ENG vs NZ 2026, ENG vs NZ 2nd Test Match Report, June 17 – 21, 2026 | ACTPnews

ENG vs NZ 2026, ENG vs NZ 2nd Test Match Report, June 17 - 21, 2026


Lunch New Zealand 391 (Phillips 100) and 345 for 6 (Nicholls 121, Mitchell 66*) lead England 291 (Henry 5-80) by 445 runs

New Zealand extended their position of dominance over England on the fourth morning at The Oval, despite Jofra Archer’s lively two-wicket burst. They added 93 runs to their overnight position of 252 for 3, with Daryl Mitchell reaching the lunch break unbeaten on 66 and England staring down the reality of needing to pull off a world-record run chase.

Archer could have had a wicket with his first ball of the morning if Harry Brook had held onto a diving catch at slip, though struck an over later when Brook – moved to second slip moments earlier – held onto a simpler chance off centurion Henry Nicholls. But Mitchell made Brook pay for his miss, moving past 50 with the first of three boundaries in a Joe Root over.

Root nearly gave Tom Blundell a life when he juggled an opportunity at leg slip, but James Rew scooped up the rebound to break a 29-run stand for the fifth wicket. It took Blundell and Mitchell past 1000 partnership runs in Tests against England, the first New Zealand pair to reach that landmark.

Archer bowled eight of the first nine overs from the Pavilion End, with spells of five and three overs punctuated by a single set from Sonny Baker. He bowled with good pace and repeatedly tested New Zealand’s batters, and was again rewarded when first-innings centurion Glenn Phillips was well held by Jacob Bethell in the gully.

Nathan Smith joined Mitchell and tucked into Bethell’s left-arm spin before lunch, hoisting consecutive balls over wide long-on and through deep midwicket for six then four. He tucked in again when England curiously declined to take the second new ball for the 81st over, hauling Matt Fisher – who bowled only two overs on the fourth morning – through long leg.

Tom Latham may have a decision to make around a possible declaration later this afternoon, but New Zealand have already asserted their dominance across the first three-and-a-bit days. England, by contrast, will need to break a long-standing world record for the highest fourth-innings run chase in Test cricket if they are to pull off an improbable win and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series



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