Fans go gaga as Nathan Smith’s 6-wicket haul turns the tide for New Zealand against England on Day 2 of Lord’s Test

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The iconic Home of Cricket witnessed an absolute rollercoaster on Day 2 of the 1st Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s. Beginning on June 04, 2026, this highly anticipated ENG vs NZ series opener has kept cricket purists on the edge of their seats. After a frenetic opening day where wickets tumbled at a steady clip, Day 2 delivered high drama, tactical reviews, and extreme shifts in momentum, leaving the match dynamically poised.

Nathan Smith’s stunning six-wicket haul swings momentum New Zealand’s way

The defining narrative of the afternoon belonged to New Zealand’s right-arm medium-fast bowler Nathan Smith. Resuming the day with the Black Caps bowled out for a mere 113 in their first innings, courtesy of Ollie Robinson’s brilliant 5-wicket haul, New Zealand desperately needed inspiration. England held a slender first-innings lead after scoring 140, but their second innings promised to set a daunting target.

Enter Smith. While England’s top order found some stability through Emilio Gay, who anchored the innings with a patient 57 off 95 balls, and Ben Duckett’s brisk 33, Smith turned the match on its head. In an extraordinary post-lunch spell, he triggered a catastrophic middle-order collapse.

Smith dismantled the core of England’s batting lineup. He trapped the legendary Joe Root leg-before-wickets for just 8 runs, before instantly sending English captain Ben Stokes back to the pavilion for a duck. The pressure was relentless. Smith continued his rampage by cleaning up wicketkeeper Jamie Smith for 39, dismissing Ollie Robinson for 29, and shattering Josh Tongue’s stumps for 5.

Supported by Will O’Rourke‘s 2 for 46, Smith finished with spectacular figures of 6 for 70 in 17 overs. His heroics restricted England to 226 all out in 56 overs, setting New Zealand a highly competitive but achievable target of 254 runs.

England end the Day 2 on top as New Zealand suffer another top order collapse

Despite the euphoria of Smith’s 6-wicket haul, the joy was short-lived for the visitors. Chasing 254 for victory at Lord’s is a historic task, and New Zealand’s second-innings pursuit got off to the worst possible start under murky London skies.

Gus Atkinson struck gold in the very first over, dismissing Kiwi captain Tom Latham for a three-ball duck, caught by Harry Brook. The early blow forced Kane Williamson to the crease to rebuild alongside Devon Conway. Williamson fought tenaciously for his 18 runs off 36 balls, but the English bowlers gave nothing away. The pressure paid off when Tongue trapped Williamson lbw, a decision confirmed after a dramatic, unsuccessful review by the batsman.

To make matters worse for the Black Caps, O’Rourke was sent in as a nightwatchman but was clean-bowled by Atkinson for a duck just before stumps. New Zealand finish at 36 for 3 after 11.5 overs. Devon Conway remains the lone warrior at the crease on 12 not out. With 218 runs still required and seven wickets in hand, New Zealand faces a massive uphill battle against a surging English bowling attack on Day 3.

Also READ: ENG vs NZ: Fans call out hypocrisy after 16 wickets fall on opening day of Lord’s Test

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Also WATCH: Vaibhav Suryavanshi becomes talking point during England vs New Zealand Lord’s Test

Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: crickettimes.com

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