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New Zealand pacer Tim Southee said England skipper Joe Root's wicket was a "dream start" for the Kiwis on day four of the opening Test but visitors were wary of the "counterpunch" they could possible get from the hosts.
Southee picked six wickets to put England on back foot but opening batsman Rory Burns hit a ton to make sure the hosts were still in the first Test. England was bundled out for 275 as Burns (132) ran out of partners on Saturday. Four England batsmen scored ducks as New Zealand dismantled the Engish batting order on day four. "Yeah, with the wicket of Joe Root from the first ball of the day, we probably couldn't ask for a better start," ESPNcricinfo quoted Southee as saying. "It was a dream start to take those early wickets but we knew there was going to be a counterpunch from England at some stage, they're too good a side just to roll over," he added. Southee feels James Anderson and Burns' 52-run partnership for the tenth wicket "blunted" New Zealand's attack in the end. "Their lower order, especially Robinson, played a nice hand there, and Jimmy hanging around with Burns at the end, putting on over 50, blunted our attack towards the end," said Southee. "But I think if we'd turned up at the start of the day and been told we're gonna walk off in the position we're in now we'd have been pretty happy," he added. At stumps on Day Four, New Zealand's second innings score read 62/2 and the visitors have extended their lead to 165 runs. For the Kiwis, Tom Latham (30*) and Neil Wagner (2*) are unbeaten at the crease. After gaining a lead of 103 runs, New Zealand openers Latham and Devon Conway saw out the new ball. While the run-scoring was slow, both players kept the England bowlers at bay. The openers put on 39 runs for the first wicket and England finally got the breakthrough in the 19th over of the second innings as Ollie Robinson clean bowled Conway (23). Skipper Kane Williamson (1) failed to leave the mark with the bat as he was adjudged leg-before wicket on a ball bowled by Robinson. Nightwatchman Neil Wagner next came out to the middle and along with Latham, he ensured that New Zealand reach stumps with eight wickets in hand. (ANI)
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