England hit by Rew drops and Nicholls century
Second Rothesay Test, The Kia Oval (day three of five)
New Zealand 391 (Phillips 100, Blundell 51; Bethell 3-26) & 252-3 (Nicholls 119*, Ravindra 76)
England 291 (Gay 53, Fisher 50*; Henry 5-80)
New Zealand are 352 runs ahead
England's parlous position in the second Test against New Zealand was compounded by drops from debutant wicketkeeper James Rew and a superb century by Henry Nicholls.
On the day Ben Stokes made his return to action for Durham following an incident in a London nightclub, an England team without their captain were slowly roasted in the heat of The Oval.
By the end of the third day, New Zealand had moved to 252-3 in their second innings, leading by 352 and primed to level the series at 1-1.
Rew was one of five changes and three new caps brought in by England from the team that won the first Test at Lord's. The chances he missed were difficult, yet catchable and costly.
Diving to his left, Rew put down Rachin Ravindra when he had only seven. Nicholls, on 42, gloved an attempted hook down the leg side and Rew parried the ball high to his right.
Reprieved, the New Zealand third-wicket pair added 161. Ravindra was lbw to Jacob Bethell for 76, but Nicholls pushed on to end the day on 119 not out.
England earlier gave up a first-innings lead of 100 by being bowled out for 291. It was a below-par total on a good pitch and would have been worse had it not been for number nine Matthew Fisher's maiden unbeaten half-century.
From 222-6 overnight, the home side were reduced to 238-9 by Matt Henry's five-wicket haul, before Fisher added 53 for the 10th wicket with last man Sonny Baker.
Durham chief 'bemused' by doubts around Stokes
Stokes absence casts long shadow
Despite The Oval shimmering in the sunshine, this was an odd spectacle. New Zealand's dominance sucked the jeopardy from the contest, giving the feeling the real story was 280 miles away with Stokes, and Durham's match against Northamptonshire.
There is a growing possibility Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson will return for next week's third Test at Trent Bridge, and this third day was a further example of how England have missed their captain as a leader and cricketer.
Denied the team balance provided by Stokes, England opted to go without a frontline spinner. One would have been useful on a pitch starting to turn and with a fast-bowling attack that had to be managed in the heat.
Stand-in captain Joe Root's tactics were baffling on a second morning that began England's spiral. He is marshalling an inexperienced team and the lack of senior players has shown. At one point, Root looked frustrated when Emilio Gay was not in the right fielding position.
England have been badly hurt by drops - one by Ben Duckett on Thursday, then the two by Rew on Friday - and their batting. Stokes would probably have been powerless to improve either.
If he does return as skipper in Nottingham, it will likely be in a crucial deciding Test for an England team desperate for a series win.
Rew exposed
Rew made his Test debut because first-choice keeper Jamie Smith is on paternity leave. England could have given the gloves to Rew's fellow debutant Jordan Cox, or even gone back to Ollie Pope.
Rated as a fine batting prospect, there were concerns about Rew's keeping before this match and the two catches he dropped ended England's slim hopes of a fightback.
Jofra Archer bowled with fire to have Tom Latham nick off and Josh Tongue removed Devon Conway with his first ball. With New Zealand 28-2, England had a sniff.
When Ravindra flashed at Tongue, the score had moved on to 48-2, the lead 148. Rew, moving towards first slip, put down the catch with his left hand.
Even when Nicholls was missed on 97-2, England could maybe have gained a foothold. Rew flapped at the ball gloved down the leg side off Archer, much to the displeasure of the bowler.
Bethell, who took three wickets in the first innings, did not bowl until the 38th over and could have had Ravindra caught at short leg before he won a tight lbw call against the sweeping left-hander.
Nicholls, though, would not be denied, filling the gap vacated by the retirement of Kane Williamson with his 11th Test century.
He pulled Bethell for four to reach three figures and a partnership with Daryl Mitchell, unbeaten on 32, was worth 63 by the close.
Henry hauls before Fisher resists
Beginning the day 169 behind, England's hopes of getting close to New Zealand's first-innings 391 largely rested on Cox.
But Henry was superb, nagging away with wicketkeeper Tom Blundell up to the stumps. Cox chipped to mid-wicket, the sublime Blundell brilliantly held a thick edge off Archer and Tongue was caught at mid-on to give Henry a seventh five-wicket haul in Tests.
When debutant Baker joined Fisher - playing his second Test - England were 238-9. They defied New Zealand for 80 minutes and 17 overs.
Baker gamely faced 36 balls for his four. Fisher stood up to New Zealand's bouncers and occasionally carved through the covers for a 76-ball half-century that was given a huge reception by the crowd on his home ground.
Finally, in the fourth over with the second new ball, Baker edged a lifter from Kyle Jamieson, leaving Fisher unbeaten on 50.
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