NZ vs ENG 2024/25, New Zealand vs England 2nd Test, Day 3, Wellington Match Report, December 06 – 10, 2024

England 280 and 427 for 6 dec (Root 106, Bethell 96, Duckett 92, Brook 55) lead New Zealand 125 (Atkinson 4-31, Carse 4-46) by 582 runs

No team has successfully chased down more than 418 in the fourth innings of a Test – in fact, only in the timeless Durban Test of 1939 have more runs been scored, regardless of the result. The fact that there was the better part of three full days left in this game underlined the scale of the challenge for New Zealand.

The morning session came with the famed Wellington winds buffeting the ground, but unlikely to blow England off course; their record second-innings advantage of 533 after two days of play a clear indicator of which side was on top.

Stokes had swung for the pickets from the off on the second evening, and began by swiping two off Will O’Rourke’s opening delivery. Not many came out of the middle initially, but with New Zealand spreading the field, easy runs were on offer for the sixth-wicket pair.

Matt Henry missed a sharp return chance off a Stokes’ drive in the second over, before Root clubbed the first boundary through midwicket. He picked up two more fours in Henry’s next over to move into the 90s, another glance off O’Rourke then persuading New Zealand to take the second new ball.

Root had batted serenely, and went to his pet shot with the hundred in sight. This time the reverse-ramp came off his gloved hand as he tumbled over in the crease, but cleared Tom Blundell and bounced away for four to bring up three figures, an impudent smile on the face of England’s record run-scorer.

He hit the next ball in orthodox style through long-off, before a thick edge was well held by the diving Blundell to give the deserving O’Rourke a wicket. At which point Root and Stokes charged off, ready to get going in England’s pursuit of 10 wickets.