(ESPNCRICINFO) – Tom Blundell produced a masterful, marshalling century to haul New Zealand from collapse to near first-innings parity, before England’s batters re-inflated their lead under the floodlights – including through a chaotic late appearance from Stuart Broad in full “Nighthawk” mode – as the first Test in Mount Maunganui continued to hurtle towards its final, accelerated showdown.

By the close of an undulating second day, England had regained the upper hand after a frustrating afternoon in the field, in which Blundell’s Test-best 138 had rescued New Zealand from a nadir of 83 for 5 to post a fighting first-innings of 306.

Ironically, given that England themselves had declared with one wicket still standing, much of that rescue act revolved around Blundell’s tenth-wicket stand with the debutant Blair Tickner, who not only stayed long enough to see his team-mate to his fourth Test century, but remained 3 not out from 24 balls in a partnership of 59 – a contribution that evoked Jack Leach’s hand in Ben Stokes’ Headingley heroics in 2019.

It could have been the basis for a similar turnaround in this match too, given how New Zealand had fared in their own late-night session on day one. But England, to their credit, came through an hour-long examination under the floodlights in some style, reaching 79 for 2 in 16 overs before the close, thanks to a pair of breezy 20-somethings from Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. Though neither could go on, nor did they depart without taking some lumps out of New Zealand’s fallow attack with ten counterpunching fours between them.

Duckett, England’s first-day agenda-setter, was once again the more fluent of the pair in reaching 25 from 27 before Tickner capped his day with a fine lifter, fenced to second slip. At the other end, the under-pressure Crawley battled through another torrid examination from Tim Southee to crack six boundaries in the space of 17 balls.

When he toe-ended a pull off Scott Kuggeleijn in search of his seventh, however, Crawley cleared the way for a circus-act denouement, as Broad marched out with 15 minutes left in the day’s play, and fulfilled his brief to cause chaos in the most absolute of fashions. A second-ball slog sailed high in the air, only to plop inches from the crease as neither Kuggeleijn nor Blundell committed to the catch, and there was time for four leg-side byes, a crashed four over the covers, and a ten-minute delay for a conveniently damaged helmet, before the stumps were finally pulled.