On day three of the second Rothesay Test, England found themselves trailing New Zealand by 194 runs, with a costly error from wicketkeeper James Rew compounding their woes. The tourists secured a first-innings lead of exactly 100 after bowling England out for 291, aided by a surprising half-century from tailender Matt Fisher, which prevented a larger deficit.

Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue initially kept the pressure on by dismissing both New Zealand openers, but a resilient partnership between Henry Nicholls and Rachin Ravindra saw the Black Caps reach 94 for two at tea. England had a golden opportunity to break this stand when Tongue caught Ravindra’s outside edge, but Rew failed to hold onto the chance, allowing Ravindra to finish the day on 35 not out, alongside Nicholls on 39.

The match was marred by several self-inflicted errors from England, including Ben Duckett’s drop early on day two and a subsequent run-out due to a miscommunication with Emilio Gay. On Friday morning, England suffered a shocking collapse, losing three wickets for just three runs, with Matt Henry claiming a five-wicket haul.

Despite being 238 for nine and trailing by 153, Fisher and debutant Sonny Baker mounted a surprising resistance. Fisher played aggressively, scoring 50 not out, while Baker faced 36 balls, contributing to a 17-over rearguard. Just as Fisher reached his fifty, Henry dismissed Baker, leaving New Zealand ahead by 100.

England needed a strong bowling response, and Archer delivered by dismissing Tom Latham early. Tongue followed suit, but another dropped catch by Rew allowed New Zealand to solidify their position, leading to a partnership of 66 runs. As the day progressed, England faced mounting pressure, struggling to capitalize on crucial chances.