New Zealand leads England by 340 runs in the 3rd test as Henry and O'Rourke shine

HAMILTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand showed off its presumptive new ball attack as it took control of the third test against England on the second day Sunday.

Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke shared seven wickets as New Zealand bowled out England for 143 in a session and a half to take a 205-run first innings lead.

O’Rourke then had to bat for the second time in the day as nightwatchman when Will Young was out for 60 within 20 minutes of the close. He couldn’t last to stumps at which New Zealand was 136-3, having increased its lead to 340.

Kane Williamson completed his 38th half century just before the close and was 50 not and Rachin Ravindra was 2.

Henry and O’Rourke likely will become New Zealand’s new ball attack when Tim Southee retires at the end of this, his 107th test. They previewed that partnership Sunday as Henry took 4-48 and O’Rourke took 3-33 in an outstanding New Zealand bowling performance.

Left-armer spinner Mitchell Santner took 3-7 including the wickets of Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes after leading a defiant last wicket stand with O’Rourke which occupied the first hour of the day until New Zealand’s last wicket fell at 347.

O’Rourke, a classic No. 11 with only 13 runs in nine tests at a strike rate of eight, gave Santner stalwart support in a partnership with frustrated England for 77 minutes at the end of the first day and the start of the second.

Santner reached his fourth half century with a six from the last ball of the first day. He carried on, taking the majority of the strike, before being bowled by Matthew Potts with the first ball after the morning drinks break.

O’Rourke faced 30 deliveries and was five not out, having taken 25 balls to get off the mark and having hit his first boundary in international cricket, a leg glance from the bowling of Gus Atkinson.

The duration of the partnership between Santner and O’Rourke was enough to cause England discomfort as it lifted New Zealand from 303-9 to 315-9 at stumps Saturday and on to 347.

O’Rourke went on to play a key role as New Zealand dismantled England’s first innings in 35.5 overs. He bowled at pace and found disconcerting bounce on a drying second day wicket at Seddon Park.

O’Rourke took the wickets of Jacob Bethell (12) and Harry Brook (0) with consecutive deliveries, then removed Joe Root (32) in his next over.

He first worked over Bethell with a series of short balls then offered him a full ball wide of off stump which Bethell sliced to Glenn Phillips in the gully.

He then produced a 148 kilometer (93mph) ball to Brook which the batter could only fend onto his own stumps. Brook has been New Zealand’s nemesis in this series, scoring 171 in the first test and 123 in the second, on both occassions rescuing England from poor starts.

Finally, he cramped Root with a short, fast ball which the batter tried to cut but only spar to Young in the gully. England was 82-5.

England has an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after winning the first test by eight wickets and the second by 323 runs.

The England innings had began with an extraordinary onslaught from Zak Crawley who hit 16 runs from the second over, then was out when England was 32. He had hit 21 from 14 balls with five fours.

Crawley has struggled in this series with scores of 0, 1, 17 and 8 and Sunday’s opening partnership was England’s largest of the series after previous stands of 12, 9, 9 and 1.

Henry dived to take a catch at grasstop height from his own bowling to dismiss Crawley in the fifth over of England’s innings, then trapped Ben Duckett (11) lbw four balls later.

After O’Rourke’s triple strike, Santer removed Pope (24) and Stokes (27) in consecutive overs. He undid Pope with turn and bounce, causing him to edge to first slip, then trapped Stokes lbw as he knelt to sweep.

Henry returned to dismiss Gus Atkinson (4) and England crumbled to be all out four short of the follow-on which New Zealand didn’t enforce.

New Zealand lost Tom Latham early in its second innings for 19 by Young and Williamson added 89 for the second wicket. Young remains without a century in 20 tests.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

England captain Ben Stokes reacts during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Bruce Lim/Photosport via AP)

England's Joe Root bats during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

England's Joe Root bats during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

New Zealand players celebrate the wicket of England's Joe Root during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

England's Ollie Pope bats during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

England's Ollie Pope bats during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

England captain Ben Stokes reacts while batting during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

New Zealand bowler Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry, right, celebrate the wicket of England's Ollie Pope during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

New Zealand bowler Will O'Rourke celebrates the wicket of England batsman Joe Root, left, during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Bruce Lim/Photosport via AP)

England's Zak Crawley reacts as he walks from the field after he was dismissed during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

New Zealand bowler Matt Henry celebrates the wicket of England's Ben Duckett, right, during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

New Zealand's Matt Henry takes a catch off his own bowling to dismiss England's Zak Crawley during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

England's Gus Atkinson kicks at the ball during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

New Zealand's Mitchell Santner bats during play on day two of the third cricket test between England and New Zealand in Hamilton, New Zealand, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Stephen Curry has been cleared for shooting drills and light on-court workouts despite a strained left hamstring, giving him a chance to play for the Golden State Warriors if they force a Game 6 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Warriors reevaluated Curry on Wednesday before playing their must-win Game 5 without him and announced he was “making good progress” in his recovery from the injury suffered in the opener of the second-round series.

If the Warriors beat the Timberwolves, Curry will undergo his next medical evaluation on Saturday, ahead of Game 6 in San Francisco on Sunday. There's a three-day break scheduled between Games 5 and 6, affording Curry extra time to heal.

“He's on the court. He's doing more stuff, more work, and it's a possibility that he could play,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said shortly before tipoff at Target Center on Wednesday.

Curry traveled with the team to Minneapolis, but he already had been ruled out for the fourth consecutive game when the official injury report was released on Tuesday.

Curry’s first career hamstring strain, one of several injuries that have waylaid star players during these NBA playoffs, has made it predictably harder for the Warriors to space their offense and generate scoring. They are averaging 17 turnovers per game in the series and shooting only 36% from 3-point range.

Brandin Podziemski shot 9 for 40 from the field over the first four games, including 3 for 17 from beyond the arc. He has just 30 points in the series. Jimmy Butler, playing through an illness, had a minus-30 rating in Game 4 on Monday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30), left, gestures after making a 3-point shot as Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, right, reacts during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, reacts from the bench during the first half of Game 4 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Monday, May 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, center right, gestures to teammate Draymond Green that he is subbing in the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in San Francisco, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)