Key events15m agoStumps: England 222-6 (trail by 169 runs)29m agoWICKET! James Rew c Mitchell b O'Rourke 24 (England 217-6)2h agoWICKET! Harry Brook lbw b Henry 24 (England 177-5)2h agoWICKET! Joe Root lbw b Henry 46 (England 170-4)2h agoWICKET! Emilio Gay c Blundell b O'Rourke 53 (England 142-3)3h agoRain stops play5h agoWICKET! Jacob Bethell c Blundell b Smith 9 (England 68-2)5h agoWICKET! Duckett run out Smith 36 (England 45-1)6h agoStokes named in Durham squad6h agoLunch7h agoNew Zealand are all out for 3917h agoWICKET! Henry c Tongue b Archer 5 (New Zealand 391-9)7h agoHundred for Glenn Phillips!7h agoWICKET! Jamieson b Bethell 41 (New Zealand 367-8)8h agoHalf-century for Glenn Phillips!9h agoPreambleJames WallaceGlenn Phillips’ maiden Test ton and a fine bowling effort from New Zealand’s quicks put the visitors in command. England need their tail to do some decent wagging if they are to get anywhere near parity on first innings.Thanks for your company and correspondence today, we’ll be back tomorrow for day three. Goodnight.Matt Hughes with the news… the return of Ben Stokes looking a step closer?Stumps: England 222-6 (trail by 169 runs)Cox and Archer survive the final over, they’ll be back tomorrow morning to try and chip away at the quite substantial deficit. New Zealand do some low key high fives and back slaps as they walk off, they’ve had a really good day, posting nigh on 400 and then getting rid of England’s entire top order before the day is out.58th over: England 221-6 (Cox 21, Archer 0) Cox clips O’Rourke for two off his tootsies and then scampers a single to take strike for what will actually be the last over of the day. Here comes Matt Henry to deliver it.57th over: England 218-6 (Cox 18, Archer 0) Cox takes a single from O’Rourke’s first ball. Jofra blocks out the over with a steadfast and straight blade. We might get one more in before the close. It’s New Zealand’s day that’s for sure.56th over: England 217-6 (Cox 17, Archer 0) That was not clever cricket from James Rew who had a look of ruddy disconsolation as he hauled himself from the middle. Jofra Archer is in at number 8 and England are teetering here, they still trail by 174 runs!WICKET! James Rew c Mitchell b O'Rourke 24 (England 217-6)Ah. About that. Rew plays another compulsive hook to O’Rourke, top edges and gifts his wicket with minutes left in the day!55th over: England 216-5 (Rew 24, Cox 16) Smith bustles in, Rew gets in behind and blocks out six in a row. He’s had one let off and doesn’t want to be suckered into giving another chance with just moments left in the day…Andy Bull has already dipped his quill and filed his piece on England’s torrid first hour of day two:54th over: England 216-5 (Rew 24, Cox 16) DROP! It’s Rachin Ravindra who spills the chance once again! Rew hooks O’Rourke but doesn’t get enough on it, the ball goes high down to the boundary behind square, Ravindra reacts late and hares in to get under it, the ball goes straight in and straight back out again!53rd over: England 214-5 (Rew 24, Cox 15) Smith dots up Rew, a maiden as we approach the close of play. New Zealand would dearly love to prise one of these debutants from the crease before stumps.52nd over: England 214-5 (Rew 24, Cox 15) Shot! James Rew pulls O’Rourke and it scorches through midwicket for four.51st over: England 208-5 (Rew 18, Cox 14) Cox collects a couple through the covers and pockets a single to fine leg. Smith keeps Rew honest with three dots to complete the over.50th over: England 205-5 (Rew 18, Cox 11) O’Rourke replaces a wayward Jamieson and starts with a well directed bouncer that has Cox ducking for cover. Wisden’s Ben Gardner breezes into the press box like a breath of fresh Alpine air and posits the question of who of Rew (J) and Cox will end up with the most Test runs. Over to you OBO followers, I’m not going to lead the witnesses…49th over: England 204-5 (Rew 18, Cox 10) Nathan Smith replaces Henry and releases the valve with his first ball, wide and full to Cox who gladly clatters to the point boundary. The 200 comes up for England.48th over: England 199-5 (Rew 18, Cox 5) What nerves?! Rew pings two boundaries off Jamieson, a push through cover a flourish off the toes that whistles through midwicket.47th over: England 191-5 (Rew 10, Cox 5) Rew clips for three off his hip. The Somerset man looking a bit more settled than Cox out there at the minute. Both will be grateful for a single into the legside to keep them ticking along. Long shadows across the Oval, a little over half an hour left in the day and a crucial period to navigate for England’s newbies.46th over: England 186-5 (Rew 6, Cox 4) New Zealand keep the pressure on, Jamieson keeps Cox honest and stitches together a maiden.45th over: England 186-5 (Rew 6, Cox 4) Blundell stays up to the stumps to Henry, Rew edges wide of the cordon for four. Five dots follow. Tense out there!44th over: England 182-5 (Rew 2, Cox 4) Ooohs and aaahs at the Oval as Rew leaves one that jags back and goes over the top by less than he’d have wanted. Cox then nervously hacks at a length ball and very nearly chops onto his own pegs! That’s four though! Cox gets off the mark in Test cricket with a bottom handed square drive for four. That’ll settle him down a bit.43rd over: England 177-5 (Rew 1, Cox 0) England have two Test debutants at the crease now and the game is on the line. Jordan Cox blocks out Matt Henry and it is a probing wicket maiden. Welcome to Test cricket, pal.WICKET! Harry Brook lbw b Henry 24 (England 177-5)That is stone dead! Brook is gone gone gone and England are in trouble here! It was very much an Ashes 2025/6 dismissal for Brook with the keeper stood up and a flat footed poke to a full ball arrowed in at the pads. He doesn’t bother with a review, wisely, and trudges straight off.Harry Brook is out out out. Photograph: Alan Stanford/PPAUK/Shutterstock Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian42nd over: England 177-4 (Brook 24, Rew 1) The collective Kiwi dander is up after the Root wicket. James Rew gets his first Test run with a single dropped into the leg side. And breathe Jimmy boy. Brook flicks a four off his legs as Jamieson strays too straight.41st over: England 169-3 (Brook 18, Rew 0) Rew plays a solid defence to his first ball from Henry and that’s the over. The crowd a little stunned here at the Oval, Root fell two shy of the 14,000 run mark and they were girding their loins to give him a big ovation. He didn’t look best pleased with the decision as he walked off.WICKET! Joe Root lbw b Henry 46 (England 170-4)Out of nowhere Joe Root is gone! Matt Henry pins him on the knee roll and the umpire raises his finger. Root thinks he is safely outside the line and reviews the decision but it is out in umpire’s call! That’s a big wicket, Root looked entirely untroubled but he’s on his way and debutant James Rew is walking out for his first knock in Test cricket.New Zealand’s Matt Henry celebrates after taking the wicket of England’s Joe Root. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian40th over: England 169-3 (Root 46, Brook 17) You look up and Joe Root is nearly on 14,000 Test runs…Kyle Jamieson replaces O’Rourke and Root glides another four past gully and closes in on another landmark.39th over: England 164-3 (Root 42, Brook 16) Brook glides a single all along the watchtower baize past gully. Matt Henry loses his run up a couple of times. Tom Blundell is up to the stumps but fumbles a leg side take and they scamper a single.38th over: England 162-3 (Root 42, Brook 15) Four singles off O’Rourke. You’re still thinking about that Brook six, aren’t you. Admit it. You scoundrel.37th over: England 158-3 (Root 40, Brook 13) I’m still not over that shot from Brook by the way. Neither is ESPN’s Matt Roller who accosts me in the gents, the less said about that the better. Then bump into The Telegraph’s Will Macpherson on the way back and he waggishly says the Brook shot is what Ollie Robinson was trying to do when he got his stumps splattered in Hobart in the 2022 Ashes.Reedeeeculous.Anyway, there’s a single each to Root and Brook. On we go.36th over: England 156-3 (Root 39, Brook 12) What a shot that is from Harry Brook! I’m not even sure how to describe it… he backs away and uppishly carves O’Rourke over point for a big one! He was walking backwards as he played it, have we seen the first moonwalking six in Test cricket? The crowd love it and so does Joe Root at t’other end. Three dots follow and then Brook punches through mid off for four more. Do not adjust your set.35th over: England 145-3 (Root 37, Brook 1) Brook and Root exchange singles as the sun bursts through at the Oval.Mark Puttick sidles into my inbox with an eye-catching stat:“Jacob Bethell currently has a lower first inns Test ave (8.75) than James Anderson (10.18)"34th over: England 143-3 (Root 37, Brook 1) Gay played really nicely and will be gutted that he got into a tangle with his hands. Harry Brook is the new batter, stand by your beds!“Jim, at least Freddie was spared the ignominy of losing an England wicket on his watch…”Ooof, that hurts, John Starbuck.WICKET! Emilio Gay c Blundell b O'Rourke 53 (England 142-3)Emilio Gay brings up his second half ton in as many Test matches with a beautifully timed pull off O’Rourke. The crowd applaud warmly but he is GONE moments later!Gay can’t get his gloves out of the way in time to a short ball from O’Rourke and New Zealand have their man after sending it upstairs!Will O'Rourke celebrates taking the wicket of Emilio Gay for 53. Photograph: Alan Stanford/PPAUK/Shutterstock33rd over: England 138-2 (Gay 49, Root 37) Annoyingly competent from Freddie I think you’ll agree. Have sent him packing with his hopes, his dreams and his shimmering prose. Can he do it on a bilateral T20 in the wee small hours of a Thursday night? Can he? Yeh he probably can. A maiden from Smith to Root btw.32nd over: England 138-2 (Gay 49, Root 37) Thanks James, hello everyone! The ever generous Root dabs a quick single from the first ball to give his young counterpart five chances at his fifty. No pressure. But Gay remains patient and watchful. There’s some slight excitement at the end of the over when Gay tries to nab a quick single to point, but Root rightfully turns him down. The wait continues!31st over: England 136-2 (Gay 49, Root 36) Gay plays out a maiden off Smith, his wait for fifty stretches on, Root might very well catch him up at this rate. The next over is going to be brought to you by Freddie Heynes who is on work experience in the Oval press box. He better not be too good!30th over: England 136-2 (Gay 49, Root 36) Joe Root! England’s finest is ticking now and picks up three boundaries off O’Rourke! A Root classic guide through gully is preceded by a crashing cut and emphatic pull. Bottle it, people. Root in full flow is a thing of wonder.29th over: England 123-2 (Gay 48, Root 24) Shot! Don’t bowl there to Joe Root, a half volley from Smith is pounced on and pinged away through long on for four.28th over: England 119-2 (Gay 48, Root 20) Hazy sunshine now in South London. Will O’Rourke has one ball left of the 28th over. He’ll bowl it to Emilio Gay who is two runs away from his second Test match half century. Wide and left well alone. You have chosen… wisely.Good news, the covers are coming off and it is brightening up. A loud cheer goes up around the ground, this match is delicately poised and there’s an intriguing session in wait. Play is due to restart in ten minutes – at 4.35pm.Rain stops playO’Rourke to Root with a field set for short pitched bowling. Gah! That is the rain here at the Oval after just five balls. Here come the covers…Good news! The rains have stayed away/skirted around and the players are emerging for the evening session.27th over: England 116-2 (Gay 48, Root 19) Gay clips for two into midwicket to go to 48. The brace brings up the the fifty partnership with Root on the cusp of tea and a potential rain shower. There’s a hint of drizzle in the air now actually so not a bad time to break for some sustenance. Proper criggit in that session, England trail by 273 with 8 wickets in hand. Back soon!26th over: England 116-2 (Gay 46, Root 19) Gay takes a nip-backer into the nether regions from Henry and is momentarily felled. Deep breaths, Emilio. Root and Gay exchange singles, they’ve batted nicely in testing conditions. Four! Soft hands from Gay, guided wide of the cordon for four, he’s heading for another fifty and certainly looks the part.Emilio Gay is looking good for reaching a half century. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian25th over: England 109-2 (Gay 40, Root 18) We’ve had Leonard, now it is time for Blond on Blond. Kyle Jamieson is back on from the Vauxhall End, all hulking 6ft 8 Dolph Lundgren menace. Root’s not fussed, a short and wide ball is cut away for four.24th over: England 105-2 (Gay 40, Root 14) Matt Henry on for a burst before tea, he’s too straight to Root and England’s finest does not miss out, pinging it to the square leg fence with apparent ease. Root keeps strike with a tap and run into the covers, no danger with that one. Ahem.