James Vince and Mark Stoneman were the toast of England yesterday as they ended day three of the second Test against New Zealand sensing their first away victory in two years.
England, who have not tasted success in their last 12 away Tests, hold a healthy 231-run lead with seven second innings wickets in hand.
“A good couple of sessions (on Monday) and we’ve got a chance of forcing a win,” batting coach Graham Thorpe said with their strong position the result of a 123-run stand by Vince and Stoneman for the second wicket.
The pair came together at 24 for one after the loss of Alastair Cook with Vince going on to make 76 and Stoneman his highest score in Tests with 60.
“Both would have loved to have got 100s and gone on, but they will get a good pat from us in the dressing room,” Thorpe said.
Joe Root was not out 30 at the end of the day with Dawid Malan on 19 as England ended the day on 202 for three.
BJ Watling, who made 85 in New Zealand’s rearguard action to lift their first innings to 278, believed the first session today would likely dictate the outcome.
“We’re probably fractionally behind. Obviously Vince and Stoneman had a really good partnership,” he said.
“Tomorrow morning’s a massive session in the game. If we can take four or five wickets in that session we can put them under some pressure and obviously if they come through it then they’re in control of the game.”
Cook went early for 14, continuing a disappointing run for the opener in which he has totalled only 23 in four innings in New Zealand, and has been removed by Trent Boult each time.

Scoreboard  
England first innings 307 (J. Bairstow 101, M. Wood 52; Southee 6-62, Boult 4-87)
New Zealand first innings (overnight 192-6)
J. Raval c Bairstow b Anderson 5
T. Latham c Bairstow b Broad 0
K. Williamson c Bairstow b Anderson 22
R. Taylor c Cook b Broad 2
H. Nicholls lbw Broad 0
B. Watling b Anderson 85
C. de Grandhomme c Bairstow b Broad 72
T. Southee b Anderson 50
I. Sodhi c Bairstow b Broad 1
N. Wagner not out 24
T. Boult c Malan b Broad 16
Extras: (lb1) 1
Total: (for 10 wickets; 93.3 overs) 278
Fall: 1-0 (Latham), 2-14 (Raval), 3-17 (Taylor), 4-17 (Nicholls), 5-36 (Williamson), 6-178 (de Grandhomme), 7-226 (Watling), 8-231 (Sodhi), 9-239 (Southee), 10-278 (Boult)
Bowling: Anderson 24-5-76-4, Broad 22.3-5-54-6, Wood 21-3-69-0, Leach 19-3-52-0, Root 1-0-9-0, Stokes 6-2-17-0

England second innings
A. Cook c Watling b Boult 14
M. Stoneman c Watling b Southee 60
J. Vince c Taylor b Boult 76
J. Root not out 30
D. Malan not out 19
Extras: (lb1, w1, nb1) 3
Total: (for 3 wickets; 66 overs) 202 
Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Cook), 2-147 (Stoneman), 3-165 (Vince)
Bowling: Boult 15-3-38-2, Southee 13-3-42-1, de Grandhomme 12-0-37-0 (1w, 1nb), Wagner 15-2-37-0, Sodhi 11-0-46-0.
Toss: New Zealand
Series: New Zealand lead 1-0
Umpires: Marais Erasmus (RSA), Bruce Oxenford (AUS)
TV Umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS)
Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)