lords.

At stumps, England were 6-180 in their second innings, a lead of 205 runs.

The hosts were in a strong position at 2-159 when paceman Southee wrested back the initiative with three wickets for four runs in 17 balls.

In all, England lost four wickets for 12 runs to throw the first of this two-Test series wide open, although their lead is now almost as much as New Zealand's meagre first innings 207.

Jonathan Trott (56) and Joe Root (71) shared a third-wicket stand of 123 before the latter's exit sparked England's slump.

Shortly after tea, Root was nearly run out when he dabbed the ball onto the offside and set off for a single and wicket-keeper BJ Watling injured his knee trying to effect the wicket.

Watling was replaced behind the stumps by McCullum, who had given up keeping in Tests because of knee and back problems.

Some stern words to the bowling unit from the vice captain Kane Williamson during the drinks break paid off when Root edged Southee on to his stumps.

Root's Yorkshire colleague Jonny Bairstow, top-scorer in England's first innings with 41, was then yorked off his foot by Southee for five.

Matt Prior, so often England's saviour with the bat, completed a pair when he pulled Southee straight to square leg, before Trott's painstaking innings ended when he was bowled by a sharply turning off-break from part-time spinner Kane Williamson.

Nightwatchman Steven Finn was six not out and Ian Bell nought not out at stumps.

Before lunch, England dismissed New Zealand for 207 in reply to their first innings 232 -- a lead of 25 runs.

James Anderson, who on Friday had become only the fourth England bowler to take 300 Test wickets, finished with five wickets for 47 runs in 24 overs.

Ross Taylor top scored with 66 and Kane Williamson 60.