Lunch England 143 and 193 for 5 (Atkinson 19*, Pope 17*) need 465 more to overcome New Zealand 347 and 453
New Zealand claimed three wickets before lunch on day four at Seddon Park as they closed in on a commanding victory over England in the third and final Test.
England resumed the match at 18 for 2, theoretically chasing 658 to win. If that was an unlikely goal, so was fighting two days for a draw, but Joe Root and Bethell made positive progress, generating a partnership of 50 inside the first nine overs.
They were both lucky at times. Tom Latham dropped Root badly at second slip off Southee when he had made 20, while Bethell clipped Matt Henry beyond his stumps while trying to drive. Will O’Rourke gave Bethell, in particular, a torrid time from the wicket, raising his pace to 153 kph/93 mph in his second spell.
Bethell had been running for the ball but slowed down as he approached 50. He added to the mark with a single from Mitchell Santner, who was then repeatedly intercepted by Root to add to his own half-century a few overs later. their association reaches 100 at the same time.
But it was Santner who made the breakthrough, Root missing the ball as he looked to sweep to be trapped in front. Ahsan Raza didn’t give it, but New Zealand’s review proved astute, with the ball dipping beneath the bat before straightening down the line of middle stumps and out.
O’Rourke then got the reward his bowling deserved when he dismissed Harry Brook cheaply for the second time in the match. Brook, who bowled a golden duck in the first innings, had tried to carry his fourth ball and then was dismissed for his sixth, a short, whiffing delivery that could only avoid slipping.
Ollie Pope was hit on the arm in the same move while ducking against a goalkeeper, but calmed down despite some nervous moments against spin. Bethell continued to attack but, having hit Southee’s first ball of the day over the head at mid-wicket for four, he fell trying to repeat the trick, while cutting a drive towards Glenn Phillips at deep backward point.
The fall of the fifth wicket brought Gus Atkinson to the crease, with Stokes still in his training squad. He hit four of his first nine balls for four, one of them dangerously close to being bowled out, but England were realistically just looking to save face.
Alan Gardner is deputy editor of ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick
