ENGLAND face defeat in the series-decider against New Zealand after another insipid batting performance on the third day of the second Test.
Joe Root’s side crumbled to 112-9 under glorious sunshine at Edgbaston, only 37 runs ahead.

England had battled their way back into the contest on an entertaining day, taking the final seven New Zealand wickets for 96 runs to dismiss them for 388.
Faced with a first-innings deficit of 85, the hosts had the opportunity to set a challenging fourth-innings chase, only for their top order to disintegrate.

In the face of some superb New Zealand bowling, England found themselves 30-3 and 76-7, and eventually needed a stand of 44 between Olly Stone and Mark Wood to drag the game into a fourth day.
Still, barring something utterly remarkable today, England will go down to their first home series defeat in seven years.

Dismal England spiral towards defeat
This was another abject performance by England’s callow batting line-up, one that undid the good work of a resurgence that came earlier in the day.

The game looked to be hurrying away from England in an action-packed morning session when New Zealand’s runs flowed and catches were dropped, only for England’s seamers – led by the excellent Stuart Broad – to fight back.

However, the evening capitulation that followed evoked memories of the dismal tour of India this year and leaves questions surrounding the future of the majority of England’s top order.
With questionable techniques and low reserves of confidence, they were unable to handle the relentless New Zealand attack on a pitch holding no demons.

By the end, England were again relying on their bowlers, this time to eke out enough runs to avoid an innings defeat.

England crumble yet again
The Edgbaston crowd had not finished singing Jerusalem when the England slide began, Rory Burns loosely driving Matt Henry’s second ball of the innings to be caught at second slip.
With Henry holding a full length and nipping the ball, Dom Sibley edged to third slip before Zak Crawley was pinned by one that came back.

The bustling Neil Wagner took over, first trapping Ollie Pope on the crease for 23, then enticing Dan Lawrence into an edge behind.

In his third Test innings, James Bracey was cheered when he registered his first run, only to be bowled around his legs sweeping at the left-arm spin of Ajaz Patel.
Captain Root dropped anchor in defiance, until even he nicked a cut at Patel to fall for 11 off 61 balls.
An example in defence came from Stone, while Wood swiped his way to 29 before he top-edged Wagner. There was still time for Broad to be bowled by Trent Boult.

Superb New Zealand surge towards victory
New Zealand had the better of the drawn first Test and, despite making six changes for the second, have given England a lesson in correct batting, length-bowling and efficient catching.
From 229-3 overnight, they attacked the second new ball, Ross Taylor moving from 46 to 80 with some glorious drives.

He was dropped on 68 by diving sub fielder Sam Billings at long leg then, in the same over Taylor edged Stone to Bracey, the Gloucestershire wicketkeeper’s difficult start to life in Test cricket continued when he put down Blundell.

Wood hit Henry Nicholls on the head, then had him caught down the leg side from the next ball, with England then running through the lower order after lunch.
Broad was the pick, ending with 4-48.

When he trapped Patel lbw to end a chaotic last-wicket stand of 27 with Boult, there was genuine optimism England could create a competitive contest.
It evaporated almost as soon as they began batting.

(BBC Sport)

ENGLAND 1st innings 303
NEW ZEALAND 1st innings o/n 229-3
Tom Latham lbw Stuart Broad 6
Devon Conway c Zak Crawley b Stuart Broad 80
Will Young c Ollie Pope b Dan Lawrence 82
Ross Taylor c James Bracey b Olly Stone 80
Henry Nicholls c James Bracey b Mark Wood 21
Tom Blundell c Joe Root b Stuart Broad 34
Daryl Mitchell c Zak Crawley b Olly Stone 6
Neil Wagner b James Anderson 0
Matt Henry lbw Mark Wood 12
Ajaz Patel lbw Stuart Broad 20
Trent Boult not out 12
Extras: (b-13, lb-21, nb-1) 35
Total: (all out, 119.1 overs) 388
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-137, 3-229, 4-292, 5-312, 6-335, 7-336, 8-353, 9-361.
Bowling: James Anderson 29-9-68-1, Stuart Broad 23.1-8-48-4 (nb-1), Mark Wood 25-3-85-2, Olly Stone 24-5-92-2, Joe Root 15-3-45-0, Dan Lawrence 3-0-16-1.

ENGLAND 2nd innings
Rory Burns c Tom Latham b Matt Henry 0
Dominic Sibley c Daryl Mitchell b Matt Henry 8
Zak Crawley lbw Matt Henry 17
Joe Root c Tom Blundell b Ajaz Patel 11
Ollie Pope lbw Neil Wagner 23
Dan Lawrence c Tom Blundell b Neil Wagner 0
James Bracey b Ajaz Patel 8
Olly Stone not out 15
Mark Wood c Tom Blundell b Neil Wagner 29
Stuart Broad b Trent Boult 1
James Anderson not out 0
Extras: (b-5, lb-4, nb-1) 10
Total: (nine wkts, 41.0 overs) 122-9
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-17, 3-30, 4-58, 5-58, 6-71, 7-76, 8-120, 9-121.
Bowling: Matt Henry 12-2-36-3, Trent Boult 10-2-34-1, Neil Wagner 10-1-18-3 (nb-1), Ajaz Patel 9-4-25-2.