Glenn Phillips completed a gritty half-century before New Zealand's innings concluded at 348 on the second morning of the first Test against England in Christchurch. By lunch, England was reeling at 45-3, with opener Ben Duckett holding firm on 32 not out.
England’s response began poorly as Zak Crawley fell lbw to Matt Henry in the fourth over. Debutant pacer Nathan Smith then delivered a stellar spell, dismissing fellow debutant Jacob Bethell for 10 and England veteran Joe Root for a duck within three balls. Bethell, after a cautious start, edged Smith to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell. Root, playing his 150th Test, was undone by a short ball that jagged back, deflecting off his bat and pad onto the stumps.
Earlier in the day, New Zealand resumed their innings at 319-8 with Phillips on 41. Partnering with Tim Southee, the pair added six runs before Southee was caught off Brydon Carse. Phillips then farmed the strike effectively with last man Will O’Rourke, adding 23 crucial runs to the total. Phillips reached his fifth Test fifty, scoring 54 off 77 balls, before O’Rourke was bowled by Carse, who finished with figures of 4-64.
The cooler second-day conditions, at 15°C (59°F) with a light breeze, contrasted sharply with the warm and windy first day. The ball swung considerably, creating challenging conditions for England’s batters, as Southee and Henry exploited the movement effectively. Harry Brook was set to join Duckett at the crease after lunch as England sought to stabilise.