New Zealand 375 & 96-2 (34 overs);
England 476Hosts trail by five runs with eight wickets remainingIn becoming the first visiting captain to score a double century in
New Zealand, Joe Root felt his mandate swell in a way that the political leaders back home can only dream about. The only question left was whether his England side could force a win on the final day and draw the series.
Root’s epic 226 at the tree-lined Seddon Park came over 10-and-a-half hours wedded to the crease as, with Ollie Pope in tow for a similarly determined 75, the captain helped post a total of 476 all out and with it a first-innings lead of 101 runs.