England crumble to 143 all out in third NZ Test after O'Rourke blast / Photo: © AFP
England crumble to 143 all out in third NZ Test after O'Rourke blast
Pace bowler Will O'Rourke ripped out three key wickets as England crumbled to 143 all out Sunday and leave New Zealand in command of the third Test in Hamilton.
The tourists lost their last eight wickets for 66 runs to trail by 204 runs in response to the home side's first-innings 347.
New Zealand chose not to enforce the follow-on.
O'Rourke (3-33) ignited the rout, prising out the ICC ranked first and second-best Test batters -- Harry Brook and Joe Root -- in a ferocious post-lunch spell.
It handed New Zealand a rare position of ascendency in a series they have already lost following heavy defeats in Christchurch and Wellington.
Jacob Bethell (12) was the first to fall to O'Rourke, caught at point, before the towering quick removed the in-form Brook for a golden duck.
After scoring match-changing centuries in each of the first two Tests, Brook played on to an in-swinger, prompting a roar of approval from the Seddon Park crowd.
Root departed for 32 in O'Rourke's next over, caught at point off a limp cut shot from a ball that bounced sharply.
Spinner Mitchell Santner reinforced New Zealand's commanding position by removing Ollie Pope (24) and captain Ben Stokes (27) in his first seven deliveries after the pair had put on 52 for the sixth wicket.
Pope edged to Daryl Mitchell at first slip before Stokes departed lbw, losing balance as he attempted a sweep shot.
Brydon Carse was caught and bowled by Santner (3-7) while Matt Henry (4-48) removed tailenders Gus Atkinson and Matthew Potts as the last five wickets fell for nine runs.
Earlier, Henry removed both openers to reduce England to 54-2 at lunch.
Zak Crawley fell to Henry for the fifth time out of five innings in the series, caught-and-bowled for 21 to continue an underwhelming series.
Crawley's score was his best of the series but he has still only managed 47 runs at an average of 9.6.
The impressive Henry struck again in the same over, trapping Ben Duckett lbw for 11.
Earlier, England took more than an hour to claim the last New Zealand wicket after the home side resumed at 315-9.
New Zealand faced a further 15.1 overs and added 32 runs before Santner was bowled for 76 by Potts.
O'Rourke finished unbeaten on five, having helped to frustrate the tourists in hot conditions with a final-wicket partnership of 44.
Santner top-scored for New Zealand after adding 26 runs to his overnight score while seamer Potts's figures of 4-90 were the best for England.
L.Graham--TNT
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