Lord's Test, Day 3: England shine as rain plays soilsport
What's the story
England is on the verge of victory against New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's. The match was marred by rain on day three, with less than 10 overs of play possible. However, Ollie Robinson made the most of the limited time to take crucial wickets and put England in a strong position. New Zealand resumed Day 3 on 36/3 and ended the same being 55/5.
Game changer
Robinson's brilliance on a rain-hit day
Robinson, who was making his Test cricket comeback, took two important wickets in the brief play on Saturday. He dismissed Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell, taking his tally to seven wickets in the match. This left New Zealand reeling at 53-5 in the 20th over. New Zealand needing 199 more runs to win. The day's play was eventually called off due to rain.
Tactical approach
England's aggressive approach pays off
Knowing the conditions were in their favor and time on the field was short, England crowded the bat with as many as seven close catchers. Robinson's first wicket was a beauty that Ravindra couldn't defend against. The left-hander has had a tough Test match with batting returns of nought and eight, along with two dropped catches that have been crucial in this low-scoring contest.
Match developments
Rain plays spoilsport again
Robinson struck Mitchell on the pad just after England keeper Jamie Smith came up to the stumps. The review couldn't save Mitchell as the ball was shaving leg stump. This was another umpire's call that went against New Zealand in this match. However, weather intervened again and ended play for the day with England needing five wickets to win and New Zealand requiring 199 runs.