DAY 2: Ton-up Phillips stars for New Zealand against England

Glenn Phillips's maiden test century was the cornerstone of New Zealand's first-innings 391 all out as the Black Caps stepped up their fightback against England at The Oval on Thursday.

Phillips, last man out for exactly 100, received fine support from Kyle Jamieson (41) in an eighth-wicket partnership of 87 as the pair capitalised on wayward England bowling and sloppy fielding on the second day of the second test.

At tea, England were 118-2 – a deficit of 273 runs – with opener Emilio Gay 48 not out and stand-in captain Joe Root unbeaten on 19 after they had put on 50 for the third wicket beneath increasingly gloomy skies.

New Zealand, in a must-win clash at 1-0 down in a three-match series, resumed on their overnight 291-7.

Phillips, dubbed the "energiser bunny" by teammate Daryl Mitchell, was 49 not out, having shared a sixth-wicket stand of 75 with Tom Blundell (51) which helped New Zealand recover from 107-4 after they lost the toss.

Phillips's top-edged pull early Thursday completed a valuable 76-ball fifty with his 10th four.

Jamieson should have been out for 15 when his spliced swipe off Sonny Baker sailed gently to deep midwicket, only for Ben Duckett to drop a simple chance.

England, however, were guilty of over-doing the short-ball ploy and their naive tactics allowed Phillips, batting at No 7, and Jamieson to run riot.

But Root, back leading England after they dropped captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson for breaking a team curfew following the first test, should have changed course much sooner, with none of his fast bowlers trying to make the batsmen at least think twice by bowling a yorker.

New Zealand blasted 74 runs in 12 overs, before Bethell ended Jamieson's 48-ball innings.

Root kept Jofra Archer waiting in the field until after England had taken the new ball, with New Zealand 388-8 when the express quick came onto bowl.

Phillips's single off Archer saw the allrounder to a century, his first in his 19-test career.

And with just last man Will O'Rourke for company, he then holed out off Matthew Fisher.

Duckett had made 36 off just 25 balls when he was run out by Nathan Smith's excellent direct hit from mid-off after opening partner Emilio Gay set off for a needless single.

Smith, who has played at The Oval for Surrey, then had Bethell well-caught for nine by wicketkeeper Blundell off a ball that nipped away.

ENGLAND: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root (capt), Harry Brook, James Rew (wkt), Jordan Cox, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Matthew Fisher, Sonny Baker

NEW ZEALAND: Tom Latham (capt), Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wkt), Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Will O'Rourke