Day 3 at Trent Bridge is action packed New Zealand Firmly opposed in the driver’s seat of the third test England in Nottingham. After building a healthy first innings total of 438, the Black Caps capitalized on England’s dramatic collapse to build a stumps lead of 204.
The match starting on 25 June 2026 turned into a classic battle of attrition but New Zealand’s disciplined execution in all three sessions on Saturday gave them complete control of this ENG vs NZ encounter.
Nathan Smith bats for England on Day 3
Resuming the day at a comfortable 223/2, England looked set to threaten New Zealand’s massive first innings score. Night dough Jacob Bethell and Joe Root aimed to anchor the strike but the visitors had other plans. Kiwi Accelerator Nathan Smith turned the game on its head with an exceptional exhibition of swing and seam bowling.
Smith broke important resistance early, trapping the legendary Root leg before moving to 21. This progress caused a major landslide. Bethell fell shortly after for a well-made 74, caught by Tom Latham off Will O’Rourke. while Harry Brooke With a counter-attack of 80 to 58 to take England past the 300 mark, Smith continued to cause havoc at the other end.
He tore up the middle and lower order by firing Jamie Smith 11 and then returns to clean up Jofra Archer for 15. Supported by beautiful Zach Foulkes (3/35) and O’Rourke (3/53), Smith finished with stellar figures of 4 for 91 in 23 overs. England’s aggressive approach crumbled under relentless pressure as they lost the last eight wickets for just 131 runs, amassing 354 runs just before the tea break.
Rachin Ravindra ends the day on a high against England
With a first innings cushion of 84 runs, New Zealand’s second essay got off to a disastrous start. Jofra Archer roared under cloudy Nottingham skies, lifting the captain Tom Latham 4 for and Devon Conway for 5 in quick succession. When Gus Atkinson was fired Henry Nicholls For 16, the Black Caps were reeling at 51/3 and England sensed an opening to get back into the Test match.
But young batting sensation Rachin Ravindra stepped in to steady the ship. Displaying perfect composure, Ravindra absorbed the early hostility of the English shows before playing some breathtaking shots. He found an experienced ally Daryl Mitchelland together, the duo methodically neutralized England’s bowling attack.
Ravindra scored a brilliant half-century off 81 balls, hitting 8 precise boundaries along the way. When the umpires called stumps on Day 3, New Zealand were 120/3 after 35 overs. Ravindra remained unbeaten with a classy 60* off 90 balls, while Mitchell provided solid support with 26*. Their unbroken 69-run partnership took the overall lead to 204 runs, leaving England with a huge mountain to climb in the final two days.
This is stumps on the third day. pic.twitter.com/aJZTaIDyF9
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 27, 2026
