Brydon Carse takes 6-42; England needs 104 to beat New Zealand in 1st test

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Brydon Carse took 6-42 as England dismissed New Zealand for 254 on the fourth morning of the first test Sunday, leaving itself a target of only 104 runs to complete a comprehensive win and take a 1-0 series lead.

Carse claimed his first five wicket bag in an innings and first 10 wicket haul in a test, finishing with 10-106 after his first innings figures of 4-64.

Daryl Mitchell was the last man out for 84 after playing the role of a lone rearguard as New Zealand sought to prolong the match if not to save it.

New Zealand resumed Sunday at 155-6, leading England by four runs after trailing by 151 on the first innings. Mitchell was 31 not out overnight and New Zealand’s only real hope of setting a potentially testing fourth innings chase for the tourists.

He played with stoic concentration at first as the bulwark against England’s progress to victory, reaching his 13th half century from 132 balls. As wickets fell around him he finally had no choice but to hit out and he added 45 for the last wicket with Will O’Rourke, who scored his highest test score of five.

Mitchell was Carse’s sixth wicket of the innings and third on the fourth day, caught in the deep by Chris Woakes as he attempted to add to his tally of 12 fours and a six.

England had taken the match away from New Zealand on the third day when Harry Brook made 171 to lead England to 499 in reply to New Zealand’s 348.

Carse played a major role in unraveling New Zealand’s second innings in which only Kane Williamson, who scored 61 to follow his first innings 93, put up a fight before Mitchell’s gallant last stand.

Allrounder Nathan Smith, in his first test, resumed on one not out and took his score to 21 before he became the first of Carse’s victims on Sunday. England had pursued a short ball strategy at times but it was a ball that kept low from Carse that had Smith caught on the knee roll and judged lbw.

Smith reviewed but couldn’t change the umpire’s decision.

Matt Henry also fell lbw to Carse, a decision no review could alter, and Tim Southee hit his 94th and 95th sixes in tests before he was caught by Joe Root off Gus Atkinson attempting another.

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