LEEDS: James Anderson became the first England bowler to take 400 Test wickets as he induced a New Zealand top-order slump on the first day of the second Test at Headingley on Friday.

But New Zealand recovered to 123 for three at tea on a rain-marred day after being sent into bat by England captain Alastair Cook.

Tom Latham was 51 not out and Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, 41 not out.

Anderson removed both Martin Guptill, Latham’s opening partner, and Kane Williamson for ducks to reduce New Zealand to two for two after the morning session was washed out without a ball being bowled. The 32-year-old Lancashire paceman started this match, his 104th Test, with 399 Test wickets.

Anderson needed just eight balls on Friday to join the ‘400 club’, reaching the landmark with a classic delivery that took Guptill’s outside edge and was well caught, above his head, by second slip Ian Bell, who dropped a couple of chances during England’s 124-run victory in the first Test at Lord’s.

At one point, Anderson had taken two wickets for no runs in three balls to leave New Zealand two for two in a match the tourists had to win to square the two-match series at 1-1.

For New Zealand, it was all to reminiscent of their second innings at Lord’s where they slumped to two for nought and 12 for three.

England thought they had a third wicket on Friday when opener Latham, then on 18, was given out caught behind off Stuart Broad, only to overturn the decision on review.

Latham and Ross Taylor scored briskly during a third-wicket stand of 66 in 74 balls. However, their partnership ended when Taylor played no stroke to a Broad delivery that cut back and was lbw for 20.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum plays a shot.—AFP

New Zealand were now 72 for three but an undaunted McCullum drove his first ball, from Broad, high over cover for six. Meanwhile left-hander Latham completed a 72-ball fifty including eight fours. With McCullum taking the lead, the fourth-wicket duo’s stand was so far worth 55 in 60 balls.

England named an unchanged side but New Zealand gave a Test debut to wicket-keeper Luke Ronchi, with first-choice gloveman BJ Watling playing as a batsman only after suffering a knee injury at Lord’s.

Ronchi replaced Corey Anderson after the all-rounder was ruled out with a back problem.

Scoreboard

New Zealand (1st Innings):

M. Guptill c Bell b Anderson 0 T. Latham not out 51 K. Williamson c Buttler b Anderson 0 R. Taylor lbw b Broad 20 B. McCullum not out 41

EXTRAS (lb11) 11

TOTAL (for three wkts) 123

TO BAT: BJ Watling, L Ronchi, M Craig, T Southee, M Henry, T Boult.

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-2, 3-68.

BOWLING: Anderson 7-2-28-2; Broad 7-0-43-1; Wood 7-2-28-0; Stokes 4-1-13-0.

England: Adam Lyth, Alastair Cook (capt), Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wkt), Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson.

Umpires: S Ravi (IND), Rod Tucker (AUS)

TV umpire: Marais Erasmus (RSA)

Match referee: David Boon (AUS)

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2015

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