ENG vs NZ 2nd Test: Glenn Phillips' maiden century sets stage before bowlers put New Zealand ahead

For those who thought Glenn Phillips was all about acrobatic fielding, day two of the second Test at The Oval offered a different story. The right‑hander brought up his maiden Test hundred, steering New Zealand into a commanding position. With this milestone, Phillips joined an elite group, becoming only the third Kiwi after Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill to score centuries across formats.

A large share of credit also goes to Kyle Jamieson, who stood firm at the other end and stitched an 87‑run partnership for the eighth wicket. His support allowed Phillips to flourish after surviving a testing opening day, where he had to negotiate a barrage of short balls from Jofra Archer. Phillips cashed in on Thursday, striking 18 boundaries in his 135‑ball innings at a strike rate of 74.07.

England finally found a breakthrough from an unlikely source. Jacob Bethell bowled Jamieson for 41, just nine runs short of a half‑century. That dismissal triggered the end of New Zealand’s innings, as they added only 24 more runs before being bowled out for 391.

❌ ALL OUT ❌

New Zeland finish their innings on 3️⃣9️⃣1️⃣. pic.twitter.com/D4VFB3DRIv

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 18, 2026

England’s reply began with intent. Ben Duckett launched into the Kiwi new‑ball pair of Matt Henry and Jamieson, but a mix‑up with Emilio Gay led to Duckett’s run‑out. Bethell followed soon after, nicked off by Nathan Smith for 9.

Relief came when stand‑in skipper Joe Root joined Gay to rebuild. Their 74‑run stand steadied England, with Gay registering his second Test fifty. But his innings ended when Will O’Rourke surprised him with a sharp bouncer.

Momentum swung back to New Zealand as Matt Henry produced a fiery spell, dismissing both Root and Harry Brook on 46 and 24, respectively. O'Rourke struck three overs before stumps to get rid of the debutant James Rew. England's wicketkeeper, Rew, was late on his attempted pull shot and was safely pouched by Daryl Mitchell while backpedalling at first slip. 

England finished the day at 222/6 and are still 169 behind the Blackcaps. The hosts would hope that the pair of Jordan Cox (22*) and Jofra Archer (0*) contributes significantly on day three to help them reduce the deficit.