Relive 1News' live updates of day three of the first Test between the Black Caps and England at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
NZL 63/5 - Mitchell 13*, Bracewell 25
STUMPS! And that does it for today. Mitchell and Bracewell hang tough after a brutal final session on day three. A HUGE finish for England today which will be very hard for the Black Caps to come back from. Still, it's a new day tomorrow and with it the chance for a comeback.
That's all from us, have a good evening.
NZL 51/5 - Mitchell 8, Bracewell 19*
A small victory for the Black Caps as they bring up 50. Bracewell has come in with a positive approach despite the situation and he's getting some good results from it. Mitchell much more reserved, especially after taking some treatment for what appeared to be his hamstring.
Not much left in today's action. England will want another wicket here to really hammer home this dominant session.
NZL need 343 runs with five wickets in hand.
NZL 28/5 - Mitchell 3, Bracewell 0*
WICKET! There will be no Blundell heroics this time. Broad with his FOURTH clean-bowled wicket of this innings as he slices through the Black Caps' comeback hopes and their keeper to smash the top of middle stump.
England look like they believe they can wrap this tonight. FIVE slips in the cordon as Bracewell comes out.
NZL need 366 runs with five wickets in hand.
NZL 27/4 - Mitchell 3, Blundell 0*
WICKET! Oh boy. Robinson in on the action now as he gets Nicholls with an outside edge through to the keeper. Out comes Blundell. He's done it once already this Test but we'd be asking for something truly special of him here to bring this back.
NZL need 367 runs with six wickets in hand.
NZL 19/3 - Nicholls 2*, Mitchell 0
WICKET! Broad has a third! After being DROPPED four balls prior, Latham goes this time as Broad decides to do it all himself. He is having some sort of spell here. Another impeccable delivery with the new ball and it's through the gate to send the bails flying. NZ's chase well and truly in damage control now.
NZL need 375 runs with seven wickets in hand.
NZL 14/2 - Latham 12, Nicholls 0*
WICKET! BROAD DOES IT AGAIN! Williamson is gone for a duck after another beaut from the English quick. Angling in to the Kiwi batsman and he's hesitant to commit but that leaves his offstump to go flying. A brutal blow for NZ's chances here. England making the most of the twilight right now.
NZL need 380 runs with eight wickets in hand.
NZL 14/1 - Latham 12*, Williamson 0
WICKET! And that is NOT what the Black Caps wanted. Broad bowls Conway clean through the gate. Out comes Williamson to steady the ship.
NZL need 380 runs with nine wickets in hand.
NZL 0/0 - Latham 0*, Conway 0
Here we go. Lathan and Conway have made their way out. Anderson and Broad, unsurprisingly, have been warming up for England. Just under two hours of play left today - who will take the final session?
NZL need 394 runs with 10 wickets in hand.
ENG 374/10 - Anderson 6*
WICKET! And that'll do it. Bracewell with a similar ball that bamboozled Stokes to dismiss Leach who goes for the slog and ends up stumped as well. That ends England's second at bat and gives them an imposing 393 run lead to defend.
The Black Caps have time - two and a bit days, in fact. But tonight will be a tough first step. England's bowlers will be ready to fire with a new pink ball under the fading light. If the Black Caps' top order can steer through this relatively unscathed, it will set up a thrilling fourth day of action.
But no getting ahead of ourselves, we'll be back shortly for the chase!
ENG lead by 393 runs.
ENG 358/9 - Leach 2, Anderson 0*
WICKET! Robinson attempts a ramp but in the end it's an easy take at the slips. He's gone for an impactful 39 and England are down to their final wicket - and yes, Anderson is coming out to the pitch here. No bold declarations tonight.
So far.
ENG lead by 377 runs with one wicket in hand.
ENG 354/8 - Robinson 35, Leach 2
And we're back into the action at a still-sunny Bay Oval. No doubt twilight is approaching though and the lights will be warming up. How much longer does Stokes want to push this out? And can the Black Caps bowlers deny him that right?
ENG lead by 373 runs with two wickets in hand.
ENG 349/8 - Robinson 30, Leach 2
DINNER! And England survives the session! The Black Caps are falling onto the back foot again here with England's lead slowly pushing to 400. The question is what will Stokes do - another declaration later in the evening to get the NZ bats squirming under the lights seems the most obvious option. It's certainly a defendable target based on the match so far but Stokes may want a couple more for insurance, knowing his bowlers have two days to get the job done.
Stay with us, we'll be back shortly for the third session.
ENG lead by 368 runs with two wickets in hand.
ENG 343/8 - Robinson 25, Leach 2
DROPPED! Leach fends off a Wagner bumper but it pops up to Southee at silly mid-off. The skipper can't get there in time!
England have well and truly slowed things down here and look to be timing a declaration. Robinson and Leach appear happy to play the slow game but they need to stay on their wits or risk heading back to the clubhouse like Leach almost did there.
ENG lead by 362 runs with two wickets in hand.
ENG 335/8 - Robinson 19, Leach 0
WICKET! Tickner gets the outside edge the very next ball! Superb ball leaves Foakes with little he can do and it's an outside edge to the keeper.
FIFTY! Foakes gets his half-century. Handy innings for England this. Hasn't forced too much and picked up singles and twos when they've been there.
ENG lead by 354 runs with two wickets in hand.
ENG 293/7 - Foakes 28*, Robinson 0
WICKET! Stumped! Bracewell gets Stokes to come charging down the pitch but the English skipper misses it completely as the ball dips, grips and glides away from the bat and into Blundell's mitts for the easy wicket. Classy ball from Bracewell and it's a big breakthrough.
England's lead is over 300 now but they'll want to time when they put NZ in to bat here - could really be the call that makes or breaks this Test.
ENG lead by 312 runs with three wickets in hand.
ENG 273/6 - Foakes 17*, Stokes 23
Stokes fires up! He smashes Kuggeleijn for back-to-back sixes, the first of which breaks the record for career Test sixes. Coincidentally the man he knocked off the top perch happens to be his current coach, Kiwi Brendon McCullum.
Stokes then smashes Test six No.109 on the next ball and Wagner has gone for the catch at fine leg but he can't stay in play! He loses his bearings and steps on the boundary. Bugger!
ENG lead by 292 runs with four wickets in hand.
ENG 258/6 - Foakes 15, Stokes 10
England are slowing things down a little bit here in comparison to their pedal-to-the-metal approach so far. Stokes obviously has some sort of plan here. In saying that, they're still punishing this Black Caps bowling troupe when there's an opportunity to with well-placed boundaries. That's seen Kuggeleijn brought into the fold for NZ.
ENG lead by 277 runs with four wickets in hand.
ENG 237/6 - Foakes 5*, Stokes 0
Back in action and Stokes eases in to his work, allowing Bracewell to pick up a wicket maiden over.
ENG lead by 256 runs with four wickets in hand.
ENG 237/6 - Foakes 5, Stokes 0*
WICKET! Bracewell cuts down Root in the final over before Tea! Root undone by another reverse sweep attempt as he top edges it. The ball deflects off Blundell's gloves and is taken by Mitchell at slip. Bit chaotic but Mitchell kept his cool and got the dismissal. Big strike for the Black Caps to wrap up another wild session as we now head to TEA.
England were rocketing along there until that last wicket which brings the Black Caps right back into things again - 158 runs in just 25.1 overs but they lose four wickets for it.
Stick around, we'll be back shortly for the second session of this topsy-turvy Test!
ENG lead by 256 runs with four wickets in hand.
ENG 225/5 - Root 50*, Foakes 0
WICKET! And just like that, Brook is undone by Tickner! Probing line from the debutant draws and uncertain prod and the thick edge goes to Mitchell as the only slip in play. Brook heads off the ground met with some applause for his fireworks.
ENG lead by 244 runs with five wickets in hand.
ENG 221/4 - Root 50*, Brook 50
FIFTY! Both batsmen get their 50s in the same over and the Barmy Army are making it known! Brook's is the more explosive being rached for just 37 balls. He's come out firing today and punishing the Black Caps bowlers.
ENG lead by 240 runs with six wickets in hand.
ENG 212/4 - Root 46*, Brook 45
Another punishing over for Wagner as he's blasted all around the ground by Brook for 18 runs in an over; three-straight fours before he rubs salt in the wound with a six. And that pushes England into the 200s. Both Root and Brook looking dangerous here.
ENG lead by 231 runs with six wickets in hand.
ENG 144/4 - Root 24*, Brook 0
WICKET! Wagner finally gets his man! After being knocked around a bit he comes down the legside and gets Pope to have a wipe at it. He can't get good contact though and it's off the glove and through to the keeper, with Blundell going low for a good take.
ENG lead by 163 runs with six wickets in hand.
ENG 107/3 - Pope 29, Root 7*
England kicks things up a gear as Pope launches two sixes off Wagner in one over. The first is sent over the ropes at fine leg before launching another to well behind square. That's the 100 up for England.
ENG lead by 126 runs with seven wickets in hand.
ENG 82/3 - Pope 15, Root 0*
WICKET! And Wagner gets the Nighwatchman on the very next ball! An attacking lifter into the armpit has Broad all mixed up and he tries to evade but instead it's a pop up to gully off his bat's handle. In comes Joe Root.
ENG lead by 101 runs with seven wickets in hand.
ENG 82/2 - Pope 15, Broad 7*
A mixed start to the day as the first delivery from Wagner is a no-ball but he comes right before Southee comes in with a maiden - a rarity in today's game against England.
ENG lead by 101 runs with eight wickets in hand.
1:45pm
Another fine day in at the Bay Oval as we head into a fairly evenly-poised third day of this Test. A lot of that boils down to the Black Caps' recovery from being 83/5 at one point yesterday but England came out firing last night and managed to put some runs on the board while only losing two wickets in tricky conditions.
Play set to start in 15 minutes. We'll have the first ball call.
1:30pm: Day 2 Recap
Tom Blundell completed a defiant late order century as the Black Caps’ last man at the crease today to further New Zealand’s fightback on the second day of the first cricket test against England.
Batting at No. 7, Blundell was 82 when New Zealand’s ninth wicket fell and he was joined at the crease by No. 11 Blair Tickner, a lanky, moustachioed fast bowler on test debut with a first class batting average of 10.
Summing up the situation, Blundell hit the accelerator and struck 6, 4 and 4 from the bowling of spinner Jack Leach to move to 96. As Blundell watched nervously, Tickner played out an over from Ollie Robinson before Blundell twice worked the ball for two off Leach to complete his fourth test century.
He was undaunted, even when England took the second new ball just as the floodlights kicked in at Bay Oval in the day-night match. Blundell went on to 138 before he was the last man out. Tickner played a brave debut innings of 3 from 24 balls and New Zealand finished at 306, just 19 runs behind England’s 325-9 declared.
“I came out in a difficult situation and it was nice to come out with Devon Conway,” Blundell said. “I actually didn’t say too much to Tickner. He took it on himself and batted very nicely and did a great job.”
As England batted again under lights, Tickner made a vital breakthrough, dismissing Ben Duckett for 25 to end his imposing first innings of 84 from 68 balls. Blundell then caught Zac Crawley (28) off Scott Kuggeleijn and at stumps England was 79-2, leading by 98 runs with Ollie Pope 14 not out and Stuart Broad 6.
When play began on the second day, there seemed little chance of New Zealand coming close to England’s total: the home team had been 37-3 overnight after losing Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls and Kane Williamson in less than 90 minutes before stumps.
Devon Conway survived the pink ball trial under floodlights and was 17 not out at the end of day one. England likely saw his wicket today as the key to ensuring a solid first innings lead buy they reckoned without Blundell.
When England captain Ben Stokes, bowling with a heavily strapped left knee, bounced out Conway for 77 on today it seemed the pivotal moment of the second day.
For historians, the more momentous moment came when Stuart Broad dismissed nightwatchman Neil Wagner in the seventh over to capture the 1,000th wicket of his long-standing bowling partnership with James Anderson.
Broad, 36, and Anderson, 40, are playing their 133rd test in tandem since their first in 2008 and now are poised to overtake Australia’s Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne who took 1,001 wickets in 104 tests as the most prolific bowling pair in test history.
Stokes showed no signs of pain as he thumped the wearing pink ball into the middle of the pitch at the Bay Oval, testing the New Zealand batsmen with an array of short-pitched deliveries.
Conway endured for 229 minutes before he finally fell to Stokes when New Zealand was 158-6 and still 167 short of England’s total. He swatted at a head-high ball from Stokes and was caught at square leg.
With Blundell, Conway put on 75 for New Zealand’s sixth wicket and when he fell, Blundell took up the fight and guided New Zealand almost to first innings parity. The wicketkeeper-batsman has taken on the mantle of B.J. Watling who played many vital late-order innings for New Zealand. Today's was Blundell’s most important so far.
Squads
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Will Young, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Tim Southee (captain), Neil Wagner, Scott Kuggeleijn, Blair Tickner
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Ben Foakes, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, Jimmy Anderson
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