England flex muscles to take control of opening Test

England flexed their muscles with bat and ball as they built a commanding lead over New Zealand on day three of the first Test in Christchurch.

The tourists turned an overnight deficit of 29 into a 151-run advantage, centurion Harry Brook finishing with 171 and captain Ben Stokes adding 80 – his highest score in almost 18 months.

There were destructive cameos from tailenders Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse, who crashed 81 runs in just 60 balls between them as England motored to 499 all out.

New Zealand dropped another two chances to take their error count to eight in the innings – including five off Brook – but England’s handling was better as they left the Black Caps 62 for two at tea.

Brook held a low catch off Chris Woakes to send Tom Latham back in the third over and Atkinson pulled off as diving effort when Devon Conway mishit Carse.

The hosts need a big effort in response with Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra set to resume 62 runs behind.

England smashed 140 in the opening session, grabbing the game by the throat.

Brook had already been dropped four times for his 132 on day two and continued his personal game of ‘catch me if you can’ when he was put down yet again by Glenn Phillips on Saturday morning.

Tom Blundell eventually held an edge from the Yorkshireman, but not before he had peppered the boundary with five fours and a six, Tim Southee copping the brunt in a weary new ball spell.

As Brook walked off the field at the Hagley Oval he did so with a career average of 60.05 – fractionally less than Herbert Sutcliffe’s national record of 60.73.

He top-edged a pull for six when Nathan Smith went short, then stepped back and crashed him through extra cover. His ambition got the better of him when he lifted the seamer to deep midwicket but his 48 in 36 balls bruised the Kiwi attack.

With Stokes showing restraint, Carse was next to swing the bat. He was dropped on five, Phillips erring again to chip away at some of the lustre created by the sensational one-handed grab that did for Ollie Pope, and then teed off. He clobbered three sixes on his way to an unbeaten 33 from 24 balls, hooking and pulling in a manner few number 10s can even dream about.

Stokes’ hopes of scoring his first Test hundred since the 2023 Ashes in the city of his birth went up in smoke when he holed out trying to clear the ropes himself, but England were still in full control.

Latham had dropped a hat-trick of catches in the field but was not shown the same kindness, Brook snapping up a low chance when he nicked Woakes in the third over.

Conway also found a pair of safe hands when Atkinson threw himself forward from mid-off, giving Carse a breakthrough off his fifth ball.