NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Ben Duckett led a counterattack as England made a fast start in its reply to New Zealand's sizeable first-innings total of 438 on Day 2 of the third and final test at Trent Bridge on Friday.
Duckett, who has been short of runs this year, was in typically pugnacious mood as he raced to 52 not out at tea after having been dropped on 8 by third-slip Henry Nicholls off Nathan Smith's bowling. Jacob Bethell was unbeaten at the other end on 16 as England reached the interval on 73-1 from 14 overs.
Emilio Gay was the only home batsman to fall, caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell off Will O'Rourke for nought.
Earlier, captain Ben Stokes bagged his 250th test wicket to help England continue its fightback.
England was under severe pressure on Day 1 after Tom Latham (151) and Devon Conway (157) had compiled a huge 317-run partnership for New Zealand's first wicket.
But the home team rallied with four late wickets on Thursday and Stokes made sure the revival was maintained by claiming three more victims as the Kiwis were bowled out after lunch.
On another baking hot day, with temperatures up to 34 degrees C (93 F), Stokes made the first breakthrough of the day by forcing Daryl Mitchell (11) to edge to keeper Jamie Smith.
O'Rourke (19) was next to fall when he sliced the ball to Gay at point before Stokes took his milestone wicket following a fiery bouncer to Mitchell Santner (4).
Santner called for a DRS review after being given out but TV replays confirmed the ball had flicked his glove after ballooning high to Bethell in the gully.
Spinner Shoaib Bashir took a return catch at the second attempt to dismiss Nathan Smith for 6 before Blundell (30) was lbw on review, having missed an attempted reverse sweep off the same bowler.
Jofra Archer (2-75) wrapped up New Zealand's innings by trapping Ben Sears lbw for nought.
Stokes' haul of 4-70 took him up to ninth place on England's all-time list of wicket-takers. The 35-year-old all-rounder is back in the team along with Gus Atkinson after they were dropped for the second test for disciplinary reasons.
The series is level at 1-1.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
England's Ben Duckett is run out on day two of the second cricket test between England and New Zealand, in London, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Ben Whitley/PA via AP)
England's Ben Duckett bats on day two of the second cricket test between England and New Zealand, in London, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Ben Whitley/PA via AP)
LONDON (AP) — Serena Williams will face an opponent less than half her age when she plays 20-year-old Maya Joint in the first round at Wimbledon for her first singles match in nearly four years.
The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, who is 44, accepted a wild-card entry to the grass-court Grand Slam, where she’ll also compete in doubles with her older sister Venus, who turned 46 last week.
It's all part of a tennis comeback that started with two doubles warmup matches but kicked into high gear Sunday when the All England Club announced Serena would play singles. Brackets were set in Friday's draw.
Joint was born in Michigan — as was Williams — but represents Australia through her father. She is ranked No. 53 and made her Wimbledon debut last year, losing in the first round to Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2.
Joint won the grass-court Eastbourne Open last year for one of her two WTA tour-level singles titles.
Williams hasn't played a singles match since a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, she said she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared she was “evolving” away from tennis. Her second daughter was born in 2023.
Tomljanovic said she hopes Joint “enjoys the moment."
“Especially after (Serena) officially retired four years ago, no one thought that they’d get another chance to play her,” Tomljanovic, an Australian, said Friday at Wimbledon.
Williams is “here to win," Tomljanovic added.
“You never lose that champion mentality. Her coming into the draw means that she thinks she can win,” she said.
Williams' most-recent appearance at Wimbledon was in 2022 when she lost in the opening round to then-115th-ranked Harmony Tan.
If Williams beats Joint on Tuesday, she may face rising Filipino star Alexandra Eala, who is seeded 29th, in the second round. She could meet defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round.
Swiatek opens against Taylor Townsend of the U.S. on Centre Court on Tuesday.
In a projected quarterfinals by seedings, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka would meet French Open champion Mirra Andreeva; No. 2 Elena Rybakina, the 2022 champion, would face 2025 runner-up Amanda Anisimova; Swiatek, the No. 3 seed, would play Elina Svitolina; and No. 4 Jessica Pegula would meet Coco Gauff.
On the men's side, No. 1 Jannik Sinner will begin his Wimbledon title defense against Miomir Kecmanovic on Centre Court on Monday.
Sinner and Novak Djokovic, the No. 7 seed, are in the same half of the draw and could meet in the semifinals.
Sinner underwent checks following his French Open meltdown — losing in the second round amid a heat wave in Paris — and said he felt physically good after an exhibition match this week in London, which also experienced high temperatures.
Djokovic, a seven-time champion at the All England Club, will play Wu Yibing of China. Djokovic could meet third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals.
Two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz, who lost to Sinner in the 2025 final, will miss this year’s tournament because of a wrist injury.
Wimbledon starts on Monday.
The Williams sisters are wild-card entries in the women's doubles and will play their first-round match against Colombia's Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra of Argentina.
Serena and Venus have won 14 Grand Slam titles together in doubles, including six at Wimbledon — the first in 2000 and the last in 2016. Their first two doubles titles at the All England Club, in 2000 and 2002, came as wild cards.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
FILE - Maya Joint of Australia hits a forehand to Iga Swiatek of Poland during their quarterfinal match at the United Cup tennis tournament in Sydney, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
Novak Djokovic or Serbia attends a practice session ahead of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Jannik Sinner of Italy smiles during a training session at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, ahead of the Wimbledon Championships in London, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serena Williams of the United States holds a ball during a practice session ahead of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, in London, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Serena Williams of the United States arrives at a training session at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, ahead of the Wimbledon Championships in London, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serena Williams of the United States smiles after a training session at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, ahead of the Wimbledon Championships in London, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
