Innings break England 307 and 352 for 9 dec (Vince 76, Stoneman 60) lead New Zealand 278 by 382 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
England’s lower order picked up the tempo, and shed a few quick wickets in the process, as Joe Root eventually declared an hour into the fourth afternoon to set New Zealand a daunting 382 for victory in the second Test, or four-and-a-half sessions to survive.
Resuming after lunch on 278 for 5, England lost Ben Stokes in the very first over of the session, as he fell across a Colin de Grandhomme inswinger and clipped airily to Jeet Raval at midwicket. And England could have been seven-down two balls later, when Jonny Bairstow survived a huge appeal for caught behind off Trent Boult. Replays showed that there had been a thin nick on his attempted drive, but umpire Erasmus was unmoved, and New Zealand had no reviews left in their armoury.
It was a decision that would prove very costly for New Zealand. De Grandhomme carried on chipping away, suckering Stuart Broad with a slower ball in his next over, having been biffed for a brace of boundaries, before bowling Mark Wood with a big inswinger after similar treatment two overs later.
But, with Jack Leach providing obdurate support at the other end, Bairstow turned on the afterburners, smoking Boult for three fours in five balls to take the lead from daunting to potentially decisive. He eventually holed out to deep square leg for 36, to give Neil Wagner his second wicket of the innings and prompt Joe Root to unleash his own bowlers with an hour to go until tea.
Lunch England 307 and 278 for 5 (Stokes 12*, Bairstow 2*) lead New Zealand 278 by 307 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Joe Root and Dawid Malan fell in quick succession after bringing up half-centuries, as England’s serene morning of accumulation encountered a brief spell of turbulence in the final half-hour before lunch at Hagley Oval.
By the break, New Zealand sensed they had inched themselves back into the contest at 278 for 5, a deficit of 307, having opted for the attritional approach on the fourth morning of the second Test.
The start to England’s day could hardly have been more satisfactory, as Root and Malan eased their way to a 97-run fourth-wicket partnership with scarcely an alarm.
Root, who was tempted early on with a wide line outside off, was happy to take on the drive with his characteristic open face through third man – an indication of how little life there was in the surface.
He brought up his second fifty of the series with a clip through midwicket in the final over before drinks, and was joined on the landmark soon afterwards by Malan, whose sliced drive for four through third man was arguably his only false stroke of the morning.
Kane Williamson’s decision to delay the new ball appeared, in the circumstances, to be an admission of New Zealand’s dwindling prospects. But, just when it seemed England were set to accelerate towards a declaration, their tactics were vindicated as Colin de Grandhomme and Neil Wagner both struck in the space of three deliveries.
First to go was Malan for 53 – caught at short midwicket as de Grandhomme tailed one into his pads from round the wicket and caused him to over-balance as he sought to flick into the gap. Henry Nicholls snaffled the chance at head height, to complete the 24th dismissal of the match, and the first by any of the change bowlers on either side.
Malan flung his head back in frustration as he left, knowing full well that he had squandered an opportunity for a very significant score. But worse was to follow for England in Wagner’s next over, when Root had a flash at a full-length outswinger, and skimmed a thin nick through to BJ Watling.
It was yet another instance of England’s captain failing to kick on – he has now passed fifty on nine occasions in his last 16 innings without converting to three figures, and his departure understandably emboldened New Zealand’s attack.
The new ball was finally claimed in the 89th over, with de Grandhomme sharing the honours with Trent Boult after Tim Southee had spent some time off the field. And de Grandhomme duly found a thick outside edge off Ben Stokes that flew at a catchable height through third slip, and away to the boundary.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo