Ollie Robinson puts England in control after rain-hit third day against New Zealand

Ollie Robinson puts England in control after rain-hit third day against New Zealand

England moved closer to victory over New Zealand after a rain-hit third day of the first Test at Lord’s, which saw just 10 overs of play possible.

Persistent rain meant only around an hour of play was possible on Saturday, though it was enough for Ollie Robinson to make a decisive impact by grabbing two key wickets.

Robinson removed Rachin Ravindra with a rising delivery that kissed the off stump before trapping Daryl Mitchell in front, leaving New Zealand struggling on 55-5 heading into day four.

The tourists remain 199 runs adrift of an unlikely 254-run target heading into the final day.

Rain interruptions dominated the day, with play repeatedly delayed before being abandoned in the late afternoon.

Despite the limited action, Robinson again thrived in helpful conditions on his Test return, taking his match tally to seven wickets.

With dry weather forecast for Sunday, England are expected to complete a comfortable win and go 1-0 up in the series.

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