Ollie Robinson moved England two steps closer to Lord’s Test victory over New Zealand on an otherwise frustrating third day restricted to less than an hour’s play by wet weather.
Robinson, who celebrated his return to international cricket following a two-year absence with figures of five for 39 including a triple-wicket maiden in the first innings, reduced the tourists to 55 for five in the second.
Day three of a Lord’s Test is statistically the best for batting, but the elements made this particular one as treacherous as the previous two had been, meaning that Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell were added to the collection of cheap scalps.
Bowling with damp in the air and the floodlights on to improve visibility, the 32-year-old struck twice in four balls soon after the third resumption of a stop-start afternoon spell of play.
Ravindra walked to the crease on a king pair and bearing a heavy debt to his team-mates after spilling two straightforward catches on the first day. Although he avoided the ignominy of another nought, his participation in the match ended soon afterwards when Robinson squared him up from round the wicket.
The Sussex captain’s performance here has left people wondering what effect he might have had on the Ashes last winter given that he bowls at a similar pace to Australian seamers Michael Neser and Scott Boland.
Ollie Robinson has returned to the England team with a bang – with his side on the verge of victory over New Zealand
That pair often operated with the wicketkeeper stood up to the stumps, something that Jamie Smith replicated when Mitchell came in at No 6. During New Zealand’s first innings of 113 all out, Mitchell took guard out of his crease in a bid to counter the sideways movement but Smith’s ploy now forced him back.
And Robinson was soon the beneficiary as Rod Tucker adjudged that a delivery angled into the batsman was hitting leg-stump. A review confirmed it was, but only on umpire’s call.
Seeking further breakthroughs before the rain became terminal, Ben Stokes posted two leg slips and a short leg, but Tom Blundell, who struck 186 in Test victory over Ireland last week, survived alongside Devon Conway.
Only the hardiest of supporters remained in the stands at 5.30pm when confirmation came that the New Zealand sixth-wicket pair would begin again on Sunday – in what are expected to be the best batting conditions of the match – needing an unlikely 199 further runs to prevent England registering a morale-boosting, post-Ashes win.
