England’s top order crumbles early as Jacob Bethell gamble fails

England’s top order crumbled on the second morning of the first Test against New Zealand, slipping to 45 for three with their gamble on debutant Jacob Bethell failing to pay off.

The 21-year-old was thrown in at the deep end at number three – a position he has never occupied in his short first-class career – and was worked over before being caught behind for 10 just before lunch.

Another newcomer – Black Caps seamer Nathan Smith – got the better of him and landed an even bigger blow when he bowled Joe Root for a duck with the last ball before the interval.

With Zak Crawley first to fall without scoring, England’s reply to the home side’s 348 was in serious strife inside 15 overs.

After Brydon Carse mopped up the last two New Zealand wickets to finish with four for 64, Crawley got England’s reply off to a disappointing start. He failed to score from his 12 balls and was pinned in front of leg stump by Matt Henry.

That meant an uncomfortably early arrival for Bethell, whose selection in such a pivotal position brought plenty of raised eyebrows.

There was a stifled appeal for lbw off his first delivery in Test cricket and another for a non-existent edge off his seventh, while an excellent piece of ground fielding from Tim Southee stopped him getting off the mark when he drove his 12th.

Thirteen proved a lucky number as he scampered through for a single from a defensive push but after 26 deliveries he was still stuck on one.

Smith’s arrival brought him out of his shell with a pull for four and a sweet cut to the backward point boundary, but he soon lost the battle of the new blood.

Smith had already beaten him once on the outside edge when he got a sliver of bat at the start of his second over, Bethell looking to cover the line but marginally misreading the trajectory.

There was a short wait as the umpires checked for a no-ball but there was no reprieve for Bethell. That left Root with just five deliveries to face before lunch on the occasion of his 150th Test and Smith, incredibly, made sure he did not.

After overstepping a couple of times he pushed Root on to the back foot, angled it back in and saw him drag down the stumps via bat and pad.

England took New Zealand’s last two wickets for 29 with Carse shouldering responsibility. His first ball of the morning took care of Southee, who opted to take on the short ball but was only able to hack inelegantly to fine leg.

The burly seamer caused Glenn Phillips problems too, rattling him on the helmet then seeing a tough chance put down at slip, and wrapped things up with a punishing yorker to Will O’Rourke.

Carse’s haul of four for 64 came in contrast to Chris Woakes, who finished with nought for 70 across 20 underwhelming overs.