Watch: Glenn Phllips' jaw-dropping 'Superman catch' in 1st Test vs England

New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips added to his repertoire of sensational catches on Friday, November 29. Standing at point, Phillips put out a Superman dive to dismiss Ollie Pope.

In Short

• Glenn Phillips took an exceptional catch vs England
• Phillips added to his repertoire of exceptional catches
• New Zealand did not have a good time out vs ENG on Friday

New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips took an exceptional catch on Day 2 of the 1st Test match against England. Despite New Zealand’s morale being down due to a poor day out on the field, Phillips pulled off a stunning effort to dismiss Ollie Pope in England’s first innings.

Phillips, who is known for his fielding prowess ensured the departure of Ollie Pope in the 53rd over of the match. After Pope cut Southee hard through the point region, Phillips, dove to his right to pluck the ball out of thin air.

The commentators were in disbelief at the standard of Phillips’ catching and could not believe their eyes, the way Pope had been dismissed.

New Zealand, however, had a poor day on the field overall, dropping as many as six catches, including crucial misses off Brook and Pope. Despite the efforts of debutant Nathan Smith, who claimed two key wickets before lunch, New Zealand's sloppiness cost them the chance to dominate. Smith, who dismissed both Jacob Bethell (10) and Joe Root (0) in the same over, was unlucky to see several chances off his bowling spilt.

Tom Latham's drop of England captain Ben Stokes at short cover late in the day epitomised New Zealand's frustrations. Reflecting on the missed opportunities, Smith said: "I thought we bowled pretty well in periods, but yeah, England batted well to get themselves into this position. A couple of catches go to hand there, and it's a completely different story."

Star batter Harry Brook capitalised on the mistakes and hit a counter-attacking hundred to rescue England from a precarious position at Hagley Oval. Brook's unbeaten 132 led England to 319 for 5 at stumps, just 29 runs shy of New Zealand's first-innings total of 348. England began Day 2 under immense pressure, but Brook's composure and flair, supported by Ollie Pope's 77, turned the tables on the Black Caps. Their 151-run partnership for the fifth wicket was the backbone of England's recovery, especially after a shaky start at 71 for 4.

Brook's innings was a masterclass in controlled aggression. He reached his seventh Test century with a sublime boundary, having earlier crossed 2,000 career Test runs. His 163-ball knock included 10 fours and two sixes, and his calm presence at the crease steadied England after the early setbacks. Ben Duckett (46) was England's only top-order batter to show some resistance early on, but his dismissal to Will O'Rourke, caught in the deep attempting an ambitious pull, added to the tourists' struggles.

New Zealand, resuming the day at 319 for 8, added 29 runs to their overnight score, thanks to Glenn Phillips' unbeaten 58. Brydon Carse (4-64) and Shoaib Bashir (4-69) wrapped up the innings for England. Heading into Day 3, England have the perfect platform with Brook and Stokes settled at the crease and would be licking their lips at the prospect of building a match-defining lead that could effectively dash New Zealand out of the contest.