Ollie Robinson Stuart Broad Zak Crawley Tom Blundell New Zealand cricket bowling Test Ollie Robinson Stuart Broad Zak Crawley Tom Blundell New Zealand

Tom Blundell century for New Zealand leaves Test against England finely poised

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A Tom Blundell century for New Zealand and two late England batting stumbles left the first Test tantalisingly poised at Mount Maunganui on Friday.

The tourists held a 98-run lead with eight second-innings wickets in hand and still three days to play in a fast-moving day-night Test at the Bay Oval.

Blundell's career-best 138 steered his side to 306 and just 19 runs short of England's 325-9 declared. The delicate nature of the contest didn't prevent the tourists playing their shots, although they lost openers Ben Duckett, for 25, and Zak Crawley, for 28, in reaching 79-2 off 16 overs.

England's best bowler, Ollie Robinson (4-54), said the honours were "pretty even in the end" after his side dominated day one with their aggressive batting before reducing the Black Caps to 37-3.

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