New Zealand reeling in chase of 254 as Emilio Gay half century puts England in command

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/cricket/england-UJC5mtAU/new-zealand-G6PWlrQB/summary/stats/?mid=8YVGt6cU"]England's strong position[/a] also owed much to debutant opener Emilio Gay's valuable fifty in a low-scoring game.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/G6PWlrQB/"]New Zealand[/a] were 36-3 in their second innings at stumps. They need a further 218 runs to reach a victory target of 254 after collapsing to 113 all out first time around on a bowler-friendly pitch.[/p][embed guid="1bf61171-a347-4de4-a66a-df156d5932e6" url="https://x.com/englandcricket/status/2062980777143390719" social-type="twitter" /][p]They suffered a woeful start to their run chase on Friday when captain Tom Latham fell for a third-ball duck, edging a loose drive off Atkinson to Harry Brook in the slips.[/p][p]Kane Williamson, in what could be the key batsman's final appearance at Lord's, battled hard for 18 before he was lbw to fast bowler Josh Tongue shortly before the close.[/p][p]New Zealand sent out a nightwatchman in Will O'Rourke but he was bowled for a duck by paceman Atkinson, who had close figures of 2-10 in 3.5 overs.[/p][p]Earlier, Jamie Smith helped [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/UJC5mtAU/"]England[/a] recover from a middle-order collapse before the hosts were dismissed for 226 in their second innings of a frenetic clash in north London.[/p][embed guid="64cb39fe-bd49-4dbc-b49c-36398b5579f5" url="https://x.com/englandcricket/status/2062945519287111986" social-type="twitter" /][p]Gay was England's top scorer in their second innings with 57 and wicket-keeper Smith made 39 in the 150th Test staged at Lord's -- the most of any ground.[/p][p]New Zealand quick Nathan Smith took 6-70.[/p][p]But given New Zealand were dismissed for just 113 in the first innings, they need a vastly improved batting effort to prevent England going 1-0 up in the three-match series.[/p][h2]'Tough day'[/h2][p][b]"A tough day, the pitch had its demands," [/b]Gay told the [i]BBC[/i]. [b]"That's the beauty of Test cricket, the challenges it brings.[/b][/p][p][b]"The most important thing was trying to embrace it and see it as an opportunity. When it's a low-scoring game, partnerships of 20 and little bits of momentum there are massive."[/b][/p][p]Nathan Smith, meanwhile, said: [b]"The game has moved pretty quickly in the first couple of days. We lost one too many wickets tonight but the wicket (pitch) is offering a lot for the seamers."[/b][/p][p]England lost four wickets for just one run as 126-2 became 127-6 before Jamie Smith steadied the ship during a seventh-wicket partnership of 57 with Atkinson.[/p][p]Atkinson, however, gave his innings away on 14 when a miscued pull off Kyle Jamieson was caught by the towering fast bowler.[/p][p]This is England's first Test since a 4-1 series loss in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/australia/OxG0JfXg/"]Australia[/a] where they squandered several promising positions.[/p][p]It appeared that they might be suffering a repeat of their Ashes debacle when Brook, fresh from a first-innings fifty, and England captain Ben Stokes were both dismissed without scoring on Friday.[/p][p]There was little Jamie Smith could do when Nathan Smith bowled him with a delivery that kept low.[/p][p]Gay, who survived a Henry lbw appeal when the Durham batsman would have been out for 24, pressed on to an 84-ball fifty, including seven fours, before he was caught behind off Smith to leave England 126-3.[/p][p]Brook was trapped in front by O'Rourke for a duck and Joe Root fell in similar fashion to Smith for eight.[/p][p]Stokes was bowled by an excellent Smith delivery that clipped the top of the left-hander's off stump.[/p][p]Ollie Robinson made a useful 29 before he was last man out.[/p][p]The Sussex pace bowler had previously marked his return to England duty with a five-wicket haul.[/p][p]Robinson, in his first Test in over two years, produced a triple-wicket maiden on Thursday during a sensational 4-10 in six overs as New Zealand slumped to 61-6 at stumps.[/p][p]And on Friday, he bowled last man Matt Henry for a duck to finish with his Test-best figures of 5-39 in 10.1 overs.[/p]