NZ vs ENG 2nd Test Match Review: The second Test match between NZ Vs ENG was played at Basin Reserve in Wellington from Friday, 24th February 2023 to Tuesday, 28th February 2023.

This match will be remembered for an amazing comeback from the New Zealanders. After a heavy loss in the first Test match, Stokes and Co. were the favourites to clinch the second Test match and the series as well.

Day one and day two of this Test match belonged to the visiting team, England. The visitors posted 435 runs for the loss of eight wickets.

The English bowlers too did a wonderful job by bundling the Kiwis for just 209 runs in their 1st innings and England also enforced the follow on.

Stokes and co. looked the favourites to win this match because their bowlers were in tremendous form.

But what followed was so unexpected that it shocked England and their fans as well.

The Black Caps team batters who failed to put up a show in the first Test and the first innings of the second Test stood up tall and rescued their team magnificently.

New Zealand had a good opening partnership and the middle order also scored some vital runs which took the home side ahead in this must-win match. 

So today, in this segment, we shall name the top five Best performers of the 2nd Test match between NZ Vs ENG.

New Zealand also became just the third team to win a Test match after the opposition had enforced the follow on.

India and England are the only countries who had achieved this feat before the Kiwis today.

1. Harry Brook

The middle-order batter of the England side batted well in the first innings.

His partnership with the former England skipper Joe Root was vital and that helped the visitors to make a solid comeback after they were reeling at 21 for 3 at one stage.

Brook scored 186 runs and continued his sensational run in the red ball format. Brook won the man of the series award as well.

2. Joe Root

The former England skipper held the innings together when his country needed the most. His partnership with the new young sensation, Harry Brook was critical at that point.

Root scored 153 runs in the 1st innings and continued his great run in the second innings as well.

His 95-run knock kept England in the game during the 2nd innings. If Root had stayed till the end, then the result would have been different for the visitors.

3. Kane Williamson

The man of the match in this encounter was Kane Williamson. He failed in the first Test match and the first innings of the second Test encounter.

But the former skipper of the Black Caps side played an excellent knock in the second innings which brought the home side back into the match.

Williamson’s 132 runs proved vital in the end as the Kiwis won this encounter by just one run.

4. Jack Leach

The spin bowler of the visiting team tried his best to bring England back into the contest.

But the Kiwi batters were well prepared and they knew what Leach would do on this pitch on the final day.

Jack picked up three wickets in the 1st innings and bagged a five wicket haul in the second innings of this Test match.

5. Neil Wagner

New Zealand won this match because of Neil Wagner’s extraordinary spell in the second innings. He picked up the wickets at regular intervals which allowed New Zealand to make a comeback every time in the match.

He picked up the main threats, Joe Root and Ben Stokes to shift the game in his country’s favour.

Wagner picked up four wickets in the second innings and helped the Kiwis to script a history in Wellington.