England vs New Zealand: Tim South says hosts can play on Kiwi memories in 2022

On Thursday, New Zealand won a crucial contest and cashed in on perfect match conditions, forcing England to work with the ball in blistering heat.

But with captain Latham all out for 151 and Conway falling for 157, Rachin Ravindra and Henry Nicholls were dismissed in the last two deliveries of the day to lift England’s hopes.

And, under Stokes, England have the ability to win despite their first innings.

In Test history, 18 teams have lost after posting 500 in the first innings. The last three defeats have come against England – New Zealand here, then Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022, and Pakistan again in Multan in 2024.

“The wicket is very good, so I think the first two innings will be good for batting, then we will see what happens in the Test,” South said.

“Test cricket is played over five days. You see here in Tests in 2022, both the first innings scores were very high.

“Throughout the Test you have to believe you’re still in a position where all results are possible. One day we’re sitting here with New Zealand four down, tomorrow two new batsmen, a night watchman at one end and the new ball in hand. It’s an exciting time to go into day two.”

England are desperate for back-to-back wins after months of poor results and off-field issues. They have won just two of the last 9 Tests and this streak of nightclub controversy has been fueled by captain Ben Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson.

Before this game, Stokes said that the pressure on his team is the highest they have seen in his four years as a coach.

New Zealand, on the other hand, have a chance to become the first visiting team since 2012 to win three matches or more in a row.

And their assistant coach Luke Ronchi in 2015 Souths rejected the suggestion that a defeat in 2022 would be grounds for a rematch.

“It’s a very different team compared to 2022,” said Ronchi, who has played international cricket for New Zealand and Australia.

“It’s different cricket. It’s a different page. That doesn’t really go into it. It was four years ago.

“The guys are in the moment, understanding what each ball needs and how they want to go. That’s all we can ask of each other.”