New Zealand build a strong position in the second Test against England at The Oval after a century from Glenn Phillips. On day two, England respond by striking back but are unsettled as New Zealand’s batting continues to apply pressure. Phillips reaches a hundred, supported by further contributions from New Zealand’s top order, while England’s top-order loses wickets during their chase of a large total. On later days, New Zealand’s seam and spin attacks keep taking wickets, and England’s batting does not recover fully despite efforts from Joe Root, who is reported as standing in for Ben Stokes as captain.
As the match progresses, New Zealand extend their lead and set England an extraordinarily difficult target. By day five, New Zealand post the decisive result: they thrash England by 253 runs. Matt Henry delivers a major impact with an 11-wicket haul, and Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson are repeatedly highlighted in reports as key factors in putting England out of contention, levelling the series ahead of future games.
