Lunch New Zealand 108 for 0 (Latham 60*, Conway 45*) vs England
New Zealand faced fresh upheaval for the series‑deciding Test at Trent Bridge, yet Tom Latham turned the situation around by winning the toss and anchoring the innings with an unbeaten half‑century before lunch. By the interval, Latham and Devon Conway had built an unbeaten 108‑run opening partnership, while England’s seamers struggled on a flat, true pitch under scorching heat that is expected to intensify over the next two days.
The fast outfield, especially to the short leg on the West Bridford Road side, rewarded stroke‑play. England’s recall of Shoaib Bashir in the 11th over saw him bowl nine overs before lunch— the most by an England spinner in the first session of a home Test since 2013—though they generated little threat.
England’s best chance came in Jofra Archer’s third over. Ben Stokes, again captaining from the slips, rearranged the slip cordon and moved third slip to second gully. Archer promptly edged the ball past slip, and Harry Brook dived in vain to dismiss Latham.
Stokes entered the attack later in the morning to a warm reception, prompting comparisons with Ian Botham’s famous performance against New Zealand four decades earlier. Conway, however, lifted his second ball and drove it cleanly to the ground, adding his fifth four of the session and striking seven fours in total.
Both openers had struggled for form on the tour, managing no fifty in eight prior innings combined. Latham reached his half‑century in 65 balls, while Conway fell just short of his own milestone at the break.
The partnership offset the loss of key players from New Zealand’s dominant 253‑run win at The Oval. Matt Henry, the Player of the Match for his 11 wickets, withdrew with a calf injury, and Glenn Phillips, who scored his maiden Test century, reported a side strain. Both injuries originated during the Oval encounter.
Replacing them are Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears and Blair Tickner (a like‑for‑like substitute for Kyle Jamieson, who was rested following a back stress‑fracture). Latham expressed relief at securing the toss in such high temperatures, noting the opportunity to build a substantial total and pressure England’s bowling attack.