England vs New Zealand 1st Test: Joe Root’s unbeaten 77 steers England closer to winning target

LONDON: Joe Root hit an unbeaten 77 to steer England to inside 61 runs of victory within the first Test whereas New Zealand require 5 wickets as the competition remained intriguingly poised on the finish of a tense third day at Lords.
England had been 216-5 at shut, chasing a target of 277 after dismissing New Zealand for 285 earlier than lunch on Saturday.
Root, not incumbered by the captaincy, was at his imperious finest as he took away the early benefit from the vacationers, who had England teetering at 69-4 earlier than tea when seamer Kyle Jamieson made early breakthroughs.
Root and his successor Ben (*77*) put collectively a 90-run partnership to flip the tide with the brand new skipper scoring 54 earlier than being caught behind – the one wicket to fall after tea.

But there was luck for (*77*) on his thirty first birthday. He was bowled by Colin de Grandhomme for one run, solely to be known as again to the crease after a belated no ball name from the third umpire that was greeted by an approving roar from the partisan crowd.
He took benefit of the let-off and is now in a robust place to win his first Test as England captain.
Jamieson snagged 4 wickets, bowling opener Alex Lees (20) and Jonny Bairstow (16) and having Zak Crawley (9) caught behind earlier than snagging (*77*).

Root, edging closer to the milestone of 10 000 Test runs, additionally featured in an unbeaten 57-run partnership with Ben Foakes, who performed a supporting position and resumes on Sunday on 9 not out.
Earlier, England took six wickets to dismiss New Zealand of their second innings after they resumed on 236-4 in a single day with Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell each within the 90s.
Mitchell reached his century within the first over of the day, however Blundell fell agonisingly brief on 96 as Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad took the second new ball and swept by way of the vacationers’ batting order.
Three wickets fell in a single over whereas Broad was bowling. Mitchell edged to Ben Foakes off Broad for 108 as his partnership with Blundell fell 5 runs shy of 200 runs.

De Grandhomme was out subsequent ball as he was run out from third slip by Pope, caught out of his crease as he watched the umpires’ response to a leg earlier than attraction by Broad.
Broad then dismissed Jamieson first ball as New Zealand slumped from 251-4 to 251-7 by the top of the over.
Blundell was trapped lbw three overs later to Jimmy Anderson, caught plumb in entrance of his wicket to miss out on his ton.