Their gritty response after being asked to follow on was founded on half-centuries by openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway. Kane Williamson was a patient 25 not out at the close, needing just four more runs to surpass Ross Taylor as New Zealand’s greatest Test run-scorer.
The former skipper will resume alongside Henry Nicholls (18 not out) with New Zealand harbouring slim hopes of squaring the two-match series on a Basin Reserve pitch starting to offer turn and variable bounce. Only England (twice) and India have achieved the feat of winning a Test after following on.
A New Zealand victory looked a distant prospect when dismissed for 209 in their first innings midway through the morning session, 226 runs behind England’s 435-8 declared. Latham (83) and Conway (61) combined to frustrate England for 149 runs before the first wicket fell, unveiling combative qualities that had been absent in a series dominated by England’s impressive seam bowling. New Zealand’s foothold in the game loosened when both openers and Will Young (8) fell in the space of 18 runs, all to spin, to leave them 167-3 before Williamson and Nicholls dug in.
England are still well placed to notch a seventh straight Test win and secure a 2-0 series sweep after their 267-run first Test triumph at Mount Maunganui.
Scoreboard
England I innings 435-8 decl New Zealand I innings(overnight 138-7)
T. Blundell c Leach b Broad 38
T. Southee c Crawley b Broad 73
M. Henry c Anderson b Broad 6
N. Wagner not out 0
Extras (nb2) 2
Total (53.2 overs) 209
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Conway), 2-7 (Williamson), 3-21 (Young), 4-60 (Latham), 5-77 (Nicholls), 6-96 (Mitchell), 7-103 (Bracewell), 8-201 (Southee), 9-208 (Blundell), 10-209 (Henry)
Bowling: Anderson 10-1-37-3, Broad 14.2-2-61-4, Robinson
12-4-31-0 (1nb), Leach 17-1-80-3 (1nb)
New Zealand 2nd innings (f/o)
T. Latham lbw b Root 83
D. Conway c Pope b Leach 61
K. Williamson not out 25
W. Young b Leach 8
H. Nicholls not out 18
Extras (lb3, nb3, w1) 7
Total (3 wkts, 83 overs) 202
Fall of wickets: 1-149 (Conway), 2-155 (Latham), 3-167 (Young)
Bowling: Anderson 15-5-38-0, Robinson 15-3-34-0, Broad 11-2-34-0, Leach 31-7-59-2, Root 9-0-18-1, Stokes 2-0-16-0 (1w, 3nb)
To bat: D. Mitchell, T. Blundell, M. Bracewell, T. Southee, M. Henry, N. Wagner
