Emilio Gay attributed England’s difficulties on the second morning of the second Test at the Kia Oval largely to misfortune rather than tactical errors, following a disciplined display by New Zealand’s batsmen. New Zealand added exactly 100 runs in 99 minutes after resuming their innings, taking firm control of the match before lunch on Thursday.

After weathering a challenging spell from England’s Jofra Archer late on Wednesday, New Zealand captain Glenn Phillips was notably patient as England delayed handing the ball back to their senior seamer for over an hour and a half. England also surprised observers by turning to part-time spinner Jacob Bethell with the second new ball within only five overs. Phillips reached a century before becoming the last wicket to fall shortly before the interval, with New Zealand finishing their innings at 391 runs. England responded by reaching 222 for six by stumps, trailing by 169 runs and scoring at a rate of 3.76 runs per over.

Gay, who scored an unbeaten 53 and was England’s top scorer, defended the team’s strategies despite the disappointing outcome. “Ideally it wasn’t what we wanted to happen, but that’s cricket,” he said. “I’m not privy to those discussions on bowling plans. Sometimes you get a bit of luck, sometimes you don’t. On another day, a chance might have gone to hand.” England captain Joe Root had emphasized the importance of sticking to their plans earlier in the day, but Gay acknowledged that New Zealand’s solid batting performance made breakthroughs difficult.

The England batsman also expressed regret over a crucial early mix-up that resulted in the run-out of his opening partner, Ben Duckett, who had been scoring freely. Duckett made 36 runs off 25 balls before the dismissal, while Gay himself had faced 23 deliveries for just eight runs at the time. Gay admitted his own responsibility for the incident, noting prior cautionary discussions among the team not to take risky singles against sharp fielders like Nathan Smith. “The most frustrating thing was how Ben was batting — scoring so freely and putting pressure back on,” he explained. “If anyone was to take the blame it’s probably me because of how he was playing.”

Phillips marked a personal milestone with his first Test century on the day before the anniversary of his father’s death, dedicating the achievement to him. “Today is close enough for the moment to matter,” Phillips said. “He would have loved to be here to see it. Test cricket was his favourite format, so I know he was watching.”

With England’s innings precariously positioned and their last recognized batter, Jordan Cox, at the crease alongside Archer, New Zealand appeared likely to maintain control. Phillips, however, warned against complacency. “You’d probably say we’re in control but cricket is a funny game,” he commented. “We want to keep coming back, doing the simple things really well for extended periods.” The match remains finely balanced as England seek to recover from a challenging deficit.