Kane Williamson took 3 wickets as New Zealand won 2nd Test by 199 runs © Getty Images
New Zealand win the 2nd Test at Headingley against England to level the two-match series at 1-1 with a 199-run win. They will be happy with the way they played today but England will know they let the game slip after thinking of wanting to win the game at a point of time.
New Zealand had the hosts reeling at 102 for five at Lunch earlier today. Trent Boult struck first when he had Lyth caught behind. Boult then came back to clean up Gary Ballance soon after. Mark Craig though delivered a twin strike when he got rid of both Ian Bell and Joe Root in quick succession. Alastair Cook was the lone man fighting for them. Live Scorecard: England vs New Zealand, 2nd Test, Day 5 at Headingley
After Lunch though, New Zealand struck with Kane Williamson trapping Cook in front after the latter brought up 9,000 Test runs for himself. The trouble continued for the hosts when Moeen Ali was bowled trying to leave an in-dipper from Matt Henry, rain did try to come in and halt the game but the Kiwis were too good on the day. Stuart Broad and Buttler played well adding 35 runs before the golden arm of Williamson came back to castle Broad for 23. Jos Buttler scored his fifth Test fifty and got good support from Mark Wood but the latter eventually fell to Tim Southee. But he could not delay the inevitable and was the last man to be dismissed when he left a straight one and was trapped in front for a score of 72.
New Zealand previously had declared on 454 for eight; setting England a record chase. New Zealand did not quite start well losing two quick wickets but Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill put them back on track with 99-run stand. Brendon McCullum too scored a good fifty and in the process became the second New Zealand player to score 6000 Test runs. BJ Watling scored his fifth Test ton and along with a fifty for Mark Craig, New Zealand racked up the big score and put England under pressure. Mark Wood was the best bowler for England but he only managed to pick up three wickets.Read:Aggressive New Zealand find an orthodox hero in BJ Watling
New Zealand came back to bowl out England for exactly 350 Day Three morning. Alastair Cook (75) and Lyth (107), who scored his maiden Test ton had put England in control with a 177-run opening stand but Tim Southee with four for 83 along with Trent Boult 2 for 98 ran through the rest of line up barring Stuart Broad. Broad hit an enterprising 42 to ensure England stayed in the game.
England earlier bowled out New Zealand for 350 on Day Two. Tom Latham (84) and Luke Ronchi (88) missed out on tons as they had taken New Zealand to 297 for eight at end of Day One. The lower order from New Zealand played cameos to take them to 350 as Broad took his 13th five-wicket haul in Tests. England won the toss on Day One after rain had delayed the start of the Test and inserted New Zealand into bat. They were unchanged. New Zealand replaced the injured Corey Anderson with Luke Ronchi. Full Scorecard: England vs New Zealand, 2nd Test, Day 5 at Headingley
Brief scores:
New Zealand 350 (Tom Latham 84, Brendon McCullum 41, Luke Ronchi 88; James Anderson 2 for 43, Stuart Broad 5 for 109) and 454 for 8 decl. (Martin Guptill 70, Brendon McCullum 55, BJ Watling 120; Stuart Broad 2 for 94, Mark Wood 3 for 97) beat England 350 (Adam Lyth 107, Alastair Cook 75; Trent Boult 2 for 98, Tim Southee 4 for 83) and 255 (Alastair Cook 56, Jos Buttler 72 ; Trent Boult 2 for 44, Mark Craig 3 for 73; Kane Williamson 3 for 15) by 199 runs.
(Nikhil Popat is a die hard cricket enthusiast and a PotterHead till the end of time. He can be followed on Twitter @CricCrazyNIKS)
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