When New Zealand lost their way with the bat after inching past the England first-innings total, it did seem they have rained on their own parade and provided the hosts with the kind of opening they so desperately needed.
However, a final session that saw them take seven wickets pulled the game back in their favour decisively and left them on the verge of a historic series win.
The last time Black Caps won a Test series in England was the summer of 1999. Now, they are only a wicket and a few runs away from rewriting the history books.
Resuming play at 229/3, still trailing England’s 303 by a margin of 74 runs, New Zealand quite comfortably overhauled the hosts’ total in the first session, with veteran Ross Taylor (80) playing a rejuvenated knock. Having lost Will Young late (82) last evening, Taylor stitched another crucial stand with Henry Nicholls (21).
After Taylor’s dismissal, however, they suffered a middle-order collapse before, somehow, contributions from Tom Blundell (34), Ajaz Patel (20 and useful runs from Matt Henry (12) and Trent Boult (12) steered them to a total of 388, enabling their team a lead of 85 runs.
Having given the opposition a window of opportunity, the Kiwis needed a decisive performance with the ball, and they produced exactly that, with Henry (3/36) and Wagner (3/18) running through most of the side. There was absolutely no respite from either end for the home team batting unit, as they succumbed to 122/9 by stumps.
It was Henry who made the body blows, dismissing both of England’s openers – Dom Sibley (0) and Rory Burns (8) – cheaply and then removing Zak Crawley (13). In a terrific spell, Henry showed he might be down in New Zealand’s pecking order but isn’t by any means a compromise on quality. The pacer used his tall stature to great effect on a slightly wearing track.
Wagner was finally in his element after having to mend his ways for the England conditions through the majority of the last three innings of bowling. He dismissed an in-rhythm Ollie Pope (23) when he threatened to play a substantial knock and also sent back the usually resilient Dan Lawrence (0). Wagner also had lower-order batter Mark Wood (29) with a proper bouncer that got too big on him to connect his pull shot.
Left-arm spinner Ajaz (2/25) once again chipped with a couple of crucial wickets, including England skipper Joe Root, who played a painstaking knock of 11 from 61 deliveries before edging a cut shot to the keeper. Not to be left behind, Boult (1/34) got one past a helpless Stuart Broad to also get on the board.
England are now hopelessly left with James Anderson (0*) to accompany Olly Stone (15*) for the last wicket, with a lead of only 37 runs to their name.
The Kiwis, who should comfortably put an end to proceedings on Sunday, set up the match on Day 1 when their pacemen and spinner never let the home team batsmen feel secured at the crease. Boult (4/85) and Henry (3/78) were the chief destroyers, while Ajaz (2/34), Wagner (1/68) and even Daryl Mitchell (0/23) had controlled things very nicely at the other end.
A reflection of England’s problems required knocks of the substance of Burns (81), Lawrence (81), and the lower-order support just to take them past 300 in home conditions. Despite their batting, England managed to avoid a home series defeat for long. That, however, will surely change on Sunday.
Brief scores:
England 303 all out & 122/9 in 41 overs (Mark Wood 29, Ollie Pope 23; Matt Henry 3/36, Neil Wagner 3/18) lead New Zealand 388 all out in 119.1 overs (Will Young 82, Ross Taylor 80; Stuart Broad 4/48, Mark Wood 2/85) by 37 runs
