06/26/26 01:24:00
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06/26 13:23 CDT Duckett's blazing 113 sparks England's charge after New
Zealand's 438 at Trent Bridge
Duckett's blazing 113 sparks England's charge after New Zealand's 438 at Trent
Bridge
NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) --- Ben Duckett's rapid hundred led England's stirring
reply to New Zealand's 438 on day two of the series-deciding Trent Bridge test
on Friday.
Duckett's 113 from 98 balls beside Jacob Bethell's unbeaten 74 platformed
England to 223-2 at stumps, trailing by 215 runs.
On his home ground, Duckett romped against a depleted New Zealand attack that
was hamstrung again by the forced exit of fast bowler Blair Tickner, one of
three changes from the Kiwis' win at The Oval last weekend.
Tickner, while batting after lunch at the end of New Zealand's innings, was hit
on the helmet by Jofra Archer and passed fit at the time. Tickner then bowled
three expensive overs before tea but after tea he left the field complaining of
nausea and didn't return. He was ruled out of the match by concussion and
replaced by Zac Foulkes, also playing his sixth test.
Duckett was gone by the time Foulkes bowled but he entertained with his first
century in just over a year.
Dropped on 8 by third slip Henry Nicholls off Nathan Smith's bowling, Duckett
raced to 50 off 40 balls before tea, and completed his seventh test hundred
after tea off 88 balls.
After hitting 18 boundaries mainly through the covers or behind square, Duckett
got to three figures on a single and fist-pumped in celebration.
It was the second earliest an England batter has reached a century from the
start of an innings, 26.1 overs. The earliest was also by Duckett, in 25.5
overs against India in Rajkot in 2024.
Smith finally got his wicket when Duckett, looking tired, dragged on. That
ended a partnership with Bethell of 179 at almost six per over.
The run rate dropped as Bethell and Joe Root kept their wickets advantage to
stumps. Root was 21 not out.
Earlier, England captain Ben Stokes bagged his 250th test wicket as New Zealand
collapsed from 317-0 on Thursday to 438 all out after lunch on Friday.
New Zealand resumed on 361-4 overnight and Stokes, as he did on Thursday, made
the day's first breakthrough by getting Daryl Mitchell to edge behind on 11.
Stokes' haul of 4-70 took him to ninth place on England's all-time list of
wicket-takers. The 35-year-old allrounder is back in the team along with pacer
Gus Atkinson after they were dropped for the second test at The Oval for
disciplinary reasons.
Spinner Shoaib Bashir and Archer took two wickets each on another baking hot
day with temperatures up to 34 C (93 F).
Emilio Gay was the only home batsman to fall before tea, caught down the leg
side by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell off Will O'Rourke for nought.
The rest of the day was the Duckett show.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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