Tea England 291 (Henry 5-80) and 54 for 3 need 409 more runs to beat New Zealand 391 (Phillips 100) and 362 (Nicholls 121)
England’s bleak position was compounded by the fact that Ben Stokes – left out of the second Test on disciplinary grounds – was simultaneously cruising to a 51-ball half-century for Durham in the County Championship. Batting at No. 5, Stokes combined for a hundred partnership with Will Rhodes and had reached 73 not out by the time England trudged off for tea at 54 for 3.
Set an improbable 463 to win, England nearly lost a wicket in the first over of their second innings when Emilio Gay was put down by Tom Blundell off Matt Henry. But Gay was out soon after, chipping Kyle Jamieson to Rachin Ravindra at forward square leg, and Jacob Bethell fell for a four-ball duck when Jamieson trapped him on the front pad.
Root acknowledged the crowd’s ovation for his 14,000th Test run – a scampered single through cover off Henry – and struck two crisp boundaries in Nathan Smith’s first over to hint at a recovery from 13 for 2. But Ben Duckett fell immediately after, toe-ending a pull off Will O’Rourke straight to short midwicket to keep England firmly in the mire.
Root nearly gave Blundell a reprieve when he juggled a chance at leg slip, only for wicketkeeper James Rew to scoop up the rebound. Archer bowled eight of the first nine overs from the Pavilion End and repeatedly tested New Zealand’s batters, earning further reward when first-innings centurion Glenn Phillips was well held by Bethell in the gully.
Smith joined Mitchell and tucked into Bethell’s left-arm spin before lunch, hoisting consecutive balls over wide long-on and through deep midwicket for six then four. He tucked in again when England curiously declined to take the second new ball for the 81st over, hauling Matthew Fisher through long leg.
Mitchell had reached 50 with the first of three boundaries in a Root over before lunch, but fell soon after on the scoop. England then belatedly took the new ball and ran through the tail, with Fisher removing Jamieson (bowled) and Smith (caught slogging) before Sonny Baker had Henry slicing to extra cover.
