England pressed home their advantage over New Zealand on day three of the second Test in Christchurch, closing on 202-3 in their second innings, a lead of 231.​​​​​​​

Live Test Cricket

New Zealand vs England

April 1, 2018, 10:30pm
 
 


SCORECARD | AS IT HAPPENED
James Vince (76) and Mark Stoneman (60) went a long way to saving their Test careers in a 123-run partnership for the second wicket, though both will be disappointed at giving their wickets away on a pitch getting increasingly better for batting.
Alastair Cook's struggles with the bat continue, meanwhile, as he played fluently at first for 14 before falling to Trent Boult for the fourth time in the series, edging behind when once again stuck in his crease.
Earlier, Stuart Broad took 6-54 as New Zealand were bowled out for 278 in their first innings, though some big-hitting from Tim Southee (50) and a frustrating final-wicket partnership of 39 ate into England's lead.
With the home side resuming the day on 192-6, Jimmy Anderson (4-76) struck early with the second new ball, clean bowling BJ Watling (85) with a beauty that pitched on leg stump and swung away to clatter into middle and off
Broad then picked up Ish Sodhi (1) cheaply, before Anderson sent the stumps splattering again, this time thanks to a swing and a miss from Southee, who had just brought up his fourth Test fifty.
Nine wickets down, England's lead at that stage stood at 68, but some unorthodox hitting from final-wicket pair Neil Wagner (24no) and Boult (16) brought the Black Caps closer to parity before Broad finally wrapped up the innings.
England's openers then safely negotiated a tricky five-over spell before lunch, but Cook departed soon after the interval, raising further questions over his own future in the team.
As for Stoneman and Vince, they were in no doubt as to what a low second-innings score would mean for their Test careers but both knuckled down to notch timely fifties, with Vince, in particular, showcasing some delightful cover drives in his innings.
They were not chanceless innings though; Stoneman was wrongly given out gloving Wagner behind for 35 - the decision overturned with the deflection coming off his shoulder, not bat - and was also dropped twice.
Both chances came at slip off the bowling of Colin de Grandhomme, with Ross Taylor first putting Stoneman down on 48, then Southee the culprit nine runs later.
Given such let-offs, it looked like luck was on Stoneman's side, but he didn't learn his lesson and a third flash outside his off stump, this time off the bowling of Southee (1-42), was comfortably caught by wicketkeeper Watling.
Vince, meanwhile, didn't offer up as many glaring chances, but his innings did include the odd questionable shot selection, one particularly galling one seeing him try to paddle-sweep Sodhi on the full, despite a leg slip being in place.
But, it was once again the expansive drive outside off that ultimately brought about Vince's downfall as he edged Boult (2-38) to Taylor who, this time, clung on at slip.
Skipper Joe Root (30no) and Dawid Malan (19no) then saw England through to stumps without further loss. The tourists need to win the second Test in order to tie the two-match series.