After leaving New Zealand 315-9 overnight and returning with a second new ball 11 deliveries old, England could have been batting almost instantly on Sunday morning.
Instead, they paid Santner too much respect, allowing him to farm the strike. The left-hander added 26 to his first-day 50. O’Rourke held up his end for five not out from 30 deliveries.
If the batting of Santner and O’Rourke frustrated England, the bowling of O’Rourke in particular ripped the heart out of the visitors. In an eight-over spell in sapping heat, he averaged over 88mph, but more importantly used his height to generate venomous lift.
Santner, a hero of New Zealand’s series win in India, is playing his first Test of this series. When he came on to bowl, he immediately generated turn, making England’s ignoring of off-spinner Shoaib Bashir until the 157th over of the match all the more curious.
New Zealand’s batting in the evening was merely an exercise in growing the lead. Young, player of the series in India, again demonstrated how much he was missed in the first two Tests of this series, while Williamson is helping himself on a ground where he averaged 94 before this match began.
O’Rourke’s full day was completed by a second stint with the bat, emerging as nightwatchman after Young hooked a Stokes bouncer to Bethell. It was a failed enterprise, ending with an edge behind off the same bowler.
