Emilio Gay put England’s travails on the second morning at the Oval down to bad luck rather than poor planning or execution, after Glenn Phillips, Kyle Jamieson and some unexceptional and often short-pitched bowling helped New Zealand add precisely 100 to their overnight total in 99 free-scoring minutes at the start of the day, taking control of the second Test in the process.
Having come through a hostile examination from Jofra Archer late on Wednesday, Phillips may have been particularly surprised that it took more than an hour and a half for England to give the ball to their senior seamer, while they turned to the part-time spin of Jacob Bethell with the second new ball only five overs old. Phillips, his score precisely 100, became New Zealand’s last man out shortly before lunch, with their score 391; England, scoring at 3.76 an over, were 222 for six at stumps.
