Cricket-England edge first day as debutant Baker takes two wickets

New Zealand recovered from 107-4 to reach 291-7 at stumps on day one of the second test against England at The Oval, thanks to partnerships from Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips.

New Zealand battled back to end an absorbing first day of the second test on 291 for ​seven after England's new-look pace attack held sway early on at The Oval on ​Wednesday. Following their chaotic 115-run defeat at Lord's in the opening ‌test, ​New Zealand were wobbling on 107-4 having been put in but Tom Blundell and Glenn Phillips gave them a foothold in a game they cannot afford to lose.

Blundell made 51 as he shared an 81-run fifth-wicket partnership with Daryl Mitchell and then a sixth-wicket stand of 75 with ‌Phillips who was 49 not out at the close, although New Zealand are some way short of an imposing total. Sonny Baker, one of three debutants in an England side showing five changes from Lord's, took two wickets while fellow fast bowler Matthew Fisher marked his return, four years after his only other test, with a wicket.

"It was hard work. At the start the bounce was more tennis ‌ball-y," Baker said. "Eventually we found our way there. A bit of a graft tomorrow, hopefully we can get through them and I can put my feet up for two days." The build-up ‌to the test was overshadowed by England captain Ben Stokes and bowler Gus Atkinson being left out amid an investigation into a nightclub incident.

England's record test run scorer Joe Root, back skippering the side for a record-extending 65th time having stepped down in 2022, won the toss on an overcast morning and put New Zealand in on a wicket offering early help to his attack. Fisher made the breakthrough with the last ball of the sixth over as Devon Conway tickled ⁠an attempted ​pull shot down the leg side to debutant wicket ⁠keeper James Rew.

After 16 wickets fell on the first day at Lord's, the Oval pitch offered a far more even contest between bat and ball but New Zealand crawled to 21-1 after 11 overs as England's bowlers offered up ⁠little in the way of cheap runs. New Zealand captain and opener Tom Latham began to settle but fell shortly before lunch, getting a leading edge to a ball by Jofra Archer with Jacob Bethell pouching a sharp ​catch.

Having reached 75-2 at lunch, New Zealand added only four runs after the interval before Henry Nicholls chopped a rising delivery from Josh Tongue on to his stumps for ⁠24. Rachin Ravindra also got a start, playing positively, but having struck six boundaries to reach 33 he became Baker's first test victim, getting a thick outside edge to Bethell at gully.

Mitchell was then joined by Blundell and the pair took advantage ⁠of ​a relatively docile wicket to seize the initiative with a flurry of boundaries before and after tea. Just as the pressure was mounting on England's attack, Mitchell fell for 44, mistiming a pull shot straight to Emilio Gay at short mid-wicket, giving Baker his second wicket and leaving New Zealand on 188-5.

Blundell was reprieved on 34 when he glanced a Tongue delivery off his hips ⁠to Rew but having walked almost to the boundary rope he made a u-turn as catch had been grounded. Blundell reached his half century with a four off part-time spinner Bethell, but ⁠his dismissal two balls later summed up New Zealand's ⁠day. Stepping down looking to smash one over the ropes he heaved the ball straight to Root at mid-wicket who parried it up before taking a catch.

Archer produced a ferocious late burst of short-pitched bowling to have Phillips ducking and diving but it was a Bethell full toss ‌that gave England their seventh wicket ‌as Nathan Smith ballooned up a catch to Jordan Cox.