Broad withdraws Williamson to leave struggling New Zealand in third Test
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Leeds (United Kingdom) (AFP) – England’s Stuart Broad was closing in on 550 Test wickets after striking in the first round of the match and then pulling off New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on the opening day of the series final at Headingley on Thursday.
New Zealand, already trailing 2-0 in a three-game series, had 65 goals from three at lunchtime after winning the draw under blue skies and on seemingly good ground to strike at Leeds.
England were looking for three wins from three under their new leadership duo of captain Ben Stokes and red ball coach Brendon McCullum, a former New Zealand skipper.
They were without James Anderson, their best Test wicket taker of all time, due to an ankle injury.
But any disappointment at Anderson’s absence was quickly mitigated when longtime partner Broad pulled out Tom Latham for a sixth-ball duck after edging a delivery straight to Joe Root on the first slip.
New Zealand weren’t for one at this point but Will Young and Williamson, back in action after missing the second Test in Nottingham with a coronavirus fight, repaired some of the early damage.
Williamson, at a ground where he had played for Yorkshire, crushed Broad for four and Young cut a boundary with Test debutant Jamie Overton as Surrey quickly favored twin brother Craig as Anderson’s replacement.
Spin, however, ended a promising partnership, when left-arm Jack Leach hit with his first pitch, spinning and straightening a delivery beyond Young’s bat to have the Lbw opener for 20.
Young reviewed, more in hope than expectation, with replays indicating the ball would have hit the middle of the center stump and New Zealand had 35 runs for two inside 13 overs.
Broad then captured the key wicket from Williamson, whose fluid 31 included five fours, when the star batsman edged a fine leg-cutter to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes as the setter won his 548th Test wicket.
Williamson, in a rare show of emotion, ripped off his glove in disgust.
New Zealand nearly lost a fourth wicket before lunch when southpaw Devon Conway, 11, edged inside Broad, only for Foakes to drop a tough one-handed chance as he dived to his right .
© 2022 AFP