New Zealand's Devon Conway plays a shot during the second day of the second cricket test match between England and New Zealand at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England, Friday, June 11
New Zealand made England suffer for dropped catches to trail by only 74 runs after day two of the second test at Edgbaston on Friday.
Replying to England's 303 all out, New Zealand was 229-3 after the unexpected dismissal of Will Young on 82 off the final ball of the day. Ross Taylor was left on 46 not out and Henry Nicholls was expected to join him on Saturday morning.
Opener Devon Conway, who scored 200 on debut in the drawn first test, appeared to be caught in the slips on 22 but was given a soft “not out” signal by the on-field umpires, confirmed by the third umpire. Conway went on to 80.
Young was on 7 when he was dropped by England captain Joe Root off Olly Stone. Young added 75 more runs.
The bonus runs from high-class batting put New Zealand in position for a big total and in charge of the test.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad was the standout bowler with 2-22 in 15 overs. He prised out stand-in skipper Tom Latham on 6 with the new ball and was nearing the end of his first spell when Conway nicked to Zac Crawley, who tumbled forward for a low catch at third slip.
Conway stood his ground but England was sure it had him. The soft signal went against Broad, who was visibly unimpressed. Broad could yet find salt being rubbed into his wounds if the match referee -- his father Chris -- opts to censure him for dissent.
Broad and Crawley eventually got their man, this time whipping flamboyantly to the midwicket boundary, but by then the damage was done.
Conway, who looks like a veteran at this level, put on 96 for the second wicket with Young. The batsmen showed unflappable techniques in a wicketless afternoon session. While Conway drove and pushed well, it was his balletic pull shot which caught the eye as he repeatedly swatted away the short ball with style.
Young should have gone early. Root's drop cost another 75 runs.
Young fell bat and pad to part-time offspinner Dan Lawrence, who had earlier been left stranded on 81 not out in pursuit of a maiden test century, and consoled himself with a maiden test wicket, instead.
England started the day on 258-7 and lost its last three wickets for 45. Mark Wood started positively, crashing six boundaries off Trent Boult and Matt Henry in the first 20 minutes.
Lawrence could barely get a look in until Henry bowled Wood for 41, but his prospects of a hundred diminished when Broad was caught behind for nought.
James Anderson's arrival at number 11 brought a standing ovation, an acknowledgement of his record-breaking 162nd cap rather than his batting ability, and he was lbw to Boult with Lawrence still 19 short.
