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Smith stands, Kiwis smell blood – Santner finally cracked that budding stand, pinching Atkinson’s wicket just minutes before Lunch. The pressure now sits squarely on Jamie Smith. And there was a glimpse of the aggressive Smith just before that wicket fell, which makes you wonder even more. Why did England go hammer and tongs yesterday, only to play it so cautiously today? Watching Smith and Atkinson build that partnership playing basic cricket rather than going for glory shots, that question will keep nagging. They added 75 runs together, which is also England’s second-best partnership in this match. Well, New Zealand are just three wickets away, but England did shrink the target below the 200-run mark and managed to drag this into the second session, which could well be the last of the series. Unless, unless there’s some more resistance on the way. Smith is still there, Archer is no mug with the bat either. The Kiwis will aim to get the job done come the afternoon session. Play is expected to resume at 12.40 pm GMT. Stay tuned.
