New Zealand thrashed England’s bowlers for quick runs to leave the hosts facing a record chase to win the second Test at Headingley on the fourth day yesterday.
The Black Caps extended their overnight 338 for six to 454 for eight declared, scoring 116 runs in just 16 overs yesterday before captain Brendon McCullum called a halt.
That left England needing 455 to win.
Photo: AP
The most any side have made in the fourth innings to win a Test is the West Indies’ 418 for seven against Australia at St John’s, Antigua, in 2002-2003.
England’s corresponding record is 332 for seven against Australia at Melbourne back in 1928-1929.
At lunch, England were 32 without loss.
Both Adam Lyth, who scored a maiden Test hundred in the first innings, and skipper Alastair Cook, who in the first innings became England’s highest run-scorer in Tests, were 15 not out. McCullum declared there were still a minimum 171 overs left in the match, leaving England to score at a modest rate of 2.66 runs per over for victory.
New Zealand were unlucky to be 1-0 behind in this two-match series after scoring more than 700 runs and taking 20 wickets in the first Test at Lord’s and still going down to a 124-run defeat.
B.J. Watling resumed yesterday on exactly 100 not out after becoming the first New Zealand batsman to score a Test hundred at Headingley.
Mark Craig, 15 not out overnight, was dropped on 23 when a diving Stuart Broad at mid-off failed to hold a tough chance off James Anderson.
However, Anderson’s second delivery with the new ball removed Watling for 120, the ball taking the shoulder of the bat before third slip Joe Root held a fine catch to end the batsman’s 163-ball innings, including 15 fours and a six.
England had missed several slip catches this series and their cause was not helped when Ian Bell failed to move for a chance offered by Tim Southee off Anderson.
Southee cashed in, scoring 20 runs off Broad’s first over yesterday.
He swung Broad backward of square for four and next ball drove the paceman straight back over his head for a superb six.
Southee followed up the next ball with a bottom-edged pull off Broad and then drove him through the covers for another boundary before taking two off the last ball of the over. Big-hitting Southee fell for 40, off just 24 balls, when he drove off-spinner Moeen Ali to Anderson at long-on.
However, it made little difference with New Zealand hammering Broad, who repeatedly bowled too short and, like many of his teammates, did not use the yorker, for 19 runs in the last over before the declaration.
Craig drove a back-of-a-length ball down the ground for six and tailender Mark Henry struck two more of his own, ending the innings with a pull that sailed high over deep square leg.
Off-spinner Craig finished on 58 not out off 77 balls, including nine fours and a six.
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