Stokes' Masterclass Turns Tide

Ben Duckett smashed his first Test century in a year—113 off 99 balls—leading England’s charge as they ended day two at 223/2, trailing New Zealand’s 438. Captain Ben Stokes delivered a masterclass with the ball, taking 4 for 70, including key wickets of Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner (with some controversy), while also hitting a historic milestone—only the second player ever to amass over 250 Test wickets and 7,000 runs. Despite scorching heat that hampered play, Stokes’ grit and all-round brilliance sparked England’s fightback after a brutal opening day. New Zealand collapsed from 200/1 to 121 for 10, with Stokes dismantling their batting order. Duckett, dropped early, repaid the faith with a blistering innings, forming a crucial stand with Jacob Bethell. Fielding blunders and a concussion substitute for Blair Tickner added drama, but Stokes’ heroics kept England alive. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f767ef18d7fb4bf9